The elements of art: Colour
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use colour theory and personal preference to make a collage
Key learning points
- Colours can carry different meanings, and these can vary across people, places and cultures.
- We can use colour to convey emotion in our work.
- Artists and designers can use colour theory and personal preference in their work.
Keywords
Colour - what we see when light reflects off an object. Colour helps us describe how things look and can also make us feel different emotions.
Colour theory - the idea of how colours work together. It includes the colour wheel, primary and secondary colours, and how colours can mix or contrast.
Common misconception
Colours carry the same meaning for everybody.
Colours can carry different meanings, and these can vary across people, places and cultures.
Teacher tip
Engage pupils in looking and discussing the use of colour in a range of art and design.
Equipment
Scissors, glue, paper, acrylic/poster paint, brushes, water pot, mixing palette.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these describes a colour wheel?
Q2.Which of these is usually one of the primary colours?
Q3.Which of these is usually one of the primary colours?
Q4.How do you make a secondary colour?
Q5.Which of these colours are secondary colours?
Q6.Artists can use colour to convey different moods in their work.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What do complementary colours do when placed side by side?
Q2.What does "saturation" describe in a colour?
Q3.Which of the following is a primary colour?
Q4.What is "colour theory" mainly used for in art and design?
To help you plan your 7 art and design lesson on: The elements of art: Colour, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 art and design lesson on: The elements of art: Colour, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 art and design lessons from the The elements of art unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.