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Year 10

Refining your artistic voice by experimenting with techniques and skills

I can experiment with materials and techniques to refine my artistic voice.

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New
New
Year 10

Refining your artistic voice by experimenting with techniques and skills

I can experiment with materials and techniques to refine my artistic voice.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Experimenting with new techniques expands artistic possibilities.
  2. Many artists experiment. They rule-break and turn mistakes into opportunities for developing their artistic voice.
  3. Open-ended experimentation allows artists to make mistakes that could lead to unexpected ideas and new techniques.

Keywords

  • Techniques - methods or approaches used to create art, such as layering, texturing, or blending

  • Open-ended - working in art with no fixed outcome or predetermined goal

  • Mistakes - in art can be an opportunity for discovery and growth, often leading to unexpected and innovative results

Common misconception

Making mistakes in art is always bad for your artistic development.

Mistakes and experimentation can lead to developing an artistic voice.


To help you plan your year 10 art and design lesson on: Refining your artistic voice by experimenting with techniques and skills, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Monitor use of materials, tools and techniques in the 'rule-breaking' task to ensure safety and appropriateness.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which technique involves applying multiple layers of paint to create depth in a painting?

blending
Correct answer: layering
texturing
sketching

Q2.
What is the primary purpose of blending in painting?

to create sharp edges
Correct answer: to mix colours smoothly
to add texture
to outline shapes

Q3.
In art, what does an open-ended approach emphasise?

following strict guidelines
achieving a predetermined outcome
Correct answer: exploration and experimentation
replicating existing artworks

Q4.
What does texturing in art aim to achieve?

smooth, flat surfaces
Correct answer: visual or tactile surface quality
precise geometric shapes
replicating existing artworks

Q5.
Which tool is commonly used for blending colours in painting?

Correct answer: fan brush
charcoal
black paint
a roller

Q6.
How can mistakes be beneficial in the artistic process?

They should always be erased.
They lead to immediate failure.
Correct answer: They offer opportunities for discovery.
They ruin the artwork.

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Open-ended experimentation allows artists to develop their ...

personality.
Correct answer: artistic voice.
pay packet.
artist dress sense.

Q2.
Open-ended working in art means ...

working towards someone else’s idea of your outcome.
Correct answer: working with no clear idea of your outcome.
working with a clear idea of your outcome.

Q3.
What links these art movements? Impressionism, Dada, Abstract Expressionism and The Feminist Art Movement

Correct Answer: Experimentation, Rule-breaking, Mistakes

Q4.
Contemporary artists continue to ...

Correct answer: experiment and rule-break.
only use traditional techniques and materials.
experiment but follow strict rules about making art.