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Lesson 1 of 7
  • Year 11

Deepening the understanding of the principles of painting

I can identify and apply the principles of painting in a personal and analytical context.

Lesson 1 of 7
New
New
  • Year 11

Deepening the understanding of the principles of painting

I can identify and apply the principles of painting in a personal and analytical context.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The elements and principles of art are used by artists to convey ideas, emotions, and narratives.
  2. Artists make choices deliberately by select principles rather than using them randomly.
  3. Reflecting improves practice as refining decisions can lead to creating stronger, more purposeful outcomes.

Keywords

  • Elements of art - the components the artist uses to create an artwork

  • Principles of art - the means by which artists organise the components of an artwork to create a unique work that communicates their vision and intentions

Common misconception

The elements and principles of art are the same thing.

Remind pupils that the core principles are: balance, movement, rhythm, pattern, contrast, unity, emphasis. The elements are the components that artists use to create an artwork.


To help you plan your year 11 art and design lesson on: Deepening the understanding of the principles of painting, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Be explicit about the difference between elements and principles: “The elements are the building blocks. The principles are how we arrange those blocks.” You could model with examples: Take a single element (e.g. line) and show how artists apply it with different principles.
Teacher tip

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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.
True or false? The elements of art are the building blocks, while the principles of art are how those blocks are arranged.

Correct Answer: True, Correct, yes

Q2.
Which of these is a principle of painting?

line
colour
Correct answer: balance
texture

Q3.
What does the principle of contrast do in a painting?

It blends all colours together.
Correct answer: It creates visual interest and highlights focal points.
It avoids any differences between areas.
It makes a painting perfectly symmetrical.

Q4.
True or false? Radial balance is when equal parts radiate out from the centre of a design.

Correct Answer: True, Correct, yes

Q5.
Which principle is used when an artist repeats shapes, colours, or lines across a painting?

emphasis
rhythm
unity
Correct answer: pattern

Q6.
What does the principle of unity mean in painting?

Correct answer: ensuring all the elements feel like they belong together
making every element look completely different
adding as many random colours as possible
using symmetry only

Additional material

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