New
New
Lesson 5 of 9
  • Year 10

Tone, hue and colour

I can use colour and tone to express ideas and feelings in my work

Lesson 5 of 9
New
New
  • Year 10

Tone, hue and colour

I can use colour and tone to express ideas and feelings in my work

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

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

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

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Variations in tone create the illusion of 3D space, makes objects more lifelike, and attracts attention
  2. Colour is a powerful tool in the communication of a thought, idea or emotion
  3. Colour encompasses both hue and tone, and its combination can influence how viewers perceive and react to the artwork.
  4. Different colours can symbolise various ideas or emotions, allowing artists to communicate more than just the visual.

Keywords

  • Tone - how light or dark a colour is

  • Colour - what we see when light hits an object

  • Hue - the pure colour itself, like red or blue

  • Saturation - how intense or vivid a colour is

Common misconception

Hue and colour mean the same thing.

Colour is the overarching name for what we see but it is made up of hues and tones.


To help you plan your year 10 art and design lesson on: Tone, hue and colour, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This is a great lesson as a review as it encourages lots of reflection around how students are using colour to communicate.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Materials suitable for your specialism that encourage playful exploration of colour and tonal combinations. This could include dyes, glazes, paints, coloured gels or other semi transparent materials

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

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is an element of art?

Correct answer: Line
Grammar
Perspective
Paragraph

Q2.
True or false? Shading with a pencil can help create the effect of depth in a drawing.

Correct answer: true
fFalse

Q3.
Match the artist with a key visual focus they are known for

Correct Answer:Vincent van Gogh,Expressive brushstrokes and colour

Expressive brushstrokes and colour

Correct Answer:Pablo Picasso,Cubism and breaking objects into shapes

Cubism and breaking objects into shapes

Correct Answer:Claude Monet,Capturing changing light and atmosphere

Capturing changing light and atmosphere

Q4.
Which of these words describes how something feels or looks like it would feel?

Correct answer: Texture
Balance
Tone
Perspective

Q5.
True or false? Primary colours are red, green, and yellow.

true
Correct answer: false

Q6.
Match the term with the correct idea

Correct Answer:Balance,Equal distribution of visual weight

Equal distribution of visual weight

Correct Answer:Contrast,Opposites used to create visual interest

Opposites used to create visual interest

Correct Answer:Pattern,Repeating designs or shapes

Repeating designs or shapes

Additional material

Download additional material