Developing ideas for experimentation
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore different materials, leading to creative and innovative discoveries.
Key learning points
- Experimentation allows artists to explore new themes and concepts that may not emerge through traditional methods.
- Experimentation encourages artists to embrace uncertainty and failure, leading to discoveries that enhance their work.
- Experimentation allows artists to refine their ideas through repeated investigations, leading to more innovative work.
Keywords
Experiment - taking risks, and seeing what you can create or discover through practice and exploration
Refine - making artwork more expressive, cohesive, and skillful, through practice or selection of visual elements
Development - improving ideas, making adjustments, and exploring new possibilities until artwork reaches its final form
Common misconception
Using inspiration from artists means copying their work exactly.
The goal is not to copy an artist's work but to adapt their techniques, mark-making, or approach to develop your own creative style and ideas.
Teacher tip
Regular reflection helps students understand their choices. Ask them to pause and think about how their material choices are shaping their work.
Equipment
Task B & C: Monochrome mixed media materials (black, white, gray): string, tape, card, scissors, pastels, charcoal, glue, newspaper, paint, ink.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a fundamental aspect of experimentation in art?
Q2.Why is uncertainty important in art experimentation?
Q3.What is refinement in art?
practising to make skills like drawing or painting better over time
adding intricate touches to make the work more realistic/expressive
carefully checking and correcting errors in your work
making the artwork look complete and professional
Q4.Development in art: arrange the following steps in the correct order.
Q5.What is mark-making in art?
Q6.Match the mark-making terms to their descriptions.
linear strokes - straight, curved, thick, or thin to define shapes
marks that can demonstrate how something feels, like rough or smooth
a basic mark that can be small, simple, or used to form patterns
a blurred or softened mark made by blending materials like charcoal
overlapping lines used to create shading or depth
To help you plan your 10 art and design lesson on: Developing ideas for experimentation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 art and design lesson on: Developing ideas for experimentation, 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 4 art and design lessons from the Foundation workshops: selecting primary sources and recording observations unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.