Year 8 Art and Design

An investigation into the mathematical relationships of facial features and the use of construction lines to build form.

Focusing on detailed observation and rendering of individual features (eyes, nose, mouth) from live models or photographs.

Using the works of the German Expressionists to understand how line quality and color can convey internal emotional states.

Experimenting with warm, cool, complementary, and analogous color schemes to evoke specific emotions in portraiture.

Students create a final mixed-media self-portrait that incorporates symbolic elements representing their personal history.

Investigating how artists use objects, backgrounds, and gestures to embed deeper meanings and narratives within portraits.

Developing vocabulary and frameworks for analyzing and evaluating portrait artworks, focusing on artistic intent and impact.

Exploring basic digital tools and techniques for creating or manipulating portraits, focusing on layering and color adjustment.

Students will learn to draw the basic structure of the human skull from different angles, understanding its underlying forms.

Investigating how facial muscles create expressions and how artists can capture these in their portraits.

Exploring how portraiture has evolved across different historical periods and cultures, from ancient busts to Renaissance paintings.

Exploration of physical textures through rubbing, layering, and the use of non-traditional drawing tools.

Experimenting with various drawing tools and techniques to simulate different textures like rust, peeling paint, and cracked concrete.

Creating relief printing plates using recycled materials to explore industrial shapes and repetitive patterns.

Using monoprinting techniques to capture the ephemeral qualities of urban scenes, focusing on atmosphere and light.

Analyzing how contemporary artists document the decline of industrial spaces and the reclaiming of nature.

Exploring photographic techniques and compositional strategies used by artists to capture the beauty and narrative of derelict spaces.

Creating collages using found papers, photographs, and drawing to represent fragmented urban scenes and textures.

Investigating how street artists use urban surfaces and decay as a canvas for social commentary and aesthetic expression.

Focusing on drawing techniques to render the effects of weathering on materials like wood, metal, and stone.

Technical drawing of complex patterns using compasses and rulers to understand the mathematical basis of Islamic art.

Exploring the spiritual and aesthetic significance of mandalas and other circular, repetitive patterns across cultures.

Researching the meanings behind Adinkra symbols and creating original motifs that communicate personal values.

Designing and carving personal Adinkra-inspired stamps from foam or lino, then printing them onto fabric or paper.

Applying knowledge of pattern to fabric using wax-resist or gutta techniques to explore color layering.

Exploring the basic principles of resist dyeing through simple wax crayon or glue resist techniques on paper or small fabric swatches, focusing on how the resist material prevents dye absorption.

Experimenting with various folding, twisting, and binding techniques on small fabric samples to understand how these manipulations create different resist patterns, without the dyeing process.

Using digital software to create seamless repeating patterns inspired by cultural motifs, exploring color and scale.

Understanding the basic principles of weaving by creating simple woven samples on cardboard looms, focusing on warp and weft.

Learning how to use camera angles and framing in drawings to create a sense of drama and movement.

Developing expressive characters through sketching, focusing on exaggeration, gesture, and conveying personality.

Exploring the persistence of vision by creating simple flipbooks and short claymation sequences.

Understanding the core principles of stop-motion animation by creating very short, simple sequences (e.g., a single object moving across a frame) using readily available materials and basic camera apps.

Analyzing how text and image interact to convey complex themes in contemporary graphic literature.

Exploring how panel size, shape, and arrangement guide the reader's eye and control narrative pacing in comics.

Investigating the relationship between sound effects, music, and visual elements in animation to enhance storytelling and mood.

Developing critical analysis skills by evaluating short animated films based on storytelling, animation quality, and artistic merit.

Exploring the animation principle of squash and stretch to create the illusion of weight and flexibility in moving objects.

Creating three dimensional forms by assembling discarded materials, focusing on structural integrity and balance.

Developing sculptures from found objects that tell a story or convey a specific message about environmental issues.

Exploring works created in and for nature, understanding the relationship between an artwork and its environment.

Creating temporary artworks using natural materials, focusing on the concepts of impermanence and ecological cycles.

Examining how artists use public installations to raise awareness about climate change and plastic pollution.

Investigating how public art projects can foster community involvement and dialogue around environmental issues.

Researching and experimenting with eco-friendly art materials and practices to minimize environmental impact.

Learning how to photograph and present sculptural artworks, especially those that are site-specific or ephemeral.

Creating small sculptures using various types of recycled plastics, focusing on cutting, heating, and joining techniques.

Using techniques like doodling and frottage to bypass the rational mind and discover hidden imagery.

Exploring common dream motifs and personal dream experiences as inspiration for surrealist artworks.

Learning how to manipulate the size and context of objects to create a sense of the uncanny or 'weird'.

Creating surreal compositions by cutting and reassembling images from magazines and photographs, exploring unexpected combinations.

Investigating the psychological phenomenon of the 'uncanny valley' and how artists use it to create unsettling or disturbing imagery.

Experimenting with techniques like exquisite corpse, decalcomania, and grattage to generate unexpected forms and textures.

Students combine their technical skills in painting and drawing to produce a polished, surrealist-inspired final piece.

Students develop detailed plans and preliminary sketches for a surrealist-inspired final piece, focusing on combining disparate elements and applying surrealist principles learned in previous lessons.

Exploring the origins and key figures of the Surrealist movement, understanding its philosophical underpinnings.