Glen Waverley Primary School Specialist Newsletter

Visual Art


This term, we are embarking on another exciting journey of artistic exploration honing our skills with a diverse range of materials, techniques, and processes. From diverse brushstrokes of acrylic painting to bold hues of oil pastels, from the delicate washes of watercolours to the intricate details of collage making and the rich textures of clay. 

This term, Year 5 & 6 Art Innovation will be commencing with an exciting opportunity to participate in the ‘Artist In Schools’ program. Stay tuned for a wonderful learning journey. 

 

Prep

In Term Two, our Prep students will continue delving into the world of watercolour art, applying their understanding of warm and cool colours from Term One to create an artwork inspired by Marcus Pfister’s picture story book, ‘The Rainbow Fish’. In the process, they will further refine their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through the use of cutting techniques while also exploring the creative potential of collage making. Additionally, students will learn the use of the art element of line, using it to add intricate details and textures to their artwork.

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination to create visual artworks (VCAVAE017) 
  • Experiment with different materials and techniques to make artworks (VCAVAV018) 
  • Respond to visual artworks and consider where and why people make visual artworks (VCAVAR020) 

 

Key Vocabulary: warm colours, cool colours, mixed-media, collage, watercolour resist, line

 

Year 1

This term, students will continue finalising their own Picasso-inspired portraits, fostering the development of their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through the use of cutting and pasting techniques. Drawing inspiration from Picasso's distinct cubist style, students will utilise a variety of shapes and lines to create a portrait, filled with patterns that are uniquely their own. During the second half of term, students will be creating a collaborative class mural by focusing on the themes of diversity and unity. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination and express them through subject matter in visual artworks they create (VCAVAE021) 
  • Experiment with different materials, techniques and processes to make artworks in a range of art forms (VCAVAV022) 
  • Create and display artworks to express ideas to an audience (VCAVAP02

 

Key Vocabulary: colour, line, shape, pattern, mural, diversity, unity

 

Year 2

In Term Two, students will have the opportunity to explore a range of painting techniques as they work on their flower and leaf clay sculptures. Through this process, they will develop their skills in analysing how other artists use lines and tones to add detail and depth to their work, which they can then apply to their own sculptures. They will also engage in a collaborative learning environment, exchanging feedback with peers, which will allow them to enhance the overall quality of their sculptures.

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination and express them through subject matter in visual artworks they create (VCAVAE021) 
  • Experiment with different materials, techniques and processes to make artworks in a range of art forms (VCAVAV022) 
  • Create and display artworks to express ideas to an audience (VCAVAP023) 

Key Vocabulary: kneading, slip, score, detail, line, slab, gradient, tone, line

 

Year 3

Students in Year Three, will be continuing with their canvas project, focusing on re-creating ‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent Van Gogh. Throughout this project, students will refine their understanding of spatial arrangement and further develop their skills in creating tints and shades. They'll also learn to emulate Van Gogh's distinctive brushstroke style in their own paintings. Through careful analysis of Van Gogh's work, students will explore how he used visual elements to convey specific emotions and meanings in his artwork.

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explore ideas and artworks from different cultures and times as inspiration to create visual artworks (VCAVAE025) 
  • Explore visual conventions and use materials, techniques, technologies and processes specific to particular art forms, and to make artworks (VCAVAV026) 
  • Identify and discuss how ideas are expressed in artworks from a range of places, times and cultures, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (VCAVAR028) 

 

Key Vocabulary: Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night, brushstrokes, art elements, spatial arrangement 

 

Year 4

In Term Two, Year 4 students will continue to hone their artistic skills by delving deeper into the surrealist components of their clay fish creations. They will be focusing on the art element of texture to bring their fantastical and dreamlike fish to life. Students will be experimenting with various techniques and tools, discovering innovative ways to manipulate the clay’s surface to create intricate and unique surfaces. They will then be applying careful strokes of acrylic painting to their sculptures, adding depth and detail to their sculpture. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explore ideas and artworks from different cultures and times as inspiration to create visual artworks (VCAVAE025) 
  • Explore visual conventions and use materials, techniques, technologies and processes specific to particular art forms, and to make artworks (VCAVAV026) 
  • Identify and discuss how ideas are expressed in artworks from a range of places, times and cultures, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (VCAVAR028) 

Key Vocabulary: surrealism, kiln, slip, score, ceramic, firing, detail

 

Year 5

This Term, Year 5 students will be continuing their large landscape canvas painting projects based on student choice. Students will be focusing on using a combination of different painting techniques and materials to develop detail in their landscapes. They will be exploring the subtleties of colour, including the value of colour, tints and shades to add depth and complexity to their painting. Additionally, students will be experimenting with texture and form to bring their painting to life. Furthermore, students will enhance their critical thinking skills by learning how to describe a variety of painting techniques. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explore visual arts practices as inspiration to create artworks that express different ideas and beliefs (VCAVAE029) 
  • Select and apply visual conventions, materials, techniques, technologies and processes specific to different art forms when making artworks (VCAVAV030) 
  • Identify and describe how ideas are expressed in artworks by comparing artworks from different contemporary, historical and cultural contexts, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (VCAVAR032) 

Key Vocabulary: blending, sgraffito, stippling, splattering, round brush, fan brush

 

Year 6

In Year six, students will be finalising their drawing projects with a strong focus on the art element of tone. They will continue creating seamless transitions between different shades to achieve smooth and lifelike representations in their artwork. This will be achieved by transferring their skills of adding highlights, middle tones and shadows. Throughout the second part of term, students will begin their own studio process, by choosing their own theme, medium and subject matter. 

 

Curriculum Links: 

  • Explore visual arts practices as inspiration to create artworks that express different ideas and beliefs (VCAVAE029) 
  • Select and apply visual conventions, materials, techniques, technologies and processes specific to different art forms when making artworks (VCAVAV030) 
  • Create and display artwork considering how ideas can be expressed to an audience (VCAVAP031) 
  • Identify and describe how ideas are expressed in artworks by comparing artworks from different contemporary, historical and cultural contexts, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (VCAVAR032) 

 

Key Vocabulary: highlight, middle tones, shadows, blending stump, studio process

 

How can you support your child’s art learning at home? 

  • Encourage hand building techniques by playing with clay or playdough making a slab, using the slip and score method and polishing. 
  • Help your child incorporate various art elements such as line, texture, shape, colour, tone, form and space in their artwork. Furthermore, practise identifying and describing these art elements in different artworks.
  • Experiment with a range of painting techniques and materials to strengthen painting skills, including using blending, layering, dry brush, palette knife, sponge etc