Still Life

#TheCompleteSeries5lessons

In this sequence of five lessons, your Year 5/6 class will start by diving into the origins of still life art and studying the work of famous artists. They will then move on to learn how to create depth with tone and different shading techniques. Following this, children will look at examples of still life drawings and paintings and will make observations about where artists have chosen to place objects. By making observations, children will be able to approach drawing their own still life arrangement with confidence and will be able to combine their prior knowledge with what they have learnt so far. Once children have mastered sketching their own still life arrangement, they will then practise transferring their understanding of creating tones using pencil, to creating tints, tones and shades using paint. In the final part of this unit, children will arrange and paint their own still life art, drawing upon what they have learnt across previous lessons.

This five-lesson Still Life KS2 Planning Pack provides everything you need to deliver these artistic and engaging lessons, including detailed lesson plans, slideshows for the teaching inputs, differentiated worksheets and activity ideas and a range of printable PDF teaching resources. Looking for lessons based on other art genres? You might be interested in our Monet and the Impressionists KS2 Art unit which explores the life of Monet and Impressionism.

#Lesson1OriginsofStillLife

In this first lesson, children will become familiar with the origins of still life and look at, and compare still life paintings by famous artists. Children will then complete still life paintings, using their prior knowledge.

This lesson comes complete with a detailed lesson plan, slides for input and differentiated resources.

#Lesson2TonalScalesandShading

During this lesson, children will look closely at tonal scales and how they create tones by applying varying pressure with their pencil. They will then move on to look at light sources and different shading techniques such as hatching, circling and stippling. Finally, children will be challenged to use these techniques to shade in 3D shapes.

Everything you need to teach a successful art lesson is provided, including a detailed lesson plan, engaging slides for input and differentiated worksheets.

#Lesson3StillLifeArrangements

This still life arrangements lesson begins by exploring still life arrangements. Children will look at examples of still life drawings and paintings and will make observations of the placement of objects. They will then move on to arrange and sketch their own still life art.

This still life arrangements lesson is ready-to-teach with a detailed lesson plan, slides for input and printable resources.

#Lesson4UsingTintsTonesandShades

In this tints, tones and shades lesson, children will practise transferring their understanding of creating tones using pencil, to creating tints, tones and shades using paint. They can experiment with their mixing skills and try them out on different fruit still life paintings.

This tints, tones and shades KS2 Lesson Pack is ready to teach, with a detailed lesson plan, engaging slides for input and differentiated activities, all at the click of a button.

#Lesson5PaintingStillLifeArrangements

In this final still life KS2 art lesson, children will be challenged to think about the techniques they have learnt since the first lesson and paint their own still life painting. Children will be asked to reflect on what they have done well since their first still life painting and what their next steps will be.

This still life KS2 art planning pack contains everything you need to help children produce a high quality piece of still life art, including a detailed lesson plan, slideshow and printable step by step guide.

Free Overview (Medium-Term Plan)

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Curriculum Objectives covered

• to create sketch books to record their observations
• use sketchbooks to review and revisit ideas
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing with a range of materials
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including painting with a range of materials
• about great artists in history