Acrylic Animal Portraits

Lesson Overview

Subject	Visual Arts
Year Level	Year 9
Lesson Duration	120 minutes
Curriculum Links	Australian Curriculum: The Arts – Visual Arts (Years 9–10)
Strand	Making and Responding
Descriptors

• ACAVAM122: Conceptualise and develop representations of themes, concepts or subject matter to experiment with their developing personal style.
• ACAVAM123: Manipulate materials, techniques, technologies and processes to develop and represent their own artistic intentions.
• ACAVAR130: Analyse a range of visual artworks from different cultures, historical and contemporary contexts to explore differing viewpoints.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand key properties and techniques of acrylic painting.
• Recognise the unique style of Australian artist Anya Brock, particularly in her animal portraits.
• Experiment with basic acrylic techniques in preparation for developing their own animal portrait project.

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Success Criteria

• Students can identify key characteristics of Anya Brock’s style.
• Students demonstrate three distinct acrylic paint techniques in their visual diaries.
• Students participate in group discussion, offering insights based on their visual and conceptual observations.

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Materials Required

• Acrylic paints (primary colours, black and white; broad palette for exploration)
• Water containers, cloths, palette knives
• Various brushes (flat, round, fan)
• A4 and A3 visual diaries or loose sheets
• Sample artworks by Anya Brock (printed reproductions)
• Butcher’s paper and markers
• Painter's tape
• Aprons or old shirts
• Projector or Smartboard
• 'Colour mixing guide' chart

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Prior Learning

Students have basic experience with painting and colour theory from earlier years but may be new to acrylic-specific techniques or contemporary Australian artists.

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120 Minute Lesson Breakdown

Starter (0–20 minutes) – Engaging the Senses

Visual Warm-Up

• As students enter, upbeat contemporary Australian music plays to set the tone.
• Display a rotation of 8–10 bold Anya Brock animal artworks on the Smartboard (mute slideshow).
• Students complete a 5-minute “See, Think, Wonder” in their visual diary:
  • What do you SEE?
  • What do you THINK about it?
  • What do you WONDER?

Discussion

• Group share of initial thoughts in a casual “popcorn” discussion.
• Teacher prompts:
  • “What feeling do these colours evoke?”
  • “How does the use of line and shape redefine animals you know?”

Key Message: Art doesn’t have to be realistic to communicate deeply. Colour, rhythm and line are languages too.

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Explicit Instruction (20–50 minutes) – Techniques & Inspirations

Mini-Lecture and Demonstration

• Introduction to Anya Brock:
  • Brief biography: Australian contemporary artist based in Fremantle, WA.
  • Focus on colour blocking, intuitive linework, expression over realism.
• Show 2-minute video interview (clip saved locally) where Anya discusses inspiration and process.
• Quick Mind Map on butcher’s paper with key characteristics:
  • Vibrant Colour
  • Expressive Mark-Making
  • Animal Subjects
  • Emotional Storytelling

Demonstrate Basic Acrylic Techniques:

• Dry brushing
• Colour blocking
• Controlled blending
• Impasto (thick paint application)
• Scumbling (light brushing to create texture)

Pause after each live demo and invite 2–3 student volunteers to "mirror" the process on mini boards.

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Group Activity (50–80 minutes) – Hands-On Exploration

Technique Stations

• Students divide into 5 groups (5 students per group).
• Each station focuses on one technique demonstrated earlier.
• Students rotate through stations every 6–7 minutes.

At each station:

• Try technique on their visual diary sample page.
• Fill in a small reflection box:
  • Name of technique
  • How it felt to use
  • One possible way they could use it

Encouragement Tip: There are no mistakes – only experimentation!

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Individual Task (80–110 minutes) – Creative Journaling

Initial Sketching

• Students select a favourite Australian animal (options brainstormed on whiteboard: koala, emu, platypus, kangaroo, frilled lizard, cockatoo, numbats, etc.).
• Begin preliminary thumbnail sketches (x3 small roughs) in their visual diary:
  • Play with exaggerated proportions.
  • Imagine bold colours – not realism!
  • Where could these animals "live" in the colours?

Prompt: "How could movement or emotion influence your animal’s posture?"

Teacher circulates offering individualised feedback and affirming risk-taking.

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Reflection (110–120 minutes) – Verbal Gallery Walk

• Students place their visual diaries open on tables.
• In silent walk, students observe peers’ thumbnails and technique experiments.
• At final minute, invite free shout-out appreciations, e.g.
  • "I love how you made the emu look like it’s dancing!"
  • "Your background textures feel super energetic!"

Wrap-Up Reflection Question: "After today's session, what's one painting technique or idea you’ll definitely borrow for your future portrait?"

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation of participation in technique exploration.
• Quality and originality of visual diary reflections and thumbnail sketches.
• Verbal contributions during group discussions and gallery walk.

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Teacher Notes

• Consider displaying an Anya Brock quote on the board throughout:
  “I want my work to be immediate and emotional, not overthought.”
• Encourage a safe studio culture: there are no wrong outcomes.
• Use culturally inclusive examples and remind students to be respectful when selecting native animals.
• Options for extension: students who move quickly through thumbnails can explore mixed media elements (e.g., pencil underpainting plus acrylic overlay).

Future Preparation

Next lesson: Students will select their final animal subject and start scaling up their drawing onto canvas!

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How This Links to the Broader Unit

This lesson establishes a crucial foundation for students' own acrylic animal portrait project, connecting practical skills with analysis of contemporary Australian art practices. It values experimentation and risk-taking, aligning with visual arts goals in fostering critical and creative thinkers.

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Vocabulary Focus

Word	Definition
Saturation	The intensity or purity of a colour
Texture	The surface quality or ‘feel’ of an artwork
Impasto	Technique where paint is laid thickly onto the surface
Expression	Conveying emotion or idea through visual elements
Contrast	Differences between elements such as colour, texture, and shape

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End of Lesson 1

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Remember:
"Be bold like Brock – every colour choice tells a story!"