Colour and Line

Year Level

Year 7

Duration

50 minutes

Number of Students

20

Unit

Exploring Art through Picasso Lesson 5 of 20

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Lesson Overview

This lesson introduces the foundational Elements of Art with an emphasis on colour and line, inspired by the style and works of Pablo Picasso. Students will explore how these elements contribute to artistic expression, learn visual vocabulary related to colour and line, and apply their understanding through practical exercises and a creative mini art piece.

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Curriculum Context

Western Australian Curriculum Links — Visual Arts

• Content Descriptions:
• AC9VA7MC01: Explore and use the concepts of elements of art and principles of design to inform the creation of artworks.
• AC9VA7MC02: Experiment with techniques and materials to create art that communicates ideas, concepts and stories.
• AC9VA7MC03: Recognise how artists use the elements of art (colour, line, shape, form, texture, value, space) to convey meaning.
• Achievement Standard Highlights:
• Students describe and use elements of visual arts to create artworks that communicate ideas.
• Students reflect on and describe how elements like colour and line shape the meaning and effects of artworks.

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Learning Intentions (WALT)

• WALT: Recognise different elements in art, focusing on colour and line.
• WALT: Identify the expressive potential of colour and line in artworks.
• WALT: Apply knowledge of colour and line to create an original mini artwork.

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

• Participate actively in class discussions using correct terminology related to colour (hue, primary, secondary, warm, cool) and line (thick, thin, curved, straight, expressive).
• Identify and describe examples of colour and line in Picasso’s artworks.
• Demonstrate understanding by practising using colours and lines creatively on paper.
• Independently create a mini artwork that incorporates varied lines and colour schemes to express a mood or idea.

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Resources Needed

• Projector or display for showing Picasso’s artworks highlighting line and colour.
• Colour pencils, markers, and paper.
• White A4 sheets for mini artwork.
• Colour wheel chart (dyslexia-friendly with colour-coded segments and simple text labels).
• Simple handout summarising ‘Elements of Art: Colour and Line’ with bullet points and visuals.
• Visual timers or a clock visible to students.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Engagement (10 minutes)

• Greet the class and briefly revisit previous lessons on Picasso.
• Show 3–4 selected Picasso art examples focusing on varied use of colour and line.
• Use questioning: “What kinds of lines can you see? How do the colours make you feel?”
• Introduce key vocabulary: colour (hue, primary, secondary, warm, cool), line (thick, thin, curved, straight, expressive).
• Share WALT and success criteria clearly on the board.

Differentiation note: Use dyslexia-friendly fonts and visuals during the presentation. Speak clearly and provide glossaries for terms. Provide printed vocabulary sheets for reference.

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2. Guided Exploration Activity (15 minutes)

• Distribute colour wheels and handouts.
• In pairs, students explore mixing coloured pencils or markers to create their own colour blends on scrap paper.
• Practice drawing different types of lines (using varied pressures and motions) on a separate sheet.
• Teacher circulates, prompting students with feedback and using descriptive language to link to Picasso’s style (e.g., “Try a bold line here like Picasso’s bold outlines”).

Differentiation: Pair stronger and less confident students to scaffold peer learning. For students needing more support, provide stencil templates for lines and guided colour palettes.

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3. Independent Mini Art Piece Creation (20 minutes)

• Challenge students to create a small artwork (approx. A5 size) combining at least three different kinds of lines and a simple colour scheme (e.g., warm or cool colours).
• Encourage expression of a mood or idea through their use of line and colour.
• Use quiet, focused time with teacher support as needed.
• Remind students to self-check against success criteria.

Extension for advanced learners:

• Experiment with complementary colour contrasts or mixing lines and colours to create texture or movement.
• Begin sketching a larger concept piece inspired by Picasso’s cubism for a future lesson.

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4. Sharing and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Invite 3–4 volunteers to share their artwork, describing their choice of line and colour.
• Prompt reflective discussion: “How do your lines and colours express your feelings or story?”
• Summarise the key learning points and preview the next lesson focus.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide dyslexia-friendly reading materials with clear fonts and contrast.
• Use multi-sensory teaching — visual examples, verbal explanations, and kinaesthetic drawing activities.
• Pair cooperative learning for peer mentoring.
• Offer alternative artistic materials if requested (e.g., crayons, charcoal).
• Allow extra time or simplified verbal instructions as needed.

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Assessment

• Formative observation of participation in discussion and activities.
• Assessment of mini artworks for use of line and colour diversity and intent aligned with success criteria.
• Informal questioning to check understanding of elements vocabulary.

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This lesson plan balances engaging theory with hands-on practice, scaffolded for a range of learners and designed to meet the Western Australian Curriculum standards for Year 7 Visual Arts. It encourages creativity while building key foundational knowledge about the elements of art in a real-world artist context.