Colourful Landscape Creations

Year Level

Year 2

Duration

45 Minutes

Australian Curriculum Links

Learning Area: The Arts – Visual Arts
Achievement Standard (Year 2):
By the end of Year 2, students describe where and why artworks are made and viewed. They make artworks using different materials and techniques that express their ideas.

Content Description (ACAVAM107):
Use and experiment with different materials, techniques, technologies and processes to make artworks.

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Unit Title

Creative Colour Explorations
Lesson 5 of 5: Final Art Project – Colourful Landscapes

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General Capabilities

• Critical and Creative Thinking – Students will make independent choices about colour, composition and emotional expression.
• Personal and Social Capability – Students reflect on their own work and the efforts of peers during the gallery walk and sharing session.

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Learning Intentions

Students will:

• Create a landscape painting that expresses a mood using colours they have mixed themselves.
• Show understanding of colour mixing, warm and cool palettes, and emotional expression through colour.
• Apply prior learning from the Creative Colour Explorations unit in a unique final artwork.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Mix a range of colours using primary colours and white/black to show tone.
• Use warm or cool colours purposefully to express a feeling or idea.
• Include at least two landscape elements (e.g., hills, trees, water, sky).
• Explain their artwork choices to a peer.

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Materials

• A3 white cartridge paper (1 per student)
• Paint trays (shared between students)
• Primary colour paints: red, blue, yellow
• White and black paint for mixing
• Water containers and brushes (variety of sizes)
• Paper towels or rags for cleaning brushes
• Palettes or paper plates for mixing colours
• Aprons or old shirts to protect clothing

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Preparation Before Class

• Set up desks in groups of 4 (3 groups total) to encourage collaboration and sharing of resources.
• Ensure all materials are ready on each table before students arrive.
• Prepare a physical example of a colourful landscape painting to scaffold expectations.
• Have calm instrumental Australian nature soundtrack ready to play softly (optional but recommended for mood setting).

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Lesson Structure

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Welcome and Recap (5 minutes)

• Greet students with enthusiasm, acknowledge their hard work so far in the unit.
• Quick class brainstorm: “What have we learned about colour mixing and emotions in art?” Record responses on the board.
• Revisit key concepts: primary colours, warm vs cool colours, mood in art, natural colours in landscapes.

2. Motivation and Purpose (5 minutes)

• Show teacher example of a colourful landscape artwork.
• Invite students to identify landscape elements and comment on the colours and feelings they perceive.
• Say: “Today, you’re going to make your own imaginative landscape painting using everything we’ve learned about colour. This is your chance to create something beautiful and meaningful using colours that express how the place feels to you.”

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Main Activity (30 minutes)

3. Artmaking Time (25 minutes)

• Students will paint their own landscape scenes, using mixed colours to suggest a feeling (e.g., calm seaside, stormy bushland, dreamy desert).

• Encourage students to:

  • Use their own ideas, and sketch lightly with a paintbrush if needed.
  • Think about the weather/time of day they’re painting and choose warm or cool colours accordingly.
  • Mix their own greens, purples, oranges, tints (whites), and shades (black).

• Teacher role: roam the room, support students one-on-one, and ask reflective questions (“What feeling are you trying to show with this sky colour?” “How did you make this new colour?”).

4. 2-Minute Pause for Reflection (5 minutes)

• With 5 minutes to go, ask students to stop and reflect quietly on:
  • One colour they invented today
  • What feeling their landscape might make someone feel
  • What they’re proud of so far

Prompt: “Think like an artist! Even the sky doesn’t have to be blue – what colours show your version of the world?”

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Conclusion (5 minutes)

5. Quick Gallery Walk – No Talking (3 minutes)

• Students walk around their desks slowly, viewing each other’s artworks in silence while soft instrumental music plays.
• Say: “We’re walking through a gallery of imagined places. Look at how each landscape feels different because of the colours.”

6. Partner Share (2 minutes)

• Turn to a partner: share one thing you did with colour today and one feeling your landscape creates.

Optional Extension/Home Activity:

• Students draw a mini version of their landscape to take home and explain the colours used to someone in their family.

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Differentiation

For Extension:

• Challenge confident students to include perspective elements (e.g., near and far objects).
• Encourage them to name and write one new colour they invented.

For Support:

• Offer simple templates of hills or trees to trace if needed.
• Pre-mix a few emotional colour samples with labels (e.g., “stormy,” “peaceful,” “sunset”) for inspiration.
• Allow some students to use crayons or oil pastels alongside paint for better control.

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Assessment (Informal/Formative)

Observe students during painting and discussion for evidence of:

• Intentional use of colour
• Independence in mixing and applying paint
• Expression of emotion or idea in the landscape
• Ability to verbalise choices in their artwork during the partner share

Teacher will record 2-3 short anecdotal notes per student across the activity, focusing on their colour understanding and creative risk-taking.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Did all students engage meaningfully with the theme?
• Were students able to apply their understanding of colour in purposeful ways?
• What surprised or excited students the most?
• What could be improved or extended in future units?

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Final Thought

This culminating lesson proudly empowers our budding young artists to express their vision of the world using the language of colour. Through exploration, creative freedom and meaningful reflection, students take joy in transforming blank paper into vibrant imaginative landscapes – a visual celebration of their learning journey.

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Bonus Wow! Idea for Teachers

Create a classroom gallery wall titled “Our Landscapes Through Colour”. Invite another Year level to tour your students’ artworks and leave ‘gallery notes’ or emoji stickers for peer appreciation!