Drawing Materials Exploration

Year Level

Year 11 Visual Arts (Victorian Curriculum aligned)

Duration

48 minutes

Class Size

25 students

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Learning Objectives

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

• Identify and describe characteristics and properties of a variety of drawing materials (e.g. graphite, charcoal, ink, pastel) and surfaces (paper types, textured surfaces) and how these affect mark making and meaning.
• Demonstrate technical skill in a range of mark making techniques (including hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, scribbling, dabbing, sgraffito) using different materials.
• Apply experimental processes through warm-up exercises to loosen up and explore material properties and physical mark making actions, utilising movement from shoulder/arm rather than wrist to gain control and expression.
• Analyse and record in a visual arts folio how different drawing materials and techniques communicate ideas and meanings, reflecting on how mark style and material choice alter expression and interpretation.
• Use play and experimentation to discover possibilities in drawing materials informed by own observations, skill practice and artistic inquiry in a respectful, creative and inclusive classroom environment that honours all learners.

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Victorian Curriculum Alignment

Visual Arts

• VCAVAR088: Experiment with materials, techniques and processes to explore their qualities and potential for expression.
• VCAVAR091: Document ideas, observations and insights relevant to their own artwork and use visual diary/folio to record experimentation.
• VCAVAR088 & VCAVAR089: Develop technical skills in manipulating materials and processes to create resolved works.
• VCAVAR090: Respond to and interpret artworks, describing how visual language influences viewers.

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Materials Needed

• Graphite pencils (2B, 4B, 6B)
• Charcoal sticks (compressed and vine)
• Black and coloured inks with dip pens or brushes
• Soft pastels and coloured pencils
• A variety of paper types: smooth cartridge, textured, coloured papers
• Surfaces such as cardboard, canvas paper
• Erasers, fixative spray for charcoal if possible
• Visual arts folios or sketchbooks
• Cleaning rags/cloths

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Lesson Plan Breakdown

1. Introduction & Explicit Teaching (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief discussion on the characteristics and properties of drawing materials: hardness/softness, carbon content, smudging properties, texture, and how these influence the mark quality, tone, and emotional impact.
• Demonstrate mark making techniques: hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, scribbling, dabbing, and sgraffito, using different materials and surfaces.
• Illustrate with quick samples how the same marks with different materials or on different surfaces can suggest varied moods or ideas. For example, rough charcoal on textured paper vs. fine graphite on smooth paper leading to different expressive qualities.
• Show samples of warm-up sketching exercises to develop looseness and arm movement, referencing the rapid line and ellipse sketching exercises encouraging whole-arm movement, light pressure, and dynamic lines.
• Emphasise the importance of observing and experimenting with materials to discover creative possibilities, linking to the school's values of creativity and excellence.

2. Warm-Up Activities: Physical Mark-Making Exercises (10 minutes)

• Students perform a series of quick warm-up exercises guided by the teacher:
  • Dot to Dot Line Drawing: Draw light, rapid lines between dots across a page, using whole-arm movement.
  • Rapid Square Drawing: Drawing lines around squares without rotating the paper to gain comfort with multidirectional lines.
  • Ellipse and Circle Sketching: Quick arm movements creating ellipses and circles to improve flow and control.
  • Encourage students to hold pencils lightly and explore pressure changes.
• These warm-ups aim to loosen physical tension and prepare students to creatively experiment.

3. Experimentation Task (20 minutes)

• Students will explore mark making on different surfaces using at least 3 different materials from the selection.
• Task: Create an A3 or A4 spread in their folio applying different mark making techniques on various papers/surfaces, testing tonal range, texture, pattern and emotional effects.
• Encourage students to play and experiment freely — no pressure on outcome quality but focus on discovery.
• Students should be prompted to think about and try:
  • Different pressure levels
  • Speed of mark making
  • Combining different media on one surface
  • Scratching into soft charcoal to demonstrate sgraffito
  • Using found objects (e.g., a twig or toothbrush dipped in ink) to create marks
• Circulate to support learners of all needs. Offer extensions such as layering or mixing media; provide additional challenges or sensory-friendly material options.

4. Reflection and Documentation (8 minutes)

• Ask students to annotate their folio pages describing:
  • Materials and techniques used.
  • How the texture or mark makes them think or feel — what ideas or moods are suggested?
  • What they learned about the properties of each material/surface.
• Facilitated whole-class sharing: invite a few students to talk about their favourite marks or discoveries.
• Teacher models this reflection with an exemplar annotation.
• This documentation supports the Victorian Curriculum requirement for students to develop reflective and critical thinking skills through their visual arts practice.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For students with ASD and AuDHD: Provide clear visual examples and step-by-step instructions. Allow use of noise-cancelling headphones if desired during individual work time. Provide alternative fine motor tools if grip or motor control is a challenge.
• For ADHD learners: Break tasks into short, timed segments with clear goals. Use highly engaging materials and movement-based warm-ups.
• For intellectual or literacy support learners: Use simple language prompts and visuals for reflection. Offer verbal reflection options or drawing-based reflections.
• For extension: Challenge to develop a small composition layering multiple mark making techniques, experimenting with tonal gradation or combining media for expressive effect.

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Classroom Management Tips

• Set up materials stations prior to class to minimise movement disruptions.
• Encourage respect for each other's experiments — emphasize creative risk-taking and different viewpoints.
• Use warm-up activities as a way to physically regulate and focus the class at the start.
• Maintain a calm, positive tone, celebrating creative play and exploration.

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Assessment

• Informal ongoing assessment through observation of students’ engagement in mark making and experimentation.
• Review students' folio documentation of their experimentation and reflections for depth of understanding of materials and techniques.
• Use folio entries as basis for feedback and to guide future skill development and personal response in art making.

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Summary

This 48-minute session combines explicit teaching aligned with Victorian Curriculum standards on visual arts materials and experimentation, physical warm-up exercises researched for dexterity and looseness, and self-directed creative play and documentation. It nurtures technical capability, critical reflection, and creative confidence, adopting inclusive practices to support diverse learners. The lesson embraces the school values of respect, creativity, and excellence, enabling students to discover the rich expressive possibilities of drawing materials and mark making.

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If you need a detailed sample folio annotation or exemplar student prompt cards for reflection, just ask!