Exploring Colour and Emotions

Introduction

Learning Area: The Arts - Visual Arts

Year: 7

Time: 30 minutes

Class Size: 15 students

Curriculum Links:

• Content Description: Experiment with visual arts conventions and techniques, including exploration of techniques to show texture, and role of colour to create artworks that express ideas, themes and emotions (ACAVAM118).
• Achievement Standards:
  • Develop skills through the creation of artworks.
  • Use materials, techniques and processes to identify and represent ideas.
  • Understand how to use visual conventions, including colour, to communicate ideas and emotions.

Objectives:

1. Understand the connection between colour and emotions.
2. Experiment with various colours and techniques to express specific emotions.
3. Reflect on how different colours can influence the mood of an artwork.

Materials Needed:

• A3 paper
• Acrylic paints (primary colours, black and white)
• Paintbrushes (various sizes)
• Water jars
• Palettes
• Aprons or old shirts for protection
• Coloured pencils (optional for sketching)
• Towels/paper towels for spills

Lesson Structure:

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Greeting and Overview:
  • Welcome students and briefly outline the objective of the lesson.
  • Introduce the concept of how colours can convey different emotions.
  • Discuss the primary colours and their emotional associations (e.g., red for anger or love, blue for calm or sadness, yellow for happiness or energy).

2. Brainstorming and Discussion (5 minutes)

• Class Discussion:
  • Ask students to share their favourite colours and why.
  • Discuss how certain colours make them feel.
  • Encourage participation by using questions like, "How does the colour blue make you feel?" or "What emotion do you connect with the colour red?"

3. Practical Activity (15 minutes)

• Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Sketching (2 minutes):

     • Ask students to quickly sketch a simple scene or abstract design on their A3 paper. This should be simplistic to ensure the focus remains on colour and emotion rather than intricate details.

  2. Choosing Colours (3 minutes):

     • Let students choose 3-4 colours that they feel can best represent different emotions.
     • Provide examples, like mixing blue and green for a calming effect or using vibrant red and yellow for excitement.

  3. Painting (10 minutes):

     • Instruct students to start painting their sketched design, focusing on using colours to express emotions connected to the scene or design.
     • Walk around the classroom, offering guidance and observing the colour choices and techniques students use.
     • Encourage students to blend colours to create gradients and see how the shifts in colour can alter the mood.

4. Reflection and Conclusion (5 minutes)

• Group Reflection:

  • Ask students to stand in a circle with their paintings.
  • Each student will share the colours they chose and the emotions they aimed to express.
  • Discuss how different colour combinations might change the emotional feel of their artwork.

• Teacher Feedback:

  • Provide positive feedback and constructive suggestions on their use of colour and technique.
  • Emphasise the importance of experimenting with different colours and trusting their artistic instincts.

Assessment:

• Informal assessment through observation during the activity.
• Evaluate students' ability to articulate their colour choices and emotional representation during the reflection.

Conclusion:

• Summarise the key points of the lesson.
• Encourage students to continue exploring the use of colour in their art outside of the classroom.
• Inform students of the next lesson and how it will build on what they have learned today.

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This lesson plan caters specifically to Year 7 students under the Australian Curriculum, focusing on the Visual Arts component and the role of colour in conveying emotions. By engaging students with practical activities and reflective discussions, it aims to deepen their understanding and skills in using colours meaningfully in their artworks.