Oil Pastels Skills

Year Level

Year 7 Visual Arts

Duration

50 minutes

Class Size

20 students

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Unit Context

This is lesson 12 of 20 in the unit titled "Exploring Art through Picasso". Students are developing their artistic skills through experimentation with different media inspired by Picasso’s styles and techniques.

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Lesson Focus

Introduction to Oil Pastels Students will explore oil pastel techniques, particularly colour blending, to express ideas and experiment with new media.

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Curriculum Alignment

This lesson aligns with the Western Australian Curriculum for Visual Arts at Years 7 and 8 with emphasis on the content descriptions:

• AC9AVA8D01: Experiment with visual conventions, visual arts processes and materials to develop skills
• AC9AVA8C02: Select and manipulate visual conventions, visual arts processes and/or materials to create artworks that represent ideas, perspectives and/or meaning

Students will be using processes and materials to explore blending and layering techniques, aligned with the elaborations encouraging experimentation and skill development in visual arts media.

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Learning Intentions (WALT)

• We Are Learning To experiment with oil pastels as a new medium.
• We will practise blending colours effectively to create visual effects.

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Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• Apply different oil pastel blending techniques (e.g., layering, smudging with fingers or tools).
• Demonstrate control of the medium by successfully blending two or more colours smoothly.
• Create a small composition showing a range of blended colours.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual examples: Provide clear, step-by-step visual demonstrations of oil pastel techniques including blending and layering to support visual learners and students with dyslexia.
• Hands-on demos: Teacher-led modelling with live demonstration so students can observe hand positioning, pressure, and blending techniques.
• Verbal instructions: Use concise, clear verbal instructions supported by key written keywords in accessible fonts.
• Peer support: Pair students who have prior experience with oil pastels with those newer to the medium.
• Use of tools: Offer blending tools such as cotton buds or paper stumps for students who find finger blending difficult or uncomfortable.

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Resources Needed

• Oil pastels sets (sufficient for 20 students)
• Paper suitable for oil pastels (preferably textured pastel paper or drawing paper)
• Blending tools: cotton buds, paper stumps, soft cloths
• Visual step-by-step posters or projected slides showing blending techniques
• Sample artworks demonstrating oil pastel blending
• Protective aprons or old shirts to reduce mess

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Lesson Timing & Activities

Time	Activity	Description
0-5 mins	Introduction & Recap	Briefly recap previous Picasso unit context, introduce oil pastels as a medium, link to Picasso's style. Show samples. Set WALT & success criteria.
5-15 mins	Teacher Demo	Demonstrate basic oil pastel techniques: layering, applying, and blending of colours. Use fingers and tools. Show how to control pressure for effects. Visually highlight blending nuances.
15-35 mins	Experimentation Practice	Students create a practice sheet with blended colour gradients and small shapes using 2-3 colours. Teacher circulates providing feedback and support. Encourage students to experiment.
35-45 mins	Apply Blending to Simple Composition	Students create a small abstract or simplified Picasso-inspired shape using blended oil pastels, applying skills developed.
45-50 mins	Reflection & Clean-up	Group sharing of works, brief verbal reflection on challenges and successes. Clean-up oil pastel supplies and paper.

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Classroom Management Notes

• Ensure aprons are worn to protect clothing.
• Monitor and encourage safe use of blending tools.
• Frequent clean-up reminders to minimise transfer of oil pastel to unintended surfaces.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Challenge to add texture effects by scratching into pastel layers (sgraffito technique).
• Explore mixing complementary colours to create muted tones.
• Create a small figurative or cubist-inspired sketch applying blending techniques with deliberate colour contrasts.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Adaptations

• Provide printed instructions on pastel paper with clear sans-serif fonts.
• Use bullet points and pictorial step guides.
• Offer a short oral recap before starting each activity.
• Allow for additional 1:1 support if needed.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Informal observational assessment during activities focusing on engagement and technique application.
• Use verbal feedback to guide refinement.
• Students self-assess their blended colour transitions against success criteria.

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This plan empowers students to build foundational skills with oil pastels, links to the ongoing Picasso unit, and suits a diverse Year 7 cohort in Western Australia adhering closely to the curriculum’s learning outcomes for Visual Arts. The balance of demonstration, practice, and creation responds well to the age-specific needs and learning styles in a secondary classroom setting.