Urban Realism Focus

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Overview

Year Level: Year 8
Subject: Visual Arts
Class Size: 20 Students
Lesson Duration: 40 minutes
Curriculum Link:
Australian Curriculum: The Arts – Visual Arts (Years 7–8)
Strand: Making and Responding
Content Descriptions:

• ACAVAM121: Plan and create art works that express ideas, concepts and artistic intentions
• ACAVAR123: Analyse how artists use visual conventions in artworks

Focus Artist: Jeffrey Smart – Celebrated Australian Realist painter
Art Concept: One-Point Perspective in Urban Landscapes

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand how Jeffrey Smart used one-point perspective to create dynamic and structured compositions
• Identify key characteristics of Australian realism in art
• Apply basic techniques of one-point perspective in an original urban-inspired drawing

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Success Criteria

Students will:

• Accurately use a vanishing point in a simple cityscape drawing
• Demonstrate understanding of Jeffrey Smart’s style and use of space
• Creatively interpret an urban setting with attention to detail and perspective

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Materials Required

For each student:

• A3 drawing paper
• Pencil and eraser
• Ruler
• Coloured pencils or fine liners (optional for extension task)

For teacher:

• Digital slideshow with key Jeffrey Smart images
• Whiteboard and markers
• Downloadable visual aid: One-Point Perspective Grid (printed or projected)
• Printed images of Smart’s artworks for table groups

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Lesson Breakdown

0–5 mins: Introduction / Tuning In

Hook:
Display a striking image of Jeffrey Smart’s "Cahill Expressway" on the board.

Teacher Talk:

• “What do you notice about the space in this artwork?”
• Briefly introduce Jeffrey Smart as an iconic Australian painter known for his highly structured urban scenes.
• Highlight how he used one-point perspective to guide the viewer's eye and build a sense of depth.

Objective Overview:

• “Today we’re going to explore how you can use art to create a sense of space — just like Smart — using one-point perspective.”

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5–15 mins: Learning About Perspective

Visual Explanation:

• Show a simple one-point perspective city street diagram.
• Demonstrate with lines on the board how parallel lines converge at a vanishing point.

Group Discussion:

• In small table groups, give each group a different Jeffrey Smart artwork printed on A4 sheets.
• Ask: “Where do you think the vanishing point is in this piece? How does it affect how you feel looking at it?”

Student Reflection:

• Ask one spokesperson from a few groups to share their thoughts.

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15–30 mins: Main Task — Create Your Own Urban Scene

Activity Instructions:

• Students will draw a street or cityscape using a central vanishing point.
• Encourage creativity — students can include buses, buildings, billboards, or industrial objects inspired by Smart.

Scaffold Support:

• Provide the grid sheet as a base for students who need structure.
• Circulate the room to assist with perspective lines and integrate student ideas into their compositions.

Differentiation:

• For students who finish early: add colour using minimal palette tones in Smart’s style
• Extension students: include figures or traffic, experimenting with scale and placement

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30–38 mins: Gallery Walk & Peer Feedback

Quick Set-Up:

• Have students place their artwork on their desks.

Silent Gallery Walk:

• Students rotate around the room viewing each piece.

Reflection Sheet:

• Provide sticky notes or a simple feedback form with:
  • “One thing I liked was…”
  • “One way to make it stronger might be…”

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38–40 mins: Wrap-Up Discussion

Review:

• “Who can tell me one thing they found challenging or surprising today?”
• Recap the key concept: One-point perspective and Jeffrey Smart’s precision.

Mini Exit Ticket Prompt (Verbal or Written):

• “What made Jeffrey Smart’s urban scenes so uniquely Australian?”

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Assessment

Formative Assessment:

• Observation of group discussions
• Evaluation of use of vanishing point in drawings
• Student reflection and feedback participation

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Extension & Next Steps

Next Lesson Idea: Students digitally enhance their current drawing or transfer it to canvas/paper using ink outlines. Alternatively, begin exploring other kinds of perspective or another Australian artist who works with urban or architectural forms in a contrasting style (e.g., Howard Arkley).

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Teacher Tips

• Encourage students to be bold with structure — clean lines and spacing were key to Smart’s clarity.
• Use Smart’s industrial-modern settings as a way to reflect on current Australian urban landscapes — think train stations, roads, signs.
• Link the artwork emotionally — ask students: “How do these controlled, quiet spaces feel?"

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💡 Why This Lesson Works

This lesson captures the structural beauty of realism while giving students a tangible art skill: one-point perspective. It connects deeply to Australian culture through Jeffrey Smart’s mid-20th century urban commentary and gives students a lens to reflect on where they live — from behind the pencil.

Perfect for mid-term momentum or a kick-off project in a term focused on perspective, architecture, or realism.