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Three-year Overview for the Visual Arts

Core processes | Focus processes | Cross-curricula processes

This three-year long-term plan has been developed by Jeanette Bishop, who is a contract facilitator for the visual arts at the Auckland College of Education. It is based on the two-year plan that the Auckland College of Education team used in the first part of The Arts Online professional development contract.

Process focus

This approach to planning is process/media-based, that is, the plan is organised around specific visual arts processes or media, (as opposed to, for example, a thematic focus).

Three processes – drawing, painting, and printmaking – are seen as core activities to be covered every year. Other activities are focussed on for one year each of the three year period – collage with fabric and fibre, modelling/casting/carving, and construction/assemblage.

Other activities that cross over in subject matter with other curriculum programmes (such as computer-generated art with ICT, and photography with technology) are taught in conjunction with those programmes.

Drawing is used throughout to develop ideas, and to gather/record information on the stages of making an artwork.

Structure of resource

This overview resource is organised under the three groups of processes – core processes, focus processes, and cross-curricula processes. The information is provided below in that order.

Printing this resource

To print the three-year overview in a chart layout, select from either Word or PDF formats:

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Core processes

Drawing

Use a range drawing materials, such as:

  • pencils or pens,
  • chalk,
  • felt-tip pens,
  • charcoal,
  • coloured pencils,
  • 'Aquarel' pencils,
  • crayons,
  • oil pastels,
  • oil sticks,
  • chalk pastels,
  • Indian ink.

Use specific techniques, including:

  • crayon or pastel,
  • layering and blending,
  • limited colour range,
  • crayon and dye, or pastel and dye,
  • crayon or pastel sgraffito,
  • crayon or dye and Indian ink,
  • crayon batik.

Painting

Use a range of the following:

  • paints – such as tempera, acrylic, watercolour, dye;
  • painting tools – such as brushes, card, sponges, rollers;
  • painting surfaces – such as paper, card, hessian, canvas, hardboard, 3D forms;
  • styles – such as impressionist, pointillism, cubist;
  • genres – such as still-life, portraiture, landscape, seascape;
  • techniques – such as blending, under-painting, dry-brush work, over-painting, detailing, limited palette.

Printmaking

Use a range of the following:

  • stamps or leaves;
  • polystyrene or ball-point pen;
  • PVA glue and string;
  • monoprints;
  • card or collage relief;
  • screen prints;
  • lino or wood cuts – single colour and multi-coloured;
  • bamboo and 'Perspex' etching;
  • repeated patterns – such as tapa, fabric design, and border patterns;
  • marbling.

Reference: Ministry of Education (2001) Drawing – exploring the Visual Arts in Years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media

Reference: Ministry of Education (2001) Painting – exploring the Visual Arts in Years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media

Reference: Ministry of Education (2001) Printmaking – exploring the Visual Arts in Years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media

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Focus processes

2004: Collage, and fabric and fibre

Collage

Use a range of papers, including:

  • torn paper,
  • cut paper,
  • magazine pages,
  • made papers,
  • commercial papers,
  • tissues,
  • corrugated card.

Use other materials, such as:

  • natural materials – for example, leaves, bark, feathers;
  • fabric.

Use different techniques, including:

  • flat collage;
  • relief (raised) pictures;
  • mosaic.

Fabric and fibre

Weaving options

  • paper;
  • card/frame looms;
  • range of fibres, such as flax, wool, raffia;
  • range of techniques, such as tukutuku, taniko, plaiting.

Stitchery options:

  • simple embroidered stitches;
  • sewn collage;
  • appliqué.

Fabric treatment options:

  • painting and drawing onto fabric;
  • batik;
  • printing onto fabric – for example, block prints and screen prints;
  • dyeing fabric;
  • soft sculpture;
  • wearable arts;
  • paper making.

Reference: Ministry of Education (2001) Fabric and Fibre – exploring the Visual Arts in Years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media

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2005: Modelling, casting, and carving

Dough and clay options:

  • relief tiles;
  • three-dimensional (3D) models/sculptures;
  • pinch pots, coiled work, slabs;
  • finishing techniques – for example, oxidising and glazing;
  • firing.

Carving materials:

  • clay,
  • wood,
  • bone.

Papier maché options:

  • paper strips,
  • paper pulp,
  • relief,
  • applied over 3D armatures.

Casting:

  • plaster.

Reference: Ministry of Education (2001) Sculpture – exploring the Visual Arts in Years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media

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2006: Construction/assemblage

Make:

  • puppets,
  • mobiles,
  • dioramas,
  • models.

Create armatures, such as for:

  • kites,
  • masks,
  • totems,
  • vehicles,
  • animal models.

Materials options:

  • flat and rolled paper,
  • plain and corrugated card,
  • used boxes,
  • wood,
  • wire,
  • cane,
  • junk/found items,
  • natural materials.
Reference: Ministry of Education (2001) Sculpture – exploring the Visual Arts in Years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media

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Cross-curricula processes

The following processes are taught in conjunction with the Technology, English, and ICT (Information and communication technology) curriculum programmes.

Design and make options:

  • tools,
  • toys
  • containers,
  • furniture,
  • books,
  • jewellery.

Graphics options:

  • signs,
  • symbols,
  • emblems,
  • banners.

Illustration options:

  • book illustrations,
  • cartoon strips,
  • storyboards for videos,
  • flip books.

Photography and video options:

  • making and using pin-hole cameras;
  • producing video sequences.

Computer-generated art options:

  • slide shows,
  • animation.

Reference: Ministry of Education (2002) Design – exploring the Visual Arts in Years 1–6. Wellington: Learning Media

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