Year 7 Art & Design

Unit Content

Unit 1

Flight of Fancy

This unit centres on two-dimensional visual language and acts as a foundational introduction to drawing. Students respond to ornithological art and the work of Elizabeth and John Gould by creating large-scale wings as a group piece and then paper folded birds destined for a large, suspended gallery display.

Key knowledge developed:

  • Knowing how research and investigation can inspire and inform personal interpretation
  • Knowing the work of Elizabeth and John Gould within the field of Ornithology
  • Understanding the importance of planning, designing and working to a brief
  • Understanding basic colour theory
  • Understanding wings and feathers

Key skills developed:

  • How to mix a range of tertiary colours
  • How to use mark-making to create visual texture
  • How to create definition using fine line pen
  • How to create and apply tonal range
  • How to analyse and evaluate our own work and that of other artists

Unit 2 

Children's book illustration

This unit builds skills in two-dimensional visual language and introduces students to the work of several children’s book illustrators, including the familiar work of Eric Carle and Lauren Child. Students take inspiration from the work and develop their own ideas for character generation in collaboration with Drama.

Key knowledge developed:

  • Knowing how research and investigation can inspire and inform personal interpretation
  • Understanding the importance of planning and designing
  • Understanding the importance of teamwork and collaboration

Key skills developed:

  • How to use mark-making with large brushes and expressive techniques
  • How to create tonal range through the application of acrylic paint
  • How to apply colour theory to practical work to create vibrant and balanced depictions
  • How to analyse and evaluate our own work and that of other artists

Assessment: Learning is assessed formatively at Weeks 5 and 10 of the 12-week unit against an established checklist of criteria. A baseline assessment of dexterity and fine motor skill is conducted early in the unit to facilitate planning and support. Assessment is this unit is designed to support progress and build confidence for all students, regardless of their fine motor skills or prior knowledge.

Unit 3

Fabric cells

This unit builds skills in two-dimensional visual language and introduces students to the use of fabric and stitch as medium. This unit centres on understanding the visual shapes, colours and patterns seen within cells of the human body, with references to commercial artists working on similar ideas produced for sale on familiar sites like Etsy. The outcome from the project is an interpretation of cells in the form of an embroidered fabric hoop.

Key knowledge developed:

  • Knowing how research and investigation can inspire and inform personal interpretation
  • Understanding the importance of planning and designing
  • Knowing about commercial platforms and how artists create work for sale through online sites

Key skills developed:

  • How to use fabric as an art medium
  • How to create a cell-like image using fabric and stitch for line, colour and shape
  • How to apply colour theory to practical work to create vibrant and balanced outcomes
  • How to analyse and evaluate our own work and that of other artists

Assessment: Learning is assessed formatively at Weeks 5 and 10 of the 12-week unit against an established checklist of criteria. A baseline assessment of dexterity and fine motor skill is conducted early in the unit to facilitate planning and support. Assessment is this unit is designed to support progress and build confidence for all students, regardless of their fine motor skills or prior knowledge.