By Paula Briggs

Simple technique for enabling children or teenagers to explore using pastels, with graphite, to capture the texture of fabric.

Children in the AccessArt Art Club for ages 7,8 and 9 explored using soft pastel and graphite to capture the texture of textiles. It was a simple but rewarding session in which children worked intuitively to capture the feel of the fabric. In some cases we folded the garments into rectangles to help children focus on the texture, not the shape of the garment. I wanted the children to concentrate on capturing the essence of the material, without being held up by trying to draw the form of the clothes.

Materials 

• Soft pastels
• Soft (B) pencils
• Erasers
• Graphite
• A2 drawing paper

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Guidance

Back to Curriculum Planning for Art

The resources below are accessible to AccessArt members. Please consider joining AccessArt (£42 for a single user, £96 for a multiuser membership. AccessArt is a UK Charity and all membership fees are used to develop further resources.

Year 1 (age 5) through to Year 6 (age 11)

Accessible Printmaking Techniques PDF

PDF download which describes simple printmaking techniques including block printing, linoprinting, monoprinting and screen printing, which can be explored by pupils with minimal equipment.

Carbon Paper Monoprints

A low tech, low mess, way to make monoprints. Pupils draw through carbon paper to create a monoprint on the paper below. Colour can be added by using oil pastel on the carbon paper. Lots of potential to encourage children to diversify their mark making. Suitable for all year groups.

Printing processes that use everyday materials to develop a creative focus for anyone, anywhere By Ruth Purdy

Here are some starting points from which your really accessible printing projects can begin; from printing from plasticine to using everyday objects to make prints. Enjoy!

Painting the Savannah by Chloe Williams

Working on a ambitious scale, artist Chloe Williams shows what can be achieved with printmaking techniques in an early years setting.

Poetry and Printmaking by Ann Bridges

Printmaker Ann Bridges shares her love of poetry and printmaking in this illustrated resource, which enables young children to make imagery inspired by poetry.

Monoprints

Using monoprints to free up the drawing process. Simple process using acetate, printing ink, rollers. Pupils draw on top of the acetate and the pressure transfers the “print” onto the paper below. Pupils can experiement with layering drawings and varying the presuure of their mark-making. Monoprinting is an inuitive, freeing process which generates lots of experiemental work. Suitable for all year groups.

Aluminium Foil Printing by Paul Carney

Artist Paul Carney shows us Aluminium printing. Aluminium printing provides a low cost and more manageable alternative to the process of etching and engraving used in industry and throughout history.

Mayan Tabletop Eraser Printing Project

Little hands explore carving with lino-tools to create printing blocks out of erasers to create repetitive designs on fabric.

Making Collagraphs

Using cardboard, string, found objects and pva glue to create a “plate” ready for printing. If no printing press is available, you can use the pressure of your hand, or a clean roller. Children can explore one or multi-colour printing. The collagraphic plates are also beautiful objects in their own right. Suitable for all year groups.

Block printing: Creating repeat patterns using letters with Andy McKenzie

Working with artist Andy McKenzie to create repeat patterns of letters using block printing.

How to Make a Tessellated Design

How to make a simple tessellated design using a cardboard stencil.

Printmaking with Salvaged Sticky Back Aluminium Foil, Mixed Media and Cardboard

A dynamic printmaking session using sticky-back foil to make printing plates and a car to apply print pressure!

Collagraphs Inspired by Architecture

Students create collagraphs inspired by architecture with Paula Briggs.

Year 5 (age 10) and above

Eraser Printmaking

Using linocutting tools to make printing plates from erasers. Simple, repeatable images which can be used to explore pattern or to make logos. Due to the sharp tools suitable for Year 5 children or older.

Collagraph, Collage and Stitch: Make a Image of Your Home on Fabric

Artist Andrea Butler shares how to create a collagraph and print on fabric.

Making a Collagraph Print by Suzie Mackenzie

Artist Suzie Mackenzie shares her collagraph process with AccessArt.

Lino Print

Easy (Speedy) carve lino now means it is easier for children to carve and print with lino. Pupils can print in a single colour, or experiement with more colours. The area carved away does not print, so linoprinting gives pupils the opportunity to explore negative and positive/reverse designs. Due to the sharp tools needed to carve lino prints this activity is more suitable for children in Years 5 (age 10) and above. Ensure you use safety cutting boards to encourage pupils to cut away from themselves.

LinoCut – An Artist’s Perspective

Printmaker James Green shares his passion for making linocuts.

Exploring Cyanotype by Maru Rojas

Artist Maru Rojas describes how to make cyanotype prints by resting plant material on senstised paper, or making plates from acetate.

The Intaglio Process: An Artist’s Perspective

Artist Neil Woodall shares how he makes an intaglio print.

AccessArt Resources to Support Printmaking

AccessArt is an evolving collection of resources and further resources are being added over time. Please register with AccessArt to receive updates.

Being an Art Lead can be exciting but it can also be challenging, especially if your experience in art is limited. Find guidance and information below to help support your role. 

First Things First!

AccessArt believes all children have the right to an excellent and rigorous art education. 

But we need to acknowledge that teachers and schools are under incredible pressure from all sides. We recognise that in many schools, specialist primary art teachers are now a thing of the past, and that many teachers have limited experience in teaching (or studying) art.

We want to make it possible for ALL schools to deliver a great art education for their pupils. We offer the resources below in good faith, and we hope the information below helps less experienced art teachers to feel comfortable and inspired in delivering an exciting art curriculum. We are here to help so please get in touch! 

The AccessArt Ethos

If you are looking for curriculum support in art it ‘s important that you choose an organisation or company which has a similar ethos or values to yourself. Here’s what we stand for at AccessArt.

AccessArt advocates:

• Before we decide what* and how** we teach within the umbrella of “art”, we should remember why we are teaching art in the first place. At AccessArt we remind everyone that we teach art because it is one way we can enable children to reach their creative potential. Every child is entitled to develop their critical and creative thinking skills, and to build their knowledge and understanding of materials and techniques, developing their experience of how they can make a creative response to a variety of stimulus, and our role as teachers is to facilitate this journey. So for AccessArt, remembering our core aim is to enable creativity, we place an emphasis on encouraging exploratory journeys, working towards varied and individual outcomes. 

• Art teaching should be aspirational yet accessible. We specialise in creating resources which help all teachers, including non-specialist teachers, to feel confident and enable to deliver inspirational activities to all children. You do not have to be “good at art” to be a great art teacher – you only need to be willing to explore, alongside your pupils, modelling an attitude of curiosity, open-mindedness, creative-risk taking and reflection. 

• Our offering to pupils should be broad and rich, contemporary and diverse. By keeping our understanding of all discipline areas (drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture etc) as open as possible we ensure that we keep art as inclusive and accessible to every child. 

• Teaching art can and should be as rigorous and disciplined as any other subject. Enabling open-ended creative learning actually requires teachers to understand the structures and spaces pupils need to work to their best. 

• That we build skills and knowledge through a combination of opportunities for repeated practice and new projects. Art is subjective and experiential – and there are many types of “knowledge” all of which are best understood when the knowledge is embedded in experience. 

• We cannot and should not apply the same metrics to art as to other subjects. Art is a unique subject to teach/facilitate and we should embrace that fact. 

• Through enabling pupils to think about the purpose of art and artists to all our lives, we will ensure that as children grow they feel entitled to express and better understand themselves (and the world in which they live) through making and talking about art. Through this creative entitlement we help nurture citizens who feel empowered to help shape community and society for the better. 

What* – As guided by the National Curriculum for Art & Design 

How** – As inspected by Ofsted

AccessArt Offers Two Main Ways to Help You Develop a “Broad, Rich, Contemporary & Diverse” Creative Curriculum…

Follow the AccessArt Primary Art Curriculum

Launched in 2022, the new AccessArt Primary Art Curriculum consists of 36 pathways which can be adapted to suit your school. Find out more. 

Or…

Use our Individual Resources to Support Your Existing Curriculum

Find out how you can use AccessArt resources to supplement and develop your existing art curriculum. 

Attend High Quality, Inspirational CPD

AccessArt offers CPD designed to inspire and enable. Find out more about our rolling programme of ticketed zoom CPD, led in-house and in collaboration with experts in the field, and learn more about tailored CPD for schools. 

Understanding Progression in Art

Unlike in many other subjects, there is no given sequencing in art. As much as many would like art to be a “tidy” subject which can be slotted into convenient boxes, approaching art in this way can stifle creativity. We need to think differently about progression in art.

Explore the following resources to help you think about Progression in Primary Art:

A Clear Progression of Skills & Knowledge

What Shape is Progression?

Rethinking Our Approach to Assessment & Progression

Performance Progression – 8 Steps

The AccessArt Progression Plan 2022

The AccessArt Progression Plan 2021

How Do Non-Specialist Teachers Teach Art?

How Do We Assess Art?

Why Visual Literacy Is An Important Skill

What Is Drawing?

Making Is Hard

How Do We use Artists in schools?

See More Pedagogy Animations

AccessArt Recommends…

That schools consider teaching art & design at Key Stage 1 and 2 as a distinct subject. Whilst we appreciate many schools approach art in a project or theme-based manner, our experience is that when art is taught as a distinct subject in a skills-based manner there is clearer progression and the teaching and learning is more rigorous. We do appreciate that art provides an excellent way to enrich the currciulum and link to other curriculum areas. Links to themes or projects can still be made, but from a position of far greater strength and understanding. 

That schools work hard to break down preconceptions amongst teachers and pupils as to what drawing or sculpture (for example) is or might be. Preconceptions can stifle creativity. If we take the lid off art and design we can allow the subject to flourish. Experimentation, risk, and innovation should be encouraged.

Art is a large subject area and you cannot possibly cover everything – its for you to decide as a school what you teach whilst meeting the aims of the national curriculum. Elements such an exploration of line, colour, form shape etc are woven throughout the disciplines. It might be helpful to think about subject areas as being: Drawing, Sketchbooks, Printmaking,  Sculpture, Design, Painting, Craft, Textiles, and Digital.

Please explore each of the subject areas above for further guidance and links to resources/lessons plans.

We Propose…

That teachers and schools raise their expectations as to what pupils are capable of in the visual arts. This can happen in a very practical way: for example through the introduction of a wider variety of materials from the outset, pupils can and do quickly build their understanding and skills.

We Suggest…

That schools should be less focussed on outcome and more focussed on the creative journey. When schools work towards a predefined, prescribed outcome (i.e. in the case of a display) the understanding and learning of pupils can be compromised. Ofsted recognises that work which looks great at first glance can often hide poor learning outcomes. Instead schools should work to create confident, independent artists who can articulate and value their own creative journeys.

We suggest that each term children should be given the opportunity to explore a variety of polarities:

1. Traditional skills should be balanced with experimental work.

2. Small scale work should be balanced with large scale work.

3. Quiet reflective study should be balanced with active, dynamic work.

4. Individual work should be balanced with group work.

5. Two dimensional work should be balanced with three dimensional work.

6. Study of historical “great” artists should be balanced with contemporary artists.

In addition children should be given the opportunity to experience:

1. How it feels to take creative risks as opposed to playing it safe

2. That chaos and mess can be productive for some people

3. Both female and male creative role models (including visits from artists/visits to galleries/artists studios)

Practical Pointers…

• That for many schools, an ongoing exploration of materials will provide an accessible and effective starting point. This exploration (of materials used for drawing, sculpture, painting, printmaking etc) will help the children grow in confidence and understanding and promote self-directed learning. Manipulating materials helps children explore processes, and these in turn can be applied to concepts. Many of the resources in the subject areas (see links above or below) centre around an exploration of materials and processes.

You might want to consider:

• A whole-school activity. For example, all year groups might explore charcoal. Each class and individuals within the class will naturally explore at his or her own level. Fundamental exercises can be experienced by all ages, and repeated by all ages, as part of their practice. There is no need for a “progression of activity” as such – children will naturally progress once they have repeated access to a material, process or concept.

• Pupils or teachers sharing areas of expertise with other classes to build knowledge and confidence within the school.

• That teachers should not be afraid to be seen to be learning alongside the children – in fact this can be a very positive role model for children.

Find More Information & Resources for Primary Teachers
Click here for more resources and opportunities to support a creative curriculum in your school

Useful Links

National Curriculum Art & Design

Drawing Together: Art, Craft & Design in Schools (Ofsted)

Making a Mark: Art, Craft and Design Education (Ofsted)

NSEAD

BBC Your Paintings

Getty Open Content Programme

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Pathway: Exploring Still Life

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Talking Points: Paul Cezanne

talking points: Contemporary still life

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CARDBOARD ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

THE 1KG CHALLENGE WITH ANDEE COLLARD

Design Lab: Phoebe Cummings at the V&A

Phoebe Cummings leads students at the V&A, London, over a three month period to create a site-specific group piece from unfired clay which was inspired by the historical 2D designs found on 19th century British tableware in the collection.

Literacy Boost Project: James & the Giant Peach Garden by Cordelia Spalding

In this resource Cordelia Spalding shares her extraordinarily creative ‘literacy’ project which made creativity happen in all sorts of ways in a local school.

The Ludworth and All Saints’ Murals by Tracy McGuinness-Kelly

Tracy McGuinness-Kelly describes her creative process working in two schools to produce an indoor and outdoor mural. Balancing creative journey with outcome, Tracy shares how she uses her skill as an illustrator/designer, combined with her facilitation skills, to create a co-created artwork.

A Cheerful Orchestra and Other Ideas for Drawing Music by Hannah Coulson

Artist and educator Hannah Coulson shares a trio of musical activities!

5 Exercises by Henry Ward

Artist and educator Henry Ward presents 5 activities which he has used successfully to inspire creativity with pupils.

Drawing as Support Activity

Artist, educator and co-founder of AccessArt Paula Briggs describes how she enables an exploration of drawing as an activity to support other artforms, in this case sculpture.

In-Depth Drawing Experience for Teenagers by Betsy Dadd

Artist and educator Betsy Dadd shares how she inspired teenagers to enjoy an in-depth exploration of drawing resulting in working on a large scale and finally animating their work.

The Drawing Machine – A Workshop in Perspective and How to Look by Drawing Machine and Sarah Wright

Sarah Wright from the Drawing Machine shares a wonderful and engaging technique for introducing children, teenagers and adults to perspective.

Making an Urban Landscape Painting by James Nairne

Artist and teacher James Nairne demonstrates how sketchbook drawing and photographs can be used to develop a painting of an urban landscape.
Artist and educator June Nelson shares how she used photography, collage and iPads in Towner Contemporary Art Museum, Eastbourne to encourage looking, collaborating, and telling visual stories.

Making Sensory Drawings by Gillian Adair McFarland

Artist Educator Gillian Adair McFarland shares how she makes drawings to be sensed through touch.

The Cardboard Project by Andee Collard

Artist and teacher Andee Collard sets a challenge to his D&T students to make a cardboard structure to hold a 1KG weight.

Page to Panel – How to Make Manga by Irina Richards

In this fabulously illustrated resource, Cambridgeshire-based artist Irina Richards shows AccessArt how to make manga.

Working WITH and IN the Landscape by Frances Hatch

Artist Frances Hatch describes her magical process of collecting and using materials from the landscape to make art.

Layers in the Landscape by Emma Davies

Artist Emma Davies shares her education work in this inspirational resource about interpreting landscape.

Tomorrow, Today by Karen Guthrie and Nina Pope

Acclaimed artist duo Karen Guthrie and Nina Pope share how they achieved one of the most physical and ambitious contemporary art projects seen in Cambridge in the creation of a model village of the future NW Cambridge development.

Newspaper Animal Heads by Sharon Gale

Textile and graphic artist Sharon Gale shows students in the Art Cabin at Northaw CE Primary School in Hertfordshire, how to make Newspaper Animal Heads.

Responding to Place by Claire Louise Mather

Claire Louise Mather works with pupils at St Thomas C of E Primary School, Oldham in Lancashire, to create an artistic response to the place in which they live using drawing, collage and stitch.

Memory Mining and Drawing on Dreams – Ideas for Working with Early Years by Rosemary Cronin

Rosemary Cronin describes her process for working with early years using dream work, cameras and projected images.

Relief Printing and Plaster Casting with Ursula Kelly

Ursula Kelly takes 12-15 year olds on a two day creative relief printmaking project of monumental scale and ambition.

Beyond the Hedgerow by Sara Dudman

Sara took pupils on an incredible creative journey. Loosening up and enjoying using colour and paint is central to this activity’s aims. This resource provides examples, inspiration and support for creating long collaborative, scroll-style, hedgerow paintings based on drawings and sketches taken on a walk outside and responding to the local environment.

Exploring Portraits with Eleanor Somerset

In this resource artist Eleanor Somerset shows how she led students in the little Art studio, Sheffield, to explore and discover portraiture through various media.

Making Big Monotypes by Sheila Ceccarelli

Sheila Ceccarelli shares how she gave teenagers the opportunity to explore expressive mark making and monoprinting on a large scale.

Rollers and Rhymes (A Poetry and Printmaking Project) by Ann Bridges

Printmaker Ann Bridges shares her process her love of potery and printmaking in this illustrated resources which enables children to make imagery inspired by poetry.

Constructed Space by Anne Harild

In this stunning post Anne Harild shows how she integrates sculptural construction, time, photography and animation in a one day workshop for the Frieze Art Fair.

Detached and Timeless Painting Workshop by Sara Dudman

Artist and educator Sara Dudman shares examples, inspiration and support for working creatively from video to capture movement and a sense of place in painting.

Shoe La-la Project by Lala Thorpe

Artist Educator Lala Thorpe shares her process for making shoe sculpture with teenagers from clay.

Creating Decorative Designs From Birds: Mark Making, Texture and Pattern by Andrea Butler

Artist Andrea Butler shares her process from sketchbook to textile design. Beautifully illustrated decorative designs.

Intuitive Art- Freedom to Paint by Natasha Day

Painter Natasha Day shares her workshop for life learners called “Intuitive Art-Freedom to Paint” using intuition to explore paint and making marks on canvas.

Painting a Still Life and Seeing Colour by Emma Copley

In this beautifully illustrated resource, Emma demonstrates how she teaches a step-by-step method for producing a painting of a shell, or similar object in gouache.

Painting the Savannah: Horizons, Colour, Printing and Painting by Chloe Williams

In this workshop Chloe Williams introduces children attending a workshop at Back Lane Artspace in West Yorkshire, to colour and printmaking on an ambitious and energetic scale.

Art for the Square with Susie Olczak for Futurecity

Susie Olczak worked with students at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge, on a two year project exploring the relationships between art, architecture and public space through a series of workshops. The project was supported by Futurecity.

Working Collaboratively in School: Cell Design – Pattern Making and Process

Artist Karen Wicks guides pupils through a complex, collaborative project initially inspired by looking at cells and then learning how to build up an image using different processes in ‘layers’.

Exploring Cyanotype by Maru Rojas

Maru shares the beautiful process of cyanotype. The project can be adapted to any theme and works well with teenagers and adults, resulting in stunning images.

The Polymeric Approach by Julie De Bastion

Julie de Bastion shares a wonderful workshop called “Draw in a Drawer”, in which participants from Escape Workshops in Stratford-upon-Avon took part in the making of delightful “Story Boxes” involving 3D drawing with flexible black wire, and drawing with mono-printing.

How to Run a Life Drawing Class by Hester Berry

Artist Hester Berry decsribes how to set up and facilitate a life drawing class with adults.

Putting Yourself in the Picture by Anna Linch

Anna worked with children from the Educare Small School, Kingston-upon-Thames. The whole school and curriculum were given over to her for an intensive few days when every child (aged 3-10) learnt about the history of self-portraiture and took part in photography, drawing and mixed media activities.

Post Office by Rosalie Schweiker

Working with pupils from Frances Bardsley Academy in Romford, Rosalie turned the art room into a post office, requiring all involved to become design/makers and writers. The project promoted a “can do” attitude and nurtured communication and creativity across the whole school.

Wild Imagination by Caroline Wendling and Deb Wilenski

Artists Caroline and Deborah enable children to enjoy a woodland exploration, using art and imagination as their discover tools in collaboration with Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination.

Tins Ain’t What they Used to Be By Maria Whetman

Adaptive Re-use is the theme behind this workshop, where students can have fun creating a wearable graphic-art composition badge by reclaiming metal from unwanted tins that once contained such products as tea, treacle, biscuits and mustard.

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Pathway: Telling Stories through drawing and making

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Pathway: An Exploration of Coal Mining, Inspired By Henry Moore

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