Using Sketchbooks to Make Visual Notes

Sketchbooks are great places for pupils to make visual notes. Making visual notes can help to slow down looking and thinking, and give space for pupils to process information and make it their own. This can be really useful when you are exploring a particular topic or artist. Visual notes also provide a useful way for pupils to revisit / recap ideas later on in a project.

 

An open page spread of a child's sketchbook

Making visual notes is a skill in itself and you need to give pupils time to practice new skills. This resource introduces you to the different ways of making visual notes; it’s important to introduce children to as many options as possible so that they can find the ones which work best for them as individuals.


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See This Resource Used In Schools

Year 3 Redesdale Primary
Year 3 Redesdale Primary
Year 3 Redesdale Primary
Year 3 Redesdale Primary
Year 3 Redesdale Primary
Year 3 Redesdale Primary
Year 3 Redesdale Primary
Year 3, Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Year 3, Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Year 3, Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Year 3, Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Year 5/6, Histon and Impington Brook Primary
Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Year 3, Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Year 3, Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Year 3, Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Sutton Valence Preparatory School
Benton Dene School by Clare Boreham
Benton Dene School by Clare Boreham
Benton Dene School by Clare Boreham
Benton Dene School by Clare Boreham
St Hilary School, Year 2
St Hilary School, Year 2


Making a Treehouse

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Pathway: Stick Transformation project

This is featured in the 'Stick Transformation Project' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Stick Transformation Project’ pathway

Talking Points: treehouses

Treehouse Vimeo Screenshot


Experimental Mark Making Tools

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Stourfield Infant School, Year 2
Stourfield Infant School, Year 2
Stourfield Infant School, Year 2

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Pathway: Expressive Painting

This is featured in the 'Expressive Painting' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Expressive Painting’ pathway


Mixed Media Landscape Challenges

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Year 5, Whitchurch Primary
Year 5, Whitchurch Primary
Year 5, Whitchurch Primary
Year 5, Whitchurch Primary
Year 5, Whitchurch Primary
Year 5, Whitchurch Primary
Year 5, Winslow CE School
Year 5, Winslow CE School
Year 5, Winslow CE School
Year 5, Winslow CE School
Year 5, St Teresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School
Year 5, St Teresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School
Year 5, St Teresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School
Year 5, St Teresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School
Year 5, St Teresa’s Roman Catholic Primary School

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Pathway: Mixed Media Land and city scapes

This is featured in the 'Mixed Media Land and City Scapes' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Mixed Media Land and City Scapes’ pathway

Talking Points: Vanessa Gardiner

Vanessa Gardiner- Landscape Painter https://vimeo.com/211454959

Talking Points: The Shoreditch Sketcher

Royal Academy by The Shoreditch Sketcher

Talking Points: Kittie Jones

Layered Landscapes by Kittie Jones


Nests: With Dry and Wet Media

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Year 6, Sheffield High School
Year 6, Sheffield High School
Year 6, Sheffield High School
Year 6, Sheffield High School
Year 6, Sheffield High School
Year 6, Sheffield High School
Year 6, St Teresa's School
Year 6, St Teresa's School
Year 6, St Teresa's School
Year 6, St Teresa's School
Emma Dodsworth, Ashmead Primary School, Lewisham
Emma Dodsworth, Ashmead Primary School, Lewisham

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Pathway: Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & determination

This is featured in the 'Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination’ pathway

Talking Points: What can we learn from birds

Marcus Coates, Conference of the Birds, 2019, (excerpt) https://vimeo.com/518101698

Drawing source material: nests

Birds nest in tree, nature photography. Free public domain CC0 image.


Nests: Observational Ink Drawing

See This Resoucre Used In Schools…

Yr 5 Sutton Valence Preparatory School, Adaptation of Nests Pathway
Yr 5 Sutton Valence Preparatory School, Adaptation of Nests Pathway

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Pathway: Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & determination

This is featured in the 'Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination’ pathway

Talking Points: What can we learn from birds

Marcus Coates, Conference of the Birds, 2019, (excerpt) https://vimeo.com/518101698

Drawing source material: nests

Birds nest in tree, nature photography. Free public domain CC0 image.


Nests: Materials, Tools Testing and Sketchbooks

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Yr 5 Sutton Valence Preparatory School, Adaptation of Nests Pathway
Yr 5 Sutton Valence Preparatory School, Adaptation of Nests Pathway

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Pathway: Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & determination

This is featured in the 'Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination’ pathway

Talking Points: What can we learn from birds

Marcus Coates, Conference of the Birds, 2019, (excerpt) https://vimeo.com/518101698

Drawing source material: nests

Birds nest in tree, nature photography. Free public domain CC0 image.


A Visual Poetry Zine with Monotype

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Littleport Community Primary School Year 5 Making Monotypes - these were inspired by Sea Fever the poem by John Masefield
Littleport Community Primary School Year 5 Making Monotypes - these were inspired by Sea Fever the poem by John Masefield
Littleport Community Primary School Year 5 Making Monotypes - these were inspired by Sea Fever the poem by John Masefield
Littleport Community Primary School Year 5 Making Monotypes - these were inspired by Sea Fever the poem by John Masefield

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Pathway: Making Monotypes

This is featured in the 'Making Monotypes' pathway

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Talking points: What is a monotype?

Monotype Vimeo Screenshot

Talking Points: Kevork Mourad

Kevork Mourad: the making of Seeing Through Babel https://vimeo.com/347106795


Print Foam – Making Relief Prints: Incised & Additive

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Year 1, Combs Ford Primary School
Ruth at Carden Primary School, Brighton
Ruth at Carden Primary School, Brighton
Ruth at Carden Primary School, Brighton

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Pathway: Simple Printmaking

Featured in the 'Simple Printmaking' pathway

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Dance and Drawing


Expressive Painting & Colour Mixing

See This Resource Used In Schools…

year 2 @littletownschool sketchbooks
year 2 @littletownschool sketchbooks

year 2 @littletownschool sketchbooks
Year 2
Year 2
Year 2
2023-01-30 (15)
Year 2
Year 2 Whitchurch Primary School
Year 2 Whitchurch Primary School
Year 2 Whitchurch Primary School
Home-Education Mixed Age Group, 6 - adult
Home-Education Mixed Age Group, 6 - adult
Home-Education Mixed Age Group, 6 - adult
Home-Education Mixed Age Group, 6 - adult
St Hilary School, Year 2
St Hilary School, Year 2
St Hilary School, Year 2
St Hilary School, Year 2

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Pathway: Expressive Painting

This is featured in the 'Expressive Painting' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Expressive Painting’ pathway

Talking Points: Brush Work of Van Gogh & Cezanne

Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh. Original from the MET Museum.

Talking Points: Marela Zacarías

Marela Zacarías

talking points: Charlie French

Charlie French

Session Recording: Expressive Painting

expressive painting on green


Osakana


Paint Your Corner Shop

See This Resource Used in Schools…

Years 3 & 4, Artivity Studios
Years 3 & 4, Artivity Studios
Years 3 & 4, Artivity Studios

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Pathway: Festival Feasts

This is featured in the 'Festival Feasts' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Festival Feasts’ pathway

Talking Points: Claes Oldenburg

Claes Oldeburg Sculptures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rHKorwuxco&t=36s

Talking Points: Nicole Dyer

Cupcake Sculpture by Nicole Dyer

Talking Points: Lucia Hierro

@Fountainhead: Lucia Hierro https://vimeo.com/185142596

Drawing source material: Food

Drawing Source Material Food


Making Sculptural Birds

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Birds made by Year 3 Selbourne Primary School
Year 4
Year 1
Year 2 Trumpington Park Primary School
Year 2, Aboyne Lodge Primary School
Year 2, Aboyne Lodge Primary School
Year 2, Aboyne Lodge Primary School
Year 2, Aboyne Lodge Primary School
Year 1 at Sydenham High Prep School
Year 1 at Sydenham High Prep School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 2, Ruth at Carden Primary School

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Pathway: Making Birds

Featured in the 'Making Birds' pathway

Featured in the ‘Making Birds’ pathway

Talking Points: Inspired by Birds

Fulmar Petrel from Birds of America (1827) by John James Audubon


Charcoal Cave

See This Resource Used In Schools…

Year 6, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 6, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 6, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 6, Ruth at Carden Primary School
Year 6, Ruth at Carden Primary School

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Pathway: Gestural Drawing with charcoal

This is featured in the 'Gestural Drawing with Charcoal' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Gestural Drawing with Charcoal’ pathway

Talking points: Edgar degas

"Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Intimacy, c. 1877-80. kks9159, kks9159" by SMK Statens Museum for Kunst (officiel) is marked with CC0 1.0.

Talking Points: What is Chiaroscuro?

Strange Flower (Little Sister of the Poor) (1880) by Odilon Redon. Original from the Art Institute of Chicago

Talking Points: Cave Art

Chauvet Cave https://vimeo.com/171478742

Session Recording: exploring Charcoal

Compressed Charcoal Using Point By Lancelot Richardson


Trace Monotype

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Pathway: Exploring the world though mono print

This is featured in the 'Exploring The World Through Mono print' pathway

This is featured in the ‘Exploring The World Through Mono print’ pathway

Talking Points: Xgaoc’o Xare

Two giraffe and two birds II 50x65sm by Qhaqhoo Xgaoc'o X'are

Video enabled monoprint resources

Final Monotype by Tobi Meuwissen


Light-field Monotype


Light-field Monotype with Acrylic Paint


Dark-Field Monotype: Masking


Dark-field Monotype