Foundation Years
What are the foundation years?
The foundation years -or- middle school (American), KS3 (British), MYP (IB); is a program that teaches introductory art and design skills in drawing, painting, sculpting, and basic digital art. It is essentially a transitional experience in art, design and communication, preparing students for higher level c
Below is a sample curriculum forecast for Years 7-9 (6-8 American). The proposed projects cover a range of skill sets and introduce a variety of materials which students will become acquainted with. This a predicted course direction and lesson delivery will always vary according to learning needs.
Year 7 Year 8 Year 9
Term
1
2
3
Still Life and Cubism:
Students will learn to draw natural and man-made objects from direct observation of still-life arrangements. They will explore the elements of line, tone, shape and form by using pencils and charcoal. They will create work realistically as well as inspired by Cubism.
Symbolic Self-Portraits:
Students will learn to use colour to make expressive and symbolic self-portraits. They will learn to draw portraits in proportion from direct observation and reflect their personalities through the use of symbolism. They will explore the work of Frida Kahlo to inspire their work.
Patterns in Asian Art:
Students will explore a variety of ways of creating patterns inspired by Asian cultures. They will create repeat patterns through relief printing and construct and glaze their own clay tile. They will visit the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia to explore how patterns are used in architecture, ceramics and textiles.
Nature & Environment:
Students will use nature and the environment as a source of inspiration for intuitive and observational drawings and paintings. Students will learn about the characteristics of Impressionism and create a painting in an Impressionistic style.
Drawing & Painting Seashore:
As an introduction to IGCSE Art, students will explore various drawing and painting skills through the exploration of all the elements of art. They will develop their work from direct observation of seashells and create a final outcome based on experimentation with different techniques as well as an artist's influence.
Printmaking:
Students will use their drawings of nature from the previous term to create a series of prints using the techniques of mono printing, lino printing and collagraphy. They will use the work of Angie Lewin to inspire the development of their prints.
Pop Art and Silkscreen Printing:
Students will explore the work of some of the famous artists from the Pop Art movement. They will create a series of silkscreen prints with vibrant experimental backgrounds and bold portraits of famous Pop culture icons.
Artist Sculptures:
Students will learn about the art history timeline and the ways that art has changed over the years. They will then choose one of the artists from an art movement and analyse their work in detail. They will create a sculpture that will reflect some of the artist's work and style using a variety of media and techniques.
School Mural:
Students will collaborate to create artwork for the school. This can be done in the form of a mural, collaborative large scale sculptures or tessellations. Students will explore a topic, learn some new skills and techniques and then collaborate to create the final artwork. They will also research and analyse appropriate artists and art movements related to their project.
