KS2 - Van Gogh

These inspiring outdoor art lessons bring Van Gogh’s techniques to life as children explore colour, texture, and movement in nature. From close-up sketches and sunflower studies to experimenting with impasto and reimagining Starry Night, pupils develop creativity, confidence, and artistic skill in a hands-on way.

Lesson Plans

Developing drawing techniques

Have your children develop and master their drawing skills with this outdoor lesson. Your children will have the opportunity to use handmade viewfinders to recreate close ups of nature using a variety of drawing techniques and mediums.

Learning objective:

To develop and improve drawing skills and techniques

Experimenting with colour mixing and tone

During this outdoor lesson, children will look closely at colours, studying the different hues, shades and tones of each colour. They’ll then transfer their knowledge to experiment with mixing paint and creating accurate sunflowers in the style of Van Gogh.

Learning objective:

To experiment with colour mixing and tone

Experimenting with the application of paint

The main activity of this outdoor lesson gives children the opportunity to use the painting technique ‘impasto’ to create self-portraits in the style of Van Gogh. They’ll combine nature and art, using sticks and other natural items to apply to their paint.

Learning objective:

To experiment with the application of paint

Adding relief and texture to a painting

Have your children apply their painting skills to continue to develop their use of the ‘impasto’ technique. This outdoor lesson gives them the opportunity to experiment with various paint mixtures, combining them with a selection of natural materials to create relief in their artwork.

Learning objective:

To add relief and texture to a painting.

Creating movement and flow in a piece of artwork

During this outdoor lesson, children will recreate the flow and movement found in Van Gogh’s Starry Night, by drawing inspiration from their own outdoor space. Once complete, they will be given the opportunity to discuss and evaluate their work, critiquing it against Van Gogh’s original.

Learning objective:

To create movement and flow in a piece of artwork

Before you get started

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