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New
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Year 1

Depicting water with watercolour and collage

I can create textured papers to make a collage.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 1

Depicting water with watercolour and collage

I can create textured papers to make a collage.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Know that texture is a word to describe how something feels
  2. Know that artists might depict water as having many textures
  3. Artists can layer materials to create a collage to depict the different textures of water.

Keywords

  • Texture - the way something feels when you touch it

  • Layer - when one material is placed on top of another material

  • Collage - an artwork made by layering different things like paper and fabric together

Common misconception

Artists will always depict the texture of water in the same way.

Remind children that although water itself always feels wet and smooth, artists might use their materials to show the water being bubbly, smooth or rough. Artists can describe this as the texture of the water.


To help you plan your year 1 art and design lesson on: Depicting water with watercolour and collage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

To allow time for the collage papers to dry, teachers may wish to split this lesson between a morning and afternoon, or over two days.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

paper and card in differnt colours, watercolours, tin foil, bubble wrap, fruit bag netting, paper plates, PVA glue, paintbrushes, glue spreaders

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is the name of this paint type?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: watercolour paint
spray paint
acrylic paint
Q2.
How might artists show the texture of water in their artwork?
Correct answer: by using smooth lines and soft colours
by using only black and white colours
by making it feel sticky
Q3.
A collage is made by layering different pieces of paper, fabric, or other materials onto a surface to make a picture.
Correct answer: True
False
Q4.
How can watercolour paints be used to show reflections on water?
by using only one thick layer of paint
Correct answer: by layering see-through colours to create a reflective effect
by painting with dark, solid colours
by using only dry paint with no water

4 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following statements is true?
Correct answer: Artists can make water look smooth, rough, or shiny.
Artists can only make water look smooth.
Artists can only make water look rough.
Q2.
What is a "layer"?
something you wear on your head
Correct answer: a piece of something placed on top of another piece
a type of food
a colour you use to paint
Q3.
What are these tools called?
An image in a quiz
glue mixers
gluer takers
Correct answer: glue spreaders
Q4.
Which material has been used to create this effect in watercolour?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: tin foil
bubble wrap
salt