Sketchbook experimentation: water-like marks
I can use watercolours and a paintbrush with increasing control
Sketchbook experimentation: water-like marks
I can use watercolours and a paintbrush with increasing control
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Know how to care for a paintbrush
- Know how to use a paintbrush to create a wide variety of marks with watercolour
- Use marks to depict water, including reflections
Keywords
Paintbrush - a tool that you use to put paint on paper
Watercolour - a type of paint that you mix with water to make it look soft and see-through
Reflections - when you see an image of something in a shiny surface, like water
Common misconception
Paintbrushes can be left dirty and used again without cleaning.
Remind children that paintbrushes like to be cleaned and left on top of water pots so the next artist can use them.
To help you plan your year 1 art and design lesson on: Sketchbook experimentation: water-like marks, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 art and design lesson on: Sketchbook experimentation: water-like marks, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 art and design lessons from the Reflections on water: introducing painting unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
paintbrushes in a variety of sizes, watercolour palettes, waterpots
Licence
Starter quiz
4 Questions






Exit quiz
4 Questions


a tool that you use to put paint on paper
a type of paint that you mix with water to make it look soft
when you see an image of something in a shiny surface, like water