Painting

Children will all learn the techniques of watercolour painting such that they can paint to a high standard. As with all subjects this is not undertaken in a ‘dry’ intellectual way. Watercolour painting begins in Kindergarten and continues each year. Teachers tell ‘painting stories’ to bring life to colour such that children gain a real feeling for each colour, the various colour harmonies and discover for themselves how mixed colours come into being. In classes 1-3 painting is essentially abstract, yet through stories and practice they will have unconsciously mastered key techniques in watercolour painting. This ability will be built upon in class 4 when children begin to undertake figurative work and painting will be linked to nature studies and the topics of the main lesson. From class 5–8 children will work with ever subtler nuances of colour and come to understand chiaroscuro, the study of light and dark, and perspective through watercolour as well as work with charcoal and chalk.