Exploring the World of Art: A Year 6 Journey Through Photomontage and Portraiture
Year 6 students have embarked on an exciting artistic journey this term, diving into the dynamic world of photomontage and exploring the intricacies of photorealistic portraiture. This unit combines creativity, critical thinking, and technical skills, offering children a rich and inspiring art experience.
Lesson 1: Discovering Photomontage
The unit began with an introduction to photomontage, a vibrant art form that blends images to create something entirely new. The class explored the works of Chris Plowman and Graham Holland, renowned for their imaginative and layered compositions. These artists use everyday images and transform them into surreal and thought-provoking pieces.
Armed with scissors, glue, and a collection of magazines and newspapers, the children set to work. They were encouraged to let their imaginations run wild, using large-scale images for dramatic backgrounds, cut-outs of people to craft whimsical and surreal characters, and lettering to add a dynamic textual element to their pieces. The classroom buzzed with creativity as students brought their unique visions to life.
Lesson 2: Photomontage Cityscapes
Building on their newfound photomontage skills, the next lesson challenged students to think bigger—literally! Inspired by Edward Weston’s “cheese grater city,” the children were tasked with designing an advertising cityscape for a fictional department store.
Using images from specific store departments (such as electronics, fashion, or homeware), the students constructed imaginative “buildings” by stacking product imagery. From toasters to televisions, each cityscape reflected the character of its store. Adding persuasive wording enhanced their designs, blending art with the power of advertising. The lesson sparked lively discussions about creativity in marketing and how visuals can influence consumer decisions.
Lessons 3 & 4: Photorealistic Portraiture
Switching gears, the unit then introduced the art of photorealistic drawing. The class explored the grid method, a time-tested technique used by artists to accurately scale and replicate images. By dividing a photograph into a grid and replicating each section onto paper, students learned to focus on details, ensuring proportion and perspective were precise.
To add depth to their portraits, the children experimented with various artistic mediums, including graphite pencils for sharp, clean lines, and pastels for a softer, more blended effect. Through guided practice, they explored key techniques:
Tonal volume: Using light and shadow to create realistic depth.
Contrast: Employing lines and tones to highlight different areas of their portraits.
Colour theory: Exploring the impact of cold and warm colours in conveying mood and form.
A Final Reflection
The combination of surreal photomontages and detailed portraits showcased their growth as artists and their ability to approach art from different perspectives.
This term’s art unit has been an incredible opportunity for Year 6 children to develop both their creative expression and technical skills. By blending the whimsical with the precise, they have gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be an artist and how to see the world through an artistic lens.
We can’t wait to see where their creativity takes them next!
