Painting and mixed media: Life in colour
Investigating collage techniques through the work of Romare Bearden, focusing on colour mixing and creating texture using different tools.
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Painting and mixed media: Life in colour
Important update!
The Year 1–6 Painting units have been updated for 2026–2027 to provide a clearer progression of painting skills and knowledge.
An updated version of this unit will be available from July 2026. The current version will move to the Content archive area in August 2026, where it will remain permanently available.
Explore the Art and design, Long-term plan for 2026–2027.
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Name the primary and secondary colours.
- Talk about the colour changes they notice and make predictions about what will happen when two colours mix.
- Describe the colours and textures they see.
- Try different tools to recreate a texture and decide which tool works best.
- Show they can identify different textures in a collaged artwork.
- Apply their knowledge of colour mixing to match colours effectively.
- Choose collage materials based on colour and texture.
- Talk about their ideas for an overall collage.
- Try different arrangements of materials, including overlapping shapes.
- Give likes and dislikes about their work and others’.
- Describe ideas for developing their collages.
- Choose materials and tools after trying them out.
Suggested prior learning
Painting and mixed media: Colour splash
Get startedLessons
Lesson 1: Colour magic
Lesson 2: Texture hunt
Lesson 3: Making textures
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To compose a collage, choosing and arranging materials for effect.
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To compose a collage, choosing and arranging materials for effect.
Lesson 5: Developing detail
Key skills
Key knowledge
Related content
Unit resources
Knowledge organiser: Art & design – Y2 Painting and mixed-media
Aimed at pupils, two pages providing key facts and definitions from the unit "Painting and mixed media: Life in colour",
Vocabulary display: Life in colour
A display version of the key vocabulary from the Life in colour unit.
Cross-curricular opportunities
None.