This Art and design video introduces Year 4 pupils to the process of mixing tints and shades to create a range of tones. Children learn how artists make colours lighter by adding white paint and darker by adding black paint, helping them develop a deeper understanding of tone and colour mixing.

The video demonstrates a simple step-by-step method for creating tonal scales. Pupils see how adding small amounts of white creates a sequence of tints and how gradually adding black creates a range of shades. The importance of mixing carefully and making gradual changes is highlighted, helping children achieve a broad range of tones from a single starting colour.

As they observe the colour transformations, children begin to recognise how tints and shades remain connected to the original colour while creating very different visual effects. The video also encourages pupils to annotate their work, helping them record and reflect on their colour-mixing process.

This video supports Kapow Primary’s Year 4 Painting and mixed media: Light and dark unit and helps children develop the practical skills needed to mix and use tints and shades confidently in their own artwork.

Explore the accompanying Year 4 Painting and mixed media: Light and dark resources.

• Year 4 Art and design scheme of work.