Unit 1: Drawing & the Visual Elements
Pre A Level Art & Design · Semester 1 Plan · Unit 1 of 4 · next: Unit 2: Photography →
What this unit does
Spine: “Observe · the elements.” Five Wednesday double sessions (W1–5) open the Grade 10 year by working through the visual elements — line, tone and form, texture, mark-making, negative space — entirely from observation. The unit closes on the semester’s first Attainment: one final observational drawing made in class, with a written reflection.
Session-by-session
| Wk | Wednesday | Lesson | Content | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | 2026-09-02 | U1·L1 · S1/17 | Course intro; the sketchbook contract; the visual elements; line studies. | — |
| W2 | 2026-09-09 | U1·L2 · S2 | Tone and form — “build form with tone, not outline” | — |
| W3 | 2026-09-16 | U1·L3 · S3 | Texture, mark-making, negative space | |
| W4 | 2026-09-23 | U1·L4 · S4 | Compose and begin the final drawing | CS1 exercise set graded |
| W5 | 2026-09-30 | U1·L5 · S5 | A1: final observational drawing + reflection, in class | A1; HW1 set |
These dates may shift when the school publishes its calendar for this period; any change to the W1 session will be confirmed in class.
Assessment
- A1 (Attainment) — 2026-09-30 (W5): final observational drawing + reflection, made in class across W4–W5. Announced 2026-09-16 (W3). Marking focus: observation, tone, composition. A1 feeds the mid-term grades due 2026-10-29.
- CS1 (Course Skills) — 2026-09-23 (W4): exercise-set check (contour, tonal, texture, negative-space studies). Focus: the visual elements.
- HW1 (break photo task, ≥20 photos of one subject in varied viewpoint/light) is set at W5 but belongs to Unit 2, due 2026-10-14.
Full details: full register.