Skills Lab & Swatches: Quarter 2 Final Project

Theme: Reflection & Renewal

Goal: Practice essential techniques in your chosen medium before creating your final artwork.

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Directions

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1. Choose one medium: Charcoal, Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Collage, or Mixed Media .

2. On a piece of sketchbook paper, complete all of the following prompts for your chosen medium. 

3. Reflection questions can be written under swatches or on a separate page. 

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🖤 Charcoal

Learning Goal: Create a range of tones and values; work on blending and depth.

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Warm-Up: Use the side of your charcoal to fill a 3x3" square fully, then blend with your finger and eraser.

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Swatches/Skills:

• Create a smooth gradient from white to black.
   

• Blend using tissue and paper stump (compare).
   

• Erase to draw highlights into a shaded area.
   

• Practice cross-hatching with charcoal pencil.
   

• Add a dark tone over light and smudge for texture.
   

Reflection Prompt:

Which tool gave you the most control with blending? How will you use that in your final piece?

 

🎨 Acrylic Paint

Learning Goal: Practice color mixing and texture; control brushstroke and opacity.

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Warm-Up: Mix one secondary color without reference. Adjust until it matches the swatch card (if available).

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Swatches/Skills:

• Create tints & shades of a color (white + color, black + color).
   

• Mix and paint a gradient between two colors.
   

• Test both opaque and transparent layers.
   

• Paint one smooth texture and one textured brushstroke swatch.
   

• Blend three colors together in one swatch.
   

Reflection Prompt:

What color mixing surprised you the most? How will you integrate these blends in your project?

 

🖍️ Oil Pastels

Learning Goal: Practice blending, layering, and creating texture.

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Warm-Up: Blend two colors together using your fingers and/or a paper towel.

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Swatches/Skills:

• Layer at least 3 colors to create a vibrant blend.
   

• Scratch into a thick layer with a toothpick or tool (sgraffito).
   

• Create a textured effect using crosshatching.
   

• Show contrast between warm and cool colors.
   

• Blend color + white vs. color + black.
   

Reflection Prompt:

How did layering change your color vibrancy? Where do you plan to use layering in your artwork?

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✂️ Collage

Learning Goal: Explore shape, composition, and visual meaning through paper layers.

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Warm-Up: Create a quick 2x2” composition using 3 shapes and contrasting colors.

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Swatches/Skills:

• Cut and glue clean, sharp-edged shapes (no ragged edges!).
   

• Create a monochromatic mini-collage with 3 value tones from the same color.
   

• Layer materials to create at least 3 levels of depth.
   

• Include a text-based element and integrate it visually.
   

• Use an unexpected material (fabric, foil, etc.) in a composition.
   

Reflection Prompt:

What did you discover about balance when arranging shapes? How will you create harmony in your final design?

 

🎭 Mixed Media

Learning Goal: Combine materials and techniques for visual storytelling.

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Warm-Up: Choose two mediums and create a fast 3x3” expressive square (e.g., ink + graphite, acrylic + collage).

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Swatches/Skills:

• Layer 3 different mediums and blend/transition them intentionally.
   

• Use a resist method (e.g. crayon under watercolor).
   

• Create texture using built-up layers (fabric, tape, gesso).
   

• Add a symbolically drawn element or text using a contrasting medium.
   

• Experiment with transparency or scraping back.
   

Reflection Prompt:

What unexpected discoveries happened while combining materials? What will you carry forward?