Unit Plan 20 (Grade 8 Art): Mixed Media Exploration
Grade 8 mixed media unit where students combine drawing, paint, collage, and textures to create cohesive artworks that express concepts and artistic intent.
Focus: Combine materials intentionally—such as drawing, paint, collage, and found textures—to explore how mixed media can best support conceptual goals and expressive ideas.
Grade Level: 8
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Mixed Media • Experimentation & Concept)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students explore mixed media as a way to connect materials, layers, and meaning. Instead of using a single tool or medium, they experiment with combinations—such as ink over watercolor, graphite with collage, or acrylic with textured papers—to see how each pairing changes mood, depth, and clarity of ideas. Through guided tests and a small concept-driven study, students learn to move beyond “random layering” and instead make intentional choices about which materials and processes best communicate their conceptual goals (e.g., chaos vs. calm, vintage vs. modern, fragile vs. bold).
Essential Questions
- How does combining different materials and textures change the way an artwork feels and what it communicates?
- In what ways can mixed media help express complex ideas or emotions more effectively than a single medium?
- How can I experiment with materials and processes and then choose those that best support my artistic intent?
- What makes a mixed media piece feel cohesive and intentional, instead of random or messy?
- How can I use layers, transparency, and contrast to guide the viewer’s eye and highlight important parts of my idea?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Experiment with at least three different materials (e.g., watercolor, ink, collage papers, graphite, acrylic) to observe how they interact in layers (VA:Cr2.8b).
- Create a series of mixed media test swatches that explore combinations of materials, order of application, and surface types (paper, cardboard, toned grounds).
- Analyze which combinations of media and processes best support specific concepts or moods (e.g., calm, chaos, memory, protest).
- Develop a simple concept plan and “mixed media recipe” (which materials, in what order, and why) connected to a chosen theme.
- Create a small mixed media study that combines materials intentionally to support a conceptual goal, showing attention to composition and cohesion (VA:Cr2.8b).
- Reflect on experiments and final work by explaining why certain materials and processes were chosen and how they support their intent.
Standards Alignment — 8th Grade (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Cr2.8b — Experiment with materials, techniques, and processes to determine which best communicate artistic intent.
- Example: Students test watercolor + ink line vs. acrylic + collage to decide which combination better expresses a concept like “noise” or “calm.”
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can try multiple materials and combinations (e.g., paint + collage + drawing) and notice how they interact.
- I can explain which material combinations fit my concept best and why.
- I can design a mixed media recipe that lists the materials and order of steps I plan to use.
- I can create a mixed media study where the materials feel intentional and cohesive, not random.
- I can describe how my material and process choices helped support my idea or mood.