Silhouette Self Portraits

Fun in the Goldrush

Resources:

Resources:

Steps:

Steps:

Cardboard
Crayons
Magazines
Pencils
1.

2.

3.
4.

Students are to have a friend trace their profile

on white paper
Students are to draw things they like/enjoy
inside their silhouettes. Alternatively, students
can cut out magazine pictures that represent
them
Once complete, students cut out silhouettes and
paste onto a darker piece of cardboard
Display in the classroom

Art paper
Chalk/paint
Black & white gold rush images
Pencils
1.

2.
3.
4.

Students are to draw a scene from the

goldfields. This is to be traced in dark crayon/
texta to make it stand out.
The rest is filled in with coloured chalk/paint
The black & white images are to be cut out and
arranged on the page
Students can create speech bubbles to add to
the scene. These are to depict the living
conditions on the goldfields and can be
humorous or witty.

Design a Colony of Prestons Stamp

Tooling Foil Art

Resources:
Resources:

Art paper
Crayons/pencils
Scissors

Tooling foil
Semi-dull pencils
White paper
Felt
Ink/black paint

Steps:

Steps:

2.

2.
3.

1.

3.

Students are to create a stamp for the Colony

of Prestons. Google image different examples
of stamps
Students are to draw significant people, events
and places that represent Prestons
Once pictures have been drawn,, students are to
cut around their artworks to resemble a stamp
with jagged edges

1.

4.
5.

Students are to sketch a different kind of leaf/

flower on white paper
This paper is to be taped on a piece of tooling foil
The image is to be traced on top of the foil to
create an imprint add a piece of felt under the
foil as a cushion
Remove the paper and flip the foil over to push
some parts forward
Use a wash of black ink/paint for added shading
in the cracks. Wipe off the excess ink/paint

Artist Study Julian Ashton & Sidney Nolan

Resources:

Art paper
Crayons/pencils/
paint/charcoal
Scissors
Assorted brushes/
twigs/sponges/
cardboard etc.

Steps:

1.Have students look at a range of paintings by Julian Ashton. Discuss how the artworks reflect Australian life in the 1880s and 1890s
2.Consider the details in the painting The Prospector physical stature & stance of the man, his clothing, activities, surroundings & how
these are painted. Discuss concepts of naturalism, realism & the heroic in relation to the features of the painting.
3.Have students look at a range of tools that would have been used in the goldfields, including shovels, pans, picks & gold weights. Have
them make realistic drawings (linear & tonal) of these tools and attempt to show the relative sizes of the objects. Evaluate the
effectiveness of the drawings as a whole class.
4.Have students look at a range of paintings by Sidney Nolan. Focus on how the artist explores Australian landscapes, myths &
legends in his paintings. Discuss the techniques used & compare with Julian Ashtons earlier works. Consider concepts of
abstraction & distortion. Look at details in painting Pretty Polly Mine & consider how it was made refer to colours, contrast &
meanings as well as details of objects in the foreground & background & their relative sizes
5.Consider how the artist has explored distance in the picture where the horizon line sits & how objects in the distance appear
smaller than those in the foreground (with the exception of the bird). Discuss why the artist may have used distortion in this
work.
6.Have students make sketches, experimenting with the placement of horizon lines & the location of objects within an environment
considering different effects. Demonstrate different painting techniques by using different tools ie brushes (thick & thin),
offcuts of cardboard, twigs, sponges etc. Students are to make backgrounds using a limited palette of colours like Nolans work
7.Reconsider previous lesson on drawing/shading the mining tools & have students arrange the tools on their background artwork &
glue them on.
8.Encourage students to fill the page & look at the objects from different & imaginative angles & viewpoints. Discuss symmetrical &
asymmetrical placements & how artworks can be more interesting when they are off-centre. Refer to Nolans work.
9.Hatching techniques can be used to suggest volume & depth & may further add definition, e.g. use charcoal pencils or twigs to
scratch paint to suggest harsh, pointy forms of trees & other objects in the distance.
10.Discuss students works & the effectiveness of methods used.

Claymation Integrated with HSIE program on Gold!

Resources:

Plasticine
Cardboard
Assorted art materials foil, styrofoam, beads, construction paper, fishing wire, scissors, crayons, textas
etc.

Steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Students are to create a storyboard representing an event that occurred at the goldfields
Students create their plasticine figures and their backdrops/props
Students are to use iStopmotion app to create their claymations
Once complete, all videos are collaborated into one iMovie to present to the class