Lesson 14

The Test Lab 🧪

Scientists don't guess — they test. Today: same drawing, four media, four backgrounds. May the best combination win.

🧪

→TEST

→DECIDE

🏆

Learning Objective:

Run a fair test: one section of my idea in four different media
Trial backgrounds and judge their effect
Choose a winning combination and justify it

Key words: media · mixed media · fair test · variable · experiment · refine

Teacher Print Tools

Pack: KO · media reference · quiz · 4-box test sheet + background strips · scaffolds · exit · feedback.

Bridge

The idea is locked 🎯 — now we test how to MAKE it 🧪

Art like a scientist: keep the drawing the SAME, change ONE variable at a time. First the media, then the background. The tests decide — not the guess.

🎨 Variable 1: media

Pencil tone · coloured pencil · fine liner + wash · oil pastel. Same section of your idea, four times.

🖼️ Variable 2: background

Plain white · tonal gradient · flat colour · textured/collage. The background changes the mood of the SAME image.

Predict: which media do you THINK will win for your idea — and what might prove you wrong?

Write the prediction down. Testing your own prediction is the fun part.

Retrieval Quiz

Arrival Task — Retrieval Quiz (Do Now)

Answer from memory. Media and the language of testing.

1) What does media mean in art?

The materials used to make artwork (pencil, paint, pastel…).

2) What does mixed media mean?

Using more than one material in the same artwork.

3) What was your final idea? One sentence.

Personal — the surreal eye idea from last lesson.

4) Which artist did your idea borrow from?

Magritte, Dalí or Höch.

1) In a fair test, how many things change at once?

One — everything else stays the same.

2) Which of these is a drawing media (not a technique)?

Media = the material (pencil, coloured pencil, fine liner, oil pastel). Hatching is a technique.

3) Two ways to make a colour lighter?

Add water (paint) or add white; press lighter with pencils.

4) What is hatching?

A mark-making technique using layers of parallel lines.

1) Why test one section, not redraw the whole idea four times?

It is faster and fairer — the drawing stays identical, so only the media differs.

2) How can a background change the mood of the same image?

Colour and texture set atmosphere — a dark gradient feels ominous; white feels clinical and calm.

3) What might oil pastel do BADLY that fine liner does well?

Fine detail — pastel is bold and soft-edged; liner holds crisp precise lines.

4) What evidence should each test box carry?

An annotation: what the media did well, what it did badly, verdict.

I Do

I Do: The Fair Test Page 🔬

One page, four boxes, one rule: only the media changes. Reveal the setup step by step.

Same section, four times — only the media changes.

Step 0 of 4

1️⃣ Divide the page

Fold or rule your page into four boxes. Title it: Media Tests.

2️⃣ Repeat the section

Draw the SAME section of your final idea in each box — trace or copy it, keep it identical.

3️⃣ One media per box

Work each box in a different media. Push each one to do its best work.

4️⃣ Verdict under each box

One line: what it did well, what it did badly. Circle the winner.

Testing is four different drawings — it is the SAME drawing four times. Change the drawing and the test proves nothing.

We Do

We Do: Media Match Lab ⚗️

Every media has a superpower. Tap a description, then tap the media it belongs to.

Matched: 0 / 4

Full control of tone — from paper-white to true black

Crisp, precise lines that never smudge

Bold, rich colour laid down fast — blends with a finger

Layered, controllable colour you can build slowly

✏️ PENCIL TONE
2B–6B graphite

🌈 COLOURED PENCIL
layer by layer

🖊️ FINE LINER
detail + hatching

🖍️ OIL PASTEL
bold + blendable

Which superpower does YOUR final idea need most — tone, precision, boldness or layered colour?

We Do

We Do: Background Test Bench 🖼️

Same eye, four moods. Tap each background to reveal what it does to the image — then pick two to trial on paper.

Plain white

Effect: clean, calm, clinical — all attention on the eye. Magritte energy.

Tonal gradient

Effect: depth and drama — dark-to-light feels like dusk in a dream. Dalí energy.

Flat colour

Effect: bold and graphic — the image pops like a poster. Choose the colour for mood.

Texture / collage

Effect: busy, layered, tactile — newspaper or magazine scraps. Höch energy.

On paper: two strips at the bottom of your test page — trial your best section on your TWO favourite backgrounds.

Independent Work

Independent Work — Run the Tests 🧪

Four media boxes, then two background strips. Verdicts under everything.

📋 In order

1. Page into 4 boxes, title Media Tests.
2. Same section of your idea in each box.
3. One media per box, pushed hard.
4. One-line verdict under each.
5. Two background strips at the bottom.

🏆 The final verdict

At the bottom of the page, complete:

"My best combination is media on background because ______, and I learnt that ______."

Higher: try one MIXED media box — e.g. fine liner detail over a wash. Note what the combination unlocks.

🌟 Finished early? Test a colour scheme: the same section in warm colours vs cool colours — which mood suits your surreal idea?

Verdict starters: "Best at… / Worst at… / I'd use it for…" — short, honest, specific. A losing test is still evidence!

Exit Ticket

Exit Ticket ✊

No notes. Show what stuck.

1) What does media mean?

The materials used to make artwork.

2) In a fair test, what stays the same?

The drawing (the section) — only the media changes.

3) Which media won your test?

Personal — with the box circled on the page.

1) Why must the section be identical in all four boxes?

So only the media differs — otherwise the comparison proves nothing.

2) Name each media's superpower (any two).

Pencil = tonal control; liner = precision; pastel = bold colour; coloured pencil = layered control.

3) What is your winning combination, and why?

Personal — media + background + because.

1) What did a LOSING test teach you?

Personal — e.g. pastel killed my fine detail, so the moth wings need liner.

2) How does your chosen background support your idea's mood?

Personal — background effect linked to the surreal atmosphere wanted.

3) What exactly goes into next lesson's final piece plan?

Winning media + background + composition, assembled as a mini version with annotations.

Knowledge Organiser (L14): The Test Lab

Name: ____________________ Class: __________ Date:

Learning objectives

Run a fair test: one section of my idea in four different media
Trial backgrounds and judge their effect
Choose a winning combination and justify it

Success criteria — tick when you can

☐ 4 boxes, identical section ☐ One media per box ☐ Verdict under every box ☐ 2 background strips ☐ Winning combination sentence completed

Media	Superpower	Weakness
Pencil tone	Full tonal control, white → black	No colour
Coloured pencil	Layered, controllable colour	Slow to cover big areas
Fine liner (+wash)	Crisp precise detail, hatching	Hard to shade smoothly
Oil pastel	Bold fast colour, finger-blends	Kills fine detail

Background	Effect on the image
Plain white	Clean, calm, clinical — Magritte energy
Tonal gradient	Depth and drama — Dalí energy
Flat colour	Bold, graphic, poster-like
Texture / collage	Busy, layered, tactile — Höch energy

Key distinctions

Fair test = one variable changes, everything else identical. Media = the material; technique = how you use it. A losing test is still evidence — it tells you what to avoid.

Self-quiz — cover the answers, write, then check

In a fair test, how many things change? — One.
Fine liner's superpower? — Crisp, precise detail.
Which background gives Dalí-style drama? — A tonal gradient.

Common mark-losers

Four different drawings (not a fair test) · boxes with no verdicts · choosing a winner with no "because" · treating a failed test as wasted work instead of evidence.

Memory hooks

"Same drawing, different clothes." · "Every box gets a verdict." · "Losing tests still teach."

Test Lab reference — keep beside you

Word	Meaning
Media	The materials used to make artwork
Mixed media	More than one material in the same artwork
Variable	The one thing you change in a fair test
Verdict	Your one-line judgement of a test

Golden rule: keep the drawing identical — only the media changes.

Arrival Task — Retrieval Quiz (Do Now)

Foundation

1) What does media mean in art?

2) What does mixed media mean?

3) Your final idea, in one sentence:

4) Which artist did it borrow from?

Middle

1) In a fair test, how many things change at once?

2) Name four media you could test today.

3) Two ways to make a colour lighter?

4) What is hatching?

Higher

1) Why test one section, not the whole idea four times?

2) How can a background change the mood of an image?

3) What might oil pastel do badly that liner does well?

4) What evidence should each test box carry?

Media Test sheet

Same section of your final idea in each box — one media per box, verdict underneath.

1 — pencil tone Verdict: ______________________	2 — coloured pencil Verdict: ______________________
3 — fine liner (+wash) Verdict: ______________________	4 — oil pastel Verdict: ______________________

Background strips — best section on two backgrounds:

Strip A: ______________

Strip B: ______________

My best combination is __________ on __________ because

and I learnt that

Scaffolding – Foundation

Order: 4 boxes → same section in each → one media per box → verdicts → strips.

Verdict starters: "Best at ______. Worst at ______."

Trace your section to keep it identical — tracing is allowed in a fair test!

Scaffolding – Middle

Push each media to its superpower: pencil = full tonal range; liner = hatching + detail; pastel = bold blends; coloured pencil = layered depth.

Pick your two background strips to CONTRAST (e.g. white vs gradient) — contrast makes the choice obvious.

The final sentence needs both a "because" and an "I learnt that".

Scaffolding – Higher

Add a fifth, mixed-media test: liner detail over a wash, or pastel background under pencil. Note what the combination unlocks.

Judge backgrounds by MOOD, not prettiness: which one serves your surreal atmosphere?

Reference an artist in your verdicts ("the flat white reads Magritte-calm") — free analysis marks.

Independent – Foundation

☐ 4 boxes ruled ☐ Same section ×4 ☐ One media per box ☐ 4 verdicts ☐ 2 background strips ☐ Winner circled

Independent – Middle

☐ Identical sections (traced ok) ☐ Each media pushed to its superpower ☐ Honest verdicts ☐ Contrasting strips ☐ Combination sentence with because + learnt

Independent – Higher

☐ 4 fair tests + 1 mixed-media test ☐ Verdicts referencing artists ☐ Background judged by mood ☐ Colour-scheme trial if time ☐ Full combination verdict

Exit Ticket – Foundation

1) What does media mean?

2) In a fair test, what stays the same?

3) Which media won your test?

Exit Ticket – Middle

1) Why must the section be identical in all four boxes?

2) Name two media superpowers.

3) Your winning combination + why:

Exit Ticket – Higher

1) What did a LOSING test teach you?

2) How does your background support your idea's mood?

3) What goes into next lesson's final piece plan?

Test Lab — Feedback Sheet

Staple beside the Media Tests page.

Pupil name:	Date:
Tier: F / M / H	Winning combo:

Fair-test checklist	Evidence
☐ Identical section ×4 ☐ One media per box ☐ Media pushed hard	☐ 4 verdicts ☐ 2 background strips ☐ Combination sentence complete

✅ What Went Well:

🔧 Even Better If:

Tests Complete — Winner Found!

Pencils down — lab inspection!

The Test Lab 🧪

Teacher Print Tools

The idea is locked 🎯 — now we test how to MAKE it 🧪

🎨 Variable 1: media

🖼️ Variable 2: background

Arrival Task — Retrieval Quiz (Do Now)

I Do: The Fair Test Page 🔬

1️⃣ Divide the page

2️⃣ Repeat the section

3️⃣ One media per box

4️⃣ Verdict under each box

We Do: Media Match Lab ⚗️

We Do: Background Test Bench 🖼️

Plain white

Tonal gradient

Flat colour

Texture / collage

Independent Work — Run the Tests 🧪

📋 In order

🏆 The final verdict

Exit Ticket ✊

Knowledge Organiser (L14): The Test Lab

Learning objectives

Success criteria — tick when you can

Key distinctions

Self-quiz — cover the answers, write, then check

Common mark-losers

Memory hooks

Test Lab reference — keep beside you

Arrival Task — Retrieval Quiz (Do Now)

Foundation

Middle

Higher

Media Test sheet

Scaffolding – Foundation

Scaffolding – Middle

Scaffolding – Higher

Independent – Foundation

Independent – Middle

Independent – Higher

Exit Ticket – Foundation

Exit Ticket – Middle

Exit Ticket – Higher

Test Lab — Feedback Sheet