Lesson 3

Magritte: Artist Study

Gridding, Painting & Annotation

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→STUDY

Grid up. Paint smooth.
Annotate with meaning.Today you start your Magritte fact file.

Learning Objective:

Learn how to grid up and create an accurate artist study
Understand and apply the annotation framework
Complete your Magritte research page

Teacher Print Tools

Arrival Task

Arrival Task – Recall from Lessons 1 & 2

Instructions: Answer from memory. Q4 leads into today.

1. Colours (Recall)

What is the rule with complementary colours?

They are opposite each other on the colour wheel.

2. Magritte (Recall)

Name one technique Magritte uses.

Blending, layering, juxtaposition, scale change, hidden identity, visual illusion.

3. Media (Recall)

What media did Magritte use?

Paint (oil/acrylic).

4. Lead-in: Gridding

Why do artists use a grid to help them draw?

To help get proportions and shapes accurate.

1. Colours (Recall)

Explain complementary colours with an example pair.

Opposite on the wheel, e.g. Red↔Green — create strong contrast.

2. Magritte (Recall)

Name two Magritte techniques and explain one.

e.g. Blending — smooth tonal transitions. Scale Change — objects impossibly large.

3. Style (Recall)

Why does Magritte's work look realistic despite impossible scenes?

He used realistic painting techniques (blending, detail) on impossible subjects.

4. Lead-in: Drawing

What's the difference between "accuracy" and "detail"?

Accuracy = correct proportions/placement. Detail = fine features like highlights.

1. Comparison (Recall)

How does Magritte use juxtaposition differently from Dalí?

Dalí creates dreamscapes; Magritte places ordinary objects in extraordinary contexts.

2. Style (Recall)

Describe Magritte's painting style — what makes it distinctive?

Smooth, realistic oil paint with precise tonal blending and meticulous detail.

3. Meaning (Recall)

Why did Magritte call his pipe painting "The Treachery of Images"?

A painting of a pipe is not a pipe — it's a representation. He challenged the relationship between objects and images.

4. Lead-in: Annotation

What should annotations include beyond just describing what you see?

Techniques, visual elements, meaning, personal response, connections to own work.

Starter

Starter: Quick Retrieval

Instructions: Answer on whiteboards.

Q1. What nationality was Magritte? Belgian.

Q2. Which object is Magritte's signature symbol? Bowler hat (and green apple).

Q3. What does "annotation" mean in art?

I Do

I Do: How to Grid Up Your Study

Key Idea: Gridding helps you draw accurately by breaking an image into small, manageable squares.

6 Steps to Grid

1️⃣

Choose your Magritte image from the resource sheet.

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2️⃣

Grid the image — 2cm × 2cm squares over the printed image.

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3️⃣

Grid your page — same number of squares, bigger to scale up.

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4️⃣

Draw box by box — outlines first, one square at a time.

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5️⃣

Erase the grid — gently rub out grid lines.

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6️⃣

Add tone with paint — light colours first, then darker shadows.

Animated Gridding Demo

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Don't press too hard — light lines are easier to erase. Don't skip squares — work systematically.

We Do

We Do: Put the Steps in Order

Instructions: Tap the steps in the correct order (1st → 6th).

Steps placed: 0/6

Think about it like this: You can't paint before you've drawn. You can't draw before you've gridded. You can't grid both until you've picked an image. The grid should come OFF before you add paint (so paint goes over clean lines).

I Do

I Do: How to Annotate Your Study

Key Idea: Annotate your artwork with arrows pointing to specific areas. Cover these 4 areas:

1. Describe

"In this section I can see…" — What is literally there?

2. Techniques

"The artist has used [blending/layering] to create…" — How was it made?

3. Visual Elements

"The visual elements are [line/tone/colour/shape]…" — What principles are used?

4. Opinion & Meaning

"I think this means… It reminds me of… I could use this by…" — What does it mean to you?

Top Tip: Good annotations are specific — say which colours, where, and why they work.

Don't write: "It looks nice" or "He liked drawing eyes"

Write: "I think this represents perception because the sky inside the eye suggests…"

An opinion in art annotation is NEVER just "it looks nice" — it must link to meaning with a "because…" reason.

The 4-area framework that makes a good annotation: Describe · Techniques · Visual Elements · Opinion linked to meaning

A pupil who hits all 4 areas with full sentences earns the highest mark band. Skipping "Opinion" or only using one-word answers caps the grade.

We Do

We Do: Annotate "The False Mirror" (1928)

Instructions: Write an annotation for each area. Use the sentence starters.

"The False Mirror" (1928)

1. Describe

2. Techniques

3. Visual Elements

4. Opinion

Sentence starters: "I can see…" | "The artist used _____ to create…" | "The visual elements are…" | "I think this means _____ because…"

👥 Check your work: Click below to reveal model answers one at a time — compare to your own annotations and see what you could add.

1. Describe: "I can see a close-up of a single eye. The iris contains a blue sky with fluffy white clouds instead of a normal coloured iris. The pupil is a deep black circle at the centre, with the whites of the eye clearly visible around the edge."

2. Techniques: "Magritte has used smooth oil paint blending to create seamless tonal transitions between the sky and clouds. There are no visible brushstrokes, giving the painting a photographic quality that tricks your eye."

3. Visual Elements: "The main visual elements are colour (blue sky, white clouds, black pupil), tone (light iris against dark pupil), shape (concentric circles) and texture (smooth, glossy, realistic)."

4. Opinion & Meaning: "I think this represents how our eyes don't just SEE reality — they shape it with imagination and memory. The sky in the eye suggests we project our thoughts onto what we see. It makes me feel small, like the world is bigger than what I think I'm looking at."

Spot the Mistake

🔍 Spot the Mistake — Student Annotation

Instructions: A student annotated "The False Mirror" like this. Find the 3 mistakes!

"In this picture I can see a painting of an eye. Magritte has used rough textured brushstrokes so you can see exactly how he made it. The visual elements are pattern and form. I think it means he liked drawing eyes."

Here are the 3 mistakes:

Mistake 1: "Rough textured brushstrokes" — Magritte's painting is smooth with no visible brushstrokes. That's his signature style.
Mistake 2: "Pattern and form" — these aren't the main elements. The big ones here are colour, tone and shape.
Mistake 3: "He liked drawing eyes" — this isn't a meaning, it's a guess. A proper opinion links to what the artwork might represent — e.g. perception, seeing, imagination.

👥 Turn to your partner: Rewrite the "Opinion" sentence properly — what might the eye with a sky inside it actually represent?

Independent Work

Independent Work – Start Your Magritte Fact File

Instructions: Today you're starting your Magritte fact file. Aim for: 3+ facts down on the page, then begin gridding your chosen image. Annotations and tonal painting come next lesson.

Foundation

Grid up image + page, draw outlines box by box, start adding tone, write 2 annotations using sentence starters.

Middle

Accurate gridded study, at least 3 tonal values in paint, 4 annotations covering full framework, page has 5+ facts and REACT.

Higher

High-accuracy study with fine detail, full tonal range in paint, all 4 framework annotations, comparison to another Surrealist, "connection to my work".

📋 Scaffolding

Foundation: use sentence starters. Middle: full sentences, specific visual elements. Higher: analyse and compare.

🏆 Success Criteria

Foundation: Grid, outline, started tone, 2 annotations.

Middle: Accurate study, tonal work, full annotation framework.

Higher: Detailed study, comparative annotations, personal connection.

Exit Ticket

Exit Ticket – Cumulative (Lessons 1–3)

Instructions: 6 questions covering everything so far. Answer independently.

1) What does "surréalisme" mean?

Beyond reality.

2) What nationality was Magritte?

Belgian.

3) Why do we use a grid?

To draw accurately / get proportions right.

4) Which technique puts objects in strange places?

Dislocation.

5) Annotations should include…

Description, techniques, visual elements & opinion.

6) What media did Magritte use?

Oil / acrylic paint.

Knowledge Organiser (L3): Magritte Artist Study

Step	What to Do
1. Choose	Pick a Magritte painting from the resource sheet
2. Grid image	Draw 2cm × 2cm squares over the printed image
3. Grid page	Same number of squares on sketchbook, bigger to scale up
4. Draw	Copy outlines box by box — one square at a time
5. Erase	Gently rub out grid lines
6. Paint	Add tone with acrylic — light colours first, then shadows

Annotation Area	What to Write
1. Describe	What can you literally see?
2. Techniques	How was it made? (blending, layering…)
3. Visual Elements	Line, tone, colour, shape, texture, form, pattern
4. Opinion & Meaning	What does it mean? How does it make you feel?

Arrival Task

Foundation

1) What is the rule with complementary colours?

2) Name one technique Magritte uses.

3) What media did Magritte use?

4) Why do artists use a grid?

Middle

1) Explain complementary colours with an example.

2) Name two Magritte techniques, explain one.

3) Why does his work look realistic despite impossible scenes?

4) Difference between accuracy and detail?

Higher

1) How does Magritte use juxtaposition differently from Dalí?

2) Describe Magritte's distinctive style.

3) Why "The Treachery of Images"?

4) What should annotations include beyond description?

Starter

Q1) Nationality of Magritte?

Q2) His signature symbol?

Q3) What does annotation mean?

We Do: Annotation Practice — "The False Mirror"

1. Describe:

2. Techniques:

3. Visual Elements:

4. Opinion & Meaning:

Scaffolding – Foundation

"I can see…" | "The artist used _____ to make…" | "The colours are…"

Scaffolding – Middle

"The technique of _____ creates a sense of…" | "This links to Surrealism because…"

Scaffolding – Higher

Key terms: scale change, hidden identity, visual illusion, annotation framework, tonal range, blending, layering

Independent – Foundation

☐ Grid image ☐ Grid page ☐ Draw outlines ☐ Start tone ☐ Write 2 annotations

Independent – Middle

☐ Accurate study ☐ 3+ tonal values ☐ 4 annotations ☐ 5+ facts ☐ REACT ☐ 2+ images

Independent – Higher

☐ High-accuracy study ☐ Full tonal range ☐ All 4 annotations ☐ Compare to another artist ☐ Connection to my work

Exit Ticket – Cumulative (L1–3)

1) What does "surréalisme" mean?

2) What nationality was Magritte?

3) Why do we use a grid?

4) Which technique puts objects in strange places?

5) Annotations should include…

6) What media did Magritte use?

Lesson Complete!

Magritte: Artist Study

Teacher Print Tools

Arrival Task – Recall from Lessons 1 & 2

1. Colours (Recall)

2. Magritte (Recall)

3. Media (Recall)

4. Lead-in: Gridding

1. Colours (Recall)

2. Magritte (Recall)

3. Style (Recall)

4. Lead-in: Drawing

1. Comparison (Recall)

2. Style (Recall)

3. Meaning (Recall)

4. Lead-in: Annotation

Starter: Quick Retrieval

I Do: How to Grid Up Your Study

6 Steps to Grid

Animated Gridding Demo

⚠️ Common Mistakes

We Do: Put the Steps in Order

I Do: How to Annotate Your Study

1. Describe

2. Techniques

3. Visual Elements

4. Opinion & Meaning

We Do: Annotate "The False Mirror" (1928)

🔍 Spot the Mistake — Student Annotation

Independent Work – Start Your Magritte Fact File

Foundation

Middle

Higher

📋 Scaffolding

🏆 Success Criteria

Exit Ticket – Cumulative (Lessons 1–3)

🏆 Magritte Study Complete Wall

Knowledge Organiser (L3): Magritte Artist Study

Arrival Task

Foundation

Middle

Higher

Starter

We Do: Annotation Practice — "The False Mirror"

Scaffolding – Foundation

Scaffolding – Middle

Scaffolding – Higher

Independent – Foundation

Independent – Middle

Independent – Higher

Exit Ticket – Cumulative (L1–3)