Ocean Worlds

Lesson: Art and design

Class: Year 5 Year: 2025 - 2026

Year 5 have recently completed learning about the oceans, recognising that the world consists of one global ocean divided by five connected areas. Children have been fascinated by the breath of life which exists in oceans around the world and were determined to capture this incredibly, but inaccessible world, through art.

The young artists  began in their sketchbooks, using a pencil to sketch the basic shapes and outlines of various aquatic animals, carefully considering proportion and form. Once the main shapes were in place, they added details and textures—such as scales, shells, fins, and patterns—to bring each creature to life.

Next, the class used oil pastels to add vibrant colour, blending and layering to create rich, eye‑catching representations of the ocean world. To finish, they sprayed a light layer of silk paint over their artwork. This final touch created a soft, shimmering wash that looked just like ocean water with its depth of colour.

We feel the medium chosen for their final piece represents the nature of an ocean as the pastels are as vibrant as the aquatic life; the  fabric moves as fluidly as a wave and the process of spraying of the silk paint was like spraying water taken directly from the ocean.

We hope you enjoy our representations of this important feature of planet Earth.