Strategies for teaching art to a child or young person with a visual impairment
General points to consider
- Art comes in many forms – having a VI should not be a barrier to creativity
- Using vision can be more tiring – offer short visual breaks
- For exams, apply for adjustments, such as extra time, well in advance.
- Be aware of classroom lighting, avoiding glare will help.
- Softer art pencils create a greater contrast with the page which helps a child or young person with a visual impairment to see their work.
- Use different mediums and textures to create work – some children and young people with a visual impairment may not enjoy the feel of e.g. clay
Working practices
- The layout of the room needs to be explained and shown to the VI pupil so that they know where equipment is stored. Ensure storage is clearly labelled.
- Ensure pupils are responsible for clearing their own workspace
- Displays should be at eye level as much as possible. Or create a book with examples of what is displayed with braille or large print descriptions
- Being a very visual subject it would be helpful to use real objects whenever possible. If books/ pictures are shown to the class the visually impaired pupils should be given opportunity to look more closely either before or afterwards.
- Use audio descriptions of objects or concepts that a child or young person may not have experienced
- Use explicit instruction for observational skills.
- Some representations of artworks are available with accompanying descriptions from the Living Paintings Trust. Use the following link for more information: https://livingpaintings.org/about-us
- Use technology such as iPads or phones to make objects become more visible.
- Enlarge pictures and photographs.
- Try painting on foil. Use the shiny side with free flowing paint mixed with glue. Try different surfaces such as acetate, cellophane or Perspex.
- Spin pictures. Place a paper plate at the bottom of a salad spinner. Dribble on the paint, put the lid on and spin. Also good for demonstrating colour mixing.
- Clay is ideal and has been known to form the centre of coursework for GCSE
- Fabric and yarn can be used to create textured pictures/models
- Use clear drying glue.
- Use materials with more tactile qualities: wood carvings, natural forms, scale models, sculptures, bubble wrap, fabrics, hessian, rope, string, textured wallpaper and objects you may find at a scrap store such as plastic lids, offcuts or containers.
- Add scents and textures to dough for modelling.
- Use different sizes of materials to experience scale.
- Use apps and technology to create digital art
The following are suggestions from RNIB’s advice on Art to adapt lessons for VI students:
Painting – many students with a vision impairment use paint very successfully. Some may prefer to use highly contrasting colours and may need assistance to mix colours. Or use a scented pen or crayon.
Sticky tape stencils – provide sticky tapes of differing widths. Let the children stick tape onto pieces of fabric and then show them how to apply colour using sponges or thick brushes. When fabric is touch dry, blot with kitchen roll, remove tapes and reveal stencilled patterns. Make sure there is sufficient contrast between fabric colour and paint for best results.
Photography – automatic-focusing cameras help simplify the process. Viewing and editing digital images should be done on a large computer screen, and the magnification tools built in to tablet computers can be helpful.
Pottery – clay can be used for observations, models, designing and planning, utensil-making and abstract expressive form. Try using different methods of decorating clay to produce texture.
Print making – techniques which use a raised printing block are most useful, for example wood, lino or potato prints, string on card and card on card. Designs can be worked straight onto the block. Problems may occur for a blind or partially sighted student when making a “positive block” by cutting away negative areas. Try alternative techniques where a positive surface is built up with material such as card, paper or string. These can then be pressed onto a slab of clay to make a positive raised picture. String printing is another useful technique using a variety of yarns with different qualities, such as thick garden string, rope and chunky wool.
Puffy Paint – Puffy paint adds texture and helps to create 3D tactile art; add e.g. food colouring, glitter, sand to roughly equal quantities of shaving foam and PVA glue and then leave to dry
Sculpture – explore shape by removing sections (carving). That might involve:
- wood and surform/rasp/glasspaper
- large straws made from newspaper
- “dip and drape” plaster-impregnated gauze.
A sculpture created within a hand span allows a VI student to comprehend the proportions better than an object that requires arm movements, where one part can be very difficult to relate to another.
Textiles – for weaving, embroidery and dyeing, use brightly coloured fabrics and textured materials such as plastic twine, wire, string and different types of wool.
Tactile collage – use a wide range of tactile 2D materials.
Additional signposting
Use the following link for a list of artists who have a visual impairment:https://www.everydaysight.com/blind-painters/
Modified exam past papers available via the following link: https://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-system/past-papers/