Teach students how to build a rich, expressive surface with this Basquiat-inspired Layered Background activity.

Students experiment with overlapping colours, words, symbols, marks and textures, gradually building layers to create a dynamic composition.

The structured visual demonstration introduces layering in manageable stages while encouraging students to make individual creative choices.

Includes learning objectives, vocabulary, teacher tip, step-by-step demonstration, main activity, extension challenge, self-assessment and Student Design Space.

Perfect for KS3 Art, mixed-media preparation, mark-making lessons, Basquiat projects, cover lessons and homework.

Skills: Layering • Texture • Overlap • Colour • Contrast • Composition