Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping, and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today about sculpture and making a mask.

We're going to do lots of thinking, talking, and exploring together in this lesson.

So shall we get started? Let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to use a range of sources as inspiration to design a unique mask.

Before we start, I would like to introduce you to some keywords.

We'll be using these keywords during the lesson, so it might be a good idea to write these words down.

The keywords we'll be using today are inspiration, pattern, symbol, texture, cultural source.

I'm going to say those again, and I would like you to repeat them after me.

Inspiration.

Pattern.

Symbol.

Texture.

Cultural source.

Good job.

Now, let's think in more detail about what these keywords mean by taking a look at their definitions.

Inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated by something to create new ideas.

Pattern is a design in which lines, shapes, forms, or colours are repeated.

A symbol can be a mark or character used to represent an idea, object, or relationship.

Texture is the way something feels or looks like it feels, for example, smooth or rough.

And a cultural source is a piece of art, artefact, or tradition from a specific culture that provides ideas.

Pause the video here to make a note of these keywords, and when you're ready to continue, press Play.

These are the learning cycles that we'll be working through together in today's lesson.

We're going to explore and analyse sources and create and refine your mask design.

In the first learning cycle, we'll start by exploring and analysing sources.

What purposes can you think of for a mask? Hmm, pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner.

And press Play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? What could this mask be used for? What would its purpose be? Well, Andeep says, "I wore a mask when I was performing in a school play.

It helped to tell the story of who my character was." And Sam says, "Sometimes I wear a mask that covers my nose and mouth in public spaces to help prevent the spread of germs." So there's two purposes for masks there.

Masks have been used for centuries for protection, rituals, storytelling, and celebration.

You might find that masks from different cultures feature different styles, shapes, colours, or are made from different materials.

Take a look at that mask there.

You can see it's a big lion's mane.

I wonder what it's made from.

Cultures use masks for different reasons.

For instance, African masks often use bold shapes and patterns to represent animals, spirits, or ancestors.

These masks have cultural and spiritual significance.

Venetian masks are highly decorative and used for festivals.

They are designed to conceal identity and express creativity.

Japanese masks are used in storytelling and theatre to represent characters and emotions.

There are many more styles and uses of masks from around the world to discover inspiration from too.

Artists may also choose to create masks that are inspired by cultural sources.

So some artists who create masks that draw inspiration from their respective cultures: Sabou bi Boti from the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, the Italian artist, Umberto Bonetti, the British artist, Yinka Shonibare, Keiko Udaka from Japan, and Nicholas Galanin of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which of the following is not a common use of masks in history? Storytelling, rituals, cooking.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said cooking, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

Do you ever see or hear something which sparks an idea in your mind? Well, this is called inspiration, and inspiration is the process of being mentally stimulated by something to create new ideas.

The world is filled with things that might inspire us.

When these things belong to a specific culture, we can refer to them as a cultural source.

You can find masks with different patterns, textures, and symbols in different cultures, and you might use these elements as inspiration for your own ideas.

Think about the bold shapes and patterns in African masks, the decorative textures in Venetian masks, or the symbols and emotions expressed through Japanese masks.

You can see them below in the images here, the African masks, the Venetian masks, and then the Japanese masks.

Inspiration from cultural sources does not mean simply copying them.

You try to combine elements and add your own artistic flair.

So we might pull out some of these shapes here from the African masks and maybe some of the different decorative parts of the Venetian mask, and maybe some of the expressive emotions that are seen in the Japanese masks.

Remember to note which cultural sources you have drawn inspiration from, as this is respectful to the culture and helps you to keep track of where your ideas come from.

Some of those ideas may come from South America, from Italy, from Africa, or even from Japan.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What is the primary purpose of exploring cultural sources when designing a mask? To copy the design exactly as it is, to be inspired and create a unique design, to learn how to draw accurately.

Pause the video here and have a quick discussion with your partner, and press Play when you're ready to continue.

If you said to be inspired and create a unique design, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to, first of all, use the available materials, such as books, magazines, printouts, and the internet to research masks and features you find inspiring.

Then, I'd like you to create two small sketches inspired by your chosen sources, noting details like shapes, symbols, patterns, and textures.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at this learning task, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

How did that go? Well, you may have created a variety of sketches, maybe like these two examples here where you can see there are two different masks that have used inspiring patterns and symbols from multiple cultural sources.

Well done for creating your two sketches and for having a go at this learning task.

We're now ready to move into the second part of our lesson where we're going to create and refine your mask design.

Now it's time to step into the role of a designer.

Using your sketches and the ideas from the previous task, it's time to start creating and refining your own mask design.

Think about how you can make it unique.

When considering your design, you might think about: What story does your mask tell? What materials will you use? How do your shapes and patterns fit together? Which cultural sources are you drawing inspiration from? So have a think about each of those questions when you are thinking about your design.

When getting started with your mask design, it's best to begin with the basic outline.

So maybe it might look like one of these shapes here.

Will your mask be round, long, animal-like, or maybe more abstract? It's best to sketch this outline in pencil so that you can erase and refine it if you need to.

Then build upon your basic outline with other large elements and the key features of the face.

Think about the different types of eye shapes, ears, the nose and mouth, and the type of emotions they can express.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

When designing a mask, what is the first step you should take? Add colours and patterns immediately, start with the overall shape of the mask, decide how to make it 3D.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

If you said start with the overall shape of the mask, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

Remember that you can combine inspiration from multiple cultural sources as you design your mask.

So looking here, can you see where we might take some inspiration from the Japanese mask? We might take the eyebrows there.

Oh, maybe we could even add that shape in more places.

Can you see how I've used that Japanese mask to create my own? With the basic shapes and key features of your mask in place, you can start to add patterns, symbols, and textures inspired by your chosen cultural sources.

So we can see here some examples.

Which ones do you think have taken cultural sources from the African masks? Hmm.

I think the third one, don't you? You might use stripes, spirals, or dots to enhance your design.

Think about your choice of colours.

Colours can symbolise emotions or ideas, for example, red might mean power or danger, while blue can suggest calm or openness.

Think about your choice of colours, for example, with symbolism, a colour can often be culturally influenced.

Red is a symbol of celebration and prosperity in China.

Choose colours that fit with your mask's story and its symbols.

Then add labels to your sketch to show important features and highlight key information.

For example, pointed features, a petal symbol, swirls, gold highlights, animal-like mouth, and include notes about materials, colours, and the meaning behind the patterns and symbols you've included.

With your mask design completed, you might find it useful to look back at a mood board, the cultural sources that inspired you and how you incorporated your own artistic flair into the design.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which of these is an example of symbolism in masks? A spiral pattern representing growth, a white mask with no patterns, representing loss, a mask with no specific design, patterns, or meaning.

Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said a spiral pattern representing growth and a white mask with no patterns representing loss, you are absolutely right.

Those are examples of symbolism.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to design your mask.

Use your sketches and ideas from task A, and draw the final design of your mask.

Label the design to show key features, including shapes, patterns, colours, and possible materials.

Pause the video here to give yourself enough time to have a go at this learning task, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

How did you get on? Shall we take a look at an example? So you might have designed your mask in many different ways.

Here's a couple of examples.

The mask designs drew inspiration from different cultural sources and include notes that label possible materials for constructing the mask.

For example, bright colours, acrylic or poster paint.

Now, can you see here that these labels help to communicate ideas effectively? So we've got those pointed features, gold highlights, a petal symbol, swirls, an animal-like mouth, and I've even made a note here of thick card or cardboard as a base structure with acrylic paint designs.

So well done for having a go at creating and designing your own mask.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about designing a mask using sources.

Masks are used for a variety of purposes in different cultures, such as rituals, performances, or protection.

Inspiration can be found through different elements, including patterns, symbols, and textures.

Cultural sources can be used to inspire our own unique designs.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson.

I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.