Lesson video

Hello everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling really great.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'm feeling good, because I am going to be your art teacher today.

Guess what? Our lesson is all about something very exciting, which is something called motifs.

We are going to be designing, and making our own pattern motifs today.

That's the title of our lesson, and it comes from the unit of work, "Perfect patterns, drawing, and design." I hope you have got some ideas, perhaps in your head, a little bit of enthusiasm, some focus, and you'll need a few drawing materials which we can pick up along the way.

Shall we begin? The outcome for our lesson today is, "I can design a motif." Yes, we are gonna be getting practical, making our own designs.

I hope that sounds fun to you.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Motif, sketch/sketching, refine.

Great to hear those words.

Let's find out what they mean.

Motif is, "a repeating theme, idea, symbol, or pattern in a work of art." Sketch/sketching, "making quick and simple drawings to show ideas all the things we see." Refine means, "making small changes to improve a piece of art." These are our keywords.

Let's go through them one more time.

Are you ready? Motif.

Sketch/sketching.

Refine.

That sounded wonderful.

Let's look out for these words.

Let's listen out for these words.

Let's think carefully about them.

They will be coming up in our lesson.

Today's lesson is called, "Design and make a pattern motif", and it has two learning cycles.

First of all, we are gonna be finding out about motifs in different cultures, and next we are gonna be getting down to it, and designing our own effective motifs.

Are you ready to begin, looking at motifs in different cultures? Oh, wow.

Take a look at these designs.

Oh my goodness.

There's a lot to take in here.

So, pause video while you look at these designs, and also have a think about, what do these designs have in common? and share with someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

These are all motifs.

And today, we'll explore how different cultures use motifs in art and design.

Before we move on, have a share with someone nearby, which of these motifs are you most drawn to? Which one of these is really capturing your attention in particular? Pause the video and share.

Thanks for sharing your ideas, and we'll be finding out more about each of these designs shortly.

A motif is a repeated theme, idea, symbol, or pattern, in a work of art.

Remember, motif is one of our keywords.

A motif can be more complex than shapes and lines alone.

The motif of a pumpkin has been repeated many times throughout the pattern.

Look at all these pumpkins.

By repeating a simple shape to create a motif, a more complex pattern can be created.

So, that's our simple shape of the pumpkin, and we can take that shape, and create our own pattern with it.

And then we can have a mirror image of that pattern, or all sorts of other things you could do to create a pattern, with your simple shape.

Take a look at these three images.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

Which image shows a motif? Is it A, B, or C? Well done if you selected A.

We can see the shapes and designs have been repeated, to create a pattern, and that's a motif.

Motifs are used across the world in various forms of art, design, and architecture.

And we can see motifs used in the design of this mosque.

See lots of really intricate designs, in the ceiling of this mosque.

They often hold cultural, historical, or symbolic significance.

Paisley designs.

"The paisley motif, with its curved teardrop shape, originated in Persia and became wildly popular in Indian textiles.

Today, it's commonly found in fabrics, fashion, and decorative arts." I wonder if you ever seen the paisley motif, with its curved teardrop shape in clothing or fabrics.

"Islamic geometric and floral motifs.

Many patterns found in mosque and Islamic art, are created using motifs.

These often feature intricate geometric shapes, and floral designs showing symmetry and balance, which are important in Islamic culture." Pause video, and share with someone nearby similarities and differences between these two designs from Islamic art, that we can see on the screen.

Thanks for sharing.

Maybe you shared how both of them have a similar structure with a centre, and then the pattern is radiating outwards from the centre, but the one on the left has more of a floral design, and the one on the right has more of a geometric design.

Here are some African textile patterns.

We have Kente cloth on the left, and Ankara print on the right.

"African textiles, such as Kente cloth from Ghana or Ankara prints from West Africa, use bold, repetitive motifs with deep cultural meanings.

Colours and shapes within the motifs often represent status, storytelling, or heritage." Imagine wearing an item of clothing made from Kente cloth, which is actually telling a whole story about perhaps your ancestors or your region.

Pause video and share with someone nearby, differences and similarities between the Kente cloth, and the Ankara print.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Maybe you shared the fact that they're similar, 'cause they're both using bold, bright colours, but they're different 'cause the Kente cloth is using straight lines and shapes, whereas the Ankara print is full of flowing lines, and a more of a floral design.

Let's keep travelling around the world.

Now we're looking at Japanese wave designs.

These are called Seigaiha.

"This repeating wave motif symbolises water, resilience, and good fortune in Japanese culture.

It's commonly seen in kimono fabrics, ceramics, and traditional woodblock prints." Now we're off to India.

Indian henna patterns.

This is called Mehndi.

"Henna designs, often used for celebrations and rituals, incorporate intricate motifs like paisley, flowers, and geometric patterns.

These motifs symbolise joy, prosperity, and spiritual awakening in Indian culture." And also my family, from Pakistan, would always put on Mehndi henna before celebrations, such as weddings, or times of celebrations like Eid.

There's a very fun, connecting, beautiful time, putting on the henna, and then you'd have to wait for it to dry, so you have to be quite patient, while you wait for your henna to dry.

And then you'd have this beautiful design on your hands.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following is an example of a motif? A, a single colour on a canvas.

B, a repeated geometric pattern on a mosque wall.

C, a random sketch with no repetition.

D, a single word written in different fonts.

Pause video while you decide, which of these is an example of a motif.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, a repeated geometric pattern on a mosque wall, is a motif.

Motifs appear in everyday life, such as, wallpaper and textiles, ceramics and tiles, architecture and religious art, clothing and accessories.

And we can see these beautiful motifs on the wallpaper.

Very bold wallpaper in this image, and on the cushions, and on the coverings of the sofa.

Really striking motifs.

I wonder where have you seen patterns, or motifs in your daily life? Pause the video, have a think of where you've seen some.

Maybe there are even some, if you look around where you are right now, and tell someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Maybe you've seen some motifs on clothing, or maybe on some curtains or wallpaper.

Let's have another check for understanding.

Where might you find motifs in everyday life? A, wallpaper, B, clothing, C, architecture, or D, the sea.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby, where you might find motifs in everyday life.

Well done, if you selected A, B, and C.

You can find motifs on wallpaper, on clothing, and in architecture.

And now, it's time for your first task.

Working in pairs, I'd like you to choose two motifs to compare and contrast.

Think about and discuss.

How are they similar? How are they different? Think about the colours, shapes, and patterns used in each motif.

And then, after you've had your discussion, make a small sketch of your chosen motif in your sketchbook.

So, pause the video here and have a go at this task, I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task? So, you should have compared two motifs.

Here's an example.

Perhaps you compared an Islamic floral motif, and an Indian henna motif.

Maybe you noticed the Islamic floral motif uses geometric shapes, along with stylized flowers and vines.

It is common in architecture and textiles.

Perhaps you noticed about the Indian henna motif that's often used in body art, especially for celebrations.

And that it has flowing patterns, with leaves, swirls, and floral shapes.

Both motifs feature floral designs, but henna motifs are more fluid and personal.

While Arabic formal motifs are geometric, and used in larger designs like buildings.

Well done for having a go at this part of the task, and comparing two motifs.

And for the next part of your task, you may have drawn a small sketch of your motif, here is an example.

It's really looking great.

I love the focus that went into that.

And now, it's time for our next learning cycle.

Designing effective motifs.

Now that you've explored motifs from different cultures, it's time to create your own.

I wonder what you'll be inspired by.

Ankara prints, Islamic floral patterns, paisley.

To create your motif, you could look at the cultural motifs we discussed.

Paisley, Islamic geometric patterns, Japanese waves, African textiles, and Indian henna.

Oh my goodness.

We have explored so many motifs from different cultures.

"When drawing your motif, you could, use similar shapes and patterns from the motif.

Experiment with different sizes and colours.

Try repeating or layering elements for a unique effect.

Add extra details like lines, dots, or textures to make it more interesting." There's a lot you can do here with your motif.

So, to begin, you want to choose one of the cultural motifs as inspiration.

I wonder what Sam and Andy will go for.

Sam says, "I want to create a motif inspired by Japanese waves, but I'm not sure where to start." Andy suggests, "Maybe try sketching a simple curved line first? You can add more detail later!" It's a great idea.

So, start with that simple curved line, and then next, refine your design.

Make it bold and clear.

Go over your sketch to make sure the shape is clear and easy to repeat.

Adjust any parts that look too complex or unclear.

Use strong, defined lines.

Andy wants to create a motif design based on Kente patterns.

"I can just copy the pattern exactly using a ruler", says Andy.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

What do you think about Andy's idea about copying it exactly using a ruler? Is there anything else you think you might be able to do? Pause the video and share.

I wonder what you came up with.

Maybe something like this.

Let's hear from Sam.

"Why don't you try changing some parts to make it your own personal design!" I like that idea.

"You can use the patterns as inspiration, but create your own unique design, instead of copying them exactly." "To create a motif design inspired by Kente, you could, use simple shapes like triangles, zigzags, or rectangles.

Repeat shapes to make a pattern.

Keep lines bold and clear." Oh, that's a really great kente inspired pattern there.

I like that.

Really clear, bold lines, repetition, simple shapes.

Love it.

Kente motifs use lines, shapes, and symbols, so you could use these elements in your design.

Symmetry and repetition make your pattern neat and easy to recognise.

"I tried using symmetry and repetition in my design.

It isn't exactly the same but it still looks balanced." I like that as well.

The fact that it's not exactly symmetrical, kind of makes it more interesting I think.

And remember that your symmetry and repetition don't have to be perfect.

Let's have a go, an I do, you do activities.

So, first of all, I'm going to observe the motif below, create my own drawing.

There it is.

And you might use similar shapes and patterns from the motif or simplify some elements.

So, I've just gone for the main outline of the shape, and just a few of those little shapes within, keeping it quite simple.

And now it's your turn.

I would like you to observe the motif below, and create your own drawing.

Pause the video while you do this.

Good job.

You may have used similar shapes and patterns, or you may have simplified some parts.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What is the best way to start designing a motif? A, Draw lots of random shapes with no plan.

B, Start with a simple sketch.

C, Add lots of details before checking if it repeats well.

D, only use straight lines.

Pause the video while you decide which is the best way to start designing a motif.

Well done if you selected B, start with a simple sketch.

Below is an example of a motif.

What changes could make it more effective? Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

You could go over the outline to make it bolder.

Yeah, we can see that already has a lot more impact.

Check for understanding, true or false.

A motif has to be highly detailed to be effective.

Pause the video, and share whether you think this is true or false, and maybe say a little more about your answer as well.

Well done if you selected false.

Simple bold shapes can create striking patterns when repeated.

They don't need to be highly detailed.

And now, it's time for your next task.

Yes, you are designing your own motif, the time has come.

I'd like you to sketch a simple shape, inspired by cultural motifs, and then refine your design with bold, clear lines.

And look how we have all three of our keywords here in one place.

Motif, sketch, and refine.

So, you could take inspiration from Kente cloth, Ankara prints, Islamic floral designs, or paisley patterns, or any of the others we shared as well, like Mehndi, Henna.

Or the Japanese Seigaiha waves pattern.

You could use simple shapes, like triangles, zigzags, or rectangles.

You could repeat shapes to make a pattern.

So, pause the video while you design your own motif.

Enjoy designing, and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

You should have designed a motif, inspired by a cultural motif.

Oh, look at these wonderful examples.

Flowing floral designs, Paisley, Kente cloth inspired designs.

They are looking wonderful.

In our lesson today, "Design and make a pattern motif", we have covered the following.

A motif is a single design or shape that can be repeated to create a pattern.

Sketching and refining a motif first helps to create a successful final design.

Simple shapes and clear details make an effective motif for pattern making.

Motifs vary across cultures, reflecting unique styles, meanings, and traditions.

Well done everyone for joining in with this lesson.

I loved exploring all those different motifs from around the world.

I'd love to pick a favourite, but it's too hard.

They're all so beautiful.

And then you've been busy sketching, designing, refining your motif.

Well done for doing all of this.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson, and I'll see you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.