Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today all about hidden worlds, exploring collage and mixed media.

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 make artistic choices to create an abstract composition.

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 them down.

The keywords we'll be using today are mixed media, process, artistic choices.

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

Mixed media, process, artistic choices.

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

Mixed media means combining more than one material in an artwork.

Process is the way an artist plans, creates and finishes their artwork.

And artistic choices are the decisions an artist makes about things like materials, colours, shapes, and style to create their artwork.

Pause the video here to make a note of these keywords, and when you are ready to continue, press play.

These are the learning cycles that we'll be working through together in today's lesson, making an abstract composition and explaining your artistic choices.

In this first learning cycle, we're going to make an abstract composition.

Looking at these images, how would you describe which media has been used? So pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner.

How would you describe which media has been used in these artworks? A press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you discuss? What media do you think is being used? Well, these artworks have combined more than one media, so we can describe them as mixed media artworks.

Artists will sometimes choose to work in a single media, but artists can also combine different media to create a mixed media artwork.

Artists might choose to mix media as it might help to show their ideas in different ways.

It can help to show contrast between different textures and patterns, and it means they're not restricted to the properties of a single material.

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

Mixed media artworks use a single material.

Is this statement true or false? Pause a 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 that's false, you are absolutely right.

But why is that statement false? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you discuss? If you said something similar to mixed media artworks are made using more than one material or media, then you are absolutely right.

Well done.

Izzy is looking back at some of the artwork she has recently made.

Looking back at previous work can help to remind an artist of a process that they used or a technique they may wish to return to.

So looking at her work here, she said, "I'd forgotten some of the painting techniques I've used a few weeks ago".

Now looking at each of these images, what processes do you remember? So pause the video here and look closely at these different images.

What processes do you remember from each of these? And press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you remember? Could you remember some painting techniques, ways of creating different textures or patterns? While looking at this one, Izzy says, "In these artworks, I used colour mixing, layering, and wet on wet techniques.

And I remember I really liked the way the paint spread with the wet on wet technique".

Could you remember those techniques? Could you remember colour mixing? What did you enjoy out of any of those techniques there? What about these ones? Ah, Izzy says, "I used collage in these two artworks." She says, "I really like the way that using different materials such as fabric added texture to my artwork." We can see that there, can't we? Remembering that we used chalk and charcoal in that top image and in that bottom image, those different textures made with string or fabric materials.

What about this one? Ah, Izzy says, "I used monoprinting in both of these pieces," and she says, "I liked how I could be quite precise using a ballpoint pen, but experiment more with the ink in the monoprinting process." So remember the monoprinting in that top image there? Rolling ink onto those different textured fabrics or materials to create that monoprint that's quite unique.

Or remember using that ballpoint pen in that bottom image.

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

Which two images show a collaging process, A, B, or C? 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 A and B, you are absolutely right, although these artworks combine different techniques, they also show a collaging process.

Now you can begin an artwork by thinking about which ideas or processes you might want to use that you may have used before.

So looking at this one here, Izzy says, "I really liked working on a circular surface.

I'm going to use this idea in my next artwork." Maybe you agree with Izzy or maybe you prefer a different shape to work with.

Izzy says, "I also like collaging with fabric, so I'm going to use this in my next artwork too." So choosing some nice fabrics to use on that collage.

Izzy says, "The colours from this artwork really appealed to me.

And I like how the wet on wet technique looked in this piece." So Izzy's picking out some good ideas, some good processes that she wants to include in her next artwork.

Now you might use an artwork that you've made previously in a new way.

So Izzy says, "I liked some of the effects in my monoprinting process.

I might collage them onto my surface using them." So this brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to create an abstract composition inspired by microorganisms. You might think about creating a mixed media artwork using materials you've used before, using a process you've also used previously, and then thinking about some of those images there for inspiration.

Which one of these images of microorganisms would you like to use as your inspiration? So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to create your abstract composition and press play when you are ready to continue.

How did that go? Were you able to create a mixed media artwork using those materials and those processes that you've used before? Well, maybe it looks like this or something similar.

You might have used collage papers created with a monoprint process.

You might have used different textures of fabric.

Maybe you've used the monoprinting using the oil pastel and that ballpoint pen, and you might have replicated some of the shapes and the colours you could see in the microorganism images.

So like those wiggly shapes or those feathery elements, maybe some of the circular parts.

So well done for having a go at making an abstract composition.

This now brings us to the second part of our lesson.

We're going to explain our artistic choices.

Sometimes an artist will help other people to understand their work by explaining their artistic choices.

They might talk about the media in the artwork, the inspiration behind their choices or the processes that they used.

This helps others see the meaning behind the artwork and understand what inspired the artist.

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

What are artistic choices, rules an artists must follow when making art, the decisions an artist makes, or the tools only professional artists are allowed to use? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said they are the decisions an artist makes, you are absolutely right.

Artists might make choices about media for their artwork or the processes that they will use.

Izzy is explaining her artistic choices to Alex and Andeep.

So they're asking , "process did you use in your artwork?" Izzy says, "I used collage as my main process.

I also experimented by mixing techniques such as monoprinting onto fabric, and I used collage with paper and fabric." "What about your artistic choices that you made about colours and shapes?" Izzy says, "I used limited palette of blues, yellows, greens, and oranges.

I used some of the colours I could see in the microorganism images for my inspiration." So there we can see the image she used for inspiration.

Can you see how she's drawn out those oranges and some of those blues as well? Artistic choices may have changed while you were creating your artwork.

Artists often make creative adjustments as they work.

So your final artwork may have changed from your initial idea.

Can you see any ideas that Izzy changed? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play When you're ready to continue.

What could you see? Did she change any of the shapes or colours, or maybe the techniques that she used? So Alex says, "Did you change any of your ideas as you made your artwork?" And Izzy says, "Yes.

I decided not to use watercolour and a wet on wet technique in my artwork.

It just did not work with the other materials I was using." Did you remember that she wanted to that wet on wet technique? I think she's made the right choice, if it doesn't work with the other materials she then ended up using.

"What media did you use to make your artwork" asked Andeep and Alex.

Izzy says, "I used mixed media in my artwork, and this included printed collaged papers, fabric, tissue paper, and oil pastel." So she's used quite a few different medias there, hasn't she? And finally they ask, "Were you influenced by the work of any artists?" And Izzy says, "I was influenced by the work of Klari Reis, with her Petri dish installations.

I really like the strong colours and circular, soft shapes." Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Artistic choices never change during the creative process.

Is this statement true or false? 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 that's false, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

But why is that statement false? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you discuss? If you said something similar to artists often make creative adjustments as they work, changing their ideas, materials or processes based on how the artwork is developing, then you are absolutely right.

Well done.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to first of all, explain your artistic choices.

So what processes did you use in your artwork? Did you change any of your ideas as you made your artwork? Were you influenced by the work of any artists? What media did you use to make your artwork? And finally, what artistic choices did you make about colours and shapes? So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to explain your artistic choices and press play when you are ready to continue.

How did that go? Were you able to explain your different artistic choices such as your processes, your colours and shapes, and maybe your influences? Well, you might have said, "I used a collage process with some monoprinting to create my artwork." "I chose not to include watercolour paint, but included shapes and colours I could see in the microorganism images." And "I used mixed media in my artwork, including a range of fabrics." Well done for explaining your artistic choices in creating your artwork.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about making an abstract composition.

Artists can combine different media to create a mixed media artwork.

Looking back at past work can remind an artist of a process or technique they used and might want to try again.

An artist can explain their artistic choices to help the viewer get a better understanding of their artwork.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson.

I hope you enjoyed learning about hidden worlds through collage and mixed media.

I certainly did.

I hope to see you for another unit of learning soon.

See you then.