Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

My name is Ms. Afzal and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson, which I'm very happy about, especially because today we're looking at designing cakes, celebration cakes.

What better thing could we be designing? Our lesson is called "Sketching and designing a celebration cake." I wonder if you've ever had a celebration cake before or seen one or had a go at designing one.

Whatever is the case, whether you have or not, today we're gonna be getting right into it, designing a celebration cake.

So, if you are ready with some energy, some focus and enthusiasm, we'll begin our lesson now.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can sketch and design a celebration cake using shading techniques and incorporating cultural elements.

I hope that sounds fun and interesting to you.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

They are sketch, composition, proportion, and texture.

Let's find out what these keywords mean.

Sketch, this is a rough drawing used to plan a design before creating a final piece.

Composition, the arrangement of elements within an artwork to create balance and interest.

Proportion, the size relationship between different parts of a drawing.

And texture, the visual or physical feel of a surface, created through shading or materials.

So these are our keywords, sketch, composition, proportion, and texture.

Let's look out for them, let's listen out for them.

They're gonna be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called "Sketching and designing a celebration cake" and it has two learning cycles.

First of all, "Understanding cake culture." I think that sounds really fun.

And "Developing a cake design." Let's begin by "Understanding cake culture." As delicious as cakes can be, they can be more than just food.

Pause here and take a look at the cakes in this image.

Which one would you choose if you could have a slice of any of these cakes? Thanks for sharing, they all look so delicious.

It's very hard for me to choose.

Cakes are used for.

Pause here and share with someone, what do you think cakes are used for? When might they be used for? A celebration or for some kind of event? Thanks for sharing, let's have a look at some ideas.

Cakes are used for celebrations such as birthdays, weddings, and festivals; cultural traditions and events; creativity and art, showcasing design and decoration skills.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of these three different kinds of cakes that we can see on the screen.

What do you like about them? What do you think is impressive about these cakes? Thanks for sharing.

I'm really impressed by the detail on the design of each of these three cakes.

Some people make and eat cakes as part of traditions, symbols and celebrations.

Examples include, in China, mooncakes are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and they're also enjoyed in other East Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Singapore.

In France, people eat the galette des rois, or king cake, on Epiphany, and similar traditions are found in other French-speaking countries.

And we can see some traditionally-decorated cake and eggs on the screen there.

In Mexico, families share the Rosca de Reyes on January 6th for Three Kings Day, a custom that also exists in Spain and other parts of Latin America.

In the Middle East, kunafa, also called kanafeh, is a sweet dessert made with pastry, cheese, and syrup that is often prepared for Eid, although it is enjoyed year round in many countries such as Palestine, Lebanon, and Egypt.

In the United Kingdom, Christmas cake is a rich fruitcake covered in marzipan and icing, traditionally eaten during the Christmas season, with variations also enjoyed in other Commonwealth countries.

Pause here and share with someone, have you eaten any of these kinds of cakes or desserts that we've just heard about? Thanks for sharing.

It's making me feel very hungry all this talk of cake and cake culture.

Cakes are prepared and enjoyed for many different special occasions.

Discuss with a partner if you've ever seen a unique celebration cake and what made it special.

Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

And we can see on the screen there a birthday cake made in the style of a police car.

Let's hear some responses, here's Izzy.

"I went to a wedding where there was a huge cake that was beautifully decorated with flowers.

When the married couple cut the cake, everyone cheered and clapped." And Alex, "I remember having a birthday cake that was in the shape of a giant caterpillar.

Being able to share it with my friends and family made it feel really special." Let's have a check for understanding.

Why do different cultures have unique cake designs? Is it A, because cakes are only used for decoration; B, to reflect traditions, symbols, and celebrations; or C, because cakes need to be as simple as possible.

Pause here while you decide why different cultures have unique cake designs.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, different cultures have unique cake designs to reflect traditions, symbols, and celebrations.

A sketch is a rough drawing used to plan a design before creating a final piece.

Sketching allows us to think visually, explore ideas, and see things more closely.

You can use your cake sketch to experiment with shapes, details, and composition.

And we can see someone sketching on paper in the screen there.

Pause here and share with someone, when was the last time you made a sketch, and what did you sketch? Thanks for sharing.

To sketch a cake, start by lightly drawing simple shapes like circles, ovals, and squares.

These shapes can then be developed to look more 3D.

try adding lines and details to turn them into cylinders, domes, and cubes.

Let's have a go at I do, you do.

So first of all, I will draw an oval and extend it into a cylinder.

You can experiment with size and angle.

And now it's your turn.

I would like you to draw an oval and extend it into a cylinder.

Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for having a go at that.

You might have found that more of the top is visible when using a rounder oval, or that a tall cylinder can be made by lengthening the sides.

And now another I do, you do.

I will draw a square and extend it into a cube.

Remember, you can experiment with size and angle.

And now it's your turn.

I'd like you to draw a square and extend it into a cube.

And you can experiment with size and angle.

Pause here while you do this.

Thanks for having a go at that.

You might find that squares and rectangles become cubes or cuboids depending on the length of the sides.

Check that your shapes are in proportion, looking to see if they're the right size in relation to each other.

Think about symmetry to make the cake look balanced.

Think about what types of toppings you might find on cakes and which ones you want to include in your design.

So we have here on the left, fruit or cream.

In the middle, seasonal or cultural decorations.

And on the right, candles or icing.

Pause here and share, which of these are you most drawn towards? Thanks for sharing.

I'm fruit and cream all the way.

With the basic cake shapes sketched in proportion, the next steps are to outline details, add layers and decorations, neaten any rough pencil lines.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What is the purpose of sketching a cake before designing it? Is it A, to use up time before making the final design; B, to create a perfect drawing on the first attempt; or C, to experiment with shapes, details and composition.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, the purpose of sketching a cake before designing it is to experiment with shapes, details, and composition.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to create a sketch of a celebration cake, experimenting with shapes, tiers, and decoration ideas.

You could demonstrate your understanding of cake culture by including shapes or symbols that represent a culture or particular celebration, selecting a color palette that represents a culture or particular celebration.

So pause here while you have a go at this task of creating a sketch of a celebration cake, experimenting with shapes, tiers, and decoration ideas.

Enjoy your task and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

So how did you get on with that task? Creating a sketch of a celebration cake, experimenting with shapes, tiers, and decoration ideas.

In this example, a sketch of a cake has been made while considering the proportions and overall composition.

Toppings and icing have been added for decoration.

Oh my, it looks good enough to eat.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, "Developing a cake design." As well as cultural celebration cakes, many artists have highlighted the beauty of cakes through their art.

The artist Wayne Thiebaud paints cakes with bold colors and textures, while Jae Yong Kim paints ceramic glazed donuts that feature vibrant and intricate patterns.

Cake designs can be made to look realistic by adding texture and details.

However, not all cakes must be realistic.

Creative and exaggerated effects in designs can make cakes look visually exciting and unique.

And we can see an exceptionally vibrant and colorful cake artwork on the screen there.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of this artwork and this cake design.

Thanks for sharing.

Look at these examples of cake designs.

Can you think of any ways that they might be improved? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing, let's hear some responses.

Here's Andeep, "Adding colors and textures would look great here." Yes, I agree.

Next one, Izzy.

"Adding more texture, shading, and neatening the lines could improve this cake artwork." Great suggestions, and Alex, "Shading could help make it look more 3D." Some wonderful suggestions there.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Why might Wayne Thiebaud's artwork be useful for cake design inspiration? Is it A, he paints cakes with bold colors and texture.

B, he only paints realistic food.

C, he sculpts cakes out of real sugar.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer A.

Indeed, Wayne Thiebaud's artworks could be useful for cake design inspiration because he paints cakes with bold colors and texture.

To refine a sketch into a more developed design, you might experiment with hatching or cross-hatching for shading, stippling for soft textures, bold outlines to define key shapes, using an eraser to create highlights.

Think about composition and the arrangement of elements to create balance and interest.

Remember that the focus should be on the design of the cake.

Pause here and decide which of these cake designs has really taken composition and balance into account.

Well done if you selected the cake on the right.

This design has really considered how the cake sits on the page.

Consider how the cake design sits on the page.

If the design feels balanced and if it would look good as a 3D sculpture.

To develop your cake design and make it stand out, consider the composition and placement of elements.

Adjust proportions for visual balance.

Add patterns, details, and textures.

Experiment with shading techniques.

To make your design stand out, you might also include visual elements that connect your cake design to a culture or specific celebration.

And we can see here a cake themed for a Chinese celebration.

Pause here and share with someone, what are some of the elements that show us that this cake is themed for a Chinese celebration? Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps you noticed the dragon, the snake, the color red, and various other elements.

Let's have a check for understanding.

What is the best way to make a cake design stand out? Is it A, by adding layers, textures, and cultural patterns; B, by using only one shape and color; or C, by keeping it completely plain? Pause here while you decide, what's the best way to make a cake design stand out? Well done if you selected answer A.

Indeed, it's by adding layers, textures and cultural patterns that a cake design will stand out.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to develop your sketch from Task A by adding texture, shading, and details using hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.

Think about how the cake would look as a 3D sculpture.

What details would help to make it stand out? So pause here while you have a go at this task, and I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you, so how did you get on with that task of developing your sketch from Task A by adding texture, shading, and details using hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling? This cake design uses cross-hatching for shading, stippling for texture, and an eraser for highlights.

Toppings, berries, and tiers are also incorporated to create visual interest.

Pause here and share with someone, what are your impressions of this cake design that we can see on the screen? Are you quite happy with it as it is or is there anything you would add or change? Thanks for sharing.

And now I'd like you to share your cake design with someone else and offer each other some feedback.

What do you really like about how this cake has been designed? Have you added texture or created interest? And are there any changes that you might like to suggest or additions? Take some time to share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

And now pause here and share with each other, what is your favorite celebration that takes place during the year? It could be a cultural celebration, it could be something that you celebrate in your family or in your community, or perhaps it's something that you've seen other people celebrate.

What is a celebration that you enjoy or like the look of? Pause here and share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

And now, if you could create your own dream design of a cake for this celebration that you particularly enjoy, how would you like your cake to look? Tell somebody nearby, what are some of the features you would like your dream cake to have? Thanks for sharing.

And I hope your favorite celebration comes around soon and someday you'll get to have your dream cake that you've designed.

In our lesson "Sketching and designing a celebration cake," we've covered the following.

Cakes are used in different cultures for celebrations and events.

Cake design can incorporate elements which show cultural influences or certain celebrations.

Sketching allows for experimentation with basic shapes, proportions, details, and composition before developing into a detailed design.

Shading techniques can be used to create depth and texture.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore sketching and designing a celebration cake together.

There's so many wonderful celebrations that take place for people during the year, depending on which community you are part of or which occasions you celebrate.

I hope you enjoyed sketching, adding in techniques and special details, and coming up with a wonderful cake design.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson, I really enjoyed teaching you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.