Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping, and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today about street art through digital and new 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 design a street art mural that communicates a chosen theme and you're able to do that using digital tools.

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 street art, mural, digital media, stencil, and proportion.

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

Street art, mural, digital media, stencil, proportion.

Good job.

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

Street art is art created in public spaces, often with social or political messages.

A mural is a large artwork painted or applied directly onto a wall or ceiling.

Digital media refers to tools and platforms that allow for the creation, sharing, and manipulation of artwork using digital technology.

A stencil is a technique used in street art where a cutout template is placed on a surface to spray or paint a design.

And proportion is the size relationship between different elements of a design.

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, introducing street art and mural design, and then creating your own digital mural design.

So in this first learning cycle, we're going to explore an introduction to street art and mural design.

Have you ever felt inspired by seeing street art? Did you notice any social or political messages in its themes? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner about these two questions, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Could you give an example of when you've been inspired by some street art? And what social or political messages do you think were in its themes? Well, street art is a form of artistic expression that uses public spaces like walls, streets, and buildings.

It includes visual art, graffiti, sculptures, stencils, and murals.

Graffiti is writing or images that have been sprayed, stencilled, painted, scratched or drawn on a public space.

Sculptures can also become a form of street art when they are exhibited in public spaces.

Take a look at this giant rubber duck sculpture on a lake.

A stencil is a technique used in street art where a pre-cut template is placed on a surface to spray or paint a design.

These stencils allow artists to transfer designs accurately and quickly.

Can see this paper cut stencil of a leaf and it's in front of some autumn tree leaves.

You can see how they come through.

Have you ever seen an artwork applied directly onto a wall or a ceiling? This is called a mural.

So take a look at this example here, this cafe mural of an illustrative night sky.

It looks like it's breaking the wall through, doesn't it? Murals are often large-scale and painted directly onto walls, ceilings, or floors.

You might find murals outdoors on buildings as street art, or indoors in galleries or restaurants.

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

Which of the following is a characteristic of a mural? It is typically small-scale and painted on canvas.

It is often created using digital tools and can be displayed on a computer screen.

It is a large-scale artwork painted directly on a wall or ceiling.

Pause the video here and give yourself time to think about the answer to this question, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said it is a large-scale artwork painted directly on a wall or ceiling, you're absolutely right.

Street art can carry powerful messages and tell stories that speak to social issues, identity, and culture.

By using digital media, tools, and techniques, street artists can create, manipulate, and share their artwork to a larger audience.

Digital art software allows artists to create and refine designs before painting them on larger surfaces as murals and street art.

And these tools make it easier to experiment with ideas and visualise how art will look in a public space.

Before painting a mural, it can be useful to start by sketching your design on paper or digitally.

Working digitally allows for experimentation with different compositions, proportions, and possible designs.

Think about your theme.

What message or story do you want to convey in your mural? Consider the environment where the mural will be displayed and how the proportions of your design relate with the surroundings.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, maybe have a discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think about your message or story on your mural? Where would you place it, and why? And how big might it be? Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What is one purpose of using digital media in street art? To make the artwork smaller and easier to create.

To experiment with different ideas and refine them before applying them to a large wall.

To make the art look exactly like traditional hand-painted graffiti.

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 to experiment with different ideas and refine them before applying them to a large wall, you're absolutely right, well done.

When planning a mural, you'll need to consider what you want your mural to represent.

Think about your interests and what is important to you.

For example, nature, identity, music, or social issues.

Your message and meaning should be identifiable through the choice of symbols, icons, words, and imagery.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to create a sketch of an initial design for a street art mural.

So choose a theme.

Think about whether that's maybe nature or identity, or maybe it's something a bit more abstract.

Note down or sketch any keywords or symbols that you could use to represent your theme.

And then gather objects or secondary images to help inform your drawing process.

Then sketch your initial mural design.

Use pencil on paper or use digital media to sketch.

Think about the message you want to communicate and the imagery and text that will best represent it.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to create a sketch of your initial design for a street art mural, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did that go? Were you able to think about your keywords and then decide on what kind of symbols and messages you wanted to share? Well, maybe your sketch looks a little bit like this.

So Sam has drawn something that says, "One Home," and she has different symbols on this street art mural sketch.

She says, "I chose the theme of environment and nature for my mural design.

I used the phrase 'One Home,' placed the symbol of Earth at the centre, and then surrounded it with animal silhouettes, human hands, trees, mountains, and other natural forms to represent the theme." So well done for having a go at sketching your own street art design, and hopefully you've got some ideas around your key theme.

This brings us to the second part of our lesson.

We're going to be creating your digital mural design.

And when designing a mural, think about the size, proportion, and location, the colours, shapes, and textures, and also the message and symbolism.

So these are three key areas, things to really think about when you're designing your mural.

The location of your mural is important.

Think about the environment where your mural might be.

Is it on a busy street, a quiet alley, or a large building? The size and proportion and location affects how your design should be seen and the message it conveys.

An effective street art mural should enhance the space it occupies.

How can you make your mural design visually eye-catching? Pause the video here and have a think about this question, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? How can you make a mural design visually eye-catching? Well, there are different styles and expressions of street art, but you can often find vivid colours, bold shapes, and exciting textures within them.

Many artists highlight the impact of creating art in public spaces.

Keith Haring created bold and colourful pop art alongside the 1980s graffiti street art culture in New York City.

"Swoon" uses wheatpaste prints and paper cutouts that highlight the connection between humanity and the environment.

Polish street artist Natalia Rak uses evocative imagery to tell stories with symbolism and mystery for viewers.

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

What is an important consideration when designing a mural for a public space? Is it making sure the design is small and easy to move, creating the design without any message or theme, or considering the scale, visibility, and how the design interacts with the environment? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about this question, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said it's important to consider the scale, visibility, and how the design interacts with the environment, you're absolutely right, well done.

While some street artists may only use traditional materials such as spray paints and stencils, digital media allows artists to experiment, refine, and plan their murals before bringing them into public spaces.

Layers are a great way to keep your digital design organised.

For instance, you might keep your background, main design, and text on separate layers.

This allows you to adjust each element without affecting others.

You can experiment with brush settings to mimic real-life street art techniques in your digital art software.

Look for brush and transparency icons to experiment with different size and opacity settings.

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

Real street art has to be done with stencils and spray paint on walls.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that's false, you're absolutely right.

While spray paint is common in street art, digital tools are increasingly used in the design and creation process.

Digital media allows artists to experiment, refine, and plan their murals before transferring them to physical surfaces.

You might also find techniques for recreating spray paint splatters, stencils, or drip effects.

Using these can help bring your digital street art mural design to life.

An effective mural design is one that engages viewers, conveys a clear message, and fits well with its environment.

Discuss with a partner how your mural might be perceived by people who see it in a public space.

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

What did you discuss? Did you think about how your mural might be perceived? Look at this example here and how it would stop people in their tracks with how large it is and all those wonderful bright colours.

Now, Sam says, "I think that people might feel excited to see this street art design.

It is a celebration of nature and our planet.

By using the phrase 'One Home,' people might feel more connected to the space they see it in." And Jun says, "My colourful, geometric design will hopefully make people feel energised by seeing it.

It brings lots of bright colours, so it could also brighten their mood." What did you think? Is some of your ideas similar to that, or are they slightly different? Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which of the following is not an example of a street art mural? Is it A, B, or C? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said it was C, you're absolutely right.

That is a sculpture.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to use your initial sketch to refine your mural design using digital media.

Choose a digital tool you have access to.

Then use colours, shapes, and layers to create a digital version of your mural.

And experiment with at least two different versions of the mural design.

Experiment with composition and proportion by editing elements and layers to see which design is most effective.

Pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at refining your mural design using digital media, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did that go? Were you able to experiment creating two different versions? Well, maybe yours looks a bit like Sam's.

Sam said, "I experimented with this mural design by creating each of the elements as different layers.

I could then change the proportions and positions of them before choosing this composition.

I used bright colours to highlight the celebratory nature of the design." Wow, looking at that design there, you can see those wonderful bright colours and how they complement each other.

We've also got some paint drips, so it looks like it's been spray painted.

Well done for having a go at creating your mural design using digital media.

Before we finish, let's summarise what we've learned about designing a street art mural.

Street art can be made in both traditional and digital formats.

Digital media allows artists to share their work with a larger audience and potentially impact more people.

Using digital media allows artists to experiment and refine ideas before painting a mural in a public space.

It's important to consider the location, proportions, and composition of a mural to make an effective design.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson today.

I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.