Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

My name is Ms. Afzal and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm really pleased about that, 'cause today we have a very interesting topic.

Today we're looking at personal responses.

Our lesson is called "Personal response: appropriate resources and creating artwork." This lesson comes from the unit of work, "First sustained project: working from a theme." So I hope you're ready with some focus, energy, and enthusiasm.

If you are, we'll begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is, I can develop my theme by experimenting with my own photos and drawings.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

They are experiment, media, and develop.

What do these keywords mean? Well, experiment is to try out new ideas, materials, or techniques.

Media is the materials and tools used to create artwork.

And develop is to build on your initial ideas by exploring, refining, and pushing them further.

These are our keywords.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called "Personal response: appropriate resources and creating artwork," and it has two learning cycles.

First of all, using firsthand photography to develop ideas and then reimagine drawings through media exploration.

Let's begin by using firsthand photography to develop ideas.

Photographs and drawings are a strong starting point for idea development because they provide original material.

See some gorgeous flower photographs.

What is the most effective way to develop your ideas using the resources you've made? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Sam.

"I think it would be beneficial to make experimental samples.

I could take inspiration from my photos and drawings, or even combine them." And Aisha.

"Yes, I agree.

And it would be great to use a variety of media to see where our creative journeys take us." Imagery from photos can be developed into textile pieces, through techniques like stitching, printing, or weaving, allowing visual stories to take on texture and form.

I love this use of stitch and print in this artwork.

Photographs can be developed into drawings by using them as a reference to explore line, tone, texture, or detail.

Artists might recreate the whole image, zoom in on a section, or reinterpret a photo using different drawing styles or media.

How could you develop your photos further? Pause here and share with someone.

Any ideas? Thanks for sharing.

Here's Jacob.

"For my transformation project, I put ink into water and photographed it.

I could zoom in on sections and experiment with new ideas." Love that.

Here's Alex.

"I have made a fineliner drawing from my windmill photo and could explore many more ideas such as collage, paint, and digital experimentation." And Andeep.

"I'm experimenting with ways to reproduce my photos using a variety of media.

Here, I've used soft pastels.

I could try coloured pencils next for sharper lines." Working into photos allows artists to merge reality with imagination, adding personal expression and narrative layers.

Photos can be developed into a collage by using layered papers, textures, and shapes to reimagine the image in a more creative and expressive way.

Look at that expression.

Why is collage an effective technique for working into photos? Pause here and share with someone.

Here's Jun.

"Collage helps me tell a story by layering images and drawings.

It brings a new dimension to an image." And Aisha.

"Collage gives me more freedom to experiment and make the photo feel unique.

I can fix or cover parts of the photo I don't like too." Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? A collage can only be made from cut-up paper.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you said false, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Collages can include a wide range of media, such as your own photographs, drawings, textures, text, fabric, and more.

How could your photographs be developed using collage? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Izzy.

"Images of plants, seed pods, or shells could be collaged with natural fibres, earthy textures, and torn paper to reflect nature." Love that idea.

And Sofia.

"Photographs of anatomical forms could be layered with organic shapes or patterned materials to reflect inner structures and scientific detail." Such great ideas.

Using apps to manipulate photos allows you to experiment with filters, layering, distortion, and effects.

This helps you explore different moods, styles, or ways of developing your ideas creatively, as we can see in this wonderful example.

This artwork has been digitally manipulated.

How has this photograph been developed and what is the effect? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Digital manipulation can help experiment with mood, highlight specific details, or transform a realistic photo into something more abstract or expressive, as we can see in this example.

How could you use photography apps to explore cultural identity stories or spaces from your own community? Pause here and share.

Thanks for sharing.

Aisha.

"For my messages theme, I could use apps to combine photos of poetry, song lyrics, or sayings that I come across in my community." And Sofia.

"For my anatomy theme, I could edit closeup photos of skin, eyes, or hands with digital textures or colours inspired by traditional body art, fabrics, or cultural symbols." And Andeep.

"I could take landscapes from my community and then layer them with drawings, text, or filters that reflect personal memories, cultural symbols, or local stories." And Sam.

"I could use photography apps to take portraits and layer them with symbols, textures, or hand-drawn elements that represent the background, beliefs, or emotions of my subjects." So many terrific ideas.

Some artists begin with a photograph and develop them into other forms including: Peter Doig often uses photographs as starting points, but transforms them into dreamlike, painterly scenes, adding emotional depth and atmosphere far beyond the original image.

Oscar Munoz uses photographic elements, images, and dissolves or distorts them using water, heat, and ephemeral materials, creating poetic works about memory, impermanence, and mortality.

Tacita Dean uses photography and film as a starting point to explore place, time, and memory.

She develops her still or moving images into installations and mixed-media works.

How can your creative choices show what matters to you or where you come from? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Laura.

"I could look at how emotions are expressed or hidden in my family.

I could try to capture how people process joy or grief." And Alex.

"I could look at buildings in my community that have personal, cultural, or historical meaning for me and my family.

This includes my school, community centre, and church." Which of the following is a creative way to develop your own photographs into new artworks? Is it A, tracing them exactly without adding any new elements, B, layering them with textures, text, or other materials to express a theme, or C, only using them for reference and never showing them in your work? Pause here while you decide what's a creative way to develop your own photographs into new artworks.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, layering them with textures, text, or other materials to express a theme would be a great way to develop your photographs into new artworks.

For the next parts of the lesson, you will need: firsthand photographic images.

Love that image.

Digital creative platforms or apps.

Art materials including paint, glue, fineliners, oil pastors, pencil crayons.

Acetate sheets.

So pause here while you gather everything you need for the next part of the lesson.

Great to be back with you and with all that you need.

There are many ways that you could create a new artwork from an existing photo.

Work into the photo with paint or oil pastels.

You might layer acetate over the top of the photo and draw or write on it.

So now it's time for your task.

I would like you to manipulate a photo to create a new visual artwork linked to your theme.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of manipulating a photo to create a new visual artwork linked to your theme? Here's Alex.

"I digitally laid a photo of a Bangladeshi-inspired design over the top of the building photo.

I'm pleased with the linear rhythm which adds balance to the image." So much to take in here.

I love it.

Thanks for sharing, Alex.

And Sofia.

"I developed the ram skull photo using a combination of pencil crayons and fineliner.

I managed to capture the shape and form successfully." You really have.

And Lucas.

"I'm working on the theme of inside and took photos inside glasses of fizzy drinks." Such a great idea.

"I have emphasised the bubbles by altering the contrast and highlighting certain colours through digital editing." Very effective process.

And here's Alex.

"I used a digital app to develop my windmill photo into a repeat pattern.

I'm pleased with the result.

I could collage with it." And now we're onto our next learning cycle.

Reimagine drawings through media exploration.

Where can a drawing take you? Pause here and share with someone.

Where do you think a drawing can take you? Thanks for sharing your responses.

Here's Laura.

"I think a drawing can be like a map.

It shows you where to go next, like maybe turning into a painting or even a sculpture." Jacob.

"I see a drawing as a place to explore ideas, where I can play with shapes and colours, and maybe even develop it into a digital piece later on." What does it mean to develop a drawing? Pause here and share with someone.

What do you think? Thanks for sharing.

To develop a drawing means taking it beyond its original form, as we can see in this example by the addition of colour.

We might want to try developing the original drawing using coloured media, such as paint, pastels, marker pens, or pencil crayons.

It might be exploring new directions, refining details, or expanding it using different techniques, media, or ideas.

It might be turning the drawing into a 3D form.

That one's making me smile.

What could happen if you focused on just one section of your drawing? Pause here and share with someone.

Here's Lucas.

"I might discover shapes or patterns I didn't notice before.

These shapes could be developed into 3D forms." And Andeep.

"The shape could become more abstract when it's taken out of context.

I could repeat or mirror it to create a pattern or design." A section of a drawing could be explored and developed, as we can see here.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Only full drawings can be developed further.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you selected false, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Quick sketches, partial drawings, fragments, or doodles can be developed into finished artworks.

Experimenting with media helps you discover unexpected effects, pushing your ideas in new directions.

Oh my.

Look at that.

There's a big transformation there.

Pause the video and share with someone.

What are some of the things you can notice in this transformation of the butterfly? Thanks for sharing.

A drawing can be developed into textiles by translating its shapes into stitch, fabric, collage, or print.

Check for understanding.

Which of these could be a next step in developing your drawing? A, tracing it without adding anything new.

B, filing it away and not using it again.

Or C, turning it into a collage using mixed materials.

Pause here while you decide what could be a next step in developing your drawing.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, turning into a collage using mixed materials would be a great next step in developing your drawing.

How might your drawing change if you added elements from music, clothing, or celebrations important to your community? Pause here and share with someone.

"I could show the roots of trees interlinking below ground to symbolise hidden support networks, like families, neighbours, or friends." And Sam.

"I've been drawing shoes for my identity theme and could illustrate a pair of shoes that walk through a day in my community.

What do they see, hear, and experience?" Many artists develop their drawings in exciting, innovative ways, including: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, renowned for her figurative paintings, she begins with drawn studies of imagined black subjects, developing these into deeply expressive portraits.

George Condo who merges classical drawing techniques with contemporary subject matter.

His drawings often act as studies for larger works.

And Nancy Rourke is an artist who uses drawing and painting to express her experiences and advocate for deaf culture.

Her work develops from initial sketches to vibrant, expressive compositions.

For the next part of the lesson, you will need drawings, art materials including paints, pencil crayons, marker pens, collage materials, and digital technology.

Pause here while you gather all you need.

Now you have everything ready, we can move on to our task.

For your task, I'd like you to experiment with media to develop one of your drawings.

There are many possible outcomes and you could consider revisiting your original drawing.

What feeling, shape, or idea do you want to develop further? Choosing media that suits your intention, e.

g.

, soft pastels for atmosphere, thread for connection, ink for bold contrast.

Layering materials, e.

g.

, pencil under paint, collage over ink, to see what effects emerge.

So pause here while you have a go at this task.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with your task? Here's Lucas.

"I'm interested in being able to see what's on the outside, as well as on the inside of something at the same time.

I have drawn sole of a shoe onto this edited foot drawing.

It could even be stitched into." Yeah, I love your ideas for taking it further.

Here's Sofia.

"I took patterns from some of the cultures within my community and drew them onto a photocopy of my heart drawing.

I could explore other designs from architecture." And Izzy.

"I traced my initial pepper drawing and repeated it to create a design.

I then drew patterns into it to add interest.

I could develop this further by adding colour, editing it digitally or making a textile piece." In our lesson, "Personal response: appropriate resources and creating artwork," we've covered the following.

Artists often begin with simple photographs or drawings, and then develop them by experimenting with different media.

They might use digital tools, collage, textiles, or layering techniques to transform their initial images and explore new creative directions.

This process allows artists to push boundaries, play with texture and pattern, and bring personal or cultural stories to life.

Well done everyone for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore your personal responses and look at appropriate resources, push boundaries, explore and play around with things, and of course, bring in your personal touch and cultural stories.

I really enjoyed teaching you, and I hope you enjoyed this lesson too.

I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.