Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? Hope you're really good.

My name is Miss Afsal, and I will be your art teacher for today.

I'm feeling really very excited about it because our lesson is jam-packed full of fun stuff today, and we are gonna be creating our own sculptures.

Yes, we're gonna be getting really, really practical today.

Our lesson is called "Responding to Organic Forms with Card, Paper, and Modroc".

We are getting right in there with the creating side of things today.

Our lesson comes from the unit of work, "Being Curious About 3D Design".

So I hope you're curious about this lesson.

I hope you're feeling ready, prepared, maybe a bit excited.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is: I can construct a recycled materials and modroc sculpture inspired by natural forms. We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

We have: construction, form, and freestanding.

Construction is the process of building or assembling materials to create a structure.

Form is a three-dimensional shape that has height, width, and depth, like a cube or a sphere.

And freestanding is a structure that stays upright without support from walls or other objects.

These are our keywords: construction, form, and freestanding.

Our lesson is called "Responding to Organic Forms with Card, Papers, and Modroc".

It has three learning cycles: recording shapes, forms, and textures from nature; creating freestanding 3D forms with recycled material; and using modroc to create natural textures.

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited to get onto that.

Let's begin with recording shapes, forms, and textures from nature.

It's discussion time.

Lucas, Andeep, and Alex are discussing this sculpture.

Hmm.

Take a look at that.

Here's Lucas: "The organic shapes remind me of waves." Andeep: "It's made of marble, which is a strong and natural material." And Alex: "I've seen many artworks linked to nature." Over to you.

What do you see? Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

As you take a look at the sculpture, what do you see? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

For me, I see the form of an angel about to take flight.

Throughout history, artists and designers have turned to nature to find shapes, textures, and colours which inspire their artwork.

Let's have a check for understanding.

How have artists and designers used nature in their work? A, they avoid natural elements using only man-made designs, B, they copy nature exactly without changes every time, C, they only use nature in landscape paintings or photography, or D, they use natural shapes, textures, and colours for inspiration.

Pause the video while you decide how have artists and designers used nature in their work? Well done if you selected D.

Indeed, they use natural shapes, textures, and colours for inspiration.

Sculptors have often drawn inspiration from nature, using natural forms, materials, and themes to shape their work and reflect the world around them.

What beautiful nature-inspired sculpture.

Many artists create unique shapes, forms, and textures in their nature-inspired sculptures, including: Halima Cassell creates carved overlapping shapes in her artwork "Foliate," a title which refers to having leaf-like structures.

Henry Moore created stone sculptures inspired by bones, shells, and rocks.

Taslim Martin's "Twins" 2016 are egg-shaped forms employing different textured metal finishes.

So many nature-inspired sculptures for us to discover.

Can you think of any local sculptural works inspired by nature which have interesting shapes or forms? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Before sculpting, artists and designers often use sketching to develop their observations of nature into designs for sculptural works.

And we can see some sketches here: rock forms, asymmetric/symmetric designs, animal skin, lines, oval shapes.

Sketching first requires artists and designers to think about the 3D form of their sculpture, as well as the detail of their pattern or decorative design.

So we can see here out on the left, we can see more of the form of the sculpture, and then in the subsequent two drawings, we can see more of the pattern and design.

Columns are primarily architectural features designed to support structures like roofs or archways.

However, many columns, especially in classical and decorative architecture, are highly sculptural.

Here we can see in Mehrauli, Old Delhi a sculpture, and another in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

With lots of detail included on these columns.

Organic forms on columns express culture by referencing patterns and motifs found in nature that are important to a particular community or tradition.

And we can see a column here in Venice, Italy some beautiful nature-inspired designs.

Columns express history by preserving styles or techniques passed down through time.

They tell us about the aesthetics and craftsmanship of that period.

We can see some Ionic columns here in Greece.

Columns express emotions through shape and movement.

Flowing, curved, and natural forms can create a sense of calm, wonder, or awe, unlike rigid, geometric shapes, which may feel more formal or imposing.

Artists and architects often use these forms to evoke feelings that connect people to the natural world or spiritual ideas.

Guess what? You are going to create a freestanding section of trunk for a column which is inspired by nature.

So the top part of the column is the capital, the central part is the trunk, and down at the bottom is the base.

So you'll be creating a section of trunk for a column.

It must have a hollow central column, a consistent width at the top and the bottom, a design which links to natural forms. Sketches help us to plan and consider 3D form, like this one.

We have the contour lines, it's drawn in 3D, the labels and measurements, and multiple viewpoints.

Why do you think this information has been included? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

It's all gonna help us with our planning if we have measurements and different viewpoints and a sense of actually how it will look in 3D.

It's time for your first task.

I would like you to use a graphite stick to draw shapes and forms found in natural textures.

You should exaggerate and enlarge the shapes and forms. You could develop the drawing into a decorative pattern or keep it asymmetrical and observe natural forms in person, if you like.

Might be hard to get to an elephant or an alligator at this moment, but there may be some other natural forms that you can observe in person.

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

Alright, good to be back with you again.

How did you get on with drawing shapes and forms found in natural textures? Here's Aisha.

She says, "I've enhanced the circular forms. I want to use the organic stripe shapes in the animal skin and rock forms combined with the oval details." Really nice combination of ideas there from Aisha.

Next part of your task, I'd like you to develop your drawing from task A1 into a design for a freestanding column trunk section.

Start by drawing the 3D form of the trunk section.

You may want to create several different angles.

Begin to add the natural form.

Use contour lines to help visualise the form.

Add labels or measurements where helpful.

So as we can see here for your drawing, you could use ellipses to draw the circular base and top and a hollow central column.

And then use vertical lines to join the central column.

This is where a vertical structure will be used.

You can now add the detail of your design to this basic structure.

Pause video while you do this.

Good to be back with you.

So how did you get on with developing your drawing from the previous task into a design for a freestanding column trunk section? Here's Jacob: "There are two different angles which allow me to see all around the design.

I like the use of labels to give information about material use." Oh, really helpful.

So what you're using there: twisted papers, cardboard, looroll tube or egg box, and showing us those different angles.

Really helpful.

We're now onto our next learning cycle: Creating freestanding 3D forms with recycled media.

Artwork can evolve from a drawing rather than sticking rigidly to the planning sketch.

How has this work evolved from the sketch? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your observations.

In the sketch, the circles seem to be in quite neat columns, three or two circles in a column, whereas in the final piece, they seem more spaced out.

Love how this artwork has evolved.

Artists can use a wide range of media to create their sculptural works.

By experimenting with various materials like clay, paper, recycled materials or fabrics, artists can create unique shapes and forms. So fantastic, especially for using recycled materials.

Check for understanding: What is the most likely reason artists experiment with different materials in their sculptural works? Is it A, to avoid using modern techniques in their art, B, to create unique shapes and forms, C, to limit the shapes and forms they can create, D, to only use traditional materials for sculpting? Pause video while you decide what is the most likely reason artists experiment with different materials in their sculptural works.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, they want to create unique shapes and forms, and hopefully that's what you are going to be doing as well.

In order to create freestanding sculptures, artists must consider balance.

Does this look balanced and secure? Pause the video and share with someone.

Here's Laura: "It is currently balanced but it's not secure and could fall at any moment.

A larger base and strong fixings would improve it." Good thinking, Laura.

Artists can achieve a balanced freestanding sculpture in a number of ways.

Bushra Fakhoury experiments with the illusion of imbalance in her freestanding works, with sculptures like "Levity" appearing to defy gravity.

She makes use of strong materials and a plinth to ensure a strong wide base to secure her work.

Marion Verboom and Keisuke Tanaka employ column structures in their works.

This historically strong shape was and is used in architecture to create stability, support, and decoration.

Do you know of any local artists who work like this? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

So what do we need to consider to ensure a sculpture is balanced? Pause the video and share with somebody.

Let's hear from Andeep.

"I have made sure the base is wide and heavy materials are not piled on top of light ones." Very good thinking.

That is gonna help to ensure your sculpture is balanced.

Perhaps you came up with an idea like this.

It's now time for your next task.

Use recycled materials to construct a balanced freestanding column inspired by your drawing from task A1.

So first of all, construct a structure with a wide base for balance.

You should: construct a wide cardboard base, attach a cylinder to the middle with flange fixing, secure with strong glue.

Next, manipulate recycled materials to construct forms inspired by your drawings from task A1.

You could: cut card and slot it together, scrunch newspaper into forms and secure with tape, build up cardboard.

So there we have the first part of your task: constructing the basic structure, and then join card using flanges, and secure newspaper forms with tape.

It is really coming together.

I love the look of these.

So pause here while you have a go at manipulating recycled materials to construct forms inspired by your drawings from task A1.

I'll see you when you're finished.

How did you get on? Did you construct a structure with a wide base for balance? Here's Izzy: "This part has been joined with glue, but reinforced with tape until the glue dries." Great idea, Izzy.

Yep, love that.

Let's all share our great ideas with each other.

And there are many possible outcomes.

You may have created something like this.

Here's Jun: "I like how you've used scrunched newspaper, tape, and recycled egg boxes to construct the forms of your sculpture." So creative, so recycled.

I hope you enjoyed constructing this column and the forms. And now we are onto our final learning cycle: Using modroc to create natural textures.

Cannot wait.

How could we develop the sculpture to look more finished and professional? Pause the video and share with someone.

Sam says, "We could add a finish on top." Great thinking.

"Like papier-mache maybe, or modroc?" Yes, that's what we're going to do.

Modroc is a material used in art, design, and craft.

It's made of gauze, like bandages, that's coated in plaster of Paris.

When you dip it in water, it becomes soft and flexible, and then after a few minutes, it starts to harden, and by the next day, it becomes solid.

Check for understanding: What is modroc? A, a bandage coated in plaster that dries solid, B, a soft fabric used in sewing and textiles, C, a type of clay that stays soft and never hardens, D, a type of paint used for decorating models? Pause the video while you decide what is modroc.

Well done if you selected A, modroc is a bandage coated in plaster that dries solid.

Let's take a look at the process of constructing a sculpture using modroc.

So first of all, you cut the modroc into strips.

Then you dip each strip into warm water briefly.

Important that it's warm water and not too hot.

Lay the wet modroc onto the sculpture.

Repeat the above and overlap strips of modroc to build strength.

Smooth the surface of the modroc.

Let it dry fully, overnight.

A bit of patience required there.

The process of constructing a sculpture using modroc can be: cut modroc into strips, dip strips in warm water briefly, flexible modroc is laid on work, overlap strips to build strength, smooth the surface, let it dry fully, overnight.

We can see how it has changed in that final image once it has dried and hardened and it's all set.

There are some important things to consider when working with modroc.

Here's our warning symbol to remind us that: We should wear an apron or old clothes as modroc can be messy.

Always work in a well-ventilated room.

Avoid getting it in your eyes or mouth.

Use warm water carefully; make sure it's not too hot.

Wash your hands after using modroc.

And don't pour plaster water down the sink; we don't want blocked pipes.

Wash tables with a wet cloth to avoid creating dust.

Check for understanding: True or false, you should pour leftover modroc water straight down the sink? Pause the video and decide if that's true or false.

Well done if you selected false, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this: "The dust and sediment of the plaster can block the pipes.

Use wet paper towel to clean surfaces and throw these away.

Allow sediment in water to settle, and then drain only the water." Let's have another check for understanding: Which of these is the most accurate reason to work in a well-ventilated room when using modroc? A, to help dry your sculpture faster, B, to keep your hands warm, C, to avoid breathing in dust, D, so you can hear your friends better? Pause the video while you decide.

Well done for selecting to avoid breathing in dust.

And now we have come to your final task.

Use the modroc to strengthen your sculptural design and enhance the natural forms you have created.

You are using modroc.

You should: First of all, cut the modroc into strips.

Next, dip each strip in warm water briefly.

Lay the wet modroc onto the sculpture.

Repeat the above and overlap strips of modroc to build strength.

Smooth the surface of the modroc, and then wait patiently as you let it dry fully, overnight.

So here's the flexible modroc laid onto the work.

Overlap the strips to build strength.

Smooth the surface.

Pause the video while you have a go at this task: using modroc to strengthen your sculptural design and enhance the natural forms you have created.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

There are many possible outcomes that you may have created.

Let's hear from Aisha: "I'm pleased with how I've created a strong, balanced sculpture with a form showing a clear link to nature." Love that, Aisha.

You can now develop your work by: Adding paint to add colour.

Working together to stack your column sections to create a large pillar.

Make sure this is done securely with an adult's help.

Photograph your work and digitally edit it to give the appearance of a sculpture or architectural detail.

I hope you enjoy working together to co-create your column.

In our lesson "Responding to Organic Forms with Card, Papers, and Modroc", we've covered the following: Artists and designers have always looked to nature for inspiration for forms, textures, and colours.

They use sketching to turn observations into sculptural designs, often using biomorphic forms to express culture, history, and emotion.

To construct freestanding sculptures, they explore different materials and must carefully consider balance.

Well done, sculptors.

You have been so busy in this lesson, exploring forms, textures, colours, columns, and then creating your own section of a column.

Well done for your hard work and your focus, and I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.