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Lesson 1 of 6

Draw the moon

I can use curved lines and tone to draw the moon.

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Lesson 1 of 6
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Draw the moon

I can use curved lines and tone to draw the moon.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Artists can experiment with different materials to create curved lines.
  2. Artists can use tone to make an object look more three dimensional.
  3. Using curved lines can help an object look spherical.

Keywords

  • Curves - lines that bend or change direction in a smooth way

  • Tone - how light or dark something is

  • Sphere - a 3D shape that is round and smooth, like a ball

Common misconception

Straight lines rather than curved lines are used to draw a sphere.

Remind children that if straight lines are used, the sphere can look flat even though the artist has used tone. Curved lines help the moon to look spherical.

Children may find it helpful to draw around circular objects for their initial step in the drawing process.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Pencils, charcoal, watercolour, pastels, sketchbooks, small objects such as tennis balls to observe shape.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which tool do artists use for drawing?

a paintbrush
a rubber
Correct answer: a pencil

Q2.
Are these curved lines or straight lines?

An image in a quiz
Correct answer: curved lines
straight lines

Q3.
What shape is the moon?

Correct Answer: sphere, sfere, sfear, sphear

Q4.
What type of artwork is this?

An image in a quiz
a painting
a sculpture
Correct answer: a drawing

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What can you use to make the moon look bright in your drawing?

orange pen
Correct answer: white chalk
charcoal

Q2.
What does 'tone' mean in drawing?

Correct answer: how light or dark something is
how many colours we use
how smooth something is

Q3.
What is a sphere?

An image in a quiz
a pyramid
a cube with six faces
Correct answer: a 3D shape that is round and smooth, like a ball

Q4.
How can we make a circle into a sphere?

1 - Draw a circle.
2 - Build up areas of dark tones using curved lines.
3 - Use lighter curves and lines.
4 - Explore combining different materials to add texture.
5 - Add the craters and other final details to the moon.

Lesson appears in

UnitArt and design / Moon and space: drawing and mixed media

Art and design

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