New
New
Year 10

The role of a sketchbook in developing your 3D practice

I can create an exploratory sketchbook that reflects my artistic voice

New
New
Year 10

The role of a sketchbook in developing your 3D practice

I can create an exploratory sketchbook that reflects my artistic voice

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A sketchbook is a space to think, plan, collect, and test ideas.
  2. Sketchbooks show how your ideas grow through notes, samples, and drawings.
  3. Experimental sketchbooks help you take creative risks and reflect.

Keywords

  • Sketchbook - a tool for artists to experiment, record ideas and develop their creative process

  • Creative journey - a creative journey is the ongoing process of exploring, developing, and expressing ideas

Common misconception

Sketchbooks have a set format, and must be presented in the 'right' way.

Sketchbooks are a personal record of your own creative journey, but in the GCSE course they also allow you to gain marks, so sometimes we recommend working in a certain way to help you achieve.


To help you plan your year 10 art and design lesson on: The role of a sketchbook in developing your 3D practice, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson would work well combined with a walk or homework that involves bringing in items for the 'sources'. You could also use a big box of bits from around the department.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Visual sources, art materials such as pens, inks, watercolours, mark making materials, paper, scissors etc.

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

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
What does experimentation mean?

Correct answer: trying out new materials, techniques, or ideas without a fixed outcome
Correct answer: being playful and open-minded
researching artists' biographies using the internet
presenting and recording ideas visually and through notes

Q2.
Match the words with their definitions:

Correct Answer:Refine,improve your work by making small adjustments

improve your work by making small adjustments

Correct Answer:Experiment,test and play with ideas, techniques and materials

test and play with ideas, techniques and materials

Correct Answer:Record,show what you did through drawing, annotation and photos

show what you did through drawing, annotation and photos

Q3.
Open-ended experimentation allows artists to develop their ...

personality.
Correct answer: artistic voice.
financial wealth.
art equipment.

Q4.
Which one of these doesn't feature in an iterative design process?

Reviewing the brief or design problem
Experimentation and testing
Correct answer: Producing a fixed outcome and sticking with this idea
Reflecting on what’s working well and asking 'why?'
Test and experiment by adding new materials or techniques

Q5.
Experiential learning is a way to describe ...

Correct answer: thinking through doing.
learning through writing.
copying from an example.

Q6.
Experimenting and refining is good because ...

Correct answer: experimenting with new techniques expands artistic possibilities.
Correct answer: new techniques help bring your design ideas to life.
Correct answer: testing techniques helps you decide what suits your own 3D design style.
Correct answer: reflecting and reviewing your use of materials builds skill and confidence.

Additional material

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