Applying learning

Art: Making a tree sculpture

Creative arts

﻿Hello, my name is Matt. And today we're going to learn art. We're going to make a tree sculpture. So I'm sat in the garden so you can see some trees. Trees are different. This tree is a dark tree, it's tall. It's got lots of branches and the leaves don't fall off. This tree has got a very thin trunk. It has lots of branches and the leaves are little and very light green they're nearly yellow. And there is another tree that you might be able to see just over there with long branches and green leaves. And those leaves fall off in different seasons. I want to show you a big tree. So I'm going to take you there in a second. I want you to think and remember three key things. The first part of the tree we're going to look at is the trunk. The second part are the branches and the third part are the leaves. Let's go and have a look because that will help with our sculpture later. Follow me. Okay. Aha. Look, here's its trunk. The trunk of this tree feels rough. It feels bumpy and it's quite hard. It goes right down into the ground where the roots are under the soil. This is the tree trunk. Here are some branches of the tree. Let's have a look for some good branches to show you. Branches. Wow, are all here. And they connect to the trunk and to the leaves. Look at the leaves on this tree. Wow. They're kind of like hair. I'm going to get some different leaves for our lesson as well. So, the three parts to our tree, the trunk, the branches and the leaves. I'll see you inside back at the art table. In this lesson, we'll learn to use tools to create patterns. We'll create a model from impetus and we'll learn to appraise our own work. Some of the key words and vocabulary that we'll use together today are solid, natural, curved, rough, smooth, bumpy, plain and form. For this lesson, you will need scissors, paper or card, glue, paint and brushes, a rolling pin, string, natural materials, such as grass, leaves, flowers, small branches or tweaks. Other materials that you choose to use. You'll need parent or carer supervision when you're using scissors. Press pause while you get all of these things ready. Let's get ready. Find a quiet and clear space to work away from distractions. Check that you are comfortable and ready to begin learning. This activity could be messy. So check that you're wearing suitable clothing and that you cover your table or wherever you're working. Make sure that your resources are nearby. Press pause while you get everything ready. It's time to get ready. Look, listen, learn. Before we start to make a sculpture, we need to think about trees. We saw some different trees earlier in the garden, but take a look at the picture on your screen. What do you think to these trees? Are they all the same or different? If they're different, why are they different? Some of the trees are tall. Some are smaller, some have leaves and some don't, some have thick trunks and some have thin trunks. Some trees have lots of branches and others only have a few. Pause the video now to look at different trees and to decide which elements of the trees, which parts you would like to show in your sculpture. Pause the video here to complete your task. Go and explore some trees. And don't forget, if you can't see because of your eyesight perhaps, get somebody to describe the tree to you or touch it and feel it. what's its texture? Is it bumpy or hard or soft or smooth? Does it feel taller than you are? Does it feel small? What do the leaves feel like? What sound do they make as you put your hand through them? Resume the video when you're finished. Okay. So, hopefully you've seen lots of different trees and you've got some ideas about what you want your sculpture to look like. I'm not going to show you how to sculpt and how to make your tree because it's yours and you will choose different things to me. And that's okay. I'm going to show you some of the pieces of equipment that I've got that will help me to make my tree. As you can see, I've got some paints, I've got some string, some natural string. I've got some tissue paper. I've also got some leaves I found in my garden. I've got some big leaves. Some little crinkly leaves. I've also got some little branches with flowers on. I've got some card. And I was thinking of rolling this up maybe to make a trunk and then wrapping it in some brown paper that I've found in one of our drawers. So, they're the different materials that I've got. You will have something different and that's great. We're going to need some tools to help us to make our tree. So, I've got some scissors. I've got a rolling pin to help me squish some of my branches and natural materials to make my tree. I've also got some paintbrushes, lots of different paintbrushes and a paint tray so I can put my paint in my tray. I've got some elastic bands and I've got some big scissors. I've got some tapes and I've got some glue. These are the tools that I'm going to use to hold my sculpture together before I put any paint on. When we do our artwork, we might get messy. So make sure your area is prepared, that you've covered your table. That you've got your gloves if you want to wear gloves. You've got an apron to wear so you don't get messy. We've got the right tools to do that job and to do our lesson together. So your job is to pause the video in a second and make your sculpture. Think about your tree. The trunk, was it rough or smooth? Did it have patterns? Was it plain? Were there lots of leaves or a few? Were the leaves soft or crunchy? Enjoy making your sculpture and press play when you're ready to carry on. Pause the video to complete your task. Resume again once you're finished. Wow. So here's my sculpture of a tree. It's got a trunk, branches and leaves and even some flowers. What does yours look like? I bet it's different to mine because you've chosen to use different materials and different tools to create your sculpture. And that's the great thing about art. It's individual. Pause the video now to discuss and appraise your own work. What do you like about it? What would you do differently? And if you were to make another sculpture, what would you do next? I really like the texture, the rough bumpy texture of my tree trunk. I'd like my branches to be taller next time. And I'm not sure that I like the way it leans and I might change that too. Pause the video and appraise your own piece of work. Pause the video to complete your task. Resume again, once you're finished. To make this session easier, you might have a picture of the tree that you're sculpting, or you could look out of the window at the same time as you create your sculpture, or you could sculpt your tree using a template, drawn on a piece of paper. To make it harder, you could imagine what your tree would look like in a different season and create a new sculpture. You could also try choosing something different to sculpt like a person, an animal or another object. Wow, great work everyone. It's time to say goodbye. Don't forget you can revisit this session and create new sculptures using different ideas. I even used the same idea and the same materials to create a sculpture in a different way. This time I created a person instead of a tree. Have fun. It's been brilliant working with you and will see you again soon. Why not share your work with Oak National? If you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, tagging @OakNational and #learnwithOak.

Art: Making a tree sculpture

Art: Making a tree sculpture

These resources will be removed by the end of the Spring Term 2026.

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