Lesson video

Hi, I'm Miss Miah and I'm so excited to continue learning with you.

I can't wait to see what you create in this lesson.

So let's get started.

In this lesson, you'll be able to create a creature using recyclable materials and explain your choice of materials.

Your keywords are on the screen now, and I'd like you to repeat them after me.

Maquette, sculpture, assemble, recyclable material.

Fantastic, let's find out what these words mean.

Now, a maquette is a small, rough model of a sculpture used for planning.

Sculpture is a three-dimensional piece of art made by shaping or combining materials.

Assemble: to fit together the parts of something.

Recyclable material: leftover or discarded materials that can be reused for creative purposes.

Now, you may have come across these keywords before.

Do you remember them? Great, what I'd like you to do is try and use these keywords when you describe your piece of artwork.

By doing so, we are then talking like an artist.

Let's move on.

This lesson is all about selecting and assembling recyclable materials creatures.

There are two lesson cycles in this lesson.

It's a very active.

It's an active lesson where you will be moving around putting bits together.

So make sure you have space around you.

And we've got two lesson cycles.

In our first lesson cycle, you'll be selecting materials for creating your creatures.

You're then going to be assembling and constructing your creature.

I'm super excited for this lesson and I hope you are too.

Let's get started.

Now, you may remember creating a maquette of your creature.

A maquette is a rough model of a sculpture that artists use as a guide for when it comes to creating their sculpture.

Next lesson, you'll be using everyday recyclable materials to assemble your animal, bird, or insect.

Artists choose recyclable materials based on their properties, such as strength or flexibility, to bring their ideas to life.

Here are some examples of recyclable materials.

You may have seen these before.

So we've got cardboard, pipe cleaners, foil, paper or tissue paper.

Can you think of any other recyclable materials? You may have thought of these items and the uses for it.

Here are some examples.

Plastic bottles and containers.

These can be cut, bent and shaped for details.

Newspapers or magazines.

They can be used for paper mache or texture.

Tin cans can be flattened or shaped to create textural forms. Bottle caps are great for adding small details or decorations.

Fabric scraps used for adding texture or soft elements.

Well done if you were able to name a few.

Ooh, which recyclable materials might you choose to create the different body parts for your creature and why? Now, when I was thinking about creating my sculpture, my mind immediately went to using cardboard.

And that's because it's something I've used before and I feel confident.

I may also use tinfoil.

It's something I'm quite interested in using because I really like the shiny property that it has.

I wonder what you chose.

Over to you.

What should you consider when choosing recyclable materials? Is it A, their colour only; B, their price; or C, their properties like strength and flexibility.

So pause the video here and click play when you've got the answer.

So what did you get? If you got C, you are correct.

Strength and flexibility are key properties to consider when selecting materials for a sculpture because they determine the sculpture's durability and stability.

Strength ensures the material can support its own weight and withstand external forces without breaking.

Stability allows the material to bend or adjust without looking, making it easier to shape and adapt to the artist's design while resisting damage over time.

Now the properties of materials play a big role in how you create a sculpture.

For example, flexible materials like pipe cleaners or foil are great for legs because they can bend into shape.

A sturdy material like cardboard works well for a body because it can hold the weight of the other parts.

Lightweight materials like tissue paper can be used for delicate parts like wings.

Over to you.

True or false? Flexible materials like foil are better for small details, while sturdy materials like cardboard are better for the base of a sculpture.

What do you think? Is that true or false? You could pause the video here and click pay when you've got the answer.

So what did you get? If you got true, you are correct.

Fantastic job.

Flexible materials like foil are grate for shaping intricate details, while sturdy materials like cardboard provides strength and stability for the base.

And remember, it's very important to have a strong base, otherwise your sculpture isn't going to be able to stand on its own.

It's important to evaluate materials to decide how best to use them.

I should pick cardboard.

She says, "It's strong and doesn't bend easily, so I'll use it for the body to make it sturdy." Jacob has picked foil.

He says, "It's easy to bend into shape, so I'll use it for the legs and and antennae." I think he might be creating a sculptural insect.

And lastly, Andeep has picked to use tissue paper.

He says, "It's so light and soft; I'll use it to make the wings that look delicate." Over to you.

Which recyclable material would be best for creating the body of your creature? Is it A, cardboard; B, paint; or C, thread? What do you think? So pause the video here and click play when you've got the answer.

So how did you do? If you got a cardboard, well done.

You got it correct.

Cardboard is a great choice for the body of an animal sculpture 'cause it's light, easy to shape, and strong enough to hold its form.

It's also easy to cut and bend so you can create parts and details for things like the animal's legs or ears.

Plus, cardboard is cheap and recyclable, so it's a big choice if you want to make something fun without wasting resources.

Onto the main task for this lesson cycle, material selection.

I'd like you to revisit your maquette sketches or photographs.

You'll be deciding which materials will be best for different parts of your creature.

For example, the legs, body, or head.

Talk about colour or properties of the materials such as sturdiness.

Then what you could do is create small test pieces using the materials to understand how they behave.

For example, how easy is it to fold the cardboard? How easy is it to fold the cardboard? How flexible the newspaper is? Here are a couple of more top tips before you get started.

When deciding which recyclable materials to use for different parts of your creature sculpture, think about sturdiness.

Which materials feel strong enough to hold the shape you want for things like the body or legs.

Flexibility, which materials can bend or be moulded easily for smaller details like the ears or tail? And colour, what colours do the materials naturally have? And how might that work for the parts you are making? Remember to test the materials to see which ones work best for each part of your animal.

You can pause the video here and click play when you're ready to rejoin us.

So how did you do? So you may have decided that cardboard works well for a body because it can hold the weight of other parts.

You may have found that pipe cleaners and foil are great for legs because they can bend into any shape.

And lastly, when experimenting with paper or tissue paper, you may have found that it can be used for delicate parts like these.

I hope this part of the lesson has given you an insight into the different recyclable materials you might choose to use when it comes to creating different parts of your creature.

Let's move on.

Great, we're onto our second lesson cycle.

Assemble and construct a creature.

This is where we're going to use our maquette as a guide.

So it's a good idea to have your maquette or a photo of the creature that you would like to meet.

Well, let's have a look.

How did the artist join these parts together? I can see that the artist is using some type of tape to join the two pieces of cardboard together, hmm.

Gum tape can be used to hold materials together.

I love this tape.

It's like a magical tape.

This is because it sticks well to surfaces without needing extra glue, making it quick and easy to use.

It's strong enough to hold materials together, like when securing parts of the sculpture are also easy to remove or reposition if needed.

Plus, gum tape is flexible so it can be moulded to different shapes, and it doesn't leave sticky residue behind when you peel it off, which makes it perfect for creating clean, neat finishes.

So how do you do this? Well, you cut the gum tape to size; you dampen the adhesive with a wet sponge or you can use your finger; you press it firmly onto the join; and you smooth it down to secure.

Now the last step is important because it helps ensure the tape sticks firmly and evenly to the surface.

This prevents air bubbles, wrinkles, or loose edges that could make the maquette look messy or weaken its structure.

By smoothing it out, you create a smooth, neat finish that helps the structure stay strong and look more professional.

For this part, you're gonna have a go.

So I do: join two small cardboard pieces at a right angle using gum tape.

So again, I'm gonna go through the instructions.

You're going to dampen the tape with a sponge, or you can dip your finger into a cup of water and do the same.

You're going to then wrap it firmly around the edge where the two pieces meet.

And lastly, you're gonna smooth it down to secure the join.

Over to you.

I'd like you to do the same.

You can pause the video here.

So how did you do? This is what you should have got.

So you may have noticed that the tape sticks better when evenly dampened and actually it creates stronger join if smooth down firmly.

Well done if you managed to have a go.

It's all about practising these little skills because then that will help you create your sculpture.

Now your maquette is a guide for size, proportion, and shape.

Top tip: keep your maquette nearby for reference as you work.

By having your maquette close to you, you can make sure each part of your sculpture matches the original idea and you can adjust details as you go along.

It also helps you spot any changes or improvements needed while working.

What needs for assembling your sculpture? So you'll start with the frame or the basic shape of the body.

Here we can see that wire has been bended and twisted together to create the frame of the butterfly.

Then, you might choose to use gum tape to hold the pieces material together and layer materials for strength.

If you don't have gum tape, you can use masking tape.

It works just as well.

And lastly, you're gonna add pieces for legs, head, or tail.

And consider the materials colour.

You might fold, bend, or cut materials to match your creatures form from the maquette.

And we can see here in this example that different bits of magazine paper and newspaper have been used.

Add a bit of colour.

Wire has also been bent into shape for the antennae.

Over to you.

The steps for assembling a sculpture in the correct order.

Now, it's super important that we get this order correct because this is what you are then going to use for when it comes to creating your sculpture.

So we've got A, add pieces for legs, head or tail, considering the colour of the materials; B, start with the frame or basic body shape; and C, use gum tape to hold materials together and layer for strength.

So you'll be ordering this from the beginning to the end of creating a sculpture.

Pause the video here and click play when you've got that order.

So how did you do? Well, the first step is B.

So you'll start with the frame or basic body shape of your creature.

You're then gonna use gum tape to hold materials together and layer for strength.

And lastly, you're going to add pieces for the legs, head, or tail, considering the colour of the materials.

Well done if you manage to order those steps correctly.

Now we're onto the main task for this lesson.

Assembling your creature.

You're gonna use your selected materials to build your recyclable creature.

Refer to your maquette to guide the proportions and shape of your creature.

You could add extra features, for example, texture, extra limbs or wings, using materials like magazine cut-outs or torn paper.

It's really up to you.

You are the artist.

You are in charge of what your sculpture will look like at the end.

So think carefully.

You can pause the video here.

Take your time.

Here are some more top tips for when it comes to assembling your sculpture.

So try and start with a strong base.

Make sure your sculpture has a solid foundation so it stays stable while you work on it.

Think about the main parts of your sculpture first, then add the details later.

Now working slowly and carefully, especially when shaping materials so they don't break or lose their form means that you are using a light touch.

And lastly, balance is key.

Make sure your sculpture is well balanced so it doesn't tip over.

These tips will help keep your work steady and focused as you build your sculpture.

You can pause the video here and click play when you're ready to rejoin us.

Have fun.

So how did you do? You may have created something like this.

So here we can see an example of a butterfly and a bird sculpture.

Fantastic, we've made it to the end of the lesson.

Let's summarise our learning.

This lesson was about selecting and assembling recyclable materials to make a creature.

You now understand that referring to a maquette helps decide the size, shape, and balance of the sculpture.

The assemble means to gather and connect different parts or materials to create a complete sculpture or object.

You are able to choose recyclable materials based on their properties to create different features like the body, legs, and head.

Well done if you were able to create your sculpture using recyclable materials.

Thank you so much for joining me in today's lesson, bye.