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New
New
Year 3

Make a tonal study of a robot sculpture

I can create a tonal study of a sculpture.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

Make a tonal study of a robot sculpture

I can create a tonal study of a sculpture.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Creating a tonal study involves sketching lightly and using shading techniques, like cross-hatching.
  2. Cross-hatching is a shading technique where you draw lines in one direction, then add another set crossing over them.
  3. Overlapping objects, varying height, and adding background elements make a composition more engaging.

Keywords

  • Sketch/sketching - making quick and simple drawings to show ideas or the things we see

  • Shade/shading - drawn marks to show areas of light and dark

  • Tone - how light or dark something is

  • Cross-hatching - drawing lines that cross over each other and are placed close together

  • Composition - is the combination of a selection of elements arranged and organised

Common misconception

Some children might think cross-hatching is just drawing straight lines to create shading.

Show pupils different examples of cross-hatching and allow time to practise other shading techniques.


To help you plan your year 3 art and design lesson on: Make a tonal study of a robot sculpture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage students to experiment with different line directions and thicknesses when cross-hatching. Remind them that the closer the lines are together, the darker the shading will appear. Offer support by demonstrating how cross-hatching can be used on different parts of the robot.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

robot sculptures, mark-making media

copyright

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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6 Questions

Q1.
Tone is how light or dark something is. Select the darkest tone.
Correct answer: Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Q2.
Which details should you focus on when refining a sculpture?
Correct answer: the textures and shape to enhance realism and interest
the size of the sculpture
Correct answer: the choice of colours to improve the design
Q3.
Put the steps for creating a sketch in the correct order.
1 - Draw basic shapes.
2 - Outline the sketch.
3 - Add shading.
4 - Add details.
Q4.
What is this joining technique called?
An image in a quiz
gluing
slotting
stacking
Correct answer: nailing
Q5.
your final sculpture to your maquette helps to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved.
Joining
Gluing
Correct answer: Comparing
Q6.
Match the word to the definition.
Correct Answer:refine,making small changes to improve a piece of art
tick

making small changes to improve a piece of art

Correct Answer:recyclable material,the process of converting waste into reusable material
tick

the process of converting waste into reusable material

Correct Answer:purpose,a reason for doing something
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a reason for doing something

6 Questions

Q1.
Composition is the and organisation of a selection of elements.
tone
Correct answer: arrangement
background
Q2.
Put the steps for creating a tonal study in the correct order.
1 - Look at the object carefully and observe the light and dark areas.
2 - Start by lightly sketching the shape of the object.
3 - Gradually add lighter shades to make smooth transitions between light and dark.
4 - Add the darkest areas using a dark pencil or charcoal.
Q3.
Complete the sentence: Adding tone makes a drawing more realistic and ...
colourful.
Correct answer: three-dimensional.
imaginative.
smooth.
Q4.
We can describe the range of tones by using the terms dark tone, and light tone.
Correct Answer: midtone, mid tone, mid-tone
Q5.
What is this shading technique called?
An image in a quiz
scribbling
colouring
Correct answer: cross-hatching
Q6.
Match the word to its definition.
Correct Answer:tone,how light or dark something is
tick

how light or dark something is

Correct Answer:shade/shading,drawn marks to show areas of light and dark
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drawn marks to show areas of light and dark

Correct Answer:sketch/sketching,making quick and simple drawings to show ideas or the things we see
tick

making quick and simple drawings to show ideas or the things we see

Correct Answer:cross-hatching,drawing lines that cross over each other and placed closely together
tick

drawing lines that cross over each other and placed closely together

Correct Answer:composition,is the combination of a selection of elements arranged and organised
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is the combination of a selection of elements arranged and organised