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Year 7

Realistic rendering techniques

I can add render to a 3D sketch to show material texture.

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New
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Year 7

Realistic rendering techniques

I can add render to a 3D sketch to show material texture.

Download all resources
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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Adding material, colour and texture can enhance the drawing.
  2. By adding tone and texture to the sketch through rendering, we can show how the object will look and feel.

Keywords

  • Rendering - to add details like shading, texture and depth to a sketch to make it appear more realistic

  • Texture - how something feels, or looks like it would feel, if touched

  • Shading - adding shadow to a sketch to make it appear more realistic

  • Tone - the lightness or darkness of an area, which helps create a sense of dimension in the image

Common misconception

Rendering and sketching are the same process.

Sketching is like creating the blueprint or the structure of the 3D model. Rendering happens afterward and focuses on adding realistic appearances to the sketch, like making glass look transparent or wood look grainy.


To help you plan your year 7 design and technology lesson on: Realistic rendering techniques, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Give the pupils materials to handle and sketch.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Pencil, pencil crayons, paper, material handling collection.

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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does "rendering" mean?
sketching roughly
Correct answer: adding details like shading, texture and depth
using only one colour
drawing quickly without detail
Q2.
How can shading improve a drawing?
by making the object look flat
Correct answer: by adding shadows and highlights to create depth
by removing details
by making the drawing harder to see
Q3.
Which tool is most commonly used for shading?
eraser
ruler
Correct answer: pencil
compass
Q4.
Why is adding highlights important in a drawing?
Correct answer: it makes objects look more 3D
it removes detail
it makes objects look darker
it erases shadows
Q5.
Where should the darkest shading be in a drawing?
Correct answer: in areas where no light reaches
in the middle of an object
only on the edges
anywhere on the page
Q6.
What should you do before shading a drawing?
Correct answer: plan where the light is coming from
colour it in first
use only one pencil
avoid sketching details

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What technique creates smooth shading?
cross-hatching
stippling
Correct answer: blending
scribbling
Q2.
How can you show a shiny surface in a drawing?
Correct answer: add strong highlights and smooth shading
use only dark shading
erase the drawing and start again
use cross-hatching everywhere
Q3.
What is the eraser used for when creating a texture on your design?
to add darker shading to the texture
Correct answer: to remove unwanted marks and create highlights
to make the texture feel rough
to outline the design in bold lines
Q4.
Order the steps to create a metal effect texture using a pencil.
1 - draw diagonal lines across your shape
2 - use shading to create highlights
3 - blend the tones
4 - define the edges