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Year 3 - Art and design

Make a tonal study of a sculpture

Creature Construction: sculpture

Unit Summary

Pupils will combine readily available scrap items into model animals, learning how to construct through assembling materials. They will develop their ability to draw and shade 3-dimensions

Lesson Summary

You will learn to create a tonal study of a sculpture.

Key Notes

  • Tone refers to the light and dark areas of an object or artwork
  • Using the side of a pencil helps create smoother, softer shading
  • Shading in one direction ensures there are no gaps or harsh edges
  • Blending from light to dark creates smooth transitions and realistic tones

Vocabulary To Learn

  • 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
  • blending: mixing colours or shades together smoothly

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may believe that tone is only about making things darker and that shading should be done with harsh, straight lines.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Tone refers to the light and dark areas of an object or artwork. Using the side of a pencil helps create smoother, softer shading.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'sketch/sketching'

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

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Pupils may believe that tone is only about making things darker and that shading should be done with harsh, straight lines. Correction: Tone includes both light and dark areas, and the goal is to show the full range of tones, from light highlights to deep shadows. Using the side of the pencil for softer shading, helps to avoid harsh lines.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 3 Art and design guide library.