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Year 9 - Art and design

Principles of art: scale

The principles of art

Unit Summary

This unit expands pupils understanding of the foundations of creative practice, building on knowledge of the elements of art, to now explore more complex principles. This will deepen understanding of how artists use these principles to question the world around them and communicate their ideas.

Lesson Summary

You understand what scale is and how it can affect an artwork.

Key Notes

  • Scale is the relative size of an object or artwork in relation to its surroundings and to itself.
  • Artists can use scale to create drama or tension, or to emphasise a point.
  • Scale can be used to manipulate how the viewer interacts with the work.
  • Artists can use small components to create enormous art works.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • scale: how big or small something is in relation to the things around it and itself
  • photomontage: an artwork made by combining different photographs into a single composition
  • audience: the viewers who engage with a piece of artwork
  • diorama: a three-dimensional miniature model or scene

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Scale means size.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Scale is the relative size of an object or artwork in relation to its surroundings and to itself. Artists can use scale to create drama or tension, or to emphasise a point.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'scale'

how big or small something is in relation to the things around it and itself.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Scale means size. Correction: Scale is specifically about relative size.

More Lessons In This Unit

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