UNIT 1Still Life and Nature
My goals
By the end of this Unit, I will be able to:
⦿⦿ Identify dry and wet materials for drawing and painting.
⦿⦿ Define the elements of art.
⦿⦿ Draw objects from observation and imagination using dry and wet materials.
⦿⦿ Follow perspective in drawing and painting.
⦿⦿ Draw and paint from a landscape.
⦿⦿ Draw from the human figure.
⦿⦿ Discuss my art work with fellow learners.Introduction
During your Primary School, you were introduced to various types of art which included drawing and painting of objects. In this chapter we are going to look at more aspects of drawing in still life
and nature. But are you familiar with the different media used in drawing and painting?Activity 1
1. In small groups, identify the names of the drawing and painting materials in figure 1 below.
2. Classify these material under wet and dry media.Figure 1: Materials for drawing and painting
Aspects of drawing and painting
Aspects of drawing include space, line, shape, tone, form, texture
and colours. We shall study each of these aspects as we continue to study fine art.The drawing in figure 2 below was drawn by a senior secondary student, using a pencil on paper. Carefully observe this work in groups and do the activity that follows.
Activity 2
1. Identify the objects presented in the drawing.
2. Identify the different lines used in the drawing.
3. Can you identify the source of light on the objects in the drawing?
4. Which objects appear rough and which objects are smooth?
In the drawing above, we observe that lines were used to draw the shapes of the different objects in the composition. Therefore shape is simply an area with well-defined boundaries. Remember shapes
are either geometric or natural (organic) as you may have studied in your primary school. Besides their shapes, you could easily identify the objects because of the way the artist shaded them differently from each other.By carefully controlling light and shade in the drawing, the artist was able to draw the forms of the different objects in the basket.
This variation from light to shade is what is referred to as tone. You are going to practice with tones by doing activity two and three individually.Activity 3
1. Using a pencil, draw ten boxes in a line on a paper provided.
2. Using a drawing pencil, shade the boxes in order, from the darkest to the lightest.What you have just made in activity 3 is what we call a value scale.
It shows the light, medium and dark tones. I hope you were able to observe that the more force you exert on paper with your pencil, the darker the tone. Controlling the force you exert on your pencil is a very important skill in drawing.Take note
There are various pencils used in drawing. Drawing pencils range from H to B; B gives a darker tone than H, B pencils are softer than H pencils and the numbers indicate the level of softness or hardness. For example, look at the marks on the pencils below. Which pencil is the softest and which one is the
hardest?Figure 3: A range of drawing pencils
Activity 4
1. On a piece of paper and with the help of a drawing pencil,
draw two objects with simple shapes from your surroundings.
Shade them carefully to show the tones. Try to control light to one direction.
2. Repeat (1) but this time with a ball point pen.
3. Display your work and discuss it in groups regarding; .
·· Use of lines to get shapes
·· Shading tones to show light direction and form
·· The difference between a pencil and a pen drawing
I hope you can observe that without light it would be very difficult or impossible to practice with art. The sense of sight guides us a lot to interpret images in art. Therefore in drawing, you try hard to
represent what you see and feel about something on a given support.
Some of the aspects we see on objects can only be successfully presented if you fully understand how to use a given material.Activity 5
1. In pairs, touch your hair and the surface of your desk. What is the difference?
2. Compare the two surfaces in number 1 with the surface of a rock or a bark of a mango tree. Which surface is rougher?
3. Use a pencil and paper to trace out the nature of four different surfaces of objects around you.Figure 4: Texture from different surfaces
From Activity 5, you observe that surfaces of objects vary from smooth to rough and this can be shown on paper using a pencil.
The roughness or smoothness of a given surface is what is called texture. You have shown the texture by tracing, but texture can also be drawn in another way. Discover this by going through activity 6.Activity 6
1. In small groups, observe the drawing in figure 5 and identify the objects in the composition.
2. Identify the different textures shown on the objects.
3. How did the artist use a pencil to capture the different textures?
4. How do the textures in the composition relate to the real objects that were studied?Figure 5: A still life of different objects
I hope you were able to observe that the artist used a pencil in different ways to capture the texture of the different objects in the composition. The artist used such ways as dots, continuous shading
and hatching to capture texture of the different objects.Activity 7
In small groups, observe the following styles of shading texture and identify their names from the box below:Figure 6: Different shadding styles
Activity 8
1. Draw an object of your choice and show its texture in five different ways.
Take note
·· Line, shape, tone, form and texture are some of the guidelines followed while drawing and they are often referred to as elements of art.
·· Texture can vary with shapes and tones in order to reveal the form of a given object. For example look at the drawings in Figure 7 and study how dots and scribbles were used to form the texture of the two objects.Figure 7: Objects with different texture
Besides, line, shape, tones, form and texture, colour is another element of art which brings excitement in a given work of art. Look at the paintings below. The first one was made by a skilled painter (Georgia O’ Keeffe) and the next one by a senior one student.
Figure 8: Autumn Leaves by Georgia O’Keeffe
Figure 9: A landscape by a senior one student
Activity 9
1. In pairs list the objects and colours that were used in the two paintings.
2. Which of these are primary, secondary and tertiary?
I hope you are able to observe that colours enable you to identify the shapes and forms of the different objects in the two paintings. There are three basic colours which are referred to as primary colours. They include red, blue and yellow. Identify the names of these colours below.Now experiment with colours by doing activity 10
Activity 10
1. In groups, draw three circles intersecting each other as shown in the diagram below.
2. Paint each circle with one primary colour.
3. Identify the colours formed within the parts intersection.The colours got within the intersections are called secondary colours.
There are many different colours that you can use in art. You will discover more of these by trying out various colour combinations as you paint and by following the colour wheel in Figure 10.Take note
·· Secondary colours are the ones got by mixing two primary colours, i.e. purple, green and orange.
·· Then tertiary colours are those got by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour.
·· The way different combinations of colour appear differ from the combination of light colours in science.Figure 10: The Colour wheel
Activity 11
1. Identify and name the secondary and tertiary colours from the colour wheel in Figure 10.
2. Look at the pictures below and observe how colour was used to capture the shapes and forms of the objects. Identify the objects that were painted.Figure 11: Still life objects by a student
3. Now draw a composition of three to four objects of your choice.
4. Use a brush and colours of your choice to paint the shapes, forms and texture of the objects in your composition.
5. Display your work and discuss it with friends about the following:
·· Lines, shapes, tone, texture and colour
·· Use of the space on the paperTake note
It is always better to mix colours separately before applying them on the painting. This helps you to observe and choose appropriate colours for the different parts of your painting.
Since the world has started to use electronic means of communication most people today are obsessed with electronic data gathering, though manual method is still used.The principle of perspective
Have you ever seen a drawing with objects arranged while showing distance within? Where some objects appear much closer to the observer and others so far away? What guidelines can you follow to
achieve this? In groups, try out activity 12.Activity 12
1. Take a walk out of class and look at the different objects which are far and those which are near to you.
2. What is their difference in size, tone and colour? Discuss what you observe with fellow learners.
I hope you observed that objects look smaller at a distance and that their colours and tone fade with distance? This is what we call perspective.Activity 13
In groups observe the pictures in Figure 12 and discuss how
perspective was followed in terms of size, lines, colour and tone.Figure 12: Landscapes
There are guiding principles followed while drawing from perspective.
These include the eye-level and the varnishing point. Get used to these guiding principle as by observing the picture in figure 13 and working out Activity 14.Figure 13: Perspective drawing of a building
Take note
·· The eye level is an imaginary line which corresponds to the eyes as you observe a given object.
·· The vanishing point is a point where lines for the edges and details of a given object tend to meet at a distance.Activity 14
1. Draw three boxes in line following perspective. Show the eye level and the varnishing point.
2. Draw the three boxes on another paper and this time use colours to show perspective. I.e. the nearer box should look brighter than the box which is at a distance.
3. Draw your classroom block following perspective.
4. Display your work and discuss it with your friends regarding the use of lines to capture the eye-level, vanishing points and the details on the building, following perspective.
You will observe that perspective helps us to draw objects in a composition. It also helps us to draw and paint landscapes since we are able to show near and far objects in a given composition.
Drawing and painting from Landscapes
A landscape is made up of three major divisions; the foreground, middleground and background. To understand this better, do activity 15.Activity 15
1. In groups of five to ten, take a walk out of class and observe the sceneries outside where you can see near and far objects.
What you are seeing is called a landscape.
2. Identify the objects immediately in front of you and describe their size and colour. These form the foreground.
3. Identify the objects next to these as you look further and compare their sizes and colour with the ones in the foreground. These objects appear in the middleground.
4. Then observe the objects which a very far, this may include the horizon. This forms the background of the landscape you are observing. Describe their size, shapes tones and colour,
compared to the rest of the objects in the landscapeYou can ably show what you have just observed on paper. Now look at the picture Figure 14 and get a clear view of the foreground, middleground and background in a landscape.
Figure 14: The major areas of a landscape
Figure 15: A simplified landscape
Activity 16
In pairs describe the objects found in the foreground, middle
ground and background from the two landscapes.Take note
In many times the objects in the foreground overlap with those in the middle and background.
A landscape which shows far objects, including the horizon is referred to as an open landscape and the one which is blocked by objects such as buildings and trees is called a closed landscape.
In a blocked landscape, you are not able to see objects far in the background.Activity 17
Individually, move around the school compound and select a view of an open landscape with objects in the foreground, middle ground and in the background.
1. Draw the landscape using pencils.
2. Study another landscape in colour.
3. Display your work and discuss it with your friends about the following:
·· The size and tones of the different objects in relation to perspective
·· What appears in the foreground, middle-ground and background
·· The colours usedDrawing and painting from a Human figure
A human figure is one of the exciting subjects to draw and paint in art, but for you to be successful at this, you need to learn the basic guidelines to follow. For example, look at the drawing in Figure 16 and discuss it with your friends by working out Activity 18.
Activity 18
1. Describe what the person in the picture is doing.
2. Comment on the size of the different parts of the body; i.e. the size of the head compared to the hands, legs and the rest of the body.
3. Discuss how the tones were used to capture the body structure.
Based on the comments you have made in Activity 18, it is clear that you can try out drawing a human figure by yourself. A human figure can be drawn either from observation or imagination. At the beginning, study the way a human figure appears in a given activity.
This is referred to as the pose or posture of the human figure. Now work out Activity 19.Activity 19
1. Draw a girl standing up in a free posture.
2. Draw a man walking with a stick.
3. Draw a woman pealing bananas.
4. Display your work and share with friends about the following:
·· Posture of the human figures in your drawings
·· The size of the different forms of your human figuresGlossary
Background: the area which appears furthest in a given
scenery. This may include a horizon in an open landscape.
Closed landscape: a scenery in which you cannot see far objects. This can be a scenery with a building or trees in the middle ground.
Colour: a sensation in the eyes as one looks at an object due to the presence of reflected light.
Colour wheel: an arrangement of different colours in a circle to show their relationship.
Composition: an arrangement of objects together
Drawing: the art of using a given material such as pencils to present ideas on a given
surface by use of a hand.
Elements of drawing: these are basic guidelines followed during drawing.
Eye-level: an imaginary line that corresponds to the horizontal position of the eyes as we look
at objects in a given setting.
Foreground: the area that appears closest to the observer in a given setting.
Form: the roundness of a given object.
Landscape: a scenery usually representing a set of objects on land.
Line: a path made by a given instrument when its point of contact is made to move on a
given surface or simply a contour.
Media: materials used by an artist to represent ideas on a given surface.
Middleground: the area that appears next to the foreground in a given scenery.
Open landscape: a scenery in which one is able to see far objects which may include the horizon.Organic shapes: shapes with less defined edges. This can also be done on irregular shapes.
Painting: the art of applying colour/paint on a given surface using a brush.
Perspective: the tendency of objects seen at a near distance appearing bigger and clearer than
those seen at a distance.
Pose: the way a given human figure is set in a given composition e.g. standing, sitting or
lying down.
Primary colours: the colours which we cannot get by mixing other colours in painting. These include red, yellow and blue.
Secondary colours: these are colours got by mixing two primary colours. They include; green, purple and orange.
Shape: an area with well-defined boundaries.
Structure: the general appearance of an object.
Tertiary colours: these are colours got by mixing a secondary colour with a primary colour. These include; brown, blue-green, Red-orange etc.
Texture: the surface quality of a given object or simply the roughness or smoothness of a
given surface of an object.
Tone: the variation from light to dark on the surface of a given object.
Value: the degree of lightness or darkness of a given surface of an object.
Vanishing point: a point at which imaginary lines that describe edges of objects in the same plane seam to meet in perspective.My goals
By the end of this Unit, I will be able to:
⦿⦿ Explain how to make a motif.
⦿⦿ Explain the different ways of printing on a given surface.
⦿⦿ Make a motif from different materials and tools.
⦿⦿ Print a motif on a given surface.
⦿⦿ Take care of materials and tools for designing.Introduction
In Unit One, you were introduced to the elements of drawing and painting. You were able to draw and paint from a landscape and the human figure. In so doing you were able to study objects from your surroundings. In this Unit, you are going to use your surroundings to develop patterns and motifs and use various methods to print on surfaces.
Activity 1
1. In groups move around your compound and identify objects with interesting shapes, colours and textural patterns. All these can be used to create different motifs.
2. Collect about two leaves with different shapes and veins.
3. Back to your classroom, apply ink or paint to the reverse side of the two leaves and make a pattern on paper by following an arrangement of your choice.
4. Display your work and discuss it with your friends. For example look at the pictures in Figure1.Patterns from Nature
As you worked out Activity 1, you may have observed that nature provides a very big source of ideas for an artist. Therefore, if you are to develop interesting patterns for your motifs it is always good to visit your surroundings and observe the shapes, colour, or texture
of the objects. These are the ones which are often simplified and rearranged to form a motif. In pairs take a look at the picture in Figure 2 below and work out Activity 2.Designing on Surface
Activity 2
1. Identify and use lines to sketch the interesting shapes that you can see from the picture in Figure 2.
2. Slice either a piece Irish potato, yam or sweet potato into two halves, as shown in Figure 3.3. Sketch out your pattern on the sliced piece to form a motif.
4. Cut out the unwanted areas off and apply colours or ink to the rest of the piece.6. Display your work and discuss with friends.
Take note
Lines, shapes and patterns are very important while making designs. These have to be carefully arranged to make an interesting design.
Look at the patterns in Figure 6 and 7.
Glossary
Balance: the way different elements are arranged in a particular work of art to create a state
equilibrium.
Design process: the steps taken while developing a design.
This includes developing sketches and transfer of designs.
Flow: the way patterns move from one point to another in a given design.
Motif: a distintive and recurrent pattern in a design.
Pattern: a principle of art in which lines, shapes and colours are repeated over and over
again to make an interesting work of art.
Rhythm: the visual movement observed in a given work of art.
Print making: a process of making artworks by printing on paper or any other material.My goals
By the end of this Unit, I will be able to:
⦿⦿ Explain the elements of graphic art.
⦿⦿ Identify the different letter fonts for designing.
⦿⦿ Write texts in a calligraphic hand.
⦿⦿ Design art works which advertise messages.
⦿⦿ Respect ideas from my fellow learners and other people about my art work.Introduction
Letters play an important role in communicating messages. They exist in different styles which are used in different designs according to type of information to be communicated and the creativity of the artist (designer). For example, look at the designs in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and work out Activity 1.
Activity 1
1. Discuss about the messages being communicated in the designs.
2. What is the relationship between the message, letters and image (illustration) used in the design?
3. Describe the different types of letters that were used in the designs above.
4. Identify the layout that was followed in these designs, i.e. either horizontal (landscape) or vertical (Portrait).Take note
Using a horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait) format depends on the type of message being communicated in the design and the place where it is going to be put.
How to construct letters
As you have observed from the different designs above, there are many different types of letters used in designing. Therefore you have to learn how to construct them if you are to make interesting designs.
Activity 2
1. Observe the following letters and identify their name.
2. Pick five letters from the types below and construct them according to their appearance.As you may have observed, letters appear both in upper case and lower case. In order for you to construct letters effectively, you need to learn how to use construction lines. For the upper case, you need three and for the lower case you need four construction lines.
Construction of upper case letters
The basic construction lines for upper case include: the base-line, mid-line and cape-line. These lines are spaced at equal distance from each other depending on the size of the letters you want to construct. For example, look at the diagram on the next page.
Activity 3
1. Using the three construction lines for the upper case, construct the name of your school in upper case letters only.
2. Decorate them with colours.
3. Display your work and discuss it with your friends.Construction of lower case letters
There are four construction lines for lower case letters, these include the ascender line, the mid-line base-line and descender line.
The descender and ascender lines control lower case letters that extend downwards and upwards respectively. The space between the ascender and mid-line is equal with the space between the descender and base-line. For example look at the figure below.Activity 4
1. Using the four construction lines for the lower case, construct your name using the lower case letters only.
2. Feel free to colour them.
3. Display your work and discuss it with your friends.Take note
When you are designing letters for a text with both upper case and lower case, the four construction lines for lower case are used.
How to design an advertising board
Many companies which deal in the trade of goods and services would like to be known by people from different areas. As such, they usually spend money on advertising. The work of an artist (designer) here is to design packages and to make advertising boards for the companies’ products. For example look at the posters and in Figure 4 discuss them in small groups as you work out Activity 5.
Activity 5
1. What products or services are being advertised in the posters above?
2. State the type of letters and images used.
3. Comment on the layout that was followed in these designs.
After practicing with letter construction, I believe by now you can design an advertising board. You need to ask yourself the following questions as you get started on the design work;
·· What company needs to advertise its products?
·· What are the products to be advertised?
·· What is your target audience?
·· What is the size of the advertising board?
·· What technique are you going to use??
When you are sure of the answers to the above questions, then you plan for your advertising board by making the necessary sketches as you chose the appropriate layout, the images, letters and colours to be used.Activity 6
1. In small groups, suggest the name of a company or organisation you are going to design for. This could be picked from your local area.
2. Suggest the images to use in your work and draw them.
These could be traced from a magazine or newspaper.
3. Organise your design on paper, following a layout of your choice, and apply the appropriate lettering. Old boxes would be a good source for cardboards for your advertising boards.4. Apply colours and finish up your work.
5. Display your posters for the different groups and share ideas about the following:
·· Message (i.e. can someone understand what is being advertised?)
·· Layout/ balance of the paper
·· Lettering (are the letters readable?)
·· Neatness and attractiveness of the designGlossary
Advertisement: a means of making something or information known.
Advertising board: a design with information which is meant to make something (a product or service) known.
Construction lines: a set of lines used to aid an artist during letter construction.
Creativity: ability of someone to form new ideas.
Illustration: drawings of images carrying a given information.
Landscape format: a horizontal way of presenting information on a given support.
Layout: a unique way of presenting ideas on a given support or format.
Lower case: small letters.
Portrait format: a vertical way of presenting information on a given support.
Target audience: people by which the given information is
intended to address especially in poster designing.
Technique: a unique way of using materials to express one’s ideas in art.Upper case: capital letters.
My goals
By the end of this Unit, I will be able to:
⦿⦿ Explain how to prepare clay.
⦿⦿ Prepare and safely keep my clay.
⦿⦿ Use clay to make art works such as masks.
⦿⦿ Decorate art works made of clay.
⦿⦿ Welcome ideas from other people about my art work.Introduction
During your Primary School, you were introduced to clay as a material for making artworks. Probably you made clay works on your own.
What was your experience, share it with your friends. In this unit, we are going to work with clay in yet a different way. But do you remember how clay is prepared? How do you tell clay is ready for making an artwork?Activity 1
1. In groups of five, list the objects from your local area which are made from clay.
2. What are the general characteristics of clay works?
3. What is done to clay works to make them more long lasting?Clay preparation
Remember, clay is a material with fine particles which is plastic when wet and hardens into terracotta when dry and is fired/heated.
There are basically four major methods of clay preparation; the plastic method, the wet method, the dry method and the semi-dry method.(i) The plastic method
This method is often used in the brick making and pottery. It makes use of the moisture available in the clay but if the clay is too dry, water is added. The process is simple and cheap and requires no equipment. The disadvantage of this method is that mixing of different types of clay or other materials is time consuming, and often results in unevenly mixed clay.
(ii) The wet method
In this method, clay is dissolved in water to form slurry or slip.
A very regular mixture can be prepared and is more suitable for casting, and slip can also be used to join parts of clay together.Activity 2
1. Soak clay in water to form a porridge-like substance called slip.
2. Keep the slip in a container with a cover, for future use.
3. Find out the uses of slip in modeling.(iii) The dry method
Clay is dried, pounded and crushed into a powder form but can only be used for dry pressing, such as in the making of tiles in factories.
(iv) The semi-dry method
This method combines both the dry and the plastic methods. Clay is made to dry first then it is crushed into powder. It is then sieved to remove large particles. Then water is added until a plastic mixture is obtained. This method is good since after mixing the clay with water, the resulting clay can be used with many different methods suitable for pottery. However, the disadvantage of this method is working in a dusty environment.
Activity 3
1. Which of the above methods of clay preparation have you used before?
2. In small groups and using a method of your choice, prepare the clay you are going to use in the next section.
3. Knead and wedge the clay and keep it in lumps as shown Figure 5.What do you know about masks?
Clay has many different uses; from making bricks to art works in
ceramics and sculpture. Clay can also be used to make masks for
decoration. Clay can also be used during the process of making
facial masks. For example look at the masks in the picture Figure 6.Activity 4
1. Look at the picture above and identify what the two masks represent.
2. What materials were used to make these masks?
A facial mask should always have holes for the eyes to see and a provision for it to be worn on the face. In many tribes in Africa, wood was the major material used to make masks, for example look
at the following masks.How to prepare materials for making masks
You are going to make a mask by using clay first followed by pappier maché (mashed paper). But do you know how to make pappier maché? Prepare your pappier maché by following the steps in Activity 5.
Activity 5
In groups, follow the steps below and prepare Papier maché
Step 1
Collect waste papers (such
as newspapers, magazines, or toilet paper) and tear
them into small strips as the ones shown in Figure 8.Step 2
Soak the strips in water for some time until it softens. The time of soaking depends on the quality of paper used, the harder paper the longer it takes to get soft (if the paper used is so hard you can boil
it in water first).Step 3
When the paper softens it is crushed into paper pulp;
you can use a piece of wood or a hand blender to crush the paper in a container into paper pulp as shown in Figure 9.Step 4
Squeeze out the excess water and leave the pulp with
just enough moisture, not too dry and not too moist.
The colour of the paper pulp largely depends on the nature of paper used; papers with more wordings and pictures will create coloured pulp compared to paper with no words.Now you have your pappier maché ready for use. At this moment the pulp can be mixed with glue, ready to be used in forming an art work. You may use cassava flour, but it takes longer to dry, wood
glue can be used for better results. When working with pappier maché, add one layer at a time and let it dry before adding another layer.How to make a mask
After getting ready with clay and pappier maché, now you can make a mask. There are different ways of making masks but in this section we are going to look at three options; using coils, slabs or
by building the mask in clay and later on convert it into pappier maché. You can make a mask by following option A by working the steps in Activity 6.Option A
Activity 6
Using coils to make a mask
You can work out this activity either in pairs or small groups.
Think about a title for your mask. This depends on the purpose that you want your mask to serve. Is it a facial mask or a mask to be used as a wall hanging? Then follow the steps on next page.Step 1
Prepare the work place with a polythene
material and ready clay.
Then get a medium size bowl to work as a mold
for your mask as shown in Figure 11.Step 2
Get small chunks of clay and make coils. These coils
should be of a reasonable thickness for a strong
mask.Step 3
Place the bowl upside down on the table and start building the coils on its surface. Merge the coils
into one another as you build. This helps the coils
to get attached into one another.Step 4
When the surface of the bowl is filled with the coils cut out the provision for the eyes and other details of your choice.
Step 5
Carefully remove the mask from the bowl and seal off
the inner parts of the coils.
Remove all excess clay parts from your mask.Figure 16: Sealing the inner parts of the mask
Step 6
Add any decorations of your choice. These can
be in terms of texture and other forms. Then you
display and discuss your work with friends.
Now you have just made a mask. You can let it dry
under a shade.Option B
Activity 7
Making a mask using a slab
You can do this activity in either pairs or small groups. Begin by setting up the work place with a medium size bowl, a roller or bottle and clay, then you follow the steps below.
Step 1
Get small chunks of clay and make a slab. This
should be thick enough to avoid deforming your
mask as it dries out.Step 2
Get small chunks of clay and make a slab. This should be thick enough to avoid deforming your mask as it dries out.
Step 3
Remove the slab from the bowl. This should be done carefully to avoid deforming the mask. Decorate the mask according to your interest.
Option C
Activity 8
Making a mask using pappier maché
You can do this activity in either pairs or small groups. Begin by setting up the work place with a medium size bowl, clay and pappier maché, then you follow the steps below.
Step 1
Draw the sketch of your mask on paper. This will guide you as you form your mask using other materials.Step 2
Use clay to form your mask while following your sketch. When you are done with the form and when it is still wet, smear it with veseline or cooking oil. This will help you to easily remove the mask
in pappier maché.Step 3
Mix your pappier maché with glue and build the surface of your mask with layers of pappier maché. This is done until the whole surface is covered.
Step 4
When you are done with the mask, expose it out to dry. When pappier maché dries up it hardens and this makes it easier for you to separate it from clay. Remove the pappier maché mask from clay
and remove all unwanted parts. Now you have your mask ready as shown in the following picture .Take note
At this level, you can smoothen your mask with sand paper, paint it with colours and decorate it with other materials such as raffia, stones and seeds.
Activity 9
Display and discussion
1. Display all your art works made in this unit.
2. Discuss the art works with your friends in terms of the shapes, use of materials and the decoration patterns used.
3. Comment about the attractiveness and neatness of the mask, and their use in real life.Glossary
Modelling: the art of forming artworks using clay.
Papier maché: a mixture of mashed paper and glue.
Plastic: a state of clay in which it can be used without sticking on fingers and cannot
produce cracks.
Slip: a porridge-like mixture of clay and water which can be used to join clay parts or
used in casting.
Mold: An object for giving a particular shape of a molten material.
Paper pulp: a mixture of mashed papers and water.
Terracotta: Fired clayMy goals
By the end of this Unit, I will be able to:
⦿⦿ Identify materials and tools for weaving.
⦿⦿ Explain how to weave using raffia.
⦿⦿ Develop patterns for weaving.
⦿⦿ Make article by weaving with raffia.Introduction
Among the different techniques in art is weaving. Have you ever seen any woven object? What purpose do woven materials serve in society? Well, in this Unit we are going to learn about how to make patterns in weaving by following various weaving techniques and the available materials.
Activity 1
1. In groups, list down the different woven materials from your local area.
2. Identify the shapes of these objects.
3. What purposes do these objects serve?In the same groups, take a look at the objects in Figure 1 and work out the activity that follows.
Activity 2
1. Identify and list down the materials that were used to make the objects above.
2. What methods were used to make these objects?What are the basic materials and tools for weaving?
In order to make such objects like the ones seen above, there are materials and tools used, such as papyrus, raffia, stalks of banana leaves and needles.
Activity 3
1. Take a look at the materials above and identify their local names.
2. Find out where such materials can be got and how they are prepared for weaving.
3. In groups collect the necessary materials for weaving.How to weave a coil basket
Making a coil basket can be such an interesting exercise when you have the necessary materials with you. For papyrus stems and banana leaf stalks, you only get out the inner part (sheath) which is cut into strips and dried under the sun.
Activity 4
1. Form small groups and collect the necessary materials for weaving.
2. Follow the steps below and make a coil basket.Take note
You should practice with how to thread a needle with raffia without hurting yourself and your friends. You hold the needle vertically and pass the tip of raffia through the needle’s head as shown in Figure 5.
Step 1
Pick a few strips of the banana leaf stalks or
papyrus. The number of strips should depend on the thickness of the coils that you want. But the strips should be of a reasonable size and length that is easy for you to handle. Look at Figure 6.Step 2
Tie the strips tightly together with a piece
of raffia and wrap it around several times
as shown. This should be made tight to keep
the strips firm.Step 3
Fold the tied end of
the strips into a loop
as shown in Figure 8.
Use force to ensure
that the loop is closed
in order to avoid a big
hole at the center of
your basket.Step 4
Fold the strips further
to make a circle as
shown in Figure 9 Let
the ends of the strips
be hidden under the
coils for a neat work.
Then use a needle
and raffia to fix the
coil together.Step 5
When weaving, pass
the needle through the
strips near the edge of
the basket. Try to be
consistent in order to
get uniform coils as you
weave.Take note
Be careful with the needle in order to avoid piercing your fingers and hurting your friends.
Step 6
Make sure that the coils
are in line and flat,
because this is actually
the bottom of your
basket. A basket with
a funny bottom may
not stand firmly when
it is placed on a flat
surface.Step 7
Continue with the
weaving, until the right
diameter of the bottom
is achieved. You should
keep adding to the
length of the strips by
fitting in more strips in
the middle of the coil.Step 8
Now change the direction
of your coil slightly upwards
to make the walls of your
basket as shown in Figure
13. Be careful not to make
a very narrow or very wide
basket.Figure 13: Beginning on the sides of the basket
Step 9
Continue making the wall of
the basket until you get the
required size. You may add
different colours of raffia to
decorate your basket.The size of your basket largely depends on the number of coils woven and the diameter of the basket.
Step 10
When the required size
of the basket has been
got, seal off the coil by
first reducing it in size
and then sew with raffia
at close distances as
shown in the picture.
Create a good finishing
of your basket by cutting
off the extra fibers.Now you have just made a coiled basket. The inset oval shows how the last coil was sealed. The shape of the basket largely depends on how you handle the walls. You can go ahead and make a cover for
this basket by following the same technique.Take note
You can decorate your basket by colouring your raffia and using it at different intervals. For example, look at the patterns on the baskets in Figure 16.
Activity 5
1. What patterns are common in the four baskets above?
2. Display your work for discussion with your friends regarding the neatness and firmness of your workTypes of weave patterns
There are many types of weaves used in weaving; the different techniques used to create different weave structures. But at this level we are going to focus on the plain weave, basket weave and twill weave.
(a) The plain weave:
This type of weave is also
called a tabby weave; it is the
simplest of all weaves. Each
weft yarn goes alternately
over and under one warp
yarn. Each warp yarn goes
alternately over and under
each weft yarn. It follows a
1/1 pattern.Figure 17: Warp and Weft in a plain weave
Look at the picture above. Such a weave can be used for draperies and tablecloths.
Activity 6
1. Observe the picture above and describe the pattern of warp and weft followed.
2. Using small strips of yarn, weave a small art work following a plain weave.Take note
Yarn refers to the type of fiber used in weaving such as raffia, sisal and threads. Warp is the type of yarn that runs vertically in a given weave, yet weft is the type of yarn that runs horizontally
through a woven art work.(b) Basket weave
The basket weave looks
similar to the plain weave
since it follows a 1/1 pattern,
but it is different. It forms an
enlargement in height and
width of plain weave. Two or
more yarns have to be lifted
or lowered over or under two
or more picks for each plain
weave point.When the groups of yarn are equal, the basket weave is termed regular, otherwise it is
termed irregular. Such weaves are commonly used for wall hangings and pillows. For example look at the picture above.(c) Twill weave:
The twill weave is characterised
by diagonal ridges formed by
the yarns, which are exposed on
the surface. The weaves go over
several warp threads following
basically two patterns, 2/2 (the
weft goes over two warp, and
then under two warp) and 1/3 (or 3/1). These may vary in angle from a low slope to a very steep slope. Twill weaves are more closely woven, heavier and stronger than weaves of comparable fiber and yarn size.Activity 7
1. In pairs observe the picture above and list down objects in which you have observed this form of weave.
2. Use raffia to make a small article such as a table mat or a basket, using a twill weave.
3. Display your work and discuss it with fellow students regarding the style followed and neatness.Glossary
Warp: a horizontal yarn used in a weaving process.
Weave: a process of interlacing strands to form a given art work.
Weft: a vertical yarn used in a weaving process.
Yarn: a set of fibers (such as threads, raffia and sisal) used for weaving.My goals
By the end of this Unit, I will be able to:
⦿⦿ Identify materials and tools for making batik and tie and dye.
⦿⦿ Explain the value of fabric decoration in the society.
⦿⦿ Make designs on a given cloth using batik and tie and dye.
⦿⦿ Make designs in embroidery.Introduction
In the society we live, we are always interested in sharing a pleasing environment. Art has played a big role in helping us achieve this.
Clothes do not just provide warmth but they also create an interesting environment to look at.Activity 1
In pairs, look at your surroundings and list down the different places and objects where cloth is used and the purpose it serves.
Now look at the pictures below and work out the activity that follows.
Activity 2
1. In groups, look at the four pictures above and identify the activity or place shown.
2. For each of the pictures, discuss how fabrics have been used to add value to the activity or place.
3. Give your opinion about the importance of fabrics in the society.A. How to make a tie and dye work
Look at the t-shirts in Figure 2 and identify the different patterns that they have. What method was used to create these patterns?
I hope you were able to observe that different methods in tie and dye were used to create the patterns in the t-shirts. Tie and dye techniques have been greatly used for centuries in the Hausa region of West Africa, with renowned indigo dye pits located in and around Kano, Nigeria. Tie-dye is a bound resist process of dyeing textiles which are made from woven fabric, usually cotton; typically using bright colors.
There are various materials that can be used in tie and dye. These include such materials as; dyes, nylon threads, raffia, heat source e.g. charcoal stove, water, basin, source pan, stones, bottle tops,
cloth and polythene materials.Activity 3
1. In groups collect different materials used for tie and dye.
2. Prepare the cotton cloth you are going to use. This includes washing and ironing it.The basic methods of making tie and dye
There are various methods of making tie and dye such as gathering and stitchery, but in this section, we are going to focus on gathering and folding.Gathering and folding
In this method, the cloth is folded, tied and dipped in the dyes.
The cloth can be folded to in different ways to form pleats, stripes, circles, or spirals. In small groups, try each of these techniques by working out the activities below.Activity 4
Making patterns using pleats
Follow the steps 1 and 2 to make pleats patterns for tie and die.Activity 5
Making patterns using stripes
Follow the steps below to make stripes as patterns for tie and dye.
1. Lay the cloth on a flat
surface and gather the
cloth following its length.
2. Tie the cloth with raffia, at
intervals of your choice as
shown the picture.Activity 6
Making patterns using circles
Make your circular patterns by twisting the cloth as shown in Figure 7.
1. Lay your cloth flat on an even surface.
2. Pull up a point on your
cloth and twist it to form
an ant hill shape as shown
in the picture below.
3. Then tie the cloth tightly
from the base upwards.
This can be done at
several points on the cloth
according to your interest.Activity 7
Making patterns using spirals
Follow the steps below to make spirals.
1. Lay your cloth on a flat surface.
2. At the middle of the cloth, pinch a part and twist it toform a curl.
3. Then tie the entire cloth as
shown in Figure 9.After tying the cloth tightly and following the methods above, you can dip it in dyes and then expose it to dry. Please do not untie the cloth when it is still wet. You only remove the threads when you have completed.
Take note
You can use different colours to make beautiful patterns. But if you are going to use more than one colour, it is always better to begin with lighter colours.
Activity 8
1. Display your work and discuss it with your friends regarding the method used and the work produced.
2. Observe the pictures below and identify the patterns which correspond to the particular method of tie and dye you have done.
3. Do your patterns look similar with the ones shown in the pictures below?You can also get circular patterns by using found objects such as
stones and bottle tops. Try this out by going through activity 9.Activity 9
1. Collect assorted objects such as stones and bottle tops and wash them clean with water.
2. Arrange the found objects on a flat surface according to their different sizes, creating an interesting pattern.
3. Then put a cloth on top of the objects and tie them as shown in the picture below.4. Dye the cloth in colours of your choice
5. Display your work and discuss it with friends. For example look at the pattern below.B. How to make a batik article using wax
Wax is usually in solid form under room temperature. But it can only be used to make a batik work when it is in liquid form and hot.
When wax is heated, it melts into a liquid and flows with ease as you make patterns on the cloth.Materials used for making a batik article in wax
In order to make a batik work, you need the following materials;
cloth (preferably cotton), Paraffin wax or bee wax, a heat source, saucepan, brushes, water, dyes, paper (such as newsprint or newspapers), a flat surface (such as a table), iron box or flat iron and pencils. In small groups, prepare yourself for batik by going through activity 10.Activity 10
Preparation of the cloth for batik work
1. Wash the cloth to remove unnecessary starch and iron it after drying to get rid of unnecessary creases.
2. Mix the dyes you are going to use in water and add some little salt.Activity 11
Making a batik work
Make your batik article by going through the following steps.
Step 1
Sketch your pattern or object on paper using a pencil or any other drawing material. The sketch should be simple and bold enough in order to ease your work while applying wax on the cloth. For example look at the sketches that follow.
Step 2
Transfer the sketch from
the paper on to the cloth.
You may draw it again on
the cloth or simply trace
it out using carbon paper
or any other means.Step 3
Break the wax into small pieces
and melt it in a saucepan using the
heat source available. It is better
for you to mix 70% of paraffin wax
(candle wax) with 30% bee wax.
This is because paraffin wax alone
can break off the cloth very easily
before completing the decoration
exercise. Wax should be melted in
a container placed in a saucepan
of boiling water (double boiler) to
avoid wax from burning. Wax should
be melted in a well ventilated place
or room or outside the classroom to
avoid breathing in its fumes.Figure 19: Boiling wax in a double boiler
Step 4
Cover the table, or the flat and clean
surface available with the news
print or newspapers. The papers
prevent the cloth from getting
stack on the table or flat surface
after applying wax on it. They also
prevent wax from spoiling the table
or the flat surface.Step 5
On the newspapers or news
print, covering the table, lay
the ironed cloth with the drawn
pattern. You can clip the cloth
on the table with clean stones or
pins, in order to prevent it from
sliding off the surface when you
are still working.Step 6
Dip a painting brush in the
molten wax and paint the
lines of the patterns already
drawn on the cloth.Take note
Do not dip the brush in hot wax for a long time in order to prevent it from getting burnt.
Step 7
Use a bigger brush to paint all parts
of the cloth with the dye. The parts
which were originally painted with
wax will remain white as the other
parts of the cloth change to the
colour of the dye applied. (Always
begin with a lighter colour such as
yellow or orange whenever you are
to use more than one colour)You can apply more than one
colour to your work, by putting
different colours to different
areas on the cloth according
to the desired pattern. For
example in the batik below,
yellow has been limited to the
flower and blue to the rest of
the cloth.Step 8
Display the cloth to dry. Remember, do not dry the cloth under direct sunshine because sunshine melts the wax which has been already applied to the cloth, which may cause the dyes to penetrate through the wax-blocked areas.
Step 9
When the cloth is dry, apply
more wax over parts where you
wish to keep the first colour or
the dye. In our example, the
first colour was yellow on the
flower and blue to the rest of
the area. (This step is followed
when you are going to apply
more than one colour).Step 10
Apply the second dye to all
parts of the cloth with a big
brush. If you begun with
yellow as the first dye, and
blue as the second dye,
all parts without wax will
become green.Step 11
Display the cloth to dry.
Remember, not to dry the
cloth under direct sunshine.
Sunshine affects wax and
the dyes.Step 12
When the cloth is completely
dry, paint it with wax all
over. When the wax cools,
you can create cracks on
the cloth (crackling). Then
apply a dark dye (such as
black or dark blue) to all the
cracks.Step 13
When the cloth is dry finally,
crackle off all the wax by creasing
the cloth with your hands as
shown. You will observe that
some of the wax will remain in
the cloth, which can be removed
in the next step.Step 15
After removing the excess wax by ironing
the cloth, get the article from the table
and display for discussion and pricing. The
finished batik work can be displayed by
hanging them on wires against a wall, or
on a clean floor.
When the work are displayed, discuss your
work with fellow learners and the teacher,
as regards the suggested use and price of
the work.Figure 31: A finished batik work with a pattern of a flower
Take note
Care should be taken when working with molten wax since it burns. Also ensure that you work within a well ventilated room, or you may work from outside in an open environment.
Activity 12
Display your art works and discuss them with friends
Glossary
Batik: a method of dyeing fabric by which the parts of the fabric not intended to be dyed are covered with removable wax.
Crackle: a process of finishing a batik article by creating cracks in the finally applied wax and applying a dark dye.
Embroidery: a handicraft of decorating fabric or any other materials with needle and thread or yarn.
Tie and dye: a bound-resist method of creating patterns on fabric by denying the dye from occupying
certain places through tying.
Stripes: Long and narrow bands.
Double-boiler: A heating tool used to apply gental heat on liquid substances.
Creases: A mark made by folding, pressing or wrinkling.
Waxing: Applying wax on a given surface.My goals
By the end of this Unit, I will be able to:
⦿⦿ Trace the beginnings of art making in Europe.
⦿⦿ Identify art works of renowned artists of the world.
⦿⦿ Identify the materials and themes of artworks of the
renowned artists of the world.
⦿⦿ Make pictures to imitate the skills of renowned artists.
⦿⦿ Appreciate the value of culture in society.Introduction
In the previous Units, you have made different artworks using different materials from your surroundings. You have also tried out the different ways of using these materials to produce artworks. But do you know that many of the materials and styles we use today were tried out a long time ago? In this Unit we are going to look at the humble beginnings of art and some of the world renowned artists.
The World reknowned Art Sites
The humble beginnings of art making
It is believed that art making has come a long way since the Stone Age (when man used stone as the major tool). Making tools and materials has always been man’s concern. For example, the early
man made stone tools in order to ease his day today work. A significant example is Olduvai Gorge, in northern Tanzania where the oldest skulls and bones of the earliest man were discovered.Activity 1
1. In small groups, look at the pictures in Figure 2 and discuss the shapes of the stone tools.
2. According to their shapes, what were these tools used for?
Besides the stone tools which have been kept in museums to date, there are many other materials that were made by the early men elsewhere in the World. Man explored different materials and tools
which helped him express his artistic ideas. Some of these material, tools and ideas can be identified from the artworks that were made.
For example, the pictures that follow were discovered in caves from Altamira in Spain and Lascaux in France. The works were painted on the rocks of the cave walls and ceilings, therefore, they are commonly referred to as cave art or rock painting.Activity 2
1. In small groups, look at the pictures above and identify the objects that were painted.
2. Identify the lines, shapes and colours that were used in the two artworks.
3. Based on your observation, list the materials and tools that were used in the two works.
4. Sketch these artworks on paper and paint them following the range of colours that were used by these artistsI hope you were able to observe how the figures were painted on top of each other. This is called super imposing. The figures were drawn with lines first and then filled with colours according to their
natural appearance.Other trends in art
Man has never stopped exploring materials and tools to express his ideas and feelings in art. In so doing, art styles were developed and civilisations formed. The Renaissance period marks a climax of
man’s creativity during the middle Ages. This period started in Italy and produced great artists who are still remembered today because of their great artworks. The artists of the renaissance period include; Masaccio, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian and Raphael among others. But as for now we are going to focus on a few of them.Activity 3
In groups of five, visit the Internet and find out about the artists of the early renaissance and high renaissance.
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
He is a reknowned artist of the high renaissance, who was born in Italy. He made several paintings in a style called sfumato (the use of hazy tones in the background of a given painting) and chiaroscuro
(painting of figures with no strict boundaries or contours, but tones).
One of his renowned painting is called the monalisa.Activity 4
1. In pairs, observe Leonardo da Vinci’s self-portrait and discuss its details regarding the use of lines and his character.
2. Study the monalisa and write about Leonardo’s sfumato style of painting by contrasting the lady with the background of the painting.
3. Design a post card for your friend, with the image of the monalisa.Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
This is another great artist of the high renaissance in Italy. He was a painter, sculptor and architect. He made realistic art works by studying details of the human body structure with body movement.
He made great art works in the cysteine chapel in Italy and one of his great sculptures is David.Activity 5
1. In small groups study Michelangelo’s painting and write about its characteristics in terms of the subject matter, lines, shapes, body structure and the colours used.
2. Write about the sculpture of “David” regarding the body forms and movement.
3. What was David doing?
4. What material was used in the sculpture of David?
5. Sketch out David on paper and capture his posture.Raphael Sanzio da Urbino
Raphael is also an Italian Renaissance artist who was basically a painter. He made studies of the human figure. He painted dynamic solid figures using cool colours. In his style, he combined Leonardo da Vinci’s sfumato approach with Michelangelo’s way of handling figures. An example of his paintings is Galatia, shown in Figure 11.
The cupids with arrows are meant to be symbols of love.Activity 6
In pairs observe the Galatia by Raphael and answer the following questions:
1. How many people are in the composition?
2. Locate the focus of this painting.
3. Sketch the composition on paper and try out similar coloursVincent van Gough
After the Renaissance period, artists from different countries developed various art styles. One of such painters is Vincent van Gough. This is a painter from Netherlands who painted with exaggerated brush strokes, a style called expressionism. He painted compositions from day to day activities with a lot of movement suggested by the brush strokes. One of his famous paintings is called the “Starry night”.
Activity 7
1. Identify the subject matter captured in the “Starry night”.
2. What materials did Van Gough use in painting?
3. Paint a landscape using brush strokes similar to the ones used by Vincent van Gough.Rembrandt Van Rijn
This is a painter from Holland. He mainly painted themes from the bible, from both the old and New Testament. He made several paintings which attract a lot of feelings from the observer. He was
very interested in depicting sharp contrasts of light and dark tones in the compositions, the light was controlled to come from within the paintings.
An example of his paintings is the blinding of Samson in Figure 15.
A painting which depicts that fateful night when Samson (who was a very strong man) was brutally blinded by his enemies after having been deceived by a woman.Activity 8
1. In small groups, describe the composition shown in the painting by Rembrandt.
2. Identify the source of light in the composition.
3. The artist used sharp contrasts between light and dark tones, style called mannerism, paint your own composition reflecting this style.Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso is an artist from Spain who was a painter, sculptor, ceramicist, printmaker and stage designer. He spent most of his adult life in France. He practiced an artist style called cubism. This
is style of painting in which the figures are divided up into geometric shapes, for example look at the painting of a factory in Figure 17.
Picasso painted compositions from still life, nature and landscape.Activity 9
1. In small groups, describe the composition shown in the painting of a factory by Pablo Picasso.
2. List the geometric shapes reflected in the composition.
3. Identify the colours that were used in this painting.
4. Sketch a landscape and divide it into shapes similar to Picasso’s style of painting.
5. Look for more paintings made by Picasso (Use the Internet)O’ Keeffe
This is a female artist who lived in the United States of America during the 20th century. Her full name is Georgia Totto O’Keeffe.
She was a painter who was interested in the studies of nature; she particularly painted very large flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. This she presented using brilliant colours.Activity 10
1. In pairs observe O’ Keeffe’s painting and describe how lines were used to come up with the composition.
2. Sketch out this composition and paint it using a colour scheme of your choice.Glossary
Warp: a horizontal yarn used in a weaving process.
Architect: a person who makes/draws plans for buildings.
Chiaroscuro: a painting technique in which the shapes of objects have no defined contours but defined by contrasts in tones.
Cubism: a painting style in which figures are divided up into geometric shapes.
Renaissance: a rebirth of knowledge. A period in which artists revisited the art which had been
produced by ancient Greeks and Romans to come up with master pieces of art works in
painting, sculpture and architecture.
Sculptor: an artist who makes sculptures by either modeling clay, curving stone, chiseling wood,
casting or manipulation of any other materials.
Sfumato: a painting technique in which the background is painted in hazy or misty tones.References
Brommer, G.F. & Kinne, N.K. (1995). Exploring Painting. Davis
Publication Inc. Worcewster.
Getlein, M. (2008). Living with Art. (Eighth Edition). McGraw-Hill
Companies Inc.
Getlein, M. (2008). Living with Art. McGraw Hill.
Gombrich, G. W. (1995). The Story of Art. Phaidon Press.
Proctor, R.M. & Lew, J.F. (1995). Surface Design for Fabrics.
(Revised Edition). University of Washington Press.
Tansev, R., Kleiner, F. S., De La Croix, H., (2004). Gardner’s Art
through the Ages. (14th Edition). Thames and Hudson
Tebenkana, T. (2013). Insights into the History of Art. (Volume 2).
Astro Book Binding Center, Kampala
Tebenkana, T. (2013). Crafts and Studio Technology. (A revised
Edition). Astro Book Binding Store. Kampala.