Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• A mind map is a visual tool for organising ideas and images related to a theme, such as genres of fantasy art.
• Shaun Tan is an Australian illustrator who creates new animals and industrial creatures from objects for his books.
• Jim Kay is an award-winning British illustrator who was chosen by J. K. Rowling to bring her creations to life for the Harry Potter books, and he uses mixed media methods to give his designs life and movement.
• Greek mythology is one influential tradition featuring hybrid and supernatural beings, such as Medusa, the Minotaur, and the Hydra, while earlier Mesopotamian and Egyptian traditions also depicted such creatures.
• Genres and subject areas within fantasy include myths and legends; mythical creatures, such as mermaids, fairies, pixies, and leprechauns; science fiction, including aliens, life from other worlds, and alternative universes; folk tales and historical fiction; magic and sorcery; and horror creatures and monsters.
• Observational sketches involve drawing directly from life, capturing real details and textures.
• Observational drawings of existing wildlife can inspire artists to use observed shapes, features, skin textures, and colours when developing ideas for new fantasy creatures in different genres.
• Small thumbnail sketches enable artists to record shape and form quickly and generate ideas.
• Mixed media refers to combining different art materials, such as oil pastels, watercolours, and crayons, in a single artwork.
• Blending is the technique of smoothly mixing colours together to improve accuracy when representing colour.
• Mark making is a method of using a series of lines, dots, and curves arranged to show tone and texture.
• Initial ideas are developed quickly so that artists can generate many possibilities before deciding how to realise their creative intentions.
• The selection of materials, such as paint, pencil, or ink, should suit the chosen theme and desired effects.
• Composition refers to the arrangement of elements within an artwork, including balance, focus, and background, and an original fantasy creature composition should draw on research, observations, and experiments undertaken during the project.
• Self-assessment involves reflecting on artistic choices and evaluating what worked well in the final piece.

• Develop a mind map that organises words and images related to fantasy art.
• Create practical studies that emulate techniques used by Shaun Tan and Jim Kay, and annotate the studies to explain the techniques used and effects achieved.
• Use both the grid method and basic-shape methods to produce accurate observational drawings.
• Experiment with and combine different materials and techniques, such as oil pastels, watercolours, crayons, collage, and mixed media, in observational drawings.
• Blend paint, ink, watercolour, pastel, and crayon smoothly and accurately.
• Produce practical experiments that use the qualities of different materials to represent a range of textures.
• Draw thumbnail sketches to explore and compare different compositions for an original fantasy creature.
• Plan a final fantasy creature composition that reflects a chosen fantasy genre, combines accurately observed features with imaginative ideas, and makes informed choices from the research, techniques, materials, and processes explored.
• Write a short evaluation explaining artistic choices, techniques used, and what aspects of the final piece were successful.