3D Cityscape Mural

What you'll need:

  • Drawing materials, eg soft graphite pencils, fine black pens, pastels, paper and sketchbooks
  • Viewfinders (made from a card frame)
  • Scissors
  • Large sheets of paper
  • Card
  • Sticki Dots, Sticki Pads, Sticki Tape
  • Paints
  • Brushes

Begin by looking at examples of public buildings, including buildings from other times and places. Perhaps arrange a visit to a public building such as the town hall, library or church. Pupils should look for shapes and patterns in the building and think about why they were chosen. Discuss how these features tell us about the purpose of the building.

Pupils can take rubbings of patterns found in building and record the use of shape, space and pattern in local buildings.

Use card viewfinders to focus on features that show shapes, patterns and decoration, eg windows, doors, brick and tile patterns.

When you get back to the classroom you can discuss the design of a large-scale mural to represent your cityscape. This should include different styles and shapes of buildings, that have different functions. Will the design of your city be naturalistic, futuristic or even abstract? Decide on a design style.

Create a backdrop for the cityscape the large sheets of paper, using the painting materials and hang on the classroom wall. This will be provide the background on to which individual building panels will be attached. Decide what kind of buildings and how many will be added to the backdrop.

Pupils can work individually, or in groups, on designs for buildings that create the foreground of the large-scale mural. Remember to create different sizes and levels for visual interest.

Encourage pupils to think about the patterns and textures they have observed and recorded, and how these can be used within the design to create interesting surfaces. Give the surface of individual buildings texture by attaching Sticki Tape or Sticki Dots on to which you can sprinkle sand, gravel or other similar materials.

Once the individual buildings are complete, attach Sticki Pads to the back and place them on the mural. Your can give your mural depth by adding a second layer buildings. The finished mural can be as simple or complicated as you want.

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