This archived Art and design scheme of work video is part of a lesson in which pupils explore tone, one of the formal elements of art, by creating three-dimensional ribbon drawings inspired by the American artist Ed Ruscha.

Children begin by experimenting with different grades of pencils, learning how pressing harder or using softer leads can produce a range of tones. They practise shading in their sketchbooks before moving on to their main activity. Using real ribbon, pupils twist and shape it into interesting forms, fixing it with tape if needed. They then sketch the outline of their ribbon design and carefully apply shading to show light, mid and dark tones, including any shadows. Through this process, pupils discover how tone can transform a simple line drawing into a realistic 3D image.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s archived Year 2 Formal elements of art unit.

See more of our original Key stage 1 Art and design scheme of work.

Art and design, Key stage 1, Formal elements of art, Lesson 4: Tone 1: 3D pencil drawings.