Mythological Beast Challenge

Your Quest‌ This week, Mrs Smith and Mrs Allen are setting the pupils of Bridge & Patrixbourne Primary School a new art and writing quest with a mythological theme.

Design your own creature using dice to decide the features your creation will have and use your artistic skills and descriptive techniques to bring it to life!

First, get your dice ready…

The number you roll will decide which features your creature should have.

You can roll the dice as many times as you like to help you create your beast. I’ve rolled the dice for Mrs Smith – let’s see if she can do this! Ha ha ha!

1. Mermaid’s tail 2. Lion’s head 3. Dragon’s claws

4. Unicorn’s horn 5. Wolf’s body 6. Phoenix’s wings

Roll once for each feature you would like to add.

I am going to use watercolour paint and colour pencils to paint my beast.

You can use whatever art media you have at home:  Collage  Paint  Colour pencils  Crayons……………..it’s up to you.

On the next slide I have included a link to the website of illustrator Jim Kay. He has illustrated many books, including Harry Potter. His work has inspired the design of my own beast. I love the way that he has added texture to his work by layering media.

Make sure that you click on the links provided on the next slide to see Jim Kay’s work.

http://www.jimkay.co.uk/ https://creepyscrawlers.com/illustration/

Look at Jim Kay’s work at the websites above.

To create my beast, I have drawn from photographs of animals.

Do google photographs to draw from.

Step 1 Source photographs and pictures from the internet to draw from. Sketch out your beast with pencil on paper.

I like to work big, and as I have been drawing, my beast has popped off my page.

Tip: instead of squeezing your picture onto a small piece of paper, stick extra pieces on and keep your drawing in proportion. Let it grow!

Mine is larger than A1!

Step 2 Once your beast is drawn out, start to add colour. I first painted my beasts using watercolour paints. Once dry, you can add texture and tone to your picture.

Step 3 - Adding Texture

To give the impression of hair, I have added wispy texture using a fan paintbrush with a very small amount of paint on it. You could try using a large paintbrush or an old toothbrush. I have also added wisps of colour pencil in a contrasting colour. Practise this technique on a separate piece of paper before using on your final picture.

Step 4 – Adding darker tones and line Adding dark tones helps to make your picture look less flat.

Use a colour pencil to add shading to areas which may have shadow, or to make shapes stand out from one another – for example feathers. Use a darker pencil or a contrasting colour.

Use thin, darker lines to define areas, shapes, texture and also create form – for example, curved lines on scales to make them look more rounded.

Here you go Mrs. Allen!

A lions head A unicorn’s horn A wolf’s body A mermaid’s tail Dragon’s claws And the wings of a phoenix!!!!

Please send your art and writing to Mrs Smith and Mrs Allen: caroline.smith@bridge.kent.sch.uk natalie.allen@bridge.kent.sch.uk and we will share your work on the school blog!

Carry on and complete the creative writing task at the end of the powerpoint.

Describe your creation!

Ideas for Key Stage 1: Can you use interesting adjectives to describe what your creature looks like? huge little

tall long

beautiful glowing

ugly fierce

wonderful special

horrid

large mighty

scary sharp

Remember to use commas if you are listing adjectives: E.g. The beast has ugly, sharp claws.

Can you use exciting verb choices to describe how your creature moves? stomp

run

walk

slide

creep

glide

fly

shuffle

wriggle

crawl

slither

scuttle

E.g. The creature creeps slowly from its cave.

Don’t forget to give your creature a name!

Describe your creation!

Ideas for Key Stage 2: Write a descriptive paragraph for the creature you have drawn.

Try to include: • ambitious adjectives to describe its appearance • adverbs to describe the creature’s actions • other senses to describe such as sound and smell

Some effective descriptive techniques to try out: Simile – a feature is like something else E.g. Teeth as sharp as daggers.

Metaphor – a feature is applied to an object E.g. The creature has a heart of stone.

Alliteration – the first letter or sound is repeated in words close to one another E.g. Cutting claws scrape across the ground.

Hyperbole – an exaggerated statement E.g. Its neck towers like a skyscraper overlooking its prey.

Onomatopoeia – a word that sounds like what it describes E.g. Its wings swish as it soars across the sky.

Personification – a feature is described as having human characteristics E.g. Its glowing red eyes dance like flames.

Please email photos of your art and writing to:

natalie.allen@bridge.kent.sch.uk caroline.smith@bridge.kent.sch.uk

We will share your work on the school blog!