Foundation Skills – Formal Elements of Art

Overview

An introductory textiles skills project covering the AQA assessment objects and exploring a variety of new and familiar techniques. Sketchbook preparatory work will lead to a final outcome/outcomes.

Work will focus on learning skills such as stitching, applique, felting, weaving, printmaking, design and construction methods. An example of a recent project starting point is ‘Natural Textures’. The work is intially teacher led where all the class investigate the same artists/photographers/skills, but it transitions to personal choice to enable students to work independently.

Cultural Capital: Arts, learning through the artwork of others, life skills (sewing)

UN Rights of the Child:
29. Aims of Education
31. Rest, play, culture, arts

Example Key Words

Felting

What is the Process of Felting? To produce a piece of felt, you have to cause the hair or fibers to interlock with each other creating a matted fabric. This can be accomplished by applying water and agitation or by physically tangling the wool using special felting needles.

Applique

Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique is accomplished either by hand stitching or machine.

Printmaking

Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces.

Batik

Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a canting, or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a cap

Embroidery

Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins.

Weaving

Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting.