Here is a list of my top 10 non-clay sculpture lessons for upper elementary through high school. Each includes a short description of each lesson and what students learn. In addition, I have listed them from easiest to more challenging and provided links for more information.
1. Food Truck
Students love to build, create sculptures and make 3D art. I use a printed template for the students to cut out and fold to make their food truck. Students design an original logo for their food truck, learn about color schemes and careers in art, specifically responsibilities of a graphic designer. As far as sculpture lessons go, this is the least messy and easiest to prepare! For more information on this lesson, check out my Food Truck Art Lesson: A Student Favorite post.
2. Paper Chain Mural
This is by far my favorite collaborative sculpture lesson. Students work in small groups to draw a pixelated image. Once the images are drawn, and the colors are selected, students use 1โx 4โ strips of colorful paper to create loops that correspond with the pixelated image. Students create columns of chains of the colorful loops that are glued together to create a pixelated image. The teamwork really does make the dream work and the end result is stunning! Lesson Link
3. Plaster Craft Mask
I prefer to use Plastercraft for this sculpture lesson, however paper machรฉ can also be used. First, my students view masks from around the world and use the masks as inspiration to create an original 3D mask design. Plastercraft is draped over a plastic face mold and Model Magic is used to build up the armature. I bring out odds and ends and other crafty stuff they add to their masks. The results are always unique! Lesson Link
4. Paper Machรฉ Pie Sculpture
This paper machรฉ sculpture art lesson is one of the easiest to create. My students create a sturdy armature with cardboard and tag board. Again, Plastercraft or paper machรฉ can be used to cover the armature and Model Magic can be used to add โextrasโ. Students love painting their non-utilitarian pie sculptures with either abstract or realistic colors. This is a perfect lesson to introduce Claes Oldenberg and his oversized food sculptures. Lesson Link
5. Radial Relief Assemblage
I love to think of this as an upcycle lesson, perfect for Earth Day. This is my favorite way to use all of those donated paper towel and toilet paper tubes. I use my paper cutter to cut the tubes into ยฝ inch slices. Students dip the tube segments into liquid glue and place on cardboard sheets to create a radial design. Once the glue has dried, students choose a color scheme to add color to their recycled relief sculpture. Lesson Link
6. 50 Forms
This might be the most inexpensive sculpture lesson as it only requires paper. This relief sculpture is inspired by street artist Mademoiselle Maurice. First, my students experiment with many different paper folding techniques. Next, the students choose one paper form they can easily make 50 times, such as an origami butterfly. Finally, they consider the elements and principles of design when creating and arranging the forms to create their relief sculpture. Lesson Link
7. Paper Relief Sculpture
My students learn about American artist Jen Stark and her artistic journey, while learning the difference between sculpture in the round and relief sculpture. This is also a great way for students to apply their understanding of geometric and organic shapes while using creative problem solving. Students cut concentric shapes from cardstock and glue pieces of cardboard between to create a colorful relief sculpture. Lesson Link
8. Toothpick Sculptures
This is a perfect independent or collaborative art lesson that promotes creative problem solving and critical thinking strategies. My students learn about toothpick sculptor Scott Weaver and create their very own free-standing sculpture with toothpicks. The toothpicks are connected with Model Magic beads to form tetrahedrons. Lesson Link
9. Non-Objective Repoussรฉ Relief Sculpture
This sculpture art lesson is a perfect beginner metal tooling or repoussรฉ lesson to introduce relief sculptures. In this relief sculpture art lesson, students create a relief sculpture following metal tooling and repoussรฉ techniques that morphs 2D and 3D art together. Students add organic and geometric shapes and use lines, colors, patterns and shapes to create a non-objective sculpture that has unity. Lesson Link
10. Styrofoam Cup
This is a great lesson to introduce students to using X-acto knives. Students learn X-acto safety and practice on paper prior to beginning this sculpture. Students then apply additive and subtractive methods of sculpture while thinking about positive and negative space. It is a relatively easy lesson, but it is always a hit with my students. Lesson Link
Thanks for reading – Trista
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Related: For sculpture ideas that do involve clay, check out my How I Survive Clay Day post.