Step 1: Thinking and Imagining
Discuss what sort of creatures could be considered minibeasts. Find visual stimulus and discuss. Use images to make a visual display. Also:
- Take a walk and look for insects and spiders. Talk about them eg what they use various body parts for, why they often look so vicious and why they are often colourful
- Collate images of insects and label the different body parts – wings, teeth, eyes etc.
- Analyse the different lines, shapes, colours and textures that make up an insect
- Make sketches of a variety of insects and their different body parts.
- Draw imaginary minibeasts
Step 2: Colour blending skills
- Always start with a ball rolled between palms of hands.
- The more you roll, the smoother the Magiclay will become
- The thinner the Magiclay, the more pliant it will be
Step 3: Modelling techniques & skills
Take a golf ball size piece of Magiclay. As you discover different ways of manipulating Magiclay, share your ideas, techniques and discoveries with others.
- Hands as tools
With different parts of the hands, try squeezing, twisting, rolling, pinching, tearing/pulling, pressing to make different shapes; try joining and smoothing a surface. Think about or discuss what techniques and skills could be used to make different parts of a minibeast eg. the head, thorax, body and wings. What could be added to these pieces? - Using tool set
Create different lines, textures and patterns. Discuss which of these could be used on different parts of the minibeast eg. hole indentations could give the body texture. - Using other tools
Try cutting, trimming and fringing with a pair of scissors. Find other items that could be used as a tool eg poking a fork into Magiclay creates repeated indentations. - Practise
Make different minibeasts with the same pieces of Magiclay. Work quickly.