Basic 7 · Creative Arts and Design · Design in Nature and the Manmade Environment
Colour and Texture, Shading Still Life and Song Composition
In this topic you will study colour, texture and space as building blocks of design, shade a still-life drawing to show light and form, and compose a call-and-response song about your community.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Explain colour groups, texture and space as elements of design
- Shade a still-life drawing to show highlight, shadow and form
- Compose and perform a short call-and-response song
What you already know
- Elements of design in nature
- Observational drawing and rhythm composition
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- Design
- Sub-strand
- Design in Nature and the Manmade Environment
- Indicator
- B7.1.1.1.2 – Research to identify and record what constitutes the ‘elements of design’ in nature and as building blocks for composition and creative expression of ideas
Introduction
Colour can make a design feel hot or cool, happy or sad. Texture makes it feel rough or smooth. Space gives it room to breathe. These three elements bring designs to life.
1. The Colour Wheel
| Group | Colours | How they are made |
|---|---|---|
| primary | red, yellow, blue | cannot be made by mixing other colours |
| secondary | orange, green, violet | mixing two primaries (red + yellow = orange) |
| tertiary | yellow-green, red-orange, blue-violet, etc. | mixing a primary with a neighbouring secondary |
Colours opposite each other on the wheel, such as red and green or blue and orange, are complementary colours. They make each other look brighter when placed side by side. Colours next to each other, such as yellow, yellow-green and green, are analogous colours and look calm together. Red, orange and yellow are warm colours; blue, green and violet are cool colours.
2. Colour Meaning in Ghanaian Culture
| Colour | Common meaning in Ghana |
|---|---|
| black | mourning, maturity, the ancestors |
| red | danger, sorrow, political struggle |
| white | joy, victory, purity |
| gold or yellow | wealth, royalty |
| green | growth, harvest, fertility |
3. Texture and Space
Actual texture can be felt with the fingers, like the surface of a woven basket. Visual (implied) texture only looks rough or smooth, like a drawing of tree bark. Space can be positive (the area filled by objects) or negative (the empty area around them). Good designs balance both, so the work does not look crowded or empty.
New words
- complementary colours
- Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel.
- tertiary colour
- A colour made by mixing a primary and a neighbouring secondary.
- visual texture
- Texture that can be seen but not felt.
- negative space
- The empty area around objects.
Summary
- Primary, secondary and tertiary colours are arranged on the colour wheel.
- In Ghana, colours carry meanings, such as black and red for mourning.
- Texture can be actual or visual; space can be positive or negative.
Class activity: Colour and Texture Chart
- Paint a colour wheel with primary, secondary and tertiary colours.
- Next to it, make four texture rubbings and label them.
- Write one meaning of each colour in the Ghanaian colour table.
You need: Local leaves, Woven basket, Pencils
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which is a primary colour?
- A. Blue
- B. Green
- C. Orange
- D. Violet
Show answer
Answer: BlueIt cannot be mixed.2. Red and green are…
- A. complementary colours
- B. analogous colours
- C. tertiary colours
- D. cool colours
Show answer
Answer: complementary coloursOpposite on the wheel.3. Mixing yellow and blue gives green.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueTwo primaries make a secondary.4. The empty area around objects in a design is ______ space.
Show answer
Answer: negativeEmpty space.5. Explain the difference between actual and visual texture.
Show answer
Answer: Actual texture can be felt; visual texture only looks rough or smooth.Touch vs sight.6. Why do Ghanaians often wear black and red at funerals?
Show answer
Answer: Black stands for mourning and the ancestors; red for sorrow and loss.Colour symbolism.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- Visual Arts
- Sub-strand
- Design in Nature and the Manmade Environment
- Indicator
- B7.2.1.1.1 – Identify and determine the nature and uses of tools materials and techniques needed for still-life drawing and shading pattern making and modelling
Introduction
An outline shows the edge of an object, but shading shows its form. With the right tones, a flat circle on paper becomes a round calabash that seems to sit on the table.
1. Light and Shadow on an Object
| Part | Description |
|---|---|
| highlight | the brightest spot where light hits directly |
| light tone | the side facing the light |
| mid-tone | the area turning away from the light |
| core shadow | the darkest band on the object, away from the light |
| reflected light | a faint light bouncing back from the table into the shadow |
| cast shadow | the shadow the object throws on the surface |
2. Steps in Shading
- Decide where the light comes from and mark it with a small arrow.
- Lightly map the areas of highlight, mid-tone and shadow.
- Shade the darkest areas first with a soft pencil or charcoal.
- Build mid-tones gradually with hatching or blending.
- Leave the highlight as white paper or lift it out with an eraser.
- Add the cast shadow, darkest near the object and lighter as it moves away.
3. Shading Different Surfaces
Different surfaces need different shading. A smooth bottle has sharp, bright highlights and sudden changes of tone. A calabash has softer highlights. A woven basket needs small marks that show its texture, with each strand slightly darker where it goes under another. Follow the form with your shading strokes: curved strokes for round objects, straight strokes for flat surfaces.
Common mistake: Outlining the shadow with a hard line makes the drawing look flat. Let shadows fade gradually.
New words
- highlight
- The brightest part of an object.
- core shadow
- The darkest band on an object.
- reflected light
- Light bouncing into the shadow from nearby surfaces.
- form shading
- Shading that follows the shape of an object.
Summary
- Highlight, light tone, mid-tone, core shadow, reflected light and cast shadow show form.
- Shade dark areas first and build mid-tones gradually.
- Shading strokes should follow the form of the object.
Class activity: Shaded Still Life
- Arrange a calabash and one smaller object with light from one side.
- Draw the outline and shade it with at least five tones.
- Label the highlight, core shadow and cast shadow on your drawing.
You need: Local calabash still-life object, Drawing paper, Charcoal pencils
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. The brightest spot on an object is the…
- A. highlight
- B. core shadow
- C. cast shadow
- D. mid-tone
Show answer
Answer: highlightDirect light.2. Faint light bouncing from the table into the shadow is…
- A. reflected light
- B. highlight
- C. cast shadow
- D. outline
Show answer
Answer: reflected lightIt lightens the shadow edge.3. Shading strokes should follow the form of the object.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueCurved strokes for round forms.4. The shadow an object throws on the table is the ______ shadow.
Show answer
Answer: castThrown shadow.5. List the six parts of light and shade on a round object.
Show answer
Answer: Highlight, light tone, mid-tone, core shadow, reflected light, cast shadow.All six.6. Explain why a drawing with only an outline looks flat.
Show answer
Answer: Without tones there is no sign of light and shadow, so the eye cannot see the object's roundness or depth.Tone shows form.
Lesson 3
- Strand
- Performing Arts
- Sub-strand
- Media and Techniques
- Indicator
- B7.2.2.2.4 – Create and produce own musical works that reflect the history and culture of the people of the community
Introduction
"Agoo!" "Amee!" Call and response is everywhere in Ghanaian music, from funeral songs to church choruses. In this lesson you will compose your own call-and-response song.
1. What Is Call and Response?
Call and response: A song form where a lead singer (cantor) sings a line and a group (chorus) answers.
The cantor's call can change each time, but the chorus response usually stays the same, so everyone can join in. This form encourages the whole community to take part. It is found in Adowa songs, Ewe Agbadza songs, Ga Kpanlogo songs and many children's play songs.
2. Structure of a Simple Song
| Section | What happens |
|---|---|
| introduction | drums or clapping set the beat |
| call | the cantor sings a line of the story |
| response | the chorus answers with a fixed line |
| interlude | instruments play alone briefly |
| ending | the chorus sings the response twice and drums stop together |
3. Writing the Words and Melody
Choose a theme, such as keeping the community clean, the beauty of the harvest or the history of your town. Write four short calls that tell the story and one response that sums it up. Fit the words to a melody using notes from the major scale, such as d r m s l. Short, catchy responses are easiest to remember.
Compose a call and response
Theme: keeping our town clean.
- Call 1: "Who will sweep our compound?"
- Call 2: "Who will clear the gutters?"
- Response: "We will keep our town clean!"
- Sing the calls on m r d and the response on s s l s m d.
Answer: A song where each call asks a question and the chorus answers "We will keep our town clean!"
Tip: Record your song on a phone so you can listen and improve it.
New words
- cantor
- The lead singer in call and response.
- chorus
- The group that answers the cantor.
- interlude
- A short instrumental section between sung parts.
- melody
- A tune made of notes of different pitches.
Summary
- Call and response has a changing call and a fixed response.
- A song plan includes introduction, calls, responses, interlude and ending.
- Choose a community theme, write short lines and fit them to scale notes.
Class activity: Our Community Song
- Agree on a community theme and write four calls and one response.
- Set the words to a melody and add a drum or clapping accompaniment.
- Perform for the class, with a different learner as cantor each time.
You need: Atumpan drum, Wooden clappers, Printed music-notation cards
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. The group that answers the cantor is the…
- A. chorus
- B. drummer
- C. soloist
- D. conductor
Show answer
Answer: chorusThey respond.2. In call and response, the part that usually stays the same is the…
- A. response
- B. call
- C. introduction
- D. interlude
Show answer
Answer: responseEveryone can join.3. Call and response is common in Ghanaian traditional music.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt is found in many dances.4. A short instrumental section between sung parts is an ______.
Show answer
Answer: interludeInstruments alone.5. Describe the structure of a simple call-and-response song.
Show answer
Answer: Introduction, calls by the cantor, responses by the chorus, an interlude and an ending.Song plan.6. Why is call and response good for community singing?
Show answer
Answer: The fixed response is easy to learn, so everyone can take part while the leader tells the story.Participation.
Homework
- Paint a small design using only complementary colours.
- Write two more calls for your community song.