Art and Design - Madame Tussauds

Introduction
The Madame Tussauds Art and Design Teaching
resource provides a comprehensive package
which allows students to get the most out of
their visit to this venue. It structures specific
preparation for the day, enhances the gallery
experience and uses the attraction as an exciting
starting point for a range of portrait projects.
The resource has been written in close
consultation with practising teachers, in
association with Madame Tussauds London.It
offers relevant and stimulating exercises that
support key areas of the Art and Design
curriculum, bringing the subject to life in the
most exciting way.
Using the resource
These classroom resources aim to provide the
tools teachers need to deliver exciting lessons in
Art and Design in today’s classrooms. Our
intention is to do as much of the preparation
and planning for you as possible.
Designed to be flexible, the resource offers a
range of activities and ideas so that you can
select the topics and exercises that suit your
students best.While the focus is on students
aged 11 – 14, materials can be adapted for use
with the 14 – 16 age group.
Contents
This resource is broken into the following
topic areas:
Investigating portraits
Self-portraits
Developing a self-portrait
Investigating portraits – sculpture
Developing a sculptural self-portrait
Student worksheets and supporting teacher
notes are supplied for each section.
Art and Design
resource
Supports the National Curriculum
for students aged 11 – 14
“This pack is an invaluable springboard
for interesting and varied
lessons on portraiture using the exhibits at
Madame Tussauds as the starting point. It is
sure to be a hit with teachers and pupils alike.”
Deirdre Houghton, Art Teacher, Clifton College
This teaching resource links to the following areas of the curriculum:
Curriculum links
Art and Design
DCSF Schemes
of Work links
Cross-curricular
1.1 - a, b, 1.2 - a, b, 1.3 – b , 1.4 - a,b,c,d , 2.1 - a,
b, c, d, e, 2.2 - c, d, f, 3 - b, c, d , 4 - b, d, e, g
Unit 7a: Self-image
Unit 8a: Objects and
viewpoints
All content is © Merlin Entertainments Group unless otherwise stated.
Unit 9a. Life events
Unit 10a: Visiting a
museum, gallery or site
History, English, ICT, PSHE, Citizenship
Teacher notes 1

Art and Design
resource
Investigating portraits
Learning objectives
Students should learn:
to analyse the work of other artists and to use their
observations to inform their own work.
to discuss and question critically a range of visual and other
information to help them develop ideas for independent work
to produce portraits from photographs and real life.
Resources required:
Student Worksheets 1 - 3
Sketchbooks or paper
Section notes on worksheets
Worksheets 1 - 3 ask students to explore the definition of a portrait and to
consider how Madame Tussauds wax figures can be categorised as
portraits. Students look at different styles of portrait from realistic to
abstract, as well as pose and costume.
The importance of close observation in portraiture is emphasised
throughout and students begin observing subjects and making sketched
studies of their own.
Discussion points
What kind of people make
interesting subjects for portraits?
(Celebrities are a good example.)
Extension activities
The celebrity wax figures in Madame Tussauds
would be excellent primary source material for
creating Warhol inspired work. Students could
take photographs of the Marilyn Monroe /
Elizabeth Taylor wax figures for example, then
use photo software to work with colour to
generate a pop art effect. Alternatively they
could print out their photos in black and white
and paint over them with bright colours.
Drawing media (pencils, pens or charcoal)
Clip-boards (extension activity only)
Why do you think some artists
choose the same subjects for
their portraits repeatedly?
Supports the National Curriculum
for students aged 11 – 14
Ask students to make sketches of their favourite
celebrities on the day of their visit to Madame
Tussauds. Give them the following guidance and
a suggested task time of 20 minutes:
a bc
d
How does the way we use
portraits today differ from the
time before photography existed?
Concentrate on the torso (head and shoulders).
Draw the outline of the torso as if it were a silhouette.
Sketch in the features, being very careful to place
them correctly.
Shade and add detail.
Teacher notes 2

Self-portraits
Art and Design
resource
Learning objectives
Students should learn:
to analyse the work of other artists and to use their
observations to inform their own work
to apply and extend their experience of a range of materials,
tools and processes
to explore composition, style and technique.
Resources required:
Worksheet 4
Access to internet so that students can research a favourite
self-portrait or reference books containing colour art prints.
Section notes on worksheets
Through discussion of famous artists who have produced self-portraits
and close analysis of two famous paintings which are shown on the
worksheet, students learn how to extract meaning beyond the literal
from works of art, and expand their understanding of content, form,
material, technique and process.
Discussion points
Why have so many artists throughout time been interested in
producing self-portraits?
What are the challenges of representing yourself through art?
What aspects of ourselves should we look to represent in a
self-portrait? Should we aim to portray our thoughts, feelings and
experiences as well as our appearance?
Supports the National Curriculum
for students aged 11 – 14
Extension activities
Brief students to create a ‘spidergram of me’, thinking about what aspects of their
lives best represent them to inform their ongoing work on self-portraits.
As a homework activity, ask students to create a personal identity box from card,
using nets. Alternatively they can use an old shoe-box or similar. In their box they
should place items that show images of, or signify their interests, values and
life-experiences. They can decorate the inside and outside of the box accordingly as
well. You might like to bring in some examples of the work of Joseph Cornell for
them to look at for inspiration.
Teacher notes 3

Art and Design
resource
Developing a self-portrait
Learning objectives
Students should learn:
to record and analyse first hand observations
to apply and extend their experience of a range of materials,
tools and processes
to explore composition, style and technique
to expand their understanding of style through analysis of other
artists’ work.
Resources required:
Worksheets 5 and 6
Paper or sketchbooks
Mirrors
Section notes on worksheets
Drawing media
(pencils, pens or charcoal)
Paints if desired
Supports the National Curriculum
for students aged 11 – 14
Students make and record a selection of observational studies to inform their work.
Following this, students work with paint or drawing media to create an expressive image of
themselves that conveys mood and emotion. Emphasis is on techniques and processes,
including the use of line, tone, colour, marks and texture. Some consideration is also given to the use of symbols in
portraiture to convey mood, emotion and life-experience. Both worksheets encourage peer assessment of work.
Discussion points
How can you show your personality in a
self-portrait?
How could you use colour, texture or position of
the face to show emotion most effectively in a
self-portrait?
What makes a self-portrait powerful?
Do you think the materials used make any
difference? What about the combining of
different materials?
Do you think words or an explanation would add
to the portrait or does it speak for itself?
Extension activities
Ask students to take photocopies of their drawings and photographs (from different angles) of
themselves. They should then cut and reorganise this material, combining it with other images or text
to create an image of self. They could also make a personal statement and insert it into the picture.
Students could work in pairs, experimenting with digital photography to create images of themselves.
They may like to create a silhouette (using a strong, directional light to create the silhouette).
They can then fill that silhouette in with collage items.
Brief students to create a digital self-portrait using Adobe Photoshop (or a similar programme) to
manipulate a digital image of themselves. They may like to look at creating a Warhol influenced piece.
Teacher notes 4

Art and Design
resource
Investigating portraits
Learning objectives
Students should learn:
to apply and extend their experience of a
range of materials
to analyse and evaluate the work of others.
Resources required:
Worksheet 7
Section notes on worksheets
Students learn about the process behind the creation of Madame
Tussauds wax figures and begin to gather information to inform
their own sculptures, including details of the materials they will use.
Discussion points
Suggest three materials that an artist might use to make a
sculptural portrait.
What tools do you think they might use to form a 3D shape from
each material?
What materials do the sculptors at Madame Tussauds use to make
their portraits?
Can you remember what is used to create the face and the eyes of
the wax figures in Madame Tussauds?
Madame Tussauds sculptures use real clothes and props. How does
this add to the sculptures and what does it tell us about the sitters?
Supports the National Curriculum
for students aged 11 – 14
Extension activities
As a homework activity, ask students to research sculptures on the Tate Modern
website www.tate.org.uk/modern They should choose their two favourite sculptures
and do a sketch of each one in their sketchbooks, shading their sketches and writing
two lines about the artist that made each of them.
Students could also take photographs of any sculptural works that there might be in
the vicinity of their home or the school and keep these for future inspiration.
Teacher notes 5

Art and Design
resource
Learning objectives
Students should learn:
to apply and extend their experience of a range of materials, tools and processes
to record observations from photographs or first hand, using different mediums
to explore style and technique in 3D.
Resources required:
Worksheets 8 and 9
Wooden manikins (one per group)
Sculpting materials (e.g. clay, papier mache, modroc, plasticine, wire)
Carving and / or sculpting tools (dependent on material chosen)
Paints (acrylics, poster paints or other paints that will adhere to surface of chosen materials)
Section notes on worksheets
Supports the National Curriculum
for students aged 11 – 14
Developing a sculptural self-portrait
Worksheet 8 provides notes on 3D sketching using a manikin. This observation work will aid
understanding of the importance of capturing an accurate likeness from all angles when working
with sculptural self-portraits. Students then plan their sculpture carefully before starting,
creating a planning sheet using suggested categories supplied.
Following this preparatory work, students create a sculpture of their own. Worksheet 9 houses
information on texture and moulding as well as tips on painting the sculpture after it has been
completed. You may like to conclude the unit of work with a peer assessment session.
Discussion points
How does the use of space differ in a painted portrait compared to a sculptural portrait?
Do you think it’s easier or harder to work on a 3D sculpture and why?
If you were describing to a friend how you created your portrait sculpture what would you say?
How would you say colour is most commonly used in portrait sculptures?
How do Madame Tussauds manage to make their figures so lifelike? Did you get any tips from
the attraction sculptors that may help you with your own sculpture?
Extension activities
Students can produce a written evaluation of their own work, assessing the
strengths and weaknesses of the process they underwent as well as the end result.
Ask students to create a storyboard demonstrating how they made their sculpture.
They may like to create a photo storyboard of each stage of the process.
Ask students to keep a diary as they work, using the end of each lesson to make key
points on each task. This can be reviewed on completion of the project.
Teacher notes 6