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Home » Blog » Metal Tooling Using Visual Texture

Metal Tooling Using Visual Texture

21 Comments

4th grade metal tooling art project using aluminum metal and permanent markersMetal tooling, also called “repousse” and “metal embossing” is a type of low-relief sculpture in which tools are used to create a design on metal. This centuries old practice can be found in artworks including armor plates from ancient Greece, King Tut’s mask, and Mexican tin art designs. Gold and silver were used for more detailed works while copper and bronze were more suited to large sculptures and armor. All of these designs were heavily laden with visual texture.

Ancient civilizations created these metalworks for functional purposes like protection and utilitarian uses. More advanced cultures relied on the decorative nature of metal embossing for religious purposes. 

In both instances, metal tooling art lends itself to creating visual textures and repetitive patterns on the surface of the metal.

Visual texture is an implied texture you can see like cloudy, shiny, and windy and can be drawn as such. However, tactile texture can be touched to understand how they feel like bumpy, fuzzy, and smooth.

In this lesson, 4th grade students create a metal tooling design using five unique visual textures. And they arrange their elements in either a static or dynamic composition. As a result, their design has movement or not.

student filling in lines in a metal embossing project with visual texture

Metal Tooling Materials

  • 36 gauge aluminum tooling foil
  • Embossing stylus tool, wooden sticks, or clay tools
  • Masking tape
  • 6″ square paper
  • Pencils
  • Colored permanent markers

Visual Texture and Composition

First, we brainstorm various textures in our sketchbooks. We look for examples in the classroom and draw them. I project pictures from everyday life on my smartboard for ideas, too. Then we quickly classify them as either tactile or visual.

Next, I give a brief lesson about dynamic versus static composition.

I show them examples of each in works of art. I like to say that a static composition reminds me of stamps in a stamp book. They’re all sitting next to one another in an orderly fashion; my eyes have to hop from one to the next.

Students drawing on metal embossing using permanent markers.

In contrast, a dynamic composition would be if I threw all those stamps up in the air and snapped a picture of them simultaneously; my eye continually moves from one element to the next without repetitive shapes blocking the flow.

Neither compositional style is better than the other, just different. I want them to reflect on what they’re trying to communicate, then pick a style that best matches the selection of textures they’ve chosen. 

Windy, wavy, jagged, swirly, scalloped. These all feel quite active (dynamic). However, sandy, bumpy, and scaly feel passive (static).

Metal Tooling Art Lesson

Once they understand the two styles, I have them select five visual textures for their metal tooling project.

First they begin laying out their idea on a 6″ square sheet of copy paper. After the design is approved, they tape it to a sheet of 6″ square metal and trace over their lines with a wooden stylus or a thick pencil. While some metal tooling requires a slightly softened but sturdy surface underneath, this project does not. Students use a padded surface underneath so their marks are softened and thick. A short stack of paper or a piece of foam works fine.

Student coloring in his repousse art project using permanent markers.After the first pass is completed, they pull the paper and tape off and go over their lines a second time pushing harder. This will deepen the lines, making them easier to color.

By and large, most students have no problem with the second pass. They make their marks deep enough. For those who don’t, I let them test out it out on a scrap piece of metal. This reduces their fear of pushing too hard. 

I also have some that push too hard. When this happens, I show them they can flip it to the back and close the gap with their embossing tool.

In some instances, students will create visual textures that are made with shapes. If this is the case, I show them how they can “pop up” the shapes by pressing harder and “coloring in” the shapes from the backside.

To complete the design, they use permanent marker to color beginning with any lines that are pushed in. Lastly, students color the background a different color for emphasis. 

Student Examples

This is one of those projects that my students love. It’s their first time creating with metal. And they get so enamored with the idea that they can make marks in metal. Most of all, using permanent marker on top is icing on the cake. 

4th grade student example of a metal tooling project

This more static design reminds me of water flowing down a pyramid during a rainstorm.

4th grade art project by a student

This student did a great job balancing out the colors in the design.

Using visual texture to create a metal embossing art project

Doesn’t this metal tooling project remind you of a stream with rocks on either side amongst a field of grass and red-violet flowers?

Repousse art lesson ideas

This metal embossing is reminiscent of a quilted design without the apparent perfect repetition of motifs.

art project using aluminum and permanent markers

This student’s artwork looks like a road in the desert amongst the tumbleweeds, dirt, and sand.

art project based on visual texture

If you squint your eyes, you’re staring at a crude sketch of a farm field by Vincent Van Gogh.

metal tooling art lesson with visual textureBlog Hop

Some of my other art teacher friends have joined me in a blog hop. Click on over to see some great ideas to inspire your next art lesson. Each teacher has written about a topic that in some way connects to the next one.

  • Bird Sculptures Using Tactile Texture, by Art is Basic
  • Dyed and Stamped Pillows, by Masterpiece Momma
  • Relief Printmaking and Colored Pencil, by Look Between the Lines
  • Mixed Media Hometown Scenes, by Expressive Monkey
  • Zen Doodle Pinch Pots, by Ms Artastic
  • Henna Hands Art Lesson, by Picassa’s Palette
  • Past and Future Hands, by A Space to Create Art

Did you like this art lesson? Share it with others on Pinterest!

Tags: art project, sculpture Categories: 4th Grade, Art Projects for Kids, Blog

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathleen says

    01/06/2018 at 11:04 AM

    Such a beautiful art project! I love how they connected to other art works and imagery within their own pieces! I totally want to try this one in my classroom! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Whitney says

    01/06/2018 at 9:12 PM

    These are beautiful! I love how unique each one is.

    Reply
  3. Stacey says

    01/08/2018 at 4:49 PM

    Gorgeous project! I really enjoyed looking at the variety of textures and patterns and the way students incorporated color. Thanks for sharing this lesson idea!

    Reply
  4. Stacey says

    01/08/2018 at 4:49 PM

    Gorgeous project! I really enjoyed looking at the variety of textures and patterns and the way students incorporated color. Thanks for sharing this lesson idea!

    Reply
  5. Stephanie says

    01/09/2018 at 3:47 PM

    WOW there are some gorgeous results from this tooling project! I think you’ve really been making an “IMPRESSION” on them since their work reflects the style of some famous artists! Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun!

    Also, I really love your analogy for static vs. dynamic! What a great lesson!

    Reply
  6. Andrea says

    04/09/2018 at 9:14 AM

    I am not a teacher but would love to incorporate this design technique to embelish some features in my home. Where can I obtain the 36 gauge aluminum foil? Could you show a picture of the metal tools the kids were using?
    This is just “WOW”!!!!

    Reply
    • ClipArtGal says

      04/10/2018 at 11:08 AM

      I will be happy to write a blog post about metal embossing. Thanks for the idea! We buy our supplies from Blick Materials.

      Reply
      • James Krumanocker says

        09/03/2019 at 5:26 PM

        Did you glue them to the colored background or staple them?

        Reply
        • ClipArtGal says

          09/03/2019 at 6:49 PM

          Hi James! I actually taped them on with masking tape.

          Reply
  7. Kendra Stenger says

    04/23/2019 at 3:34 PM

    What grade did you do this with?

    Reply
    • ClipArtGal says

      04/23/2019 at 3:36 PM

      Hi Kendra, I do this with 4th grade but I work at a Title 1 school. I have a lot of IEP students. You could certainly try this with 3rd grade otherwise.

      Reply
  8. Amber Brown says

    02/04/2020 at 3:30 PM

    I am currently working on this project with my 4th graders! Thank you for your informative article and student examples… my kids were really inspired and are super excited to get started themselves!

    Reply
    • ClipArtGal says

      02/04/2020 at 3:31 PM

      Thanks for letting me know, Amber! If you’re on IG, tag me in any pictures you upload. Would love to see them!

      Reply
  9. Eve King says

    04/12/2020 at 7:39 AM

    I’m having a hard time finding this metal at the gauge stated on this site. Information on where to purchase this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. The art pieces came out beautifully. Eve

    Reply
    • ClipArtGal says

      04/12/2020 at 3:51 PM

      Hi Eve, check out School Specialty. They sell this brand in different lengths. So do a search for it on their site. or just search the word “foil” and you’ll see a little over a page worth of products that will show the different lengths. I cut them to 6″ x 6″ for each student. Do the math on how many sheets you’d need and how much you can get out of a roll to figure out which roll length would be best suited for your needs: https://www.schoolspecialty.com/foil-sheet-roll-567280

      Reply
  10. Minari says

    05/18/2020 at 12:35 PM

    The 36 gauge is just a normal aluminum so you can find it just about everywhere.

    Reply
    • ClipArtGal says

      05/18/2020 at 12:36 PM

      That would depend on where you are. I’ve never found it in an art or craft store in my metropolitan area.

      Reply
  11. Anna Aldridge says

    01/25/2021 at 11:15 AM

    Love this project! Once they’ve created their design on a sheet of copy paper, you just had them lay that paper on top of the foil and trace over their design with a tool to create the texture on the foil?

    Reply
    • ClipArtGal says

      01/25/2021 at 11:41 AM

      Hey Anna, yes. They used two small pieces of masking tape to keep it in place.

      Reply
  12. Rebecca Cantley says

    04/02/2022 at 12:01 PM

    Thank you so much. I have been searching for a thorough lesson plan on metal working with students. What grade level do you do this with?
    Thanks, Rebecca

    Reply
    • ClipArtGal says

      04/02/2022 at 1:06 PM

      4th grade.

      Reply

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