Cross Curricular Maths
Maths in art and design
Use symmetry, tessellation, proportion, perspective and measurement.
Quick answer
Maths in art and design helps you understand how shapes, patterns, and measurements work together to make beautiful and balanced designs. You can use maths to create symmetrical pictures, tessellations, and designs that look great!Learning outcome
By the end of this page, you will understand how to use symmetry, tessellation, proportion, perspective, and measurement in art and design. Success signs:- You can spot symmetrical patterns in pictures and designs
- You can create your own tessellations using shapes
- You can use proportions to make drawings look realistic
- You can measure and draw shapes with the right sizes
Why this matters
Maths in art and design helps you create better pictures, patterns, and designs. When you understand how shapes fit together, how to make things look the right size, and how to make patterns repeat perfectly, you can make art that looks amazing. This is used by artists, designers, architects, and even video game creators! You use maths when you're drawing, painting, building, or making anything creative.How it works
Let's explore how maths helps with art and design in simple steps: 1. Symmetry means one side looks like the other side when you fold or flip it. Like a butterfly or a face. 2. Tessellation is when shapes fit together without gaps or overlaps, like tiles on a floor. 3. Proportion is how big or small parts of a drawing are compared to each other. Like how your head is smaller than your body. 4. Perspective is how things look smaller when they are far away, like train tracks getting closer in the distance. 5. Measurement helps you know how big or long things should be in your designs.Examples you can see
Let's look at how these maths ideas work in real art and design: Symmetry in Nature Look at a flower. If you draw a line down the middle, both sides look the same. This is symmetry! You can draw a butterfly and make sure both wings match perfectly. Tessellation in Tiles Think about a bathroom floor with square tiles. Each tile fits perfectly next to the others without gaps. This is tessellation. You can make your own tessellation by drawing a shape and repeating it over and over. Proportion in Drawing When you draw a person, your head is about 1/8 of your body height. If you draw a tall person, their head is still about 1/8 of their body. This is proportion. Perspective in Art Look at a road that goes into the distance. The road looks narrower as it goes away. This is perspective. Artists use this to make drawings look like they're in 3D. Measurement in Design When you build with blocks, you need to know how long or wide each piece should be. If you're making a birdhouse, you need to measure the entrance hole to be just right for a bird.Try it as a mini adventure
Let's go on an art adventure! Adventure: Design a Magical Garden 1st time: Draw a garden with 4 symmetrical flower beds. Each bed should have the same shape on both sides. 2nd time: Create a tessellation pattern using triangles and squares for the path. 3rd time: Draw a house with perspective – make the house look like it's getting smaller in the distance. 4th time: Measure your drawing to make sure all parts are in the right proportion. 5th time: Add a fence with repeating patterns to make your garden look complete.Common mistakes
- Mistake: Thinking that all shapes can tessellate. Why it happens: Not understanding that only certain shapes fit together perfectly. Fix: Try fitting shapes together. Regular triangles, squares, and hexagons tessellate, but circles or pentagons don't.
- Mistake: Drawing a person with a head that is too big or too small. Why it happens: Not knowing the right proportions. Fix: Use a ruler to measure and make sure your head is about 1/8 of your body.
- Mistake: Making patterns that don't repeat evenly. Why it happens: Not checking that shapes fit together exactly. Fix: Use graph paper to make sure shapes line up perfectly.
- Mistake: Ignoring perspective when drawing. Why it happens: Not understanding how distance affects size. Fix: Draw lines that meet at a point to show distance.
Parent and carer guide
Parents and carers can help by:- Looking at art together and asking questions like "What shapes can you see?" or "Is this symmetrical?"
- Encouraging children to measure their drawings or designs
- Playing with pattern blocks or tangrams to explore tessellations
- Using everyday objects to show proportions, like comparing a child's hand to their foot
- Building with blocks and discussing measurements and shapes
- "Let's look at this picture and see if it's symmetrical"
- "How do you know your drawing is the right size?"
- "Can you make a pattern that repeats?"
- "What shapes can you find in this design?"
- Children might not get it perfectly the first time
- It's okay if they make mistakes – that's how they learn
- Encourage creativity, not just accuracy
Practice questions
- Draw a symmetrical butterfly. What shape should each wing be?
- Can you make a tessellation using triangles?
- If your head is 10 cm tall, how tall should your body be?
- Draw a road that gets narrower in the distance. What is this called?
- Measure a rectangle that is 5 cm wide and 3 cm tall. What is the area?
- Each wing should be the same shape and size
- Yes, triangles can tessellate
- Your body should be about 80 cm tall (10 cm × 8)
- This is called perspective
- Area = 15 cm² (5 × 3)
FAQ
What is symmetry in art?
Symmetry means one side looks like the other side when folded or flipped. It's like a mirror image.
How can I use maths to make better art?
You can use maths to make shapes fit together (tessellations), make things look realistic (proportion), and make drawings look 3D (perspective).
Can all shapes tessellate?
No, only certain shapes like squares, triangles, and hexagons can tessellate. Circles and pentagons cannot.
What is proportion in drawing?
Proportion is how big or small different parts of a drawing are compared to each other. For example, a person's head is usually about 1/8 of their body height.
Why is measurement important in art?
Measurement helps you know how big or small things should be in your design. It makes your art look balanced and realistic.