Roman Mosaics
In an effort to understand how difficult it was for the Romans to make mosaics, we are embarking on a project to make our own! Over the half term we will:
- design our mosaic as a repeating pattern
- try to make 100 identical 1 cm square clay tiles
- paint these tiles in the colours needed
- create our mosaic design on a magnetic tile
- evaluate our work compared with our original tile
In Roman times, slaves would have used water, rocks and sand to even the mosaic out, but we don't have slaves so ours may be a little uneven! Keep following the page for updates!
Making the individual clay tiles
Last week we completed our designs, which are in our art books. This week began the trickier task of making the clay tiles. Keeping the lines straight and even was very difficult, as was lifting the tiles from the board. Every child has made some tiles, though the shapes are interesting! We are looking forward to painting them next week and hoping that it is easier than making them! We are really beginning to appreciate what master craftsmen Roman mosaic builders were!
Painting the tiles
This week (and next) we are painting our clay tiles. Using a mixture of PVA glue and paint, we painted each individual tile. It was tricky! We started by laying our tiles out on top of our design, and then painting just the right number of each colour. When they are all dry we will start piecing it together!