M.C. Escher And Tessellations PowerPoint

How can I use this Escher Tessellations PowerPoint in class?

Use this Escher Tessellations PowerPoint to introduce the children in your class to M.C. Escher and explore his artistic influences during the 20th Century.

This PowerPoint aims to give a rough overview of Escher's graphic artistic style, help children understand what a tessellation is and then encourage them to have a go at creating their own.

Show children pictures of the place that inspired M.C. Escher (Alhambra in Spain) and then challenge them to draw their own tessellations, using triangles, hexagons, cross-shapes and arrows.

Why not round off the class by asking children to recall one Escher fact they learned in the lesson? Write them all on the board - count how many you've got.

Other resources like this Escher Tessellation PowerPoint

This Escher Tessellation PowerPoint provides pupils with an overview of the artist and his techniques. If you want to delve a little deeper and teach your class more about the man himself, why not take a look at this Escher Artist Spotlight A2 Display Poster.

Practise your tessellation techniques with this How to Make a Tessellation PowerPoint. Need more help? These Step-By-Step Instructions walk you through the process of making a tessellation template. 

Is it approaching the Christmas season? Have some festive tessellation fun with our Christmas Tree Tessellation Activity. 

Children may find some of his other artwork interesting, such as Drawing Hands and endless impossible staircases (Penrose Steps) which influenced films like Labyrinth and Inception. Escher was skilled when it came to patterns and created woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints.

Ready for a new topic after Escher's art? Introduce your class to Wassily Kandinsky, one of the world's first abstract artists, with this All About Kandinsky PowerPoint or discover more famous artists for children aged 7-11.

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What is Tessellation?

Tessellation is the practice of repeating geometric shapes to create a continuous and aesthetically-pleasing pattern. Effective tesselation requires a solid understanding of geometry - in order to create this kind of attractive art, an artist must have a level of mathematical skill. 

These techniques can be used to playfully manipulate perspective in pictures and create interesting illusions and paradoxes. 

Though the Dutch artist, M.C. Escher, is one of the most famous proponents of this technique, there are examples of tessellation in art dating from much earlier. 

The geometric Islamic art in the palace at Alhambra in Spain that first inspired Escher dates back to the 15th century. Escher's artwork was also influenced by nature with his patterns often featuring plants and animals.