Sculpture

Make a Play Dough Sculpture

Be inspired by Saloua Raouda Choucair's sculptures and stack up your own play dough sculpture

The Inspiration

Saloua Raouda Choucair was a Lebanese painter and sculptor. She thought about Islamic traditions when she made her artworks. She was also inspired by architecture and abstract art. Abstract art doesn't show things like people, objects or landscapes. Abstract art is all about colours, shapes and textures.

She liked to build large artworks that looked like a column or a wall. Why do you think she liked columns and walls?

The artwork above was made out of stone, but here you can try and make your own Choucair-inspired sculpture with homemade play dough.

Ready to make your own play dough sculpture?

Materials for activity

You will need (per ball of play dough):

  • 4 tablespoons of plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • 4 tablespoons of warm water
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • food colouring

Let's get started

Adding flour to a bowl

1. Add 4 tablespoons of plain flour into a bowl

Add in salt

2. Add 1 tablespoon of salt into the same bowl

Add in water in a separate bowl

3. Add 4 tablespoons of water into a separate bowl

Add in food colouring

4. Add in a tablespoon of oil and several drops of food colouring

Tip the wet materials into the dry ones

5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together

Mix together

6. When it starts to come together get it out with your hands

Kneed the dough

7. Knead the dough until it's an even colour

Make lots of colours

8. Repeat those steps and make different colours

Make layers and interlock the playdough

9. Be inspired by Choucair’s artwork and stack your play dough

Or make some other characters and sculptures

10. You can try other shapes and forms to make your own creations.

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