Lines are the paths left by a moving point, such as a pencil or a digital drawing tool. A line can be a mark, a guide, or a boundary that leads the audience’s attention in an artwork. Diversity in the type, orientation, and/or quality of lines can be used to suggest a variety of ideas, shapes, or emotions. For example, horizontal and curving lines can feel restful or inactive. Vertical and diagonal lines can create the idea of movement or action. Horizontal and vertical lines can create stability.

A shape is a form that is enclosed or outlined. For example, when three lines meet, they create the shape of a triangle. A shape has length and width. A shape’s boundary can be created by line, value, colour, and/or texture. Shapes may be geometric or organic. Shapes may be positive or negative.

In scientific terms, colour is an attribute of an object when light bounces off it. The four characteristics of colour are hue, value, intensity, and temperature. Colour categories include primary, secondary, and tertiary. Colours can be warm or cool. Cool colours include blue, green, and purple. Warm colours include red, orange, and yellow.

Value is the lightness or darkness in an artwork. Value is created by the gradual changes in the lightness or darkness of an artwork even when colour is absent. Changes in value can be created by adding white or black to a colour and/or by erasing or adding more art medium to an art piece. Value is used to create the illusion of texture and light in art.

Form is the shape and dimensions of an artwork, or objects within an artwork. Forms can be three-dimensional. Form can also mean creating the illusion of a two-dimensional object being three-dimensional. The illusion of form can be created by using shading. Forms can be geometric or organic.

Texture is the feeling and appearance of a surface. Texture can be smooth, rough, furry, or soft. Texture can be the illusion of texture or real texture.

Space can be the area around, inside, or between parts of an artwork. Space can be a physical distance between objects. Space can also be an illusion of distance in a two-dimensional piece. The illusion of space can be created by a variety of techniques, including overlapping parts, a variety of sizes, changing value or colour, the use of detail, and perspective.

A tessellation is any pattern made of repeating shapes that covers a surface completely without any gaps or overlaps.

A symmetrical shape or form has two halves that are exactly the same.

An asymmetrical shape or form has two halves that are not exactly the same.

A radial composition arranges the elements of design in a circular pattern that emanates from a central point.

A theme is the main idea or message of an artwork.

Consider if your tessellation will use organic or inorganic shapes, and if it will have a horizontal, vertical, or radial pattern.

Create a template for your tessellation by marking and cutting the front edge of a small square.

Slide the piece that you cut from the front edge of the small square and tape it to the back edge. Make sure to line up the edges of both pieces perfectly with no overlap.

Cut another shape out of the bottom edge.

Slide the piece that you cut from the bottom edge of and tape it to the top edge. Make sure to line up the edges of both pieces perfectly with no overlap.

Create a design on your template.

In can be an animal, a face, or just an interesting pattern. You can make it anything you want!

Slide and trace your template in a horizontal row, then flip it and trace in the opposite direction on the next row. You can also create a vertical or radial pattern with your template.

Remember, a tessellation is like a puzzle piece that will continue to fit into itself perfectly with no overlap as you trace it.

Once you have traced your template in a pattern that fills the whole space without any overlaps, colour in your tessellation.

You can create more patterns by alternating colours!