AQUiLA MAGAZINE

ROMANS

Did you enjoy the amazing make in this month ’ s Romans issue of AQUILA ? Then why not explore your artistic flair even further , by making a mythical mosaic ?

Mosaics have a long and illustrious history , dating back at least as far as the third millennium BCE in Mesopotamia ( modern-day Iraq , Kuwait , Turkey and Syria ). The Romans loved a bit of mosaic . They were commonly installed in wealthy people ’ s homes and public areas throughout the Roman Empire , from Italy to Africa and Aldborough in North Yorkshire . Scenes featuring gods , goddesses and mythical creatures were particularly popular . So , what ’ ll it be ? Fancy having a go at making your own smashing mythical mosaic ? Let ’ s crack on .

STEP 1 : Choose your mythical theme

Sketch your design with pencil on A4 paper . You might like to draw it on a square grid . That will make it easier to plan where you will put your paper tiles .

STEP 2 : Prepare your base

Measure and cut a square of thin cardboard – an unwanted cereal box will do . Copy your grid and your pencil drawing onto it in pencil .

STEP 3 : Cut out your paper tiles

You may need a lot of these depending on the size of your design . The tiles can either be squares or random shapes . It ’ s up to you , but the finished effect will look different depending on what you choose . o

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ACTIVITY SKILLS 2 Hours

DIFFICULTY

YOU WILL NEED

Pens and pencils

A4 paper Cardboard sheet Colourful paper scraps PVA glue

STEP 4 : Build your design

Experiment with arranging your coloured tiles on top of your drawing . When you are happy with your arrangement , stick down your tiles with PVA glue and leave your mosaic to dry .

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Scissors o Metallic marker ( optional )

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