Ancient Egypt with a Twist: Year 3’s Modern Masterpieces

In Year 3, our young artists have been travelling back in time—pencil in one hand, pastel in the other. Inspired by the bold colours and iconic shapes of ancient Egyptian art, the children have been exploring how to blend historical style with their own 21st-century personalities.

But this wasn’t just about copying. The challenge? To make it personal! I asked the children to think creatively: what if they were Egyptian royalty, but living today? What would their symbols look like? What would their portraits say about who they are? The results were both imaginative and completely unique. Instead of Pharaohs with ceremonial crooks, we saw paintbrushes for young artists, ballet shoes for ballerinas, hamsters for animal lovers, and even a gaming controller or two.

Children learned how to sketch and shade using pencils, charcoal and pastels, experimenting with line, tone, and shape to give their work texture and life. Some pieces were subtle and refined; others bold and dramatic. But every one of them told a story! It’s been a joy to watch the children bring their own identities into such a structured and stylised tradition. Through this project, they’ve not only developed their sketching and composition skills, but also learned that art can be a powerful way to say something about themselves!