Fine Arts · Class 10

Active learning ideas

Costume and Makeup Design

Costume and makeup design thrive when students actively explore colour, texture, and form rather than passively observe. Through hands-on sketching, fabric handling, and makeup trials, students internalise how visual choices shape storytelling, making abstract concepts like status and emotion tangible. Active learning helps students connect their creative decisions directly to the script’s context and audience perception.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE: Elements of Stagecraft and Design - Class 10
• CBSE: Theater Arts and Dramatic Performance - Class 10

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Script-to-Sketch Costume Design

Pairs select a character from a short script excerpt. They discuss symbolic colours and textures, then sketch two costume options with annotations. Partners critique each other's work before finalising one design.

What symbolic meanings can be conveyed through the color and texture of a costume?

Facilitation Tip

During Script-to-Sketch Costume Design, provide a range of fabric swatches so pairs can physically match textures to emotional states before sketching.

What to look for

Present students with images of three different characters from plays or films. Ask them to write down one costume or makeup detail for each character and explain what it communicates about the character's personality or situation.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Project-Based Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Makeup Transformation Stations

Set up stations with mirrors, safe makeup kits, and character cards. Groups rotate, applying techniques like ageing or exaggeration on volunteers. They photograph before-and-after and note changes in perceived personality.

Explain how makeup can transform an actor's appearance to suit a character's age or personality.

Facilitation Tip

At Makeup Transformation Stations, model application techniques slowly while narrating your thought process to build students’ confidence.

What to look for

Students sketch a costume design for a character. They then exchange sketches with a partner. Each partner answers these questions on the back: Does the costume fit the character's description? What is one element that strongly communicates character? What is one suggestion for improvement?

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Design Gallery Walk

Students display costume sketches and makeup trials around the room. Class members use sticky notes to provide feedback on symbolism and aesthetics. Conclude with a discussion on strongest elements.

Design a costume and makeup concept for a character based on script analysis.

Facilitation Tip

For the Design Gallery Walk, assign specific observation tasks (e.g., ‘Note one symbol in each costume’) to focus peer feedback.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, have students write down the most important element in designing a costume for a specific character (e.g., colour, fabric, historical accuracy) and briefly justify their choice with one sentence.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 50 min · Individual

Individual: Character Concept Portfolio

Each student analyses a script character, researches historical or cultural references, and creates a portfolio page with costume renderings, makeup swatches, and rationale. Share digitally if possible.

What symbolic meanings can be conveyed through the color and texture of a costume?

Facilitation Tip

In Character Concept Portfolios, require a short written rationale for each design choice to reinforce the link between script and visuals.

What to look for

Present students with images of three different characters from plays or films. Ask them to write down one costume or makeup detail for each character and explain what it communicates about the character's personality or situation.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by treating script analysis as the foundation for all design work—never assume students will intuitively connect symbols to visuals. Teach through comparison: show two costumes side by side and ask, ‘Which better fits a scene set in a drought?’ Use realia like period photographs or fabric samples to ground abstract concepts. Avoid rushing to ‘pretty’ designs; prioritise narrative function first. Research shows that students grasp symbolism faster when they physically manipulate materials, so integrate tactile tasks early.

Successful learning looks like students confidently linking design choices to script analysis, explaining why a rough-spun sari signals poverty or why bold lipstick marks rebellion. By the end, they should critique designs based on narrative consistency, not just aesthetics, and justify their reasoning with specific examples from the text.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Script-to-Sketch Costume Design, watch for students treating costumes as fashion plates rather than narrative tools.

  Ask each pair to write a one-sentence summary of their character’s background or conflict on their sketch, then explain how each design element reflects that summary. Use peer questioning to probe: ‘How does this colour connect to the character’s journey?’

• During Makeup Transformation Stations, watch for students applying makeup for beauty rather than transformation.

  Provide each station with a character profile card (e.g., ‘a 70-year-old servant with a hunched back’). Students must complete the makeup only after describing two facial features they’re altering and why, using the profile as their guide.

• During Character Concept Portfolio, watch for students using generic designs that ignore cultural or historical context.

  Require a ‘cultural checklist’ for each character, listing at least three specific details from the script (e.g., ‘peasant class’, ‘1940s India’, ‘widow’). Ask students to include an image or quote from the script alongside their sketch to justify each choice.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning