Higher
Art & Design

The Purpose of the Course: 

The Art and Design course offers a comprehensive and hands-on experience that emphasizes creativity. It enables candidates to explore various artists and designers and their work, and to develop knowledge of the expressive and design processes, as well as related skills. The course inspires and challenges candidates to communicate their personal thoughts, ideas and feelings through their work.

Course Overview:

The course consists of 24 SCQF credit points. The notional length of time for candidates to complete the course is 160 hours of teacher contact time and an additional expected self-study of 80 hours notional over the full academic session, this includes revision and examination preparation. 

Expressive Portfolio:

• 38.5% of candidates overall grade

• Candidates produce a portfolio of work based on a theme of their choice. For example, Still Life, Portraiture, and Landscape.

• This part of the course helps candidates to plan, research and develop creative expressive work in response to a theme or stimulus. Candidates develop knowledge and understanding of artists’ working practices and the social, cultural and other influences affecting their work and practice. They respond to a theme or stimulus and produce 2D/3D analytical drawings, studies and investigative research. They use these to produce a single line of development and a final piece. Candidates also reflect on and evaluate their creative process and the visual qualities of their work. 

• This work is sent to the SQA at the end of the year

Design Portfolio:

• 38.5% of candidates overall grade

• Candidates produce a portfolio of work based around graphic design. This is also a theme of candidates choice.

• This part of the course helps candidates to plan, research and develop creative design work in response to a design brief. Candidates develop knowledge and understanding of designers’ working practices and the social, cultural and other influences affecting their work and practice. They respond to a design brief and compile a variety of 2D/3D investigative material and market research. They use these to produce a single line of development and a design solution. Candidates also reflect on and evaluate their design process and the aesthetic and functional qualities of their work. 

• This work is sent to the SQA at the end of the year

Critical (The Exam):

• 23% of candidates overall grade

• In the exam, candidates will answer the expressive and design section. You will have 2 hours to do this.

  • • Expressive Studies: You must answer Q1 and two unseen expressive questions.

    • Design Studies: You must answer Q7 and two unseen design questions.