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Phase 4 is the "Long Haul." It is where you take your Kaupapa (Theme) and your Material Toolbox (Artist Models) and drive them towards a final destination.
In NCEA Level 3, we don’t just paint "pictures of things"—we paint the evolution of things.
A Guide to Folio Production & Assessment Management
A Guide to Folio Production & Assessment Management
Status: The Workshop phase is over. The Proposal is signed off. Now, we drive.
Goal: To produce a systematic body of work (The 3-Panel Folio) while simultaneously generating evidence for Internal Standards 3.2 and 3.3.
How do you achieve originality?
How do you achieve originality?
create a LOT of work and eventually, you will run out of average and be forced into innovation - ideas come out of the process
Your folio consists of series of works [18-25 paintings] that exist within a SYSTEMATIC body of work (folio). They explain your Kaupapa and tell a story [think of each board like chapters in a novel].
Your folio consists of series of works [18-25 paintings] that exist within a SYSTEMATIC body of work (folio). They explain your Kaupapa and tell a story [think of each board like chapters in a novel].
You are not just making cool art pictures. You are trying to say something with them to a viewer. You are having a conversation via your artwork.
You are not just making cool art pictures. You are trying to say something with them to a viewer. You are having a conversation via your artwork.
A successful portfolio will take around 5-6 hours a week for 20-25 weeks.
A successful portfolio will take around 5-6 hours a week for 20-25 weeks.
PRE-DRIVE CHECK: Know the Destination
PRE-DRIVE CHECK: Know the Destination
Before you start driving, you must look at LOTS of Level 3 Excellence Folios.
Analyse the layouts: Notice how they flow.
Observe the scale: Notice how they move from many small works to fewer large works.
Bridge the gap: Look at how they connect ideas.
Don't guess the path—study the maps of those who went before you.
CRITICAL: The Balancing Act (Working in Series)
CRITICAL: The Balancing Act (Working in Series)
The Challenge:
You need to produce a massive Folio (Standard 3.4), but you also need to prove you are thinking, planning, and clarifying ideas (Standard 3.3). If you just paint straight onto the board without planning, you fail 3.3. If you only plan in your diary and never paint, you fail 3.4.
The Solution: The "Series" Workflow
The Solution: The "Series" Workflow
Do not think about "Panel 1." Think about "Series 1."
A "Series" is a small group of works (e.g., 2–3 paintings) that explore one specific idea.
How to Work in a Cycle (The Loop)
Repeat this 4-step cycle for every section of your board.
STEP 1: The Lab (Diary Work)
Goal: Clarify your idea before you commit to the board.
Action: Open your Visual Diary.
Rule of Three: Sketch 3 quick composition options for your next series. (e.g., Zoom in? Zoom out? Birds-eye view?)
Test: Do a quick colour swatch or technique test (e.g., "Will the ink wash work over the gesso?").
Assessment: This physical page in your diary is your evidence for 3.3.
STEP 2: The Production (Board Work)
Goal: Create the "Series" for the folio.
Action: Move to the folio board
Paint the best option from Step 1.
Paint 2–3 variations of it (e.g., same subject, different angles).
Assessment: These finished paintings are your evidence for 3.4 (Folio) and 3.2 (Skill).
STEP 3: The Gap (The "Drying Time" Strategy)
Goal: Forward planning.
Action: While Step 2 is wet or drying, go back to your diary.
Look at what you just painted. Ask: "What is working? What is boring?"
Plan "Series 2." How will you fix the boring parts? (e.g., "Series 1 was too stiff. Series 2 needs more Kate Shaw fluid pours.")
Assessment: This reflection establishes Excellence evidence for 3.3 (Regeneration).
STEP 4: Repeat
Go back to Step 1 with your new plan for Series 2.
The Map: Breakdown of the 3 Panels
The Map: Breakdown of the 3 Panels
Think of your folio board as a map of a journey. You cannot arrive at the destination (Panel 3) without going through the journey (Panel 2).
PANEL 1: THE DEPARTURE (Establishment)
Target Output: 7–10 works (Small to Medium scale).
The Mission: "This is who I am, and this is where I start."
The Vibe: Clean, clear, and definable.
The Material Strategy: Start with your lighter, drawing-based models.
Use Marina González Eme to establish the figure/anatomy.
Use Nataša Kekanović to establish the lighting/mood.
The Trap to Avoid: Do not throw everything at the board yet. If you use heavy texture and geometry now, you have nowhere to go later. Keep it fluid.
Key Question: Can the viewer clearly identify my subject matter and my setting?
PANEL 2: THE DETOUR (Development & Complication)
Target Output: 5–8 works (Medium scale).
The Mission: "The journey is changing me."
The Vibe: Messy, complex, distorted. This is the "middle of the road" where things get tough.
The Material Strategy: Introduce the "Disruptors."
Use Kate Shaw’s pours to flood the landscape—nature is taking over.
Use Lydia Broderick’s layering to blur the figure—memory is fading.
The Interaction: The Subject Matter must interact with the Environment. The figure shouldn't just sit on the background; it should sink into it.
Key Question: Have I moved beyond just 'drawing' the subject? Is the paint taking over?
PANEL 3: THE ARRIVAL (Regeneration)
Target Output: 3–5 works (Large scale).
The Mission: "I am rebuilt."
The Vibe: Structured, resolved, final.
The Material Strategy: Bring in the heavy hitters.
Use Sylvain Coulombe to show the scars/weathering of the trip.
Use Stefaan De Crook to reconstruct the fragments into a new, hard shell.
The Regeneration: This is the most critical part for Excellence. You are not just making a "better" version of Panel 1. You are creating a new state. If Panel 1 was a soft human, Panel 3 is a geometric fortress.
Key Question: Is this a conclusion? Have I answered my Big Question?
Roadside Assistance: What to do when you stall
Roadside Assistance: What to do when you stall
1. "My work looks too repetitive."
The Fix: Change the Scale. If you have painted three portraits, stop. Paint a "Macro" view of a single detail, or a wide "Landscape" view where the figure is tiny.
2. "I've run out of ideas."
The Fix: Discover a New Artist Model.
Level 3 (Standard 3.4) rewards students who can move ideas in new or unexpected directions. If you are stuck, research a new artist whose technique or perspective is completely different from your current models.
The Goal: Use this new influence to "pivot" your work. This shows the examiners you are capable of high-level regeneration and can handle a "detour" in your inquiry.
3. "I’ve lost the structure."
The Fix: Go back to the Rule of Three. Open your diary and force yourself to find three new ways to look at your current subject. This generates immediate 3.3 evidence and solves your creative block.
The "Warrant of Fitness" (Assessment Checklist)
The "Warrant of Fitness" (Assessment Checklist)
To pass AS91456 (The Folio), your "vehicle" needs to meet these standards:
Is it Systematic?
Does Panel 1 link to Panel 2? Can we see the steps? If you jump from a realistic dog to an abstract square with no explanation, you have "crashed." You need bridge works that show the change happening.Is the Format Correct?
Panel 1: 7–10 works (Establishing).
Panel 2: 5–8 works (Developing).
Panel 3: 3–5 Large works (Resolving).
Have you Regenerated? (The Excellence Standard)
Clarify (Achieved): You painted the subject clearly.
Extend (Merit): You developed the subject with new media.
Regenerate (Excellence): You took the lessons from Panel 2 and built something entirely new on Panel 3.
Final Instruction: "Drive it like you stole it."
Final Instruction: "Drive it like you stole it."
Level 3 is not about being precious. It is about risk.
Level 3 is not about being precious. It is about risk.
Don’t be afraid to sand back a pretty painting (Coulombe).
Don’t be afraid to sand back a pretty painting (Coulombe).
Don’t be afraid to cut up a finished work (De Crook).
Don’t be afraid to cut up a finished work (De Crook).
The "Haerenga" is not a safe walk in the park—it’s a transformation. Make the paint show the struggle.
The "Haerenga" is not a safe walk in the park—it’s a transformation. Make the paint show the struggle.
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