Art & Design is a creative subject  

It is a course for students who specifically love and have a talent for drawing and painting. There will be a specific focus on these skills throughout the course. You will explore a range of different techniques in creative ways that will help you build your skills and knowledge within the subject. 

You will be expected to demonstrate investigation through research, experimentation of ideas through materials and concepts, working towards a final piece. Students applying for this course need to be able to work independently completing work to deadlines set each week. Working inside and outside of school, whether homework is set or not this is an important part of the course. Students also require good literacy skills as written work is an essential requirement in the new course specification.

In order to successfully achieve your GCSE you will need to complete two units of work:

Component 1: Coursework (60% of final mark).

During the course you will build up a portfolio of work that is carefully selected and thoughtfully presented. This will include two extended projects responding to a theme in an in-depth way. Evidence will take the form of sketchbooks, development pages and test pieces. Projects will be concluded by a final piece outcome, usually taking the form of a larger scale drawing or painting. Work might also include photography, printmaking, digital media and 3D making.

Component 2: Exam (40% of final mark)

After Christmas in Year 11 you will receive an exam paper from AQA. You will choose ONE question to work from and then have a limited number of weeks to carefully research your thoughts and ideas in response to this chosen theme. This will take the form of a sketchbook filled with primary research, artist connections and exploration studies. You will then take your sketchbook into a ten hour practical exam. During the exam time you will create a drawing, painting or other type of final piece outcome to finish your project.

Drawing:

You must provide evidence of drawing in both your coursework and your exam. These can take different forms depending on intention. It can feature as an element within the developmental process and/or explicitly in the realisation of intentions. Drawing could be demonstrated in as evidence for AO1, AO2 and AO4, but must feature in their evidence for AO3. The particular value and significance of drawing should be determined by the ways in which it addresses purpose and need rather than the extent to which it demonstrates technical mastery, unless this is the explicit intention.

Annotation:

 When addressing the requirements of AO3, you must record your ideas, observations and insights both visually and through written annotation using appropriate specialist vocabulary, as work progresses. Annotation must be explicitly evidenced in both Component 1 and Component 2. The content and presentation of annotation will be determined by what you wish to communicate, including how it supports the development of your work through the creative process. For example, as ideas are developed, explored and recorded annotations might relate to initial thoughts, practical considerations, the communication of intentions, responses to sources, critical reflection on personal work and self-evaluation.

Come and chat to the Art team if you want further information or you are unsure whether you should take an Art subject for GCSE

Mr Owen – Art and Design

Mrs J Rathod – Photography