TOP TIP

When creating the skin, scale, feather or fur of an animal, you will have to watch how they flow, layer and overlap each other to create texture, depth and shadows. Use thin wire or bamboo skewers to support the fragile parts of your model, such as the legs, arms and wings.

TOP TIP

Make a strong wire armature before using the clay. Plan out an interesting shape to capture the eye. You can see through the spaces of my sculpture and these 'negative spaces' create visual interest. Oil based clay doesnt really dry out so you can work with it for a long time.

TOP TIP

When using chalk pastels, start off lightly shading so you can blend easier and build up the colour. Also, use the different edges of the pastel to create different effects; the flat sides for broad strokes, the edged ends for bold lines, and the pointed corners for the finer details.

The long version

With final composition in mind I photo copied a smaller version multiple times. With each one I tested a different combination of tonal patterns and then moved onto exploring the colour options. This method is quick and will help you to view small thumbnails of your piece before committing to the final work.

When attempting an art piece that isn't going your way, consider the "#&*$ it" principle. The steps include trying, failing, getting annoyed, saying "#&*$ it", throwing things on paper, and somehow making something decent. Jokes aside, I have made some of my best drawings while following this method, because I don't feel stressed or restrained, and if I think the work is void, then I'm much more likely to accept mistakes and stumble onto something great. However, this is not advised for Leaving Cert.

The long version

For this piece I was trying to explore new styles of art. I wanted to create something chaotic as my comfort zone in art was quite small and i was getting bored of my work. I decided a good way to explore new paths would be to try put as many different media in one piece as i could.

The end product was this imaginative composition piece which I feel is equal parts chaotic and balanced.

Top tip

When making a batik, you always have to wax-in what you want to remain white first and fore-most. Make sure your hand is steady when applying the wax onto the fabric and you make precise and clean outlines. Then, when you introduce colour, you always start with the lightest and move up through layers to the darkest tone. Every time you apply a colour, you then have to wax in any areas you want to keep that colour in. In order to get the right tones, I diluted black ink with various amounts of water, depending on what tone I wanted. Sometimes I mixed in a small amount of dark green ink. The final wash of colour was a solid black.

The long version

The tall tower consists of two parts; upper and lower. The upper part is a lid which is two stories of the tower with a coned roof. The bottom part of the pot has a cylindrical bass that moulds into a cuboid form that has a spiralling stair case all the way around the bottom part of the pot.

The long version

The theme for this piece is 'Freedom'. Observe the imposing right hand with the arms of a hollow figure extending from the thumb and little finger. The figure faces away, with its arms crossed and pulled back behind it. The hand controls the hollow figure, limiting its movement; with the figure dependant on the hand and the base to stand upright. The hole in the front of the figure represents a lack of individuality, or unique purpose. The face reflects this, suggested only by gouged eyes and a nose like form.

The long version

The Theme for my project above was “Waves”. Before beginning my preparation work I fully explored the theme as this gave me my core idea that I would go on to develop. From there, it was easy to explore the form of the headphones coming from the idea of soundwaves. I then explored their shape in outline before creating the headphones with an eye catching pattern.

The long version

The head was sculpted out of air-drying clay. Not having a paper frame for the inside of the head gives you full control over the clay. The callipers should be used to constantly check the width and height from the photos and applying them to the actual piece. The use of tools should ideally be introduced during the final stages of sculpting to really finalise details and tweak small mistakes.

The long version

We were dealing with texture in class and one of the classes involved us making textured ceramic slabs. I used a bay leaf, a piece of lego, a golf ball and a piece of gorse to imprint the pattern on the ceramic tile. In class, we used a kiln to fire the slabs. I tried firing my own clay but couldn't get it hot enough.

The long version

When using 'copic' markers it's important to use the right kind of paper, thicker paper will give you a better result in terms of blending. It's also important to know which colours can and can't blend. On the top of each marker there is a letter or two which is the colour group, then there's a number to show brightness and saturation level, for example, 'BG15'. Looking at this code can help you decide if two markers can blend.

TOP TIP

The technique I used was called 'fooling the eye'. Its called this because the grey paper has the image while the white paper has the quote on it. It creates a temporary illusion.

THE LONG VERSION

For my option section in the junior cert I chose calligraphy. Calligraphy is a type of writing where it looks very fancy and old fashioned. My theme was ‘Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it’ and my approach was old things so I chose to use my Nanny for my piece. I took a picture of her hands with her holding a pen in her right hand. I really enjoyed creating this piece because I have a huge interest in art.

TOP TIP

When creating art take your time and be patient. Use all your time to create the best piece you can and don’t panic if it’s not good. There is no good or bad in art, everybody is different and express themselves in different ways. Don’t be sad, be happy that you did your best, that’s more than most people can say.

THE LONG VERSION

When I started working on my piece, I worked hastily and crudely. After trying this for a while I decided it wasn’t working so I started fresh with new ideas but this time, I took my time, creating something I liked and thought was interesting. In the end when I handed it in I was not sad or afraid because I had done my best and expressed myself.