Higher Art

Art & Design is a challenging, creative and enjoyable subject which provides breadth of experience in a pupil’s timetable. Art & Design in S5 develops skills which have been introduced in previous years and allows for more personalised choices in both expressive art and design. Projects are negotiated which allow students to get what they want from the subject. Whether this is for personal development or with a particular career in mind, this course will allow students to build a folio which is a prerequisite for many further education courses.

Pupils who engage with the course will be submitted for a personalised level or certification depending on ability and work ethic. Most students will be expected to achieve a Higher course pass but other additional freestanding units at level 5 or 6 will be incorporated where possible, maximising the qualifications that pupils can achieve. Pupils can also move up to National 5 if they have previously achieved a National 4 qualification but again, we hope to add further certificated units.

This level of Art and Design is a challenging and educationally relevant experience. The course enables learners to communicate personal thoughts, feelings and ideas through the creative use of art and design materials, techniques and/or technology. Students will plan, develop, produce and present creative art and design work, develop personal creativity, and use problem solving, critical thinking and reflective practice skills. 

The skills developed in Art and Design are useful in many different careers, such as architecture, interior design, fashion and textiles, graphics, web design, photography etc.

Art and Design is a practical, hands-on subject that develops creativity, imagination and artistic skills. You will develop your use of a range of art and design materials and techniques, learn the skills involved in planning, producing and presenting art and design work. You will also find out how artists and designers work, and how factors like their environment and culture have an impact on their work.

Expressive

The Expressive element is what we traditionally think of when we talk about the subject. This includes drawing, painting, sculpture etc.

Topics typically studied  range from portraiture, landscape, still life, the figure, the built environment and  fantasy & imagination. 

In this unit you will:

• develop an understanding of the factors that influence and inspire artists’ work

• consider how artists use art materials, techniques and/or technology in your work

• research and develop your personal thoughts and ideas in 2D and/or 3D formats in response to given stimuli

• produce observational drawings and studies and develop your expressive ideas and compositions

• experiment with and use art materials, techniques and/or technology in creative and expressive ways

Design

Design is the practical application of art. Products are created in response to a brief

Topics typically chosen range from graphic design, architecture, textile design, product design, interior design and jewellery design.

In this unit you will:

• plan, research and develop creative design ideas in response to a given brief

• develop your creativity and problem-solving skills as you consider the design opportunities, issues and constraints of the brief

• develop your understanding of designers’ working practices and the factors that inspire and influence your work

• experiment with and develop media handling skills when producing their design ideas in 2D and/or 3D formats.

Coursework is a major part of the qualification and accounts for most of the overall mark. 

A written exam at the end of the year accounts for the remaining 23% of marks.

Each student will produce, in practical activities, one piece of expressive and one piece of design work. The practical activity will assess learner’s skills in selecting, developing, producing and evaluating their work.

After successfully passing both Expressive and Design units the final portfolios are assessed externally by the SQA. The folios are worth about 77% of the final mark available and the remaining 23% is for the written exam.  The written examination is a 2 hour question paper.