Fine Art

"Art is the queen of all sciences, communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world." - Leonardo Da Vinci

Why choose Art?

Do you enjoy using your imagination, like to experiment with different media and express yourself? Then GCSE Fine Art is the creative option for you.

Do you want to be an architect, a games designer, an animator, graphic artist, photographer, illustrator, textile artist, theatre designer, sculptor or teacher? Many of the people who work in web page design, advertising, product design, interior design, illustration, film and television have higher qualifications in Art.

You may even want to choose GCSE Art just because you enjoy the subject. If you work hard you can learn and evolve a lot, as a person and as an artist as well as achieving very well in the course.

Welcome to GSCE Art

Head of Art - Mrs J Marker

The Creative Arts and Culture industry has grown £390 million in a year and now contributes over £10 billion a year to the UK economy. There are many career choices in Fine Art and these skills are very useful is daily life.

The need for creativity as an artistic professional should go without saying. If you are in an artistic field, you need the ability to create and showcase unique and innovative products. Whether you’re explaining your design to a client or a co-worker, communication gives you the ability to effectively articulate your concepts and ideas. This applies to emails, face-to-face conversations, and online conferences. If you are working in a team or with a client, you need to know how to effectively and efficiently collaborate with others in order to solve problems and find new opportunities. Critical thinking helps you find solutions to design problems and through artistic impression. Depending on your industry, the problems will vary greatly, giving you the opportunity to think in new and innovative ways to accomplish your goals.

On completion of your GCSE course, you could easily progress to further education. Courses at Level 3 include: GCE Fine Art and BTEC Nationals. Some of my Art students have gone on to study Architecture, Games Design and Fine Art at institutes like The Royal College of Art, University College London and Norwich University. Taking a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is a popular choice for your first year.

Exam Board : Edexcel

Qualifiaction Type: GCSE

Assessment : 60% Coursework & 40% Practical Exam

Exam Length : 10 hour practical exam

What would help?

An interest in trying new artistic techniques is key! Anyone can choose this course, however you may find it easier to access if you are confident working in a range of different media and enjoy exploring new techniques.

Course Content

Students begin the GCSE Edexcel Fine Art course by completing a series of skills based projects which include drawing, printmaking, painting, photography and sculpture. These initial projects serve to equip students with a basic toolbox of skills which they can use, develop and refine in subsequent projects. Within these projects, they learn how to explore and respond to the work of other artists, record from observation and learn how to annotate and present their work.

In Fine Art students will work with traditional and new media to develop confidence, competence, imagination and creativity. The study of artists and designers is strongly embedded in the curriculum and students will learn to appreciate and value images and artefacts across times and cultures and they will understand the contexts in which they were made. Students reflect critically on their own and other people’s work; they learn to think and act as artists, working creatively and intelligently. Multi-stage projects, deadlines which cover several weeks of work at a time, and open ended outcomes all encourage students to act independently and take responsibility for their own progress – functional skills that are critical to successful adult life.

"In previous years we would focus on what our teachers asked us to, but now we get to focus more on what we want to do with our Art" - Y11 student

Methods of Study

Coursework involves choosing appropriate art materials and creating your own personal response to a theme. During lessons, you will have the opportunity to experiment with a range of exciting media, participate in discussions, give presentations, take part in tutorials and do independent work and research.

In year 10 you will produce a portfolio of work that includes 2D and 3D pieces and an A3 sketchbook.

In year 11 you will produce a portfolio of work that includes large scale 2D and 3D pieces and two A3 sketchbooks. One as part of your Coursework and one to show your preparations for your practical art exam.

The Sketchbook shows your journey as an artist and will contain observational drawings, artist research, media experimentation, planning for final pieces and much more.

“I chose GCSE Art because I enjoy drawing and the course is helping me get much better” - Y10 student

Assessment

You get out what you put into your Art course. Edexcel’s GCSE Art and Design consists of two units:

  • Unit 1 COURSEWORK is worth 60%: Personal Portfolio –internally set theme and internally marked

  • Unit 2 EXAM is worth 40%: Exam Portfolio – externally set theme, but internally marked

You will be assessed on your ability to:

  • Generate and develop ideas

  • Refine ideas through experimentation

  • Research and record

  • Produce and present work

Visits to galleries form an important part of the course and there may also be opportunities to attend residential cultural visits abroad.

Here are some examples of GCSE Art work produced by our students this year...

Useful Links

  • Edexcel GCSE Art Specification - if you want to look at the specification for this course in more detail, you can look at it on the exam board webpage.

  • Tate Coursework Guides - look no further than the Tate Gallery for support with your research!

  • Tate Shots - a playlist of youtube videos exploring artists and their work