Why Digital Art Journals (D.A.J.)?

Section 1: Inquiry Question and Concept Exploration

IB Criteria:
B: Critical Investigation - "How well did you research and analyze ideas to develop your art?"
C: Communication of Intentions - "How clearly do you explain your concept and what you want to communicate through your art?"

Why It Matters:
This section shows how well you investigate and generate ideas through critical thinking and research. Your inquiry question helps situate your art in a meaningful context and guides your whole creative process.

How to Score High:

• Write a focused inquiry question that connects your personal ideas to larger themes or artistic concepts.

• Use brainstorming, sketches, and collages to visually support your intentions.

• Investigate themes and cultural meanings that relate to your personal or global context.

• Generate early visual responses to explore potential artistic directions.
  
  

Section 2: Connection

IB Criteria:
B: Critical Investigation - "How effectively do you connect your work to cultural, historical, and artistic influences?"
C: Communication of Intentions - "How clearly do you explain how these influences inspire your work?"

Why It Matters:
Connecting to artists, cultures, and historical movements helps you situate your practice in a broader artistic community. It also shows how you investigate ideas beyond yourself to inform your work with meaning and intention.

How to Score High:

• Choose an artist or cultural influence that directly relates to your art-making.

• Clearly explain how their style, message, or materials influence your concept or visual strategies.

• Use visual evidence like annotations, museum photos, or cultural references to support your research.

• Reflect on how you are situating your work in a wider conversation.
  
  

Section 3: Experimentation

IB Criteria:
A: Skills, Techniques, and Processes - "How effectively do you explore and experiment with different media and techniques?"
B: Critical Investigation - "How well do you connect your experiments to your ideas and research?"

Why It Matters:
Experimentation allows you to generate and refine ideas through testing and risk-taking. This process shows how you are exploring materials and techniques to move your concept forward.

How to Score High:

• Show how you tried out different tools or media (even if it didn’t work).

• Reflect on what you learned and how it changed or improved your approach.

• Explain how experiments helped you refine your direction and solve problems.

• Link your material choices to artistic or conceptual goals (investigate form and media).
  
  

Section 4: Creation

IB Criteria:
A: Skills, Techniques, and Processes - "How well do you use technical skills and techniques in your work?"
C: Communication of Intentions - "How clearly do your ideas come through as you create your art?"

Why It Matters:
This is where you apply what you’ve developed and move toward a resolved artwork. You use technical skill and decision-making to refine your composition and communicate your intention.

How to Score High:

• Include development sketches, progress shots, and notes about adjustments.

• Show how you made decisions to improve your work as it evolved.

• Link your visual choices directly to your concept (synthesize form and meaning).

• Demonstrate how your work is moving toward being fully resolved.
  
  

Section 5: Final Artwork

IB Criteria:
A: Skills, Techniques, and Processes - "How strong are your technical skills in the finished piece?"
C: Communication of Intentions - "Does your final artwork successfully communicate your ideas?"

Why It Matters:
Your final piece should clearly resolve your artistic intentions. It is the result of all your work: planning, experimenting, revising, and skill-building.

How to Score High:

• Make sure the artwork shows clear technique and thoughtful execution.

• Check that it reflects your inquiry and intentions.

• Submit a clean, high-quality image and accurate details (title, size, date).

• Think about how this piece might be curated as part of your portfolio.
  
  

Section 6: Communicate and Evaluation of Final Artwork

IB Criteria:
C: Communication of Intentions - "Do you clearly explain what your final artwork communicates?"
D: Reflection and Evaluation - "How effectively do you evaluate your artwork and its success?"

Why It Matters:
This is your chance to curate key elements from your final work and synthesize your message. It shows how well you understand your own piece and its effectiveness.

How to Score High:

• Highlight successful parts and things you might improve.

• Use visuals like detail shots or diagrams to explain design decisions.

• Reflect on how your work communicates with your intended audience.

• Think critically about how your piece fits your inquiry and concept.
  
  

Section 7: Reflection

IB Criteria:
D: Reflection and Evaluation - "How effectively do you reflect on and evaluate your artistic process?"
C: Communication of Intentions - "How well do you explain how your process supports your ideas?"

Why It Matters:
Reflection shows growth. It allows you to refine your thinking and synthesize what you've learned through challenges, feedback, and final decisions.

How to Score High:

• Write honestly about challenges, mistakes, and improvements.

• Show how feedback helped you make stronger decisions.

• Use peer comments, revision notes, or side-by-side images to track your journey.

• Demonstrate how you refined your process and intentions over time.