11DES - CONCEPT ART & DESIGN

Design is the art of planning and creating visual content to communicate ideas and messages. Design is everywhere you look — from billboards to cereal boxes to mobile apps. Through incorporating different elements and principles, these designs can influence our perception and emotions. Design is also known as communication design, and Designers are essentially visual communicators. They bring visual concepts to life, most commonly through graphic design software, and inform or engage consumers through text, graphics and images.

Choosing Concept Art & Design as a subject can teach you very valuable skills that will prepare you for the world and a wide variety of careers in the future. Designers add value and meaning to messages and ideas, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse. 

As an Concept Art & Design student your practical hands-on problem solving will equip you with the necessary skills to think creatively and to take advantage of emerging technologies. You will try various hand drawn illustration, photographic and sculptural processes alongside gaining skills on the computer to build your client brief. You will be encouraged to think outside the box while still learning to use and understand the importance of the conventions of design.

Studying Design can open doors to creative industries such as:

• Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Advertising, Web Design, Game Concept Artist, Architecture, Special Effects Designer

• Artist, Photographer, Printmaker, Sculptor, Performance Art, Filmmaker, Storyboard Artist, Animator

• Interior Design, Textile Design, Fashion Design, Costume and Set Designer

• Art Restorer, Gallery Curator, Exhibition Manager, Teacher, Art Historian

• There are also a wide range of courses available for those wanting to follow a creative digital pathway in the future. 

Visual skills are essential for a sophisticated workforce, so by studying Art Design you gain an education in the vital skills of learning to see and develop the ability to interpret and critique our image-saturated world. 

When you study Concept Art & Design you will learn to:

• develop the ability to design unique and visually appealing characters. 

• Learn about and understand human anatomy including skeletal structure, muscle groups and proportions, enabling your to construct characters with realistic and dynamic poses. 

• How to capture the essense of movement and gesture in your character designs. 

• How to effectively use colour palettes, shading and lighting techniques to enhance your characters. 

• How to use software such as photoshop and illustrator to create and refine your designs. 

• Interpret a client brief and use this to brand their visual identity through a range of design, photography and illustration tasks.

• Develop an understanding of layout and type integration through design conventions.

• Curate a portfolio that highlights your strengths and showcases your year long inquiry of design work. 

You will develop your Design skills and ideas by:

• Engaging in a full year project, inspired by a brief, through an independent workbook practice and portfolio.

• Design and generate concepts such as characters or creatures, as well as environments, and industry-related designs. 

• Brainstorming and creating your own brand identity. 

• Developing your illustration skills using pencil, pen, paint, and digital illustration for the purpose of building your brand identity for your brief.

• Learning the basics of grid and type and image integration and exploring design 'styles'.

• Applying design conventions and techniques to a variety of design products which could include tote bags and posters etc

• Learning how to use the Adobe creative packages (Photoshop, Illustrator and inDesign) with guidance from your Teacher and online tutorials.

You will also:

• Participate and contribute to discussion using art terminology, and engage in artist research.

• A deeper philosophy and understanding of Art.

• Engage in a personalised project supported by your Teacher inspired by your interests and passions, through an independent workbook practice and portfolio

• Find opportunity and support in the Art room where you have the freedom to express your ideas and work creatively with access to specialist equipment and studio space.

• Benefit from enhanced well-being and improved health and happiness – many students comment that taking Art as a subject acted as an outlet for releasing the pressures of studying as well as those of everyday life.

To find success in Year 11 Concept Art & Design you should be interested in exploring a combination of handmade drawing and digital design processes. You should be keen to work with independence, autonomy and self-discipline. To find success in this course it is recommended that you have good drawing skills. However, a willingness to practice and learn new skills will find you success as well. You should enjoy being creative and trying new things! 

You may choose only one Year 11 Art course -  Art Painting /Printmaking or Concept Art & Design or Photography/Sculpture.

This course is assessed using the WC Progression Framework and provides an excellent foundation for students wishing to continue onto NCEA L2 Art Design.

Homework

There is an expectation that you reflect on and refine your work independently outside of the classroom. Homework enables you to practice managing your art tasks and projects through catching up on work, extending your skills and ideas, and sharing your work with your whānau at home.