Art & Design

Art GCSE Introduction

You will be following the AQA GCSE Art and Design (Fine Art) specification as this covers a variety of endorsements to suit your skills and ideas.

Art is all about your skill, creativity and imagination. You will create work in response to project themes and different kinds of inspirational starting points. Although you will all begin from the same starting point you will develop your own unique thoughts and ideas to explore.

Key to being successful at GCSE Art is your ability to gather first hand (or primary) research. When you receive a project starting point the first step in responding will involve gathering in-depth research. This could be done in a number of different ways. Drawing, photography and writing are the most obvious but you can discuss other methods with me.

You must make connections with the work of other artists from different times, places and cultures. The ‘story of art’ is very much a living and on-going thing. There are countless artists alive and working today shaping the world that we see and experience around us. It is important to show in your work that you have investigated contemporary and historical artists who share similar ideas, or ways of working, to your own. This process might be informed by visits to galleries, exhibitions and museums along with meeting practising artists.

From your research you will begin to experiment with and explore the potential of different techniques, materials and processes. This could include traditional fine art practice such as drawing and painting. However, you will be encouraged to be as experimental as possible, so things like 3D making, digital media, photography, printmaking and mixed media could all become part of your work.

The work that you build up will form the basis for an outcome or final piece that sums up your project. This will assess your ability to bring all your thoughts together and express your ideas in response to the original starting point or project theme.

Ms Rodden