How to Complete a Successful Art Exam Unit

Art

GCSE Art & Design Unendorsed

AQA

Criteria

A01

“Develop their ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources demonstrating analytical and cultural understanding”.

You must research either a wide range of artists, or one in depth, analysing what they are trying to communicate, how and why. It is crucial you demonstrate your understanding of artist(s) studied in your practical work, either through your use of techniques and materials, or through similarity of ideas or themes covered. Practical work has to link in some way.

A02

“Refine their ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes”.

Try out a range of ideas that link to your artist(s) but are creative and original. Make annotations regarding your intentions and possible materials/colours. Evaluate and refine as you go along explaining your decisions clearly. Try out materials and colours in swatches or on copies. Label all experiments. This section is a success if someone else could pick up your book and make your final piece without talking to you. Test it on a peer or a parent!

A03

“Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other forms”.

Technical skill in both practical and written work. The level of detail and accuracy in line with intentions, in all the work that you produce i.e. it can be expressive or abstract if this is what is called for.

A04

“Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding realising intentions and where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements”.

Is what you produce in your final piece(s) what you intended?

Does it show technical skill in whatever form you are intending?

Does it show a knowledge of relevant artists in how you have made it?

Is it original?

Ideas to help you

Learning from Artists (A01)

• When researching your chosen artist(s) link their background i.e. where they were born etc. to how and why they make art.

• Why and how do they make their art work?

• What are they trying to communicate?

• What are their inspirations?

• Which other artists do they link to?

• What have you learned from them and used in your work?

• What are you trying to communicate?

• Talk about their style generally then choose one or two images to look at in detail in terms of subject matter, composition, use of line, colour, tone and texture.

• Make sure writing is neat, failing that type it up and print out. Make sure a final draft of writing with all P4P completed is securely stuck into your book with relevant, well printed colour illustrations.

• Make sure evidence of your learning from your artist(s) is clear in your practical work.

• Annotate your sketchbook work to make this clear.

Development of Ideas (A02)

• Explore a range of ideas or explore one idea in a few different ways

• Refine and develop your idea as it progresses, evaluating how and why you are making changes.

• Make clear the links between your ideas and those of the artist(s) you are studying.

• Try out all materials and colours you intend to use, evaluate and annotate your final choices making it clear how they fit your intentions.

Technical Skill (A03)

• Choose your artist and style of work to provide a challenge and the opportunity to show off your skills, but don’t choose something that is beyond your grasp.

• Make accurate and detailed studies showing your technical skill and understanding of your chosen artist(s).

• Continue to show appropriate skilled use of techniques as you develop your ideas and experiment with colours and materials.

• Do make sure you show off the best of your technical skills in your final piece.

• Technical skill with any written elements can raise your grade in this AO, transfer your skills from English and remember to correct spellings, grammar and use forms of writing appropriate to your intentions.

• The way you present your sketchbook can add to your technical skill mark; to present well involves technical skill.

• Make sure any photographs you take to support your development are in focus and well lit. Seek advice from the Photography staff and students if needed to ensure this. If you take good photographs to work from, this can raise your grade in this AO.

Final Piece (A04)

• All your research and experimentation helps you to figure out what your final piece is about

• Final pieces need to link to your preparatory work and demonstrate your learning from your artist(s).

• Make sure you show off your technical skills and work to strengths in your final piece.

• Make sure your final piece shows clear links to your artist(s).

• If you can see a way to make your final piece better once you are doing it; make the changes but document them and the reasoning behind it in your sketchbook.

Key Things to Remember

• Annotation is vital to help show your understanding and development, use key words appropriately.

• Make sure the flow of your work is logical and fluent.

• Check your Bloom’s bookmark to ensure the objectives you set yourself are at the top.

• Attend the Aspire evening for expert advice and a personal book check with a mentor of your choice.

• Attend after school and/or lunchtime sessions.

• Use the sixth form mentors available.

• Browse some of the books we have in the classroom, watch online tutorials, and record your extra research.

• Challenge yourself – can you make links between the art you are studying and other relevant contextual references such as history, religion, fashion, the rise of technology/psychology etc.

• Find your own artists and others who link to them or work in a similar way (showing independent learning).

• Make sure the books and final pieces handed in are clearly labelled with your name and the unit.

• Make a time schedule for the exam to ensure you use time wisely.

Useful Artists

For an in depth collection of images to support the mock exam and the real one once the paper is given out, visit the Central Resources Area on the shared drive. There you will find a relevant Powerpoint containing a multitude of artists to support each start point you have been given. You can print off images you choose and use these as a jumping off point for your own ideas, or to consolidate existing work.

If you are searching for a particular kind of artist who does something specific, ask! Ask a member of staff, ask a sixth form mentor, or browse the books along the shelves.

Useful Websites

Pinterest – not supported on the school system but very useful for themed collections of images; instant research by a web of people looking at the same things as you are.

YouTube – put in techniques you want to learn and follow video threads.

Instagram – use for themed image searches or images of artists’ working/tutorials so you can see their progress.

If your artist is contemporary they may run a blog or web page you could visit.

Look on Google images at examples of sketchbook use – there are lots of ideas and exemplars showing different ways to use your sketchbooks effectively.

Key Dates

· Y11 Art Mock Exam 12-15th December 2016

· AQA Exam Paper available from 1st January 2017

· Exam preparation time runs from 1st January 2017 until exam start on 28th April 2017

· Exam runs from 28th April – 5th may 2017 on various dates and times.

· Coursework final internal deadline Friday 12th May 2017.