ART GCSE HANDBOOK

CONTENTS

1. Important stuff (when and what)

2. Assessment Criteria (how your work will be marked)

3. Key words explained

4. Media (materials you can use)

5. The projects

6. The Exam

7. FAQ

IMPORTANT STUFF

Coursework – 60% of overall grade. Portfolio of

Skills + 2 Projects

Exam = 40%. One project set by the exam board.

PORTFOLIO OF SKILLS. YR 10-SEPT- DEC

PROJECT 1 WINDOWS AND DOORWAYS YR 10 DEC-JUNE

PROJECT 2 PATTERN YR 10 JULY-YR 11 DEC

EXAM (EXTERNALLY SET TASK) YR 11 JAN - APRIL

HOMEWORK

Homework will need to be completed weekly in order to

complete the course successfully. We would expect 2 hours

per week completed outside of lessons. Homework will be set

using ‘Show my Homework’ and at times will be self-

directed.

The Art rooms will be available for students to use after

school on designated days. This is an excellent way of

ensuring homework is completed.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA (AO’S)

Your work is marked using four headings:

AO1 Develop ideas linked with artists

AO2 Refine ideas and experiment with resources,

media, materials.

AO3 Record ideas and observations

AO4 Make a personal and meaning response

Each Assessment Objective is marked out of 20 giving

you a total maximum mark of 80.

Here is a guideline to how the marks change into

grades, it is important to know that these

boundaries change every year.

A* 80-74

A 73-68

B 67-56

C 55-45

D 44-37

Being able to understand how your work is assessed

will help you regularly review your work

independently and with your teacher. It is important

that ALL Assessment Objectives are covered.

MARKS AO1 Develop ideas linked with artists

AO2 Refine ideas and experiment with resources,

media and materials

AO3 Record ideas

and observations

AO4 Make a

personal and meaningful response

1-4 Minimal ability to develop ideas and link with artists.

Minimal ability to refine and experiment with materials.

Minimal ability to record ideas. Written communication is at a very basic level.

Minimal ability to present a personal, meaningful final piece. Minimal ability to link with artists other sources.

5-8 Some ability to develop ideas and limited ability to link with artists.

Some ability to refine and experiment with materials.

Some ability to record ideas. Written communication is at a limited level.

Some ability to present a personal, meaningful final piece. Limited ability to link with artists other sources.

9-12 Generally consistent ability to develop ideas and link with artists.

A generally consistent ability to refine and experiment with materials.

A generally consistent ability to record ideas. Written communication is reasonably clear.

A generally consistent ability to present a personal, meaningful final piece and link with artists and other sources.

13-16 Consistent ability to develop ideas and link with artists

Consistent ability to refine and experiment with materials.

Consistent ability to record ideas. Written communication is clear and coherent.

Consistent ability to present a personal, meaningful final piece and link with artists and other sources.

17-20 Highly developed ability to develop ideas and confident link with artists

Highly developed ability to thoughtfully refine and experiment with materials.

Highly developed ability to skilfully record ideas. Written communication is fluent and accurate.

Highly developed ability to competently present a personal, meaningful final piece and links with artists and other sources are perceptive.

Assessment Objective 1

Assessment Objective 2

Assessment Objective 3

Assessment Objective 4

Assessment Objectives (AO’s)

AO1- Develop ideas linked with

artists

Take photographs

Digitally manipulate images

Collect images or objects

Make drawings and thumbnail sketches

Collages

Compositions (different layouts)

Use different materials

Different colour ranges

Artist research

Improvements could be annotated.

AO2- Refine ideas and experiment

with resources, media and

materials

Try different techniques, paint, pens,

pencil, collage, 3D, or printing.

Take one of your ideas and explore

different materials.

Show samples of your testings.

Evaluate your ideas.

AO3- Record ideas and

observations

Drawings from real life (observation)

Drawings from imagination

Drawings copied from images

Photography/video

Different viewpoints

Different designs

You could annotate your recordings

Mind maps or mood boards

Maquettes or models

AO4- Make a personal and

meaningful response

Practise your final idea.

Show how it links to other artists,

copy and interpret their work.

Produce a final plan

Complete a final piece that links to

all your development, this could be a

drawing, painting, print, sculpture,

mixed media piece.

Assessing your work

Your work will be regularly marked in two ways;

through Desktop Assessment (DTA) and Sketchbook

feedback prompts (mini post it notes).

SIR marking will be used for DTA.

In order to improve your grade and get the most out

the feedback given to you, you must regularly

respond to the marking by completing suggested tasks

or improvements. The individual dialogue with your

teacher is the best way to inform your independent

study.

The following page shows guidance for the Sketchbook

feedback prompts.

Sketchbook prompts Feedback

Guidance

When your sketchbook has been assessed you will

find coloured tabs that will help you to improve

your grade and maximise your grade. Look at the

colour and use the guidelines below to work out

what you need to do.

Blank page?

Present images that support your current work/ideas

Create a research page based on an artist linked to your idea (ask your teacher for

names)

Draw something from real life– make sure it connects to the project

Take one of your drawings and try it in other materials– annotate.

Unfinished task/work?

Complete the work

Add annotations– comments on how you could develop further.

Evaluate the success of your work Revisit– Work back into this piece using the materials more effectively

Improve– Is this your best quality work? Add more tone? Neaten? Add background?

Explain– How could this have been more successful? Write it then do it?

Finish– incomplete work will not show your best efforts– complete it!

Visual impact

Are images cut straight?

Are there blank spaces– how could you fill them?

Could you add borders or boxes?

Do you need a background?

On a research page have you used all of the elements expected?

Have you analysed using MCMO?

Fabulous work– keep it up

Reuse this or develop this idea towards a final piece!

This is what you are capable of more of this please!

COURSEWORK

Portfolio of Skills

September-December Year 10

This work is directed by your teacher. You will explore a variety

of materials, techniques and artists. Work will consist of

sketchbook and mini outcomes. This unit is a good opportunity for

you to identify your strengths for subsequent projects.

Project 1 Windows and Doorways

December-June Year 10

This project explores a number of artists which may include, Ian

Murphy, John Piper, Banksy, Valerie Barden, Robert Rauschenberg

and Edward Hopper.

You will start with tasks set in class for phase one of your

development and this will lead you into individual directions for

phase two.

The topic is very broad and will encompass shop fronts,

graffiti/urban decay, interiors/exteriors and architectural

features.

Project 2 Pattern (Mock exam)

July Yr 10-Dec Yr 11

Although this is a coursework project it is also your mock exam.

This project explores a number of

artists/craftspeople/designers/cultures which may include; Melinda

Hackett, MWM Graphics, Zentangles, Rangoli, Charles Rene

Mackintosh and Jill Ricci.

You will start with tasks set in class for phase one of your

development and this will lead you into independent work for phase

two, ending with the final piece being completed in controlled

exam conditions.

Externally set task (The Exam)

The exam begins in January Year 11 and this is 40% of your

overall mark.

Exam timings

You will be given the exam paper and supporting Powerpoint

in January and will have until April to complete

preparatory work. The exam is 10 hours long (2 days) and

during this time you must complete your final piece, in

‘controlled conditions’.

The question paper consists of approximately 7

‘questions’, each of which are themed starting points for

a project. Every question will contain named artists to

help you get started.

Example question

Many artists, craftspeople and designers are inspired by

the shape, colour, form and texture of food. Paul Cezanne

made a number of still life paintings of fruit. And Sarah

Graham makes colourful paintings of sweets. Ceramicist

Kate Malone has created vessels inspired by exotic fruits.

Research appropriate sources and make your own work in

response one of the following:

a)Fruit b) Sweets C)Shape, colour, form and/or texture in

food

You will approach the exam question in the same way you

would a coursework project and it is marked against the

same Assessment Objectives.

TOP EXAM TIPS

Research the artists immediately.

Plan your time on a calendar so you know exactly

how many weeks you have before the exam date.

Leave enough time to develop your ideas.

Choose a question that interests you and use the

skills you have already learnt.

Work the hardest you have ever worked, this is

40% of your overall mark.

Carefully consider scale, materials and the time

frame you have.

Prepare the surface you are working on well

before the exam day.

Practise you final piece (even if it is a bit

smaller) before the exam day.

Come to the exam with all of your prep work.

Improve the quality and presentation of your prep

before the deadline.

Why do you need to annotate your work?

· It helps to show that you have understood the task.

· It will get you marks in all of the Assessment objectives if it’s

done well.

· It will help you to learn how to analyse your ideas and make good

decisions in your artwork.

· The thoughts that you have in your head and the words you

frequently say in lessons are valuable and should be recorded.

Phrases that may help you to annotate and explain

your work.

This idea came from…..

This reminds me of….

I have used…. (insert technique or material)

This is effective because……..

If I use this I will improve…..

This material works the best for this because…….

My next step might be……….

………………….part is most successful because

……………….part is less successful because… I could try……….

This one is more successful than this one because……..

I have linked with (insert artist’s name) by……………

I want to communicate ………….by using………………………

I want to give the effect of……..

I am aiming to………………

This idea wouldn't work as well because……………….

Tick list for a successful research page

Printed images of several pieces of work by the artist

or artists you are researching. These work best if

they are cut straight and mounted onto paper to give

a border.

Written comments, using analysis skills; MCMO

Your copy of the artists’ work or section of it.

A border, background and title presented so that it

links with the artist style.

Facts and dates with website address referenced.

Your own work in the style of the artist with comments

to explain how it links.

KEY WORDS

Thumbnail sketch - A small idea sketch

Mark making – Using marks to create different textures.

Mixed Media – Artwork using more than one material.

Visual research – Pictures collected about a theme.

Visual analysis - When you copy a picture you are visually

analysing it.

Research – Information visual or written about a theme.

Artist research page – Research presented in the sketchbook

investigating the artists’ style.

Refine – Carefully and thoughtfully improve.

Tone – Light and dark.

Tonal range – The shade in-between light and dark.

Texture – The way a surface looks to feel.

Linear – Using lines.

Contours – The imaginary lines that make the shape of an

object.

Annotate – Make notes explaining processes and ideas.

Preparatory work – Work which covers the Assessment

Objectives and leads you to a final piece.

Composition – The layout of a drawing/design.