Art

A Level

BASIC COURSE DETAILS

Art and design is about using your creative and analytical skills to explore the world around you, working across a range of media to start developing your practical expertise. Whether you want to pursue a career in the creative industries or complement your other subjects. Fine art will develop your understanding of the creative process and learn to communicate visually. Areas of study include everything from painting, drawing to installation and sculpture.
You will be introduced to a variety of experiences that explore a range of fine art media, processes and techniques. You will be made aware of both traditional and new media. You will explore the use of drawing for different purposes, using a variety of methods and media on a variety of scales and will use sketchbooks/workbooks/journals to underpin their work where appropriate. You will explore relevant images, artefacts and resources relating to a range of art, craft and design, from the past and from recent times, including European and non-European examples. This will be integral to the investigating and making processes. Your responses to these examples will be shown through practical and critical activities that demonstrate your understanding of different styles, genres and traditions. You will be aware of the importance of process as well as product

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

This course offers the opportunity to examine and investigate a range of topics from the various approaches in Fine Art including:

  • drawing and painting.
  • mixed-media, including collage and assemblage
  • sculpture
  • ceramics
  • installation
  • printmaking (relief, intaglio, screen processes and lithography)
  • moving image and photography.

OVERARCHING SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDIING

  • appreciation of different ways of working, such as, using underpainting, glazing, wash and impasto; modelling, carving, casting, constructing, assembling, etching, engraving, drypoint, mono printing and lino printing.
  • understanding of pictorial space, composition, rhythm, scale and structure
  • appreciation of colour, line, tone, texture, shape and form.
  • how ideas, feelings and meanings can be conveyed and interpreted in images and artefacts in the chosen area(s) of study within Fine art.
  • historical and contemporary developments and different styles and genres.
  • how images and artefacts relate to social, environmental, cultural and/or ethical contexts, and to the time and place in which they were created.
  • continuity and change in different styles, genres and traditions relevant to Fine art.
  • a working vocabulary and specialist terminology that is relevant to their chosen area(s) of Fine art.

WHERE WILL A LEVEL FINE ART TAKE YOU? 

As well as giving you the chance to creatively engage with the world around you and develop technical skills, the study of art and design equips you with transferable skills that will support you in both further study and a range of careers.

POSSIBLE DEGREE OPTIONS 

A-level Art and Design can prepare you for a range of degree courses including:

  • 2D and 3D animation
  • fashion and textile design
  • lm and media studies
  • game design
  • illustration
  • product design
  • photography
  • set design

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

At A-level for component 1 you will develop work for a personal investigation into an idea, issue, concept or theme supported by written material. This will count for 60% of your total A-level marks. In component 2 you will produce personal work in response to one of eight exciting starting points which will count for 40% of your total A-level marks.