Art & Graphic Design

Samantha Lawrence - Head of Art - sjl@bishopwordsworths.org.uk

Mrs S Redmill - Teacher of Art

Mrs I Smith-Edmunds - Teacher of Art & Graphic Design

Mrs C Greatorex - Art Technician

Mrs C Johnson - Art Technician

Mrs T House - Art Technician

Students in year 7 -9 will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of techniques and processes from printmaking, digital art, ceramics and photography to name a few.
They will be tasked with ambitious projects designed to challenge and develop their skills and understanding of Art and Design and how we can use it to question our environment. We look to prepare our students for GCSE and A-Level, alongside nurturing Arts cultural importance and value.

YEAR 7

Year 7 will be spent in the art studio.

Project 1: Coast
The ‘Coast’ project involves understanding and exploring the formal elements of art including line, tone, drawing from observation, understanding perspective, painting techniques and painting with different mediums such as acrylic and watercolour. We look at a range of coastal artists such as David Tress, Kurt Jackson and John Piper and learn how to critically analyse their work. Students are introduced to the assessment objectives, culminating in a final collaged acrylic painting.

Project 2: Insects
The ‘Insects’ project builds on students observational drawing techniques and looks more closely at proportion, colour matching and blending, using coloured pencils and working in mixed media and responding to artists styles. Students have the chance to work to a set brief, where they design and make a three-dimensional insect using recycled materials. We look at 3D artists such as Steam Punk, Julie Alice Chappell and Justin Gersheson-Gates for inspiration. They learn how to peer-assess work, building on their growing understanding of the assessment objectives.

Project 3: Portraiture
The final project that the pupils will look at in year 7 is ‘Portraiture’. The students gain an understanding of facial proportions and understanding composition. Students draw once again from observation and look at artists such as Julian Opie and movements such as and Minimalism and Pop Art. They also have the opportunity to learn new printing processes such as lino cutting and create a final set of prints in the styles in which they have studied throughout the project.

YEAR 8

Year 8 will be spent in the art studio and students will also have the opportunity to work outside the school site as well as in the computer suite.

Project 1: Photography
The first project ‘Photography’ allows the students to respond to photographers that inspire them and explore traditional and formal elements of taking photos working to a set brief. Pupils have the opportunity to explore the local surroundings and gain a good understanding of the basic functions of a digital SLR and the rules of Photography. We look at formal elements such as leading lines, macro photography, rule of thirds, texture, architecture and composition. Pupils will study artists such as Slinkachu and Andrew White as well as having the opportunity to explore a range of historical and current photographer styles. They will produce a portfolio of their work, introducing editing techniques using Adobe Photoshop.

Project 2: Trainers
The trainer project allows students to once again work to a set brief. The project covers observational drawing, focusing on proportions and use of tone as well as exploring brand identity. Before designing their own trainers and logos we look at advertising, marketing techniques and brand awareness. Using design techniques such as mood boards and layout design, students produce a final sheet of their chosen trainer designs, drawing them from three different angles.

Project 3: Natural Forms
For the final project in Year 8, Pupils will look at natural forms and mark making. They respond to the topic title in a wide variety of mixed mediums such as stick and ink, charcoal, fine liner stippling and etching. Presenting them in thoughtful ways in their sketchbooks. From their observational responses and from looking at the work of Peter Randall-Page and Heather Knight, the students produce a ceramic ‘natural forms’ pinch pot as their final piece.

YEAR 9

Year 9 will be spent in the ICT suite working in Adobe CC and using programs including Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom and InDesign.

Project 1: Festival
The first project in year 9 will be spent learning how to navigate successfully around Adobe Photoshop and have a basic understanding of the key tools and layers used to create a piece of digital work. Students will be introduced to the work of digital artists such as Vault 49 and Justin Maller. The first projects theme is to design a Festival poster. Students will have the chance to write their own brief and come up with designing a logo and final poster based upon a festival of their choice. All of this work will be produced in Photoshop and will be digitally submitted.

Project 2: Digital editing and Photography
The second project will give the students a chance to develop their digital editing skills. This project is faster paced than the first. Each week will have a direct focus on one of the four assessment objectives, enabling a greater understanding of how art is assessed. A variety of digital artists and their techniques will be referenced as the weeks progress. Some of the artists that will be covered are, Bruno Del Zou, Magdiel Lopez, Shepard Fairy, Alex Boglepov, Jelle Martins, Guy Catlin and Maureen Brodbeck to name a few. Upon completion the students create a series of digital edits inspired by all of the work gleaned throughout the project and cover assessment objective 4.

Project 3: Packaging and branding
The final project in Key stage three’s art journey will be spent exploring Adobe Illustrator, as well as going back to Photoshop to edit their work. Students will work to a brief and choose their own artists, illustrators and graphic designers to respond to. This project will allow students to experience the structure and creative freedom of a GCSE style project. They will write their own brief and understand how to analyse packaging. Students will curate their own photoshoot, work from their initial planning to design their own brand and corporate identity. Each student will produce a series of digital final pieces and display them on digital mock ups.

AQA ART CRAFT AND DESIGN

AQA GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION

WHY TAKE ART OR GRAPHIC DESIGN?

The environment in which you are growing up in is fast, impatient and forever disconnected from real experiences. More and more our reliance on technology inhibits us, as opposed to empowering our ability to connect with each other and our surroundings. GCSE Art and Graphics at Bishop Wordsworth’s School will give you the opportunity not only to look, but to see, question, understand and reflect and to analyse critically and articulate creatively.

HOW WILL YOU LEARN?

Art and Design is a creative subject in which you will respond independently to themes and questions. You will present your investigations in a sketchbook or digital book, articulating visually your understanding and context of your work, researching artists and information appropriate to your practice. You will visit London Galleries and a have the chance to go on a residential trip. These trips are a vital learning resource, they inspire and inform ideas and responses developing students understanding of their subject in a wider context.

ART CRAFT AND DESIGN OR GRAPHICS?

Both of the courses are made up of:

Component 1: The Portfolio 60% of the whole grade, which you will start at the end of year 10. This will be supported be a selection of supporting work and details of the projects are below.

The course concludes with Component 2: An Externally Set Assignment in February of year 11. Worth 40% of the grade, (Component 2 will be determined on which path you take, either Graphics or Art). It will be a set question you choose from AQA, that you will have ten weeks to produce a project in response to culminating in a two-day exam where you create your final piece for that project in the art studio).

THE COURSE

The portfolio is worth 60% of the total grade.

The first theme will be a ‘Magazine’ project (30% of whole grade) You can take this in a digital/photographic direction or if you are more interested in Fine Art, you will take the project in this direction. This will be your design-based project (even if you create the final magazine by hand).

The second project is 'Coast.' (30% of whole grade). If you are focused on Fine Art, you will take this project in this direction. Which will mean the second project counts as a Fine Art project. Meaning you have two different projects. Therefore, you will be entered for Art Craft and Design. As you have explored a variety of avenues within art.

However, if you only wish to pursue digital art/working to a brief again for this second project. You will be entered for Graphic Design (which will include photo editing, working in Adobe CC etc).

You will have the full support of an experienced team of practitioners within their respective disciplines alongside a dedicated technical support team.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Art demands a commitment to question, reflect and learn new ways of seeing, engaging ideas and intentions.

WHAT DOES THE COURSE INVOLVE?

The course is designed to develop your ability as a young Artist, questioning and reflecting on themes that will initially be set for you. The course will allow you to pursue and develop an idea creatively and confidently with the support of expert teaching staff.

Your initial project will be based on the theme ‘Magazine’ this will start with a focus on digital development and you will learn to use Adobe software. You will also explore photography, printmaking and drawing techniques and ways to develop a personal response to your chosen theme within the project, this will give you a comprehensive understanding of the assessment objectives. You will then independently work in response to your chosen theme to form a selection of visual and written starting points. This will ensure you understand the expectations of the subject and prepare you for your GCSE.

You will also have a second project which will be based on the theme of Coast. if you wish to pursue a Fine Art style direction you can take this project down this route.

However, If you only wish to pursue digital art again, for this second project (work to a brief) you will be entered for Graphic Design rather than Art Craft and Design and the Coast Project will have a brief that you will write yourself. (Again, which will include photo editing/Adobe etc too).

HOW WILL YOU BE ASSESSED?

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

For more information on the GCSE course: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse/art-and-design-8201-8206/changes-for-2022