A-Level Fine Art

Through the study of Fine Art you will develop the skills of:

• Control and manipulation of media and techniques: to create skillfully crafted work.

• Analytical and critical thinking: to appreciate the work of artists and designers.

• Creative problem-solving: by finding practical solutions to express ideas.

• Presentation and communication: to share your observations, ideas and feelings through your work.

There are trips to London for A Level students to visit Art Galleries and to sketch and photograph for project work. The Visual Arts department also runs a trip to Amsterdam in September, to visit Art galleries, and to give students the opportunity to photograph and draw in this beautiful city.

Core Skills: You will build on your GCSE skills to explore media and techniques, including: still life drawing, landscape painting, expressive portraits, photography, batik, mixed media, prepared surfaces and image transfer.

Project Work: You will explore a range of ideas on the theme of ‘Famous Icons’, including celebrity portraits, iconic objects, and personal aspirations. This is an introduction to the A Level Assessment Objectives and how to build a project towards a final outcome.

Personal Investigation: You will explore a range of ideas from a choice of starting points to develop a personal project outline. This is the beginning of the assessed work for the A Level in Photography.

Related Study: You will continue to develop the Personal Investigation practical portfolio through exploration and experimentation with techniques. Alongside this work, there is a written study to explore some aspect of your practice, called the Related Study. The combined Personal Investigation and Related Study form 60% of the A Level marks.

Exam Preparation: This is the start of the externally set exam and forms 40% of the A Level marks. You will choose one starting point from the exam paper and develop your own project idea towards a final outcome.

The final exam is 15 hours. During this time you will complete your exam project by creating a final outcome.

Students must have achieved at least five strong passes (at least Grade 5) at GCSE level, including English Language, Maths and an art-based subject.