Laude The Lady Elizabeth School

AS/A2 Art

Examination Board: University of Cambridge: C.I.E

Prior level of attainment and recommended prior learning

The A Level specification is designed to provide progression for students who have studied Art at GCSE Level as a means to extend and develop their studies further. Students who are new to the subject will only be accommodated under special circumstances.

Rationale – delivery of the course

Art is a mode of expression and communication. It is concerned with visual perception and aesthetic experience and forms a language in addition to those used by literacy, mathematical, scientific and factually based subjects.

Most of the work is expected to be practical or studio based so that candidates will develop their abilities of observation and analysis of the visual world, sensitivity, skill, personal expression and imagination. They should learn to relate their skills to an enhanced knowledge of their and other cultures, past and present and an appreciation of practical design problems.

The course should stimulate interest, enjoyment and personal enrichment as well as providing an introduction to artistic exploration.

Curriculum content

A Level Painting and related media

Painting and Related Media

Candidates may use any of the following materials – oil colour, water-colour, acrylic, gouache, powder or poster paint, coloured inks, pen and wash, pastels, oil pastels, coloured pencils. They may combine these media or use them in conjunction with other materials – e.g. collage. The list is not prescriptive or comprehensive. The work produced may include still life, portraiture, landscape studies or abstract and figurative compositions. It may be either expressive or interpretative in content, or it may seek to record a response to the visual world. Candidates should have a broad understanding of the history of painting and other channels of visual communications and they should use the resources of museums, galleries, local collections or exhibitions to make a first-hand study of paintings wherever possible. The folder of supporting work may take the form of a sketchbook, or it may be a collection of preparatory studies with photographs of completed work. It should show evidence of a personal response and a developing style.

Use of sketchbooks:

We envisage a sketchbook might be used as:

• A system to document working practice
• A system to document information
• A system to document traces of thinking
• A system to document ideas and experiments
• A system to explain value-judgements made
• A system to document and justify decisions made

Which means a sketchbook involves systematic documentation

Systematic:                        Means regular and according to planned principles – Habit

Documentation:               Means a collection which demonstrates and corroborates actions and thinking – Evidence

This means that sketchbooks might, amongst other things

• Record a student’s thinking
• Document references and source material used
• Record visual information
• Log forward planning
• Record actions, decisions and changes of direction
• Explain aborted avenues of enquiry
• Make predictions, evaluations and summaries

All in such a way that the form and content of the sketchbooks arises from each student’s autonomous interests and study.

What could I do at the end of the course?

• Graphic Design
• Fine Arts
• Advertising
• Packaging
• Illustration

Mr Paul Noble

Art Teacher/Head of Design and Technology