Art and Design AS Level

William Ellis School

2014-2015

Whos Who

Sophie Pearce (Head of Art) pearce@williamellis.camden.sch.uk
Sharon White (Head of Year 13) white@williamellis.camden.sch.uk
Art Technician - Appointment in progress
William Ellis School Art Department website http://williamellisart.weebly.com/




Course Outline

AS Level Art is an exciting course that requires you to be creative and develop your artistic
skills and ideas. You work both in and out of a sketchbook to explore ideas, research a given
theme, research artists, experiment with a range of materials and create final responses.
During the course, you will go on a number of gallery visits with the class, as well as be
encouraged to visit galleries and museums independently as part of your project work and
investigation. As well as this, there will be many opportunities to develop your portfolio
including life drawing sessions and portfolio advice sessions.

At the end of the year William Ellis Art Department curate a summer Art exhibition in the
department. You will be encouraged to consider how you would like your artwork
presented to the public/staff/students.





Unit 1: MY SPACE
Coursework Unit
60% of the total AS mark
Marked out of 80 (4 Assessment Objectives equally weighted)
September 2014 January 2015

During the coursework unit, you will explore a range of media including pencil, ink, charcoal and chalk as
well as collage, plaster and digital photography. You will investigate a range of different environments and
spaces including Highgate Cemetery, Hampstead Heath and your own local environment. You will
investigate a range of artists that link to the theme, and will be asked to do further independent
contextual research as the project develops. You will be encouraged to experiment with a range of ideas,
processes and materials independently and document these creatively in your sketchbook.

You will experiment with a range of materials including:
Screen printing
Poly/mono printing and etching
Drawing skills in a range of media and scales
Sculpture modroc, plaster, 3D
Painting
Digital manipulation

You will be given master classes in these processes so that you are able to successfully develop your work.
During your mock exam you will create the first of two outcomes for this project.

Throughout the project, it is essential that you review your work, annotating your ideas and thoughts as
the work progresses, and refine it leading towards producing your final outcomes. You will learn how to
effectively annotate your sketchbook and consider different ways of interpreting artwork.

Your sketchbook will document the following:
It will show your planning, intentions and ideas how you intend to make something and the
concept behind the artwork
First-hand and second-hand observational drawings
On-going analysis of your work and ideas
Contextual work looking at the work of other artists in terms of social / political / historical /
technological ideas and the formal elements of artwork
Development of ideas sketches/Photoshop ideas
Experimentation with a range of media and processes




Below is an annotation sheet that will help you with your annotation and what to include in your
sketchbook. As well as this, there is a sheet to help you discuss the work of other artists and artwork in
depth. We will use these in class to help you analyse your work successfully.



Annotation Help Sheet Formal Elements
Form
This means looking at the formal elements of an artwork.
What is the medium of the work?
What colours does the artist use? Why? How is colour organised?
What kind of shapes or forms can you find?
What kind of marks or techniques does the artist use?
What is the surface like?
What kinds of textures can you see?
How big is the work?

Context
This refers to how the work relates to a particular time, place, culture and society in which it was
produced.
When was it made? Where was it made? Who made it?
Who was the work made for?
What do you know about the artist?
How does the work relate to other art of the time?
Does the work relate to the social or political history of the time?
Can you link it to other arts of the period, such as film, music or literature?
Does the work relate to other areas of knowledge, such as science or geography?
Content
The content is the subject of a piece of work.
What is it? What is it about? What is happening?
Is it a portrait? A landscape? Abstract?
What does the work represent?
The title - what does the artist call the work?
Does the title change the way we see the work?
Is it a realistic depiction?
Have any parts been exaggerated or distorted? If so, why?
What is the theme of the work?
What message does the work communicate?
Process
Looking at process means studying how the work was made and what techniques were used.
What materials and tools were used to make the piece?
What is the evidence for this?
Do sketchbooks provide any clues as to how the work developed?
Mood
Mood means looking at how the artist has created a certain atmosphere or feeling.
How does the work make you feel?
Why do you think you feel like this?
Does the colour, texture, form or theme of the work affect your mood?
Does the work create an atmosphere?




Artist Study Help Sheet

You need to find out information and collect images on the artists work/art movement. You should
arrange this information in an interesting way. You must include at least one detailed drawing of a piece
of the work. This can be in colour and could be a small section of the whole piece.

Follow the steps below to help you
1. Go to an art website, i.e: artcyclopaedia, Wikipedia etc. (You can also look on google images)
Basic Information

What is the artists name?
When was the artist born/ did the movement take place?
Where was the artist born?
Where did he go to art school?
Which other artists did he know/ does he know/are working at the same time as him/influenced him?

Interesting facts

Find out 3 interesting facts about the artists life or work. You should try to find things no one else will so
that your work is individual.

Quote

Include a quote of something relevant that the artist has said or a critic has said about an artwork/artist.

Images (Look on Google Images)

Find and include in your pages images of at least 3-5 different pieces of the artists work.

What you think..

Write in detail about two of these images. Choose at least 5 of the questions below to answer
What is it? What is it about? What is happening?
Is it a portrait? A landscape? Abstract?
What does the work represent?
The title - what does the artist call the work?
Does the title change the way we see the work?
Is it a realistic depiction?
Have any parts been exaggerated or distorted? If so, why?
What is the theme of the work?
What message do you think the work communicates?
How has the artist applied the paint? Smoothly/ roughly/ showing texture?


Unit 2: EXAM PROJECT as set by the exam board
Exam Unit
40% of the total AS mark
Marked out of 80 (4 Assessment Objectives equally weighted)
February May 2015

The Art exam paper consists of one broad-based thematic starting point. You will be shown examples of
good practice and follow a similar structure to Unit 1 exploring materials and processes and underpinned
by contextual studies. Throughout the course you will be required to produce quality first-hand and
second-hand studies. There will be an 8-hour exam at the end of the exam unit in which to produce a final
outcome. This exam will take place in exam conditions. At the end of the exam you are required to hand
your exam sketchbook in along with your exam piece.

Both units will involve you:
Developing ideas (A01)
Experimenting with media, developing and applying skills (A02)
Researching, recording, analysing and reviewing (A03)
Creating and presenting your outcome(s) (A04)



Internal Assessment Schedule

Unit 1:
Summer Assignment Mid Sept 2014
Sketchbook work monitoring and learning conversations Sept-Dec 2014
Interim coursework sketchbook assessment Wk beg 13
th
Oct 2014
Progress Review
Final Piece 1 Mock Exam Wk beg 5
th
Jan 2015
Final Piece 2 and completed sketchbook Friday 30
th
January 2015


You will be given a weekly homework sheet to complete alongside your class work.
This comprises of 5 hours a week of homework.

Unit 2:
Interim exam sketchbook assessment Friday 20
th
March 2015 (TBC)
Final 8 exam and hand in of Exam unit sketchbook Final Exam (day TBC)
(Approx May 2014)




Assessment Objectives

A01 (25%)
Develop your ideas through sustained and focused investigations, informed by contextual and other
sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

A02 (25%)
Experiment with and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing
and refining your ideas as the work develops.

A03 (25%)
Record in visual and/or other forms ideas, observations and insights relevant to your intentions,
demonstrating an ability to reflect on your work and progress.

A04 (25%)
Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating critical understanding , realising
intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, oral or other elements.




Learning and Teaching

You must be prepared to work your hardest every lesson and come prepared with the correct equipment.
Please ensure you are punctual to every lesson. You will be barred from the lesson if you are more than 10
minutes late!

Throughout the course, you will access a wide range of art workshops on the following:

Drawing techniques
Sculpture
Printing poly printing, mono printing, etching
Digital Photography and Photoshop
Sketchbook practice how to best display your work
Collage/relief work using a range of techniques

It is very important that you complete all the written work as well. We will give you support and guidance
with your analysis, but you need to ensure that you keep up to date with it, and dont leave it until the last
minute! The contextual aspect of the course investigating the work of others is the best way to get
inspired about different approaches to artwork, and will underpin your own ideas/development.
Remember to create a double page on any galleries that you visit independently that link to your project.

It is your responsibility to be prepared for every lesson.

Bring in sketchbook EVERY lesson!
Bring in basic art equipment pencils (a range of pencils), rubber, ruler, fine liner
Bring in planner
Bring in homework (normally this will be in your sketchbook) as required
Have a folder with any handouts/artist research pages to hand
Have a memory stick
On occasion, you will also be asked to bring in a digital camera if you have one or other specialist
equipment. You may be required to purchase a canvas or specific art equipment during the course.


Extending your learning

Where to go/websites to explore:
www.npg.org.uk - National Portrait Gallery
www.tate.org.uk - Tate Gallery
www.haywardgallery.org.uk - Hayward Gallery
http://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/ - Photographers Gallery
www.nationalgallery.org.uk - The National Gallery
www.art2day.co.uk a great resource for artist ideas
http://williamellisart.weebly.com/ - The William Ellis School Art website do take a look for exemplar work


Extra-Curricular Opportunities

Life Drawing classes:
We will be running a 4-week life-drawing course one night after school each week for 4 weeks. There will
be a small charge for this to cover the costs of the life model. If you would like to join up, please let either
Miss Pearce or Miss White know!

After-school Art Support:
A level Art students at WES are encouraged to come along every Thursday to the WES Art Department
from 3:15 5pm to spend time on their Art sketchbook work/final pieces. The Art team will be on hand to
offer support, guidance and resources. A level students are also encouraged to spend lunchtimes and after
schools in the Art department to ensure work is up to date.

Gallery visits:
Throughout the year, we will go to a range of galleries including the Tate Modern and the National Portrait
Gallery. We are so lucky to live in London with its excellent galleries, so do make the most of it! If there is
enough interest, we would also like to organise a trip to New York at some point during the course. This
will be a great opportunity to go to galleries, take photographs and get inspired!


Materials and Resources

Sketchbooks:
All students need to purchase a William Ellis School Art Department A3 sketchbook for 5 at the beginning
of the course. Pupils will need to purchase a second sketchbook for the Exam unit in January.

Art Materials:
At William Ellis, you will work with a wide range of materials including drawing materials, paint, printing,
ICT and sculpture.

We recommend that students have the following materials at home:

A range of pencils including HB, 2B and 4B
Watercolours
Oil pastels
A range of collage materials (newspapers, magazines, tissue paper, card)
Charcoal and chalk
Fine liners

You are encouraged and welcome to come to the Art rooms to work and use the materials at lunchtimes
and after school. We ask that students respect the materials and pack away when you have finished your
Art studies. Should you wish to borrow a DSLR digital camera, you can do so by signing out a camera from
Polly, the Art Technician, when required. You can only borrow a camera during the school day and not take
it home overnight. Unfortunately loss/damage will need to be covered by you, so be careful!