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: Shapes and Patterns
The final project that the pupils will look at in year 7 is Shapes and Patterns. We look at, and experiment with, organic and geometric shapes found in everyday life and how they can be placed to make repeated patterns. We look briefly at the work of Frank Stella, Piet Mondrian and Bridget Riley as a reference for using patterns as an art form as well as introducing the notion of abstraction. The students build on their knowledge of using fine-liners to produce a zentangle style composition on mountboard as their final piece.

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: Architecture/Perspective
Throughout this project the students will learn about the importance of perspective in Art, whilst looking at works by Botticelli and Vermeer. They will learn about the vanishing point and one- and two-point perspectives, then using these skills to create a poster of their names. Incorporating optical art within their designs. They will learn about the importance of blending colours and shading to create visually strong pieces of work. They will look at Architecture and learn about different viewpoints, whilst being able to ascertain where the lines of perspective lie. They will plan, design and create their own dream dwelling, ensuring the perspective and scaling is correct.

Project 2: Day of the Dead
During this project the students will learn about the culture of Mexico and the history of the famous festival called 'Day of the Dead'. They will understand the key concepts of this famous festival and its importance within art history. Using computers and books they will research types of fonts and their relevance to the Day of the Dead and use it within their projects. They will work with both 2D drawing and printing techniques to create a series of prints and observational drawings. They will use symbols and patterns within their work and will learn how to use a fine liner to finish their overall outcome. The students will also be given the opportunity to have a 'Bake Off', creating 'Day of the Dead' themed biscuits.

Project 3: 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.

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 GCSE GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION AND FINE ART

AQA GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION

WHY TAKE 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 Graphic Communication or Graphics looking in particular at Photography, at Bishop Wordsworth’s School will give you the opportunity not only to look, but to see, question, understand and reflect. To analyse critically and articulate creatively. Learn how to design visual materials to convey information, ideas, meaning and emotions in response to a given or self-defined brief. Areas of study include communication graphics, advertising, branding, package design, typography and motion graphics. Within Photography we look at digital methods of development and production to create static or moving images. Areas of study could include illustration, editorial design, branding, advertising and animation and photography. You will be based in ART2 for all lessons, so will also have access to the full Adobe suite as well as all the other art-based materials.

HOW WILL YOU LEARN?

Graphic 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.

THE COURSE IS MADE UP OF:

Component 1: The Portfolio worth 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, it will be a set question you choose from AQA. You will have ten weeks to produce a project in response to this 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.
For the portfolio component you will complete two coursework projects. The first theme will be a ‘Magazine’ project (30% of whole grade). You will work to a brief and choose your own topic to create your own magazine with a theme if your choice. 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 have full access to the Adobe CC suite at school and have a login that you can use at home. This can be Photography based if you are choosing this path or more digitally illustrative if you are choosing the Graphic communication path. The second project is 'Coast.' (30% of whole grade). You will write your own design brief under this heading or curate your own set of photographs, again having access to Adobe CC and working to the same assessment objectives as detailed below.

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.

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/subject-content/graphic-communication

AQA FINE ART

WHY TAKE ART?

If you enjoy being creative, want to increase your practical skills and improve your analytical, communication and research abilities, Fine Art is a great choice. The skills you gain make it a great complement to other subjects. Fine Art is a way of seeing things and making sense of the world around you. It can help you with further study and prepare you for the world of work. Fine art explores ideas, conveys experiences or responds to a theme or issue of personal significance. The areas of study are very broad and cover drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, mixed media, digital art and photography to name a few. You will also still have at least one allocated lesson a week where you have access to a computer and the Adobe programmes.

HOW WILL YOU LEARN?

Fine Art is a creative subject in which you will respond independently to themes and questions. You will present your investigations in a sketchbook, 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.

THE COURSE IS MADE UP OF:

Component 1: The Portfolio worth 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, it will be a set question you choose from AQA. You will have ten weeks to produce a project in response to this, 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.
For the portfolio component you will complete two coursework projects. One will be on the theme of Coast and the other is Identity. Alongside improving your practical expertise, you’ll learn how to: develop, refine, and record your ideas present a personal response that realises your intentions improve your creative skills through the effective and safe use of media, materials, techniques, processes and technologies successfully use visual language and the formal elements e.g., colour, line, form, shape, tone, texture use drawing skills for different needs and purposes. You’ll look at different approaches to art and use lots of different media, techniques and materials, for example fine art, painting, drawing, textile design, printmaking, ceramics, photography and will also have access to the Adobe software for digital manipulation, artist research and development.

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.

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/subject-content/fine-art