how much of art gcse is coursework

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GCSE Art and Design

8201, 8202, 8203, 8204, 8205, 8206

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• Introduction

Specification at a glance

• 3.1 Knowledge and understanding
• 3.4 Art, craft and design
• 3.5 Fine art
• 3.6 Graphic communication
• 3.7 Textile design
• 3.8 Three-dimensional design
• 3.9 Photography
• 3.10 Progression
• Scheme of assessment
• Non-exam assessment administration
• General administration

This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams and submit all their non-exam assessment at the end of the course.

Subject content

Students choose one or more of the titles below for study.

• Art, craft and design
• Graphic communication
• Textile design
• Three-dimensional design
• Photography

Assessments

Component details

Component 1: portfolio.

The content of the portfolio will be determined by the particular requirements and nature of the course of study undertaken. There is no restriction on the scale of work, media or materials used.

• A sustained project developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief evidencing the journey from initial engagement with an idea(s) to the realisation of intentions. This will give students the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across their course of study .
• A selection of further work resulting from activities such as trials and experiments; skills-based workshops; mini and/or foundation projects; responses to gallery, museum or site visits; work placements; independent study and evidence of the student’s specific role in any group work undertaken.

The work submitted for this component will be marked as a whole. Students should carefully select, organise and present their portfolio and must ensure that it provides evidence of meeting all four assessment objectives. They must identify and acknowledge sources which are not their own and provide evidence of drawing activity and written annotation .

Work selected for the portfolio should be presented in an appropriate format and could include: mounted studies, sketchbooks, visual diaries, journals, design sheets, design proposals, models, maquettes, prototypes, storyboards, video, photographic or digital presentations, records of transient and site-specific installations.

Component 2: Externally set assignment

AQA will provide a separate externally set assignment for each title, each with seven different starting points. Students must select and respond to one starting point from their chosen title.

The externally set assignment provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding in response to their selected starting point.

The extended creative response must explicitly evidence students’ ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skill and/or understanding from initial engagement with their selected starting point through to their realisation of intentions in the 10 hours of supervised time.

Students must ensure that the total submission for Component 2 evidences coverage of all four assessment objectives and evidence of drawing activity and written annotation . Students must identify and acknowledge sources which are not their own.

Externally set assignments will be available to students and teachers from 2 January. They must be given to students in their entirety and must not be edited, changed or abridged in any way.

A preparation period which can begin on or after 2 January is followed by 10 hours of supervised unaided work in which students are required to realise their intentions. Students must not undertake any further preparatory studies once the first period of supervised time starts.

Preparatory period – from 2 January

• Students and teachers can access the externally set assignments on 2 January (or as soon as possible afterwards) but not before. It is at the discretion of schools to plan when their students start work on their assignments after 2 January.
• Following receipt of the externally set assignment paper, students should select one starting point from which to develop their own work.
• Students may discuss their starting points with the teacher.
• Preparatory work may be presented in any suitable two- or three-dimensional format such as mounted sheets, sketchbooks, journals, design proposals, models and maquettes, digital or non-digital presentations.
• Students must stop work on their preparatory studies as soon as the first period of supervised time starts.
• There is no restriction on the scale of work, media or material used.

Supervised time – 10 hours

• Following the preparatory period, students must undertake 10 hours of unaided focused study, under supervision.
• The first two hours of supervised time must be consecutive.
• Schools and colleges may timetable supervised sessions for the remaining eight hours at their own discretion.
• Students may refer to their preparatory work during the supervised time but must not add to it or amend it during the supervised time or between sessions.
• Students must not add to or amend work produced during the supervised time; either between sessions of supervised time or after the 10 hours of supervised time has been completed.
• Work produced in the supervised time must be clearly identified as such.
• Preparatory work and work produced during the supervised time must be kept under secure conditions between and following the supervised sessions. Work produced during the supervised time must be clearly identified as such.
• Only the preparatory work and the work produced within the 10 hours of supervised time can be submitted as assessment evidence for this component.

Students must not have access to the internet during the 10 hours of supervised time. Students are allowed access to web-based applications, eg Adobe Creative Cloud, but all other internet access must be disabled.

All work submitted for this component will be marked as a whole. Students may produce a single outcome or a series of related outcomes when realising their intentions in the supervised time. Outcomes may be evidenced in any two-dimensional, three-dimensional, digital or non-digital format. There is no restriction on scale of work, media or materials used.

The supervised time must take place under the guidelines set out in the document JCQ Instructions for the conduct of examinations .

COURSEWORK GUIDES

You have art coursework and need to research artworks for it. Where do you start? How do you find relevant inspiration? How have other artists approached the themes?Our thematic coursework guides provide ideas and inspiration to get you started. Try our 'Have A Go!' section at the bottom of our guides for activities to keep you motivated!

2023 Coursework Guides

Past coursework guides, we recommend, closeness and simplicity to nature coursework guide.

From the gardens and paradise to land art, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the themes of closeness and proximity to nature

Complex and simple movement coursework guide

From machines to humans, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the themes of simple and complex movement

Simple processes, complex outcomes coursework guide

From optical illusions and repeating forms to instructions, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the theme of simple processes, complex outcomes

Details and the uncanny coursework guide

From photoreal to dreams, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the themes of details and the uncanny

Layers Coursework Guide

From stacking and painting to collage and hidden layers, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the techniques of layering

Objects Coursework Guide

From the uncanny and personal to advertisement and politics, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the themes of object

Senses Coursework Guide

From touch and taste to sight and smell, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the themes of the senses

Reflection Coursework Guide

From mirror and glass to water and fractals, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the themes and techniques of reflection

Weather Coursework Guide

From sun worshipers, cloud gazers and storm chasers to artists who use the weather to explore broader themes and ideas

Materials Coursework Guide

From 'usual' to unlikely art materials: explore textures, qualities, techniques and symbolism of things artists use to make their work

Still Life Coursework Guide

Not just fruit and flowers, explore still lifes from realistic to abstract and familiar to unexpected

Dynamism and Movement Coursework Guide

Explore how artists use marks and colour to suggest motion or make kinetic, performance and video art to explore movement

Landmarks Coursework Guide

From art about landmarks to art that is itself a landmark: get some inspiration on the theme of landmarks

Diary Coursework Guide

From sketchbooks to video diaries and the everyday to big life events, explore how artists use diaries to record the world around them

Mark Making Coursework Guide

Explore the different ways artists use marks and expressive qualities

Outline Coursework Guide

Discover surprising ways artists use outlines in art from graphic to graffiti or abstract and animated

Clothing Coursework Guide

Explore art and fashion, from clothes and identity to shapes, patterns and textures of clothing inspired by art

Masks Coursework Guide

Explore how artists have used masks in their work, to protect, disguise, hide and amuse

Trees Coursework Guide

From atmosphere and symbolism to textures and abstract shapes, explore how trees have inspired artists

Memory Coursework Guide

Explore memories of the past, memories of people and fading memories to see how artists recall and reminisce in art

Food Coursework Guide

Can a humble bag of chips or slice of pizza become a masterpiece? Explore some tasty art about food

Colour Coursework Guide

Explore how different artists have used colour in their work and sketches

Form Coursework Guide

What exactly is form? And how can you explore it in your sketchbook?

Play Coursework Guide

What does play mean for you? Is it sports, or music? Perhaps it’s drifting into a personal imaginary world, or maybe it’s social – board games, card games, or just meeting others

Underwater Coursework Guide

About 70 percent of the Earth is covered in water. It’s probably the least-explored part of our planet - we’ve explored more of space than the oceans. But maybe because of that, for artists, water has been a theme, a subject and even a medium to work with

Line Coursework Guide

See how artists use the power of a line and try some ideas in your sketchbook

Tone Coursework Guide

Learn how you can use tone in your sketchbook

Transmission Coursework Guide

Discover works in which artists explore the complex ways humans spread thoughts and ideas

Isolation Coursework Guide

Recently we have all had to deal with long and short periods of isolation. How have artists explored the ideas of isolation in their work, and what can you learn from those experiences?

Mother and Child Coursework Guide

Discover tender images of new mums and babies and artists' in-depth explorations of mother and child relationships

Journeys Coursework Guide

From physical journeys and migration to journeys of self-discovery, get ideas and inspiration about journeys in art

Relationship Coursework Guide

Exploring relationships in art, as a connection or association between people, things or ideas

Letters and Words Coursework Guide

Discover how artists use letters and words in their art

Force Coursework Guide

From forces of nature and forceful feelings to force as a method, explore how artists have used force in art

Ritual Coursework Guide

What is a ritual? Discover how ritual has been used as a theme in art

Self-Image Coursework Guide

Explore how artists have represented themselves, and others, using portraiture

Transformation Coursework Guide

Explore how artists have transformed objects and ideas through their work

Details Coursework Guide

Explore the theme of details through works in our collection

Human Figure Coursework Guide

Explore people drawn, painted or sculpted from life and art that explores abstract ideas about being human

Sorry, no image available

News and Event Coursework Guide

Look at artists responses to news, from headline-grabbing events and social or political issues, to stories of the extraordinary everyday

Light and Dark Coursework Guide

Look at artworks made from light and shadow to the symbolic use of light and dark to make powerful statements

Interwoven Coursework Guide

Explore art that interweaves materials, ideas, experiences and histories

Perspective Coursework Guide

From vanishing points to points of view, explore perspective in art

Spaces Coursework Guide

Busy crowded streets, eerie empty rooms, explore spaces in art

Habitats Coursework Guide

From art about home life to art that highlights the impact of climate change and pollution on natural habitats

Texture Coursework Guide

Explore textures in art from woven textures and textured fabrics and materials to gestural marks and patterns

Toys Coursework Research

From pop art to gender politics, see toys in a new light and get some inspiration for your coursework

Myths and Legends Coursework Guide

Be inspired by myths and legends – or create your own!

Changed Identity Coursework Guide

From changing their own identities to changing the identity of objects, how have artists explored the theme of changed identity?

Space Coursework Guide

From the space race to heavenly bodies, find some coursework inspiration

Plastics Coursework Guide

Explore plastic in art for some research inspiration

Old and New Coursework Guide

Uncover ways of thinking of Old and New in art

Circus Coursework Guide

Uncover ways of exploring the theme of Circus for coursework inspiration

Rhythm Coursework Guide

Explore artworks with rhythm for some coursework inspiration

Geometric Coursework Guide

Maths meets art to inspire your coursework

Moments in Time Coursework Guide

See how artists respond to moments in time to inspire your coursework

Crowded Coursework Guide

Pack in tightly for some inspiration for your coursework

16-25? Join Tate Collective for £5 exhibition tickets

Student resources.

Discover more for students from Tate

Create Like an Artist

How to make art inspired by artists like Rachel Whiteread, Andy Warhol and Frank Bowling

Pastel Inspire

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5 Top-tips to survive the Art workload (from a GCSE A*/grade 9 student) [Pastel Inspire]

This website has been archived – please check out the same blog post (and many more!!) on my new website, pastelinspire.com!!

Currently many Year 9s and 10s are starting their GCSE Art coursework and the pressure is starting to mount, with large amounts of homework and stressful classwork. Generally GCSE Art is a real shock to the system and, by Christmas, a handful of students can feel overwhelmed by the amount of work and others fall behind very quickly.

If you Google “should I do GCSE art”, you’ll probably find a lot of students and mums saying how difficult GCSE Art was, as well as how impossible it is to keep on top on the workload, making it impossible to get a good grade…

Well, guess what–I took GCSE Art&Design from 2015-2017 and I was thrilled to obtain full marks in both my coursework and exam project! It was not an easy GCSE for me, but it was probably my most rewarding.

Note: I did the AQA Art GCSE course in 2016/17. I am basing this article on the AQA art courses (specifically the Art & Design course) but I have also read the specification for the new 9-1 course, so the information given and the skills I have learnt are 100% applicable for the exams taught from September 2016 (with exams starting in June 2018). This advice can also be transferred to other exam boards, although the Assessment Objective marking method that AQA uses (mentioned in my first point) may differ from that of other exam boards.

Every piece of advice (besides the first) can be applied to everyday artwork and any art lessons internationally–you don’t need to be living in England and doing your GCSEs to be able to “work homework around your schedule” or “cut some corners”; this goes for anyone struggling with art loads! In fact, it could even work for artists on social media who are trying to gain followers with frequent posting, but are stuggling to keep up with demand (we’ve all been there!).

It is a truth universally acknowledged that GCSE Art is a difficult GCSE. You have probably heard it a thousand times that the GCSE work load for all art courses is pretty huge. This is most definitely true; my art class was full of extremely talented artists who all were capable of getting that prestigious A* grade. However, talent is not everything and with so much to do in the course, it is very, very easy to fall behind.

Despite this warning, it would be a lie to say I did not love GCSE Art & Design and that the art lessons were not the highlight of my Year 10/11 timetable. These tips are all to make the GCSE Art courses (whether photography, art & design, fine art or something else) more manageable in workload, which I have learnt over the two-year period. I believe some of these tips (particularly the last one) significantly reduced my stress levels in art lessons

Less can be more (when it comes to marking) (specifically for AQA GCSE)

Honestly! For the AQA specification, there are four elements that are each marked out of 24 (old qualification: 20), leading to 96 marks (80): for each of your coursework projects and your final exam project (the final grade is 60% coursework and 40% exam). I will give a quick summary of each of the Assessment Objectives (AO) below (not in chronological order, but by what my teacher taught me as the most sensible order):

• AO3: Researching artists, going to museums galleries to collect inspiration. This is all about showing you have been using other sources to develop your projects, often through “research pages” and artist studies.
• AO2: Studies and practising actually creating art. If it’s still life, you’ll probably have some fruit plopped on the desk and told to draw them- it does help develop your skills when it comes to your final response or exam.
• AO1: Bringing ideas together. This is basically developing what you have learnt in AO2 and AO3 to start coming up with some concepts and ideas in preparation for AO4.
• AO4: Your personal response. This could be a “final piece” type artwork which mirrors the process of your exam project (which was how my school did this) but it could be another type of response. It is based on what you have learnt in AO2 and AO3.

This may seem off topic to the question of “less is more”, but when it comes to GCSE Art, as long as you have covered all four of these aspects in good enough quality, then you will not lose marks. Sometimes, teachers even discard some of your worse pieces for the marking process, so it doesn’t lower your grade. Of course, that isn’t a reason for slacking as your teacher will know how much you need to do at what standard for that A* (or whatever grade you are aiming for!).

This tip is more for reassurance than advice for something you should put into practice: just focus with the task at hand, and if there is one terrible Year 10 piece that you and your teacher both know did not show off the best of your ability, it will probably be removed with little fuss.

A good unfinished piece is better than a rushed finished piece

Similarly to the last tip, this is important considering just how much work you may have to do for your GCSE Art course. You may want to try and get every part of an artwork to the same degree of “finished-ness” and detail, but bare in mind that examiners just want to see you are capable of getting to that standard at all!

If you are running short on time for any art piece, just make sure one area of it is finished, to show you are capable of reaching that A*-standard! You will not be marked down on that, although, again, that is not an excuse for slacking- your teacher is unlikely to appreciate every painting or sketchbook page being half finished (note that this does not apply for artist research pages or any other collage-type work you might do for AO3; those are meant to look full and busy, however you may be able to cut some shortcuts: see below).

Art homework doesn’t have to be a chore; work it around your schedule

This one is also very important; the number of people whom I’ve heard leave their homework for the lunchtime before the lesson is huge! I have sometimes been known to do this myself, I grant you, but I do find it brings me unnecessary stress (plus, I very rarely can manage to finish my art homework in 30 minutes!). A very easy way to fall behind on art homework can be simply to procrastinate, putting it off to the last minute and then forgetting about it. It is notoriously common!

So an easy way to prevent procrastinating with your art homework is to multi-task when you do it. I personally find that the best time for me to do my homework is when I would usually watch television in the evenings; a Saturday night Strictly Come Dancing session is the perfect excuse to spend two and a half hours doing a collage or working on a study of an apple! Other times you could do your art homework could be during the school journey from home or on the way back home, during lunchtimes (though best not to do it the lunchtime before the lesson- try to spread it out throughout two or three as you’ll probably need the extra time!) or whenever you have a break in the day.

I don’t believe art homework shouldn’t be enjoyable; it should be fun, like a hobby. What is great about art is also that you can be social while you do it; I used to go to the art room every luinchtimes before a lesson so that I could chat with my artsy classmates while we all did some homework- it was a really nice way to spend my breaks in the school day!

What you reap now, you sow later

This is the most valuable piece of advice I could possibly give. I can not express how important time management is in art; if you can’t get your work done in the allocated amount of time, the unfinished work quickly builds up. This tip is what gave me five hours-worth of free periods at the end of Year 11, after I had finished my exam, while my classmates were finishing off coursework pieces. These free periods were very valuable for revision purposes so that I could now focus on subjects I stuggled with, putting Art behind me.

Put in the time. Work hard to make A* pieces at the weekends, in the evenings while watching television, because they will be valuable at the end of the two years. My favourite sketchbook page to this day is a photo collage I made which took me 10 hours to complete while watching TV one evening; it looks like it took an hour maximum you definitely can’t tell it took 10 hours when you look at it, but every photo, every stroke, was considering and placed carefully until I could declare it perfect. It is those sort of days that differentiated the A-grade pupils from the A* pupils: that clear passion and determination and pride in your artwork- and you don’t have to spend 10 hours on a piece just to prove that. Working hard at the start of Year 10 helps lower the inevitable stress (and workload) in the Year 11 exam season and that is precious; you really do not want to sacrifice revision and work in other subjects just to finish your art exam coursework.

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5 Top-tips to survive the Art workload

From a GCSE A*/grade 9 student

Jennifer Leigh | 22nd December 2017

If you Google “should I do GCSE art”, you’ll probably find a lot of students and mums saying how difficult GCSE Art was, as well as how impossible it is to keep on top on the workload, making it impossible to get a good grade…

Well, guess what–I took GCSE Art&Design from 2015-2017 and I was thrilled to obtain full marks in both my coursework and exam project! It was not an easy GCSE for me, but it was probably my most rewarding.

Note: I did the AQA Art GCSE course in 2016/17. I am basing this article on the AQA art courses (specifically the Art & Design course) but I have also read the specification for the new 9-1 course, so the information given and the skills I have learnt are 100% applicable for the exams taught from September 2016 (with exams starting in June 2018). This advice can also be transferred to other exam boards, although the Assessment Objective marking method that AQA uses (mentioned in my first point) may differ from that of other exam boards.

Every piece of advice (besides the first) can be applied to everyday artwork and any art lessons internationally–you don’t need to be living in England and doing your GCSEs to be able to “work homework around your schedule” or “cut some corners”; this goes for anyone struggling with art loads! In fact, it could even work for artists on social media who are trying to gain followers with frequent posting, but are stuggling to keep up with demand (we’ve all been there!).

It is a truth universally acknowledged that GCSE Art is a difficult GCSE. You have probably heard it a thousand times that the GCSE work load for all art courses is pretty huge. This is most definitely true; my art class was full of extremely talented artists who all were capable of getting that prestigious A* grade. However, talent is not everything and with so much to do in the course, it is very, very easy to fall behind.

Despite this warning, it would be a lie to say I did not love GCSE Art & Design and that the art lessons were not the highlight of my Year 10/11 timetable. These tips are all to make the GCSE Art courses (whether photography, art & design, fine art or something else) more manageable in workload, which I have learnt over the two-year period. I believe some of these tips (particularly the last one) significantly reduced my stress levels in art lessons

Less can be more (when it comes to marking)

For the AQA specification, there are four elements that are each marked out of 24 (old qualification: 20), leading to 96 marks (80): for each of your coursework projects and your final exam project (the final grade is 60% coursework and 40% exam). I will give a quick summary of each of the Assessment Objectives (AO) below (not in chronological order, but by what my teacher taught me as the most sensible order):

• AO3 Researching artists, going to museums galleries to collect inspiration. This is all about showing you have been using other sources to develop your projects, often through “research pages” and artist studies.
• AO2 Studies and practising actually creating art. If it’s still life, you’ll probably have some fruit plopped on the desk and told to draw them- it does help develop your skills when it comes to your final response or exam.
• AO1 Bringing ideas together. This is basically developing what you have learnt in AO2 and AO3 to start coming up with some concepts and ideas in preparation for AO4.
• AO4 Your personal response. This could be a “final piece” type artwork which mirrors the process of your exam project (which was how my school did this) but it could be another type of response. It is based on what you have learnt in AO2 and AO3.

This may seem off topic to the question of “less is more”, but when it comes to GCSE Art, as long as you have covered all four of these aspects in good enough quality, then you will not lose marks. Sometimes, teachers even discard some of your worse pieces for the marking process, so it doesn’t lower your grade. Of course, that isn’t a reason for slacking as your teacher will know how much you need to do at what standard for that A* (or whatever grade you are aiming for!).

This tip is more for reassurance than advice for something you should put into practice: just focus with the task at hand, and if there is one terrible Year 10 piece that you and your teacher both know did not show off the best of your ability, it will probably be removed with little fuss.

A good unfinished piece is better than a rushed finished piece

Similarly to the last tip, this is important considering just how much work you may have to do for your GCSE Art course. You may want to try and get every part of an artwork to the same degree of “finished-ness” and detail, but bare in mind that examiners just want to see you are capable of getting to that standard at all!

If you are running short on time for any art piece, just make sure one area of it is finished, to show you are capable of reaching that A*-standard! You will not be marked down on that, although, again, that is not an excuse for slacking- your teacher is unlikely to appreciate every painting or sketchbook page being half finished (note that this does not apply for artist research pages or any other collage-type work you might do for AO3; those are meant to look full and busy, however you may be able to cut some shortcuts: see below).

This was not a piece for my GCSE coursework, but I decided to include it all the same (it is called “Moonlight”; if you’re interested in finding out my process in creating this little fox, check out my article here, where I also discuss my advice for overcoming a “slump”, also known as “I-don’t-know-how-to-fix-this syndrome”) as it demonstrates my point pretty well!

This piece was taking forever to paint and add the detail I wanted, so I ended up focusing completely on the face and head area. As you can see, this did not really affect how “finished” the artwork looked; in fact, the eye focuses on areas of more detail, making it so much more effective. You can see, if you take a second look at this painting, that everything from the neck downwards is actually little past the “base-layer” stage. Obviously, if I had longer (as in, about five more hours!), I could have added all the white highlights to the whole piece but, had this been a piece of GCSE coursework, it would have shown the examiner that I am capable getting a great amount of detail, as I got with the face, had I had enough time.

Now by shortcuts, I don’t mean getting someone to do your work for you, or printing out a sheet of photos just to stick it straight into your sketchbook! No, I mean using different media to add details quicker to get that grade A piece to an A* in 20 minutes, or to save those photos slightly bigger just to fill out more space, more quickly. This is similar to the point above in that you may not finish you artwork how you wanted to, if only to save time, yet this is really not he end of the world, especially if it is only an AO2 piece.

Here are some tips for quickly finishing art pieces, and also finishing research pages:

• Ballpoint pens (are your best friend when it comes to quickly finishing pieces; from quick artist studies on a research page to finishing off that watercolour study that has been taking forever, adding details and shading with pens can save bucket-loads of time, as I learnt in my 10 hour exam!
• White gel pens are honestly such a lifesaver! I highly recommend this for any GCSE artist or indeed any school art department (I believe I currently own 6 white gel pens in various places around my house!) as it is as precise as a ballpoint pen, less messy than Tip-ex/white-out/liquid-paper and so, so effective! You can add quick highlights onto any medium in a similar way to ballpoint pens for shading.
• Paint is quicker than pencil and I know! we are all so used to coloured pencils and watercolours seem horribly difficult to control- but I promise you, just dash some watercolour onto a study and add all the shading with ballpoint pens and white gel pens once it is dry. I swear pencil work can take hours compared to a 20 minute watercolour wash; it’s not worth it!
• Large photos in collages are easy and fill up space- often they also look best overlapping in a random manner rather than being arranged in neat rows
• Add some sort of background , again, to fill up space. This can be as simple as a watercolour wash or a collage of papers (e.g. Book pages, a selection of colour sugar paper), which makes the page look a little less empty and brings out the real “collage’ look
• Have some bits and pieces such as stamps or typed-out information to– you guessed it- fill out space. This helps bring everything together and means less work or studies to do on the page!

Art homework doesn’t have to be a chore; work it around your schedule

This one is also very important; the number of people whom I’ve heard leave their homework for the lunchtime before the lesson is huge! I have sometimes been known to do this myself, I grant you, but I do find it brings me unnecessary stress (plus, I very rarely can manage to finish my art homework in 30 minutes!). A very easy way to fall behind on art homework can be simply to procrastinate, putting it off to the last minute and then forgetting about it. It is notoriously common!

So an easy way to prevent procrastinating with your art homework is to multi-task when you do it. I personally find that the best time for me to do my homework is when I would usually watch television in the evenings; a Saturday night 'Strictly Come Dancing' session is the perfect excuse to spend two and a half hours doing a collage or working on a study of an apple! Other times you could do your art homework could be during the school journey from home or on the way back home, during lunchtimes (though best not to do it the lunchtime before the lesson- try to spread it out throughout two or three as you’ll probably need the extra time!) or whenever you have a break in the day.

I don’t believe art homework shouldn’t be enjoyable; it should be fun, like a hobby. What is great about art is also that you can be social while you do it; I used to go to the art room every luinchtimes before a lesson so that I could chat with my artsy classmates while we all did some homework- it was a really nice way to spend my breaks in the school day!

What you reap now, you sow later

This is the most valuable piece of advice I could possibly give. I can not express how important time management is in art; if you can’t get your work done in the allocated amount of time, the unfinished work quickly builds up. This tip is what gave me five hours-worth of free periods at the end of Year 11, after I had finished my exam, while my classmates were finishing off coursework pieces. These free periods were very valuable for revision purposes so that I could now focus on subjects I stuggled with, putting Art behind me.

Put in the time. Work hard to make A* pieces at the weekends, in the evenings while watching television, because they will be valuable at the end of the two years. My favourite sketchbook page to this day is a photo collage I made which took me 10 hours to complete while watching TV one evening; you definitely can’t tell it took 10 hours when you look at it, but every photo, every stroke, was considering and placed carefully until I could declare it perfect. It is those sort of days that differentiated the A-grade pupils from the A* pupils: that clear passion and determination and pride in your artwork- and you don’t have to spend 10 hours on a piece just to prove that. Working hard at the start of Year 10 helps lower the inevitable stress (and workload) in the Year 11 exam season and that is precious; you really do not want to sacrifice revision and work in other subjects just to finish your art exam coursework.

I really hope these tips have been helpful and wish the best of luck to anyone doing GCSE Art next year, or hoping to in the future. It is possibly the most rewarding GCSE, in my opinion, if you are able to work hard and focus on the task at hand. Swapping my GCSE options to do Art in favour of Latin was quite possibly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made; those two years improved my art more than I could have ever imagined, as well as the experience itself just teaching me so many things!

Those who say art is an easy A* have probably never actually been through it, but it’s a great journey; just try to enjoy it!

© 2020 Jennifer Leigh. Based on website design GreatSEO .

How to Get a 9 in GCSE Art

In GCSE by Think Student Editor October 19, 2020 Leave a Comment

GCSE Art is a very popular subject but is tough and requires a lot of hard work. Although there won’t be any written exams, you will have a great deal to do over the two years and it can take up a lot of time. You don’t want your efforts to go to waste, so keep reading if you want some tips on how to get a 9 in your Art GCSE.

Planning is an essential part in gaining high marks in GCSE Art so you must show your thought processes, and progression towards your final piece whenever you can. Pinterest is a really valuable resource for finding inspiration and you can turn this into a research page for your portfolio. It’s important to use a variety of mediums throughout your portfolio, as this is something that examiners really look for. A big part of GCSE Art is analysis and a great time to do this is with studies on specific artists. When planning your final piece, don’t be over ambitious – make sure you can complete it within the 10 hours allotted. Do as much preparation for the exam as you can so you can use all the time to your advantage.

1. Showing Your Thought Process and Planning is Essential for Getting a 9 in Art GCSE

The process towards making your final piece is really important to record and write about as it contributes to AO1 and AO3 on the mark scheme. All your ideas and inspiration should be noted somewhere so you can turn them into a page for your portfolio.

There are many ways to demonstrate your research and planning but these are just a few examples which will show you’ve been very thorough when deciding on your final piece.

Select some images you found online or on Pinterest and write about them in depth. You should be discussing why the image interested you and what techniques you would incorporate into your own work. It’s important that these images show variety, some should link very clearly to the theme and others can be more abstract.

You need to document each step along the way, and this includes techniques that you didn’t like and decided not to use. By discussing why you won’t be using certain techniques, you are being critical and evaluating your own work, which demonstrates the development of your ideas. Similarly to this, you should keep your work that went wrong and talk about what you would do differently next time.

As part of your plan, you should create a ‘mini’ final piece. Depending on your medium, this could just be a photoshopped version or a sketch but be sure to show that you’ve practiced with the real materials and state why you chose them. The mock up of your final piece should include very detailed annotation to say what inspired each part, why you chose the materials and any other details that are relevant to your work.

2. Use Pinterest to Look for Ideas and Show Your Research if You Want a 9 in GCSE Art

With GCSE Art, you’ll need to spend a lot of time researching your theme and finding inspiration for your work. Pinterest is a great place to find photographs, artwork and techniques that you can implement in your work.

Once you’ve chosen your theme or word, create a pinterest board dedicated to your title and simply search for the word and add any images you like. Add in key words like art, artist or painting to refine your search and find images that are more relevant.

Over time, you’ll have a diverse range of images available to you in your Pinterest board and you can always go back to this if you need inspiration. You should also create Pinterest boards for techniques that you like or particular artists you want to study.

Not only is Pinterest great for inspiration but it can keep you organised and on top of your work. All the photos and images you like will be in one place, rather than saving them to your phone and losing them in your camera roll.

Most importantly, your research on Pinterest can be used to make a page for your portfolio! By showing the preliminary research you’ve done, you will be meeting the AO1 criteria which is all about developing ideas through investigation. When making a page about your Pinterest research, you could create a collage of the photos you liked and annotate them. You could also take a few photos and write about them in depth but you may want to do this as a completely separate page.

3. You Must Use a Variety of Techniques to Score Highly in GCSE Art

AO2 of the GCSE Art specification is focused on exploring ideas and experimenting with different mediums, so it’s crucial that you show a variety of techniques and materials.

Within your portfolio, you can have whole pages dedicated to experiments with different materials by doing swatches and analysing the outcome. With the analysis, you could write about what you did and didn’t like, how this may be used in your work, interesting colour combinations or what you would change if you repeated the technique.

You should also show a variety of mediums and skills within the other pages of your portfolio, don’t limit yourself to just using watercolour or pencil. It’s important to push yourself to try different techniques and, even if you don’t like the outcome, it can make for some really good analysis. As a general rule, you’ll get high marks if you use a variety of mediums and combine this with strong evaluation.

If you’re struggling to find alternative mediums, take a look at the list below.

Traditional mediums:

• Watercolour
• Acrylic paint
• Oil pastels
• Ink or biro

Interesting techniques:

• Staining with natural dyes like coffee or beetroot
• Lino printing
• Digital drawings
• Spray paint

Unconventional mediums:

• Nail varnish
• Salt or alcohol to make patterns in watercolour paint
• Adding texture with sand or eggshell
• Food wrappers

4. Analyse Work by Multiple Artists to Get a 9 in Your Art GCSE

It’s really important that you look at a variety of artists and study their work – by being critical and showing depth with your analysis you will reach the top grades.

I’ve already mentioned Pinterest being a great place to find inspiration but it’s also useful for finding artists, especially those who aren’t as well known. Once you’ve found an artist you like whose work links to your theme, create a Pinterest board of their work and choose a selection of pieces to analyse.

After doing so much evaluation, it can be difficult to think of what to write so here are some good starter questions when looking at an artist’s work:

• What materials did they use and how could I use them?
• Did they incorporate any interesting colour combinations?
• How has the artist’s background influenced their work?
• Have they explained the meaning behind their art and how do they show this?
• What aspects of their work do you like?
• What things don’t you like?
• How does their work make you feel?
• What do you think the artist’s intention was?
• How did people at the time react to their work?
• How have you been inspired by this artist?
• Is there anything you could use in your final piece?
• How does their work link to your theme?
• Are there any techniques that are popular with a certain art style or time period?

Select a specific piece of work by the artist and try to recreate it, you can be very literal with this or make it more your own style. Either way, this allows you to analyse the artist’s techniques and whether you would want to use them in your final piece.

5. To Get the Best Grades in GCSE Art, You Should Do Your Own Photography

By taking your own photographs to reference, you are further developing your ideas and meeting AO1, 2 and 3. If you just use photos by other photographers or artists, you’re failing to show complete originality and this could lower the marks you receive. Certain themes won’t be suited to literal photographs, but you can use your own photos to practice colour schemes or still life.

When taking photographs, don’t worry if you don’t have an amazing camera. It’s much more important that your photos will be good for reference and show some creativity. As you would expect, you should annotate your photos to explain all the choices you made and explain how they link to the main theme.

Once you’ve taken your photos, you should edit them – this could be done on Photoshop or you can physically edit them. Some interesting ways to edit your photos are to paint over the image with a specific design or impactful colours, or you could embroider on the image (make sure you have some sturdy paper to avoid any rips). You could also cut up your photos and make a collage or use Photoshop to change the colour scheme. Try multiple ways of editing the photos and write what you did to each and what you liked or didn’t like.

To take your photography page even further, you can take your favourite photo and recreate it using pencil or paint, whatever medium you prefer. This could even be the foundation for your final piece but, if not, all the work contributes towards it and makes for great evidence of experimentation.

6. When Planning Your Final Piece, Make it Manageable if You Want to Reach the Highest Grades

Many students make the mistake of having a final piece that is far too big to be completed in the time limit because it would look ‘impressive’. In reality, your final piece will be much more impactful if it is actually finished and shows a lot of skill.

Coming up with an idea for your final piece can be really difficult but it’s really important to focus on the small details. If your work is detailed, the examiner will see the thought you’ve put in and it’s also a demonstration of your skill.

You need to make sure that your final piece clearly links to the overall theme you’ve chosen and it must clearly correlate to the rest of your portfolio. Obviously, you won’t score very highly if your final piece has nothing to do with the rest of your work! Your entire portfolio is meant to show the stages leading up to your final piece so showing the connections is very important.

Make sure that you draw from the techniques and mediums you used in your portfolio as this helps connect the planning stages to your final piece. It also means that your final piece will look better as you’re using techniques that you have practiced a lot.

It’s very easy to get carried away when deciding on your final piece so ensure that you listen to your teacher’s advice. If they seem wary of it being completed within the 10 hours, it’s a good idea to scale down your work and make it more manageable. They’ve had years of experience and may have been examiners before, so take the advice they give and make sure you apply it.

It’s worth saying that your final piece should be in a medium you’re generally comfortable with and in an art style you like working with. If you are interested and enjoy your work, the quality will be much higher and you’ll probably complete it much faster. It also makes the 10 hours go a lot quicker!

7. Preparing For the Exam Will Save You Time and Move You Towards a Grade 9

When you get into your GCSE Art exam, you’ll only have 10 hours to get everything done. At first, this seems like a long time but it goes very quickly! In order to finish on time, you need to plan and be prepared.

The first thing to do is preparation before the exam even starts. This could be mixing your paints, printing off images, creating a lino stamp or just having all the resources you need and, importantly, making sure your area is clean and tidy. It’s important to check with your teacher and see what you’re allowed to do in advance as exam boards have strict rules on how much preparation you can do.

To keep yourself on track, make a list of everything you need to do and put it in order. As you complete each part of your list, tick it off so you can see how far along you are and what you need to do next. This will also help you keep track of time and ensure you finish within the time limit. Alongside this, make a list of all the materials or mediums you’ll need and have those on your desk ready to use. This will prevent you wasting time and running around the classroom trying to find the right paint.

When you write up your to-do list, there are some things that make your work better but aren’t a necessity. Try and save these until the end of your list so if you do run out of time, you still have a completed piece of work. Of course, if you do have extra time at the end use all of it and add as much detail as you can – this will always help move you to the higher grades.

All you need to know about picking the Art GCSE!

September isn’t far away! Which means that you need to start thinking about your GCSE option and we’ve got you covered. We’ve got articles for all the GCSE options available from Geography to Design and Technology - and we cover everything from how the qualification could kickstart your career to how are the exams formatted and how much of the qualification is coursework based! But right now we’re talking art, so let’s start!

‍ What do you do in GCSE Art?

‍ Throughout your GCSE you’ll choose one or more of the options below to study: 1 Art, craft and design 2 Fine art 3 Graphic communication 4 Textile design  5 Three-dimensional design  6 Photography  Once you’ve chosen out of the options listed above, you’ll need to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skill. Research what exam board your education provider uses and have a look at how you can best evidence this knowledge, understanding and skill. One of the best things about the Art GCSE is that it encourages you to do your own exploration, part of the syllabus literally says ‘students are encouraged to progressively develop their own strengths and interests in the subject and follow their own lines of enquiry’. This is all to say that it’s pretty hard to say what you do in the Art GCSE as it’s up to you! ‍

A large part of the Art GCSE is the sketchbook...

‍ The sketchbook is a creative document that contains written and visual material. It is a place to document your research, exploration, plans and development of ideas – for testing, practising, evaluating and discussing your project. It is the place where you learn from other artists and express and brainstorm ideas.

Can you do A Level art without GCSE?

‍ Short answer? Yes! Longer answer? Some colleges/schools may require you to have a portfolio if you haven’t completed the GCSE, the portfolio will showcase your skills and current ability. The Art GCSE isn’t mandatory for the A Level course but it will help to prepare you for what’s to come as you’ll get a good foundation for all of the techniques that you’ll build on in the Art A Level. If you’re struggling to know where to start your portfolio then consider looking at art courses outside of school and think about the forms and techniques that are part of the GCSE course. The best thing about art is that you don’t need many supplies and you can take inspiration from the world around you.

‍ How long is the Art GCSE exam?

It’s worth noting that the course is split into two components; the portfolio (sketchbook) and the Non-exam assessment (NEA) which is marked by your teachers in school. Your portfolio is worth 60% of your final grade. You’ll get a chance to prepare for the NEA which will test all four of the assessment objectives, which we’ve listed below: 1.  Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.

2.  Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes. 

3. Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.

4. Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates an understanding of visual language. The NEA comprises the preparatory time as well as 10 hours of supervised time and counts for 40% of the GCSE.

* Please note that the structure of your exam and weightings may vary by exam board, so we strongly advise you to check what exam board your education provider uses. We are basing this article on the AQA board . ‍

How to write about Art GCSE?

The first thing to note is that the art GCSE is a pretty personal subject, meaning you’ll get to explore and experiment with styles, forms and artists that appeal to you. Having said this, writing about the art is something that can trip students up and you need to know how to do it. When writing about another artist's work always include the name of the artwork, the date it was made and the materials used (you can also include any known influences). You can then go on to use phrases like ‘this piece makes me think about…’ or ‘I think the artist used x and x to convey…’. Remember your writing should add to your artwork (or explain how you perceive the artist's work) – it should say something about it and provide another dimension - not just describe it.

Should I do Art GCSE? ‍

When choosing your GCSE options, you want to make sure you're picking the best choice for you, so you need to think about three factors: 

• Will you enjoy it? (remember, the GCSE is a two-year course!)
• Do you have the ability to get a good grade? (how much input is needed from you?)
• Will the qualification help you get where you want to go? (what do you need for your future career?)

Try thinking about all of your GCSE options like this; if it can satisfy these questions, you can probably answer the 'should I do it?' question with a yes. If not, keep looking at your options, you're bound to find something else you’ll enjoy. ‍

Do you need Art GCSE to be a fashion designer?

Absolutely not, there are loads of successful big-name fashion designers that don’t have any formal qualifications in art. Having said this, throughout your GCSE you’ll gain a whole load of useful skills that will help you make it as a fashion designer like sketching and textile design (this includes printed and dyed textiles, costume design and illustration). If you’re set on being a fashion designer, there are loads of courses that will help you as you make a start on your journey down the runway; research courses in textiles, tailoring, printing and graphic design. 

How can we help? 

Unfortunately, we don't have any resources that will help you get a great grade in your Art GCSE. But, we have something that might help you decide whether an ArtGCSE is something you want to pursue. Our pathfinder quiz will help you work out which careers suit you best, based on your strengths and interests, so you can see if completing the Art GCSE will get you where you want to go!

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Art Lesson Ideas, Plans, Free Resources, Project Plans, and Schemes of Work. An 'outstanding' art teacher in Greater Manchester. Teaching KS3 and KS4 art and design.

GCSE Artist Research Guide

Creating research about artists is a creative and exciting part of a GCSE course. It will allow you to discover new artworks and learn about how artists think and work.

This GCSE artist research guide will help you find an appropriate artist, analyse their work and present your research to a GCSE standard. The purpose of research in GCSE Art is to help you understand the artist’s style , techniques / processes and themes . You will use this knowledge to inform your own artwork.

Researching artists / art exhibitions / photographers / designers is an important aspect of your GCSE Art course and can help you improve your own work and generate new ideas.

Successful GCSE artist research pages are produced by collecting information and images about an artist you are studying or want to study. Your research should include:

• A brief biography of the artist
• Pictures of their artwork
• Analysis of their artwork(s)
• The inspiration behind their pieces
• Your own response

A guide to creating high quality artist research:

• It is important to choose a relevant artist. If your project is about portraits , you shouldn’t really be looking at artists who specialise in landscapes !
• You should also choose an artist that you like . It’s no good choosing an artist if you think their work is boring.
• Use an artist who has similar skills to you. Do you prefer drawing? Avoid painters!
• This will show that you understand the context of their work.
• This will make your research look more professional.
• Artists often use social media to show their processes. Online museums and galleries also share information about the artist’s work or techniques.

How to present your artist research:

Once you have found an artist that you’re interested in and you have started to research them, you need to present what you have found. Use these tips to help show off your research:

• Plan your layout
• Include colours related to the artist
• Have a clear title
• Write neatly, checking spellings and grammar
• Type up annotations if it will help you
• Create a response using the same materials as the artist (eg. acrylic paint)
• Create your research on a computer if it will help you

DON’T:

• Spend hours on a fancy title
• Spend hours on a fancy background
• Feel like you need to write lots and lots
• Copy a full piece of the artist’s work – a colour study, or a section of their work is enough to learn from them

Let’s look at a good example of GCSE artist research :

• The layout is simple and clear; the background lines link to the artworks.
• The student has stuck to black and white, just like the artist.
• The title is clear and reflects the ‘glitch’ style of the art
• The writing is neat, along straight lines
• The drawing is high quality and uses appropriate materials (pencil and white pen). The student has clearly studied the artist’s work carefully.

How to analyse artwork:

You should choose a piece of artwork by the artist to analyse . Writing an image analysis about art can seem strange because there are no absolutely ‘correct’ answers. However, if you’re not sure how to analyse artwork, this guide to analysing art can help.

You don’t need to answer every question, but aim for at least 2 or 3 from each section:

Artist: Janet Fish Title: “Untitled (Two Packages of Pears)” Date: (1969) Medium: oil on canvas Size: 52 1/4″ x 42″

Let’s analyse an artwork using some questions from the “Content, Form, Process, Mood” Guide:

What can you see in the picture? Think about objects, colours, shapes and textures. The painting shows two packets of green pears, there are six in total. They are still in the wrapper and there are a lot of reflections painted to show the plastic covering them. What is the composition (layout) of the work? The pears fill the whole canvas and we can’t see much of the background. There is some symmetry with three pears on each side. Is there a colour scheme? Why or why not? There is a limited, harmonious colour palette of calm greens, blues and yellows. The colours are quite realistic and natural to reflect the subject matter. Is it realistic, or surreal, or both? Why? Overall the piece has realistic and surreal elements due to the sharp shapes of the light reflections that add contrast to the soft natural shapes. The shape of the reflections stand out against the soft round edges of the pears. How was the artwork made? The artist has used oil paints which enhances the glossy, plastic effect. Do you think the artist made any other versions or sketches? I think they would have sketched different layouts and mixed tester colours to match the fruit carefully.

Creating your own artist response:

Your response to an artist or artwork should use the same (or similar) materials to the artist. You might choose to focus on their use of colour or composition for example.

You should always include your opinion about an artist’s work in your research, explaining why you like/dislike their work.

You should also explain how it will inspire you or influence your own work.

In this artist research example the student has studied the artwork of Tjalf Sparnaay. Their response is a good quality drawing of a fried egg, copied from one of the artist’s paintings. The artist is a hyperrealist painter, but the student has responded with coloured pencils, showing skill in the accuracy of their drawing and managing to show some realism in their work through natural colours and a range of tones.

In this example, the student has researched the ceramic artist Mechelle Bounpraseuth . Their response doesn’t use clay like the artist, but the student has used the same idea as Bounpraseuth and chosen to draw a food object that reminds them of their family / friends. The drawing is highly skilled, showing a range of tones and highlights with exceptional attention to detail.

GCSE Artist Research examples:

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Artist research page checklist:

Now that you’re got an idea of what good artist research looks like, download the checklist below to use and help make sure you have included everything you need.

This artist research page checklist is simple to use and will make sure you / your students have included everything they need to make a successful, GCSE standard artist research page!

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Online GCSE Art Course

About this course

Be inspired and explore your creativity! This online IGCSE Art Course is perfect for students looking to further their art and design skills. The course is run by an energetic and enthusiastic qualified art teacher in her weekly live interactive lessons. If you can’t make our timetabled lessons then you can study independently with dedicated teacher support, and you can also view all weekly lessons in our archive.

You will also have access to our specialist tutor team who are practising artists and freelance commercial designers with a passion for teaching and inspiring the next generation of artists. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist or designer, our online Art Course gives you the opportunity to extend your technical skills and build confidence in your creative ability. You will be encouraged to explore materials, approaches and techniques towards final outcomes.

The IGCSE Art Course is run over two years as standard, and can be completed in one year through our intensive GCSE art course (see below). In year one (starting at any time) you will gain confidence in drawing, painting and sculpture. You will also make connections between your own work and the work of other artists and designers. In year two you will use your new skills, knowledge and understanding to express yourself in a themed project in preparation for the exam later in the year. You will also be asked to write (Component 3) an essay of 1500 – 2000 words about an artwork or art movement. For students wishing to gain an art GCSE equivalent without exams or essays, try our Level 2 Certificate in Art & Design. 

The final grade for the qualification is a summation of two components, a critical and historical assignment (component 3) and a final exam project (component 1). Preparation for these is a key aim of your tuition and a key role of your tutor. Lessons and tuition can be arranged with your tutor at mutually convenient times. Our tutors main goal is to support your art education, so they will work with you to realistically schedule your art study around other courses you may be taking.  

Our examination centres will provide you with an exam timetable with the key dates for sending paperwork and information about the exam weekend. They will also send you and your tutor a copy of your GCSE art exam paper. The exam paper will ask you to build an art project around a particular theme over a period of 6 weeks. At the end of the six weeks preparation period you will have 8 hours (4 hours a day x 2 days) to make a final piece that relates to your project. Upon completion your work will be graded, and you will receive your Art IGCSE.

Graduates will have created a specialist portfolio that expresses their personal brand of Art and Design. The completion of the Art IGCSE along with your portfolio enables access to our Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, which will fast track you to top universities and employment as a professional qualified artist or designer. 

Work produced on this course

Course overview

Entry Requirements  

In order to study our online iGSCE Art course, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be age 14 years or older
• No previous art or design qualifications required.

Please note that this is an online GCSE art course. You must have a computer with broadband connection and basic art materials in order to participate in the course.

Study options

Study online Art and obtain your GCSE in a way that suits you. With a variety of study options to match your lifestyle and time commitments:

• Part-time programmes:  available all year around – enrolling now
• Full-time programmes:  start December to January and September to October. Exceptions may apply.
• Standard 2 year programme
• Intensive 1 year programme

Accreditation and progression

Our online Art IGCSE is fully accredited and leaves graduates with a recognised art qualification. Upon completion, students are perfectly positioned to continue their art education. See the details below: 

• Accreditation : Cambridge International Examinations Board (CIE) 0400 syllabus. OCAD is not affiliated in any way with CIE - we simply support students with the 0400 syllabus.
• Progression : Completing our IGCSE Art gives students everything they need to progress to our Foundation Diploma in Art & Design. The level 3 / 4  course prepares students to study art at degree level.

Additional Course Information

Progression : To Foundation Diploma in Art & Design

Tuition:  Face to face, one to one – unlimited

How it works

Our online art students receive access to their own online studio where they can work through their course. Units and assignments are listed along with supporting resources, video tutorials for skills development, step-by-step guides and more helpful tools to ensure progress. Photographs of students’ completed art projects and coursework pieces are uploaded to their college e-portfolio for assessment and constructive, friendly written feedback on how to progress. 

Additionally, students are invited to LIVE interactive online lessons at timetabled times, where they will learn from qualified teachers and industry professionals. If students can’t make the lessons they can watch them in their own time, so they won’t miss any of the course content. The fully qualified and experienced school art teacher is available for feedback via email and messenger. Students are invited to discuss their progress and receive face to face verbal feedback, encouragement, and support. Students may also benefit from relationships with their fellow online students as they can view profiles and comment on each other's art work if they wish.

Optional LIVE enrichment classes are offered most weeks during term times. These fun classes are enjoyed by students but are not required to complete the course. When purchasing this course you are not paying for these FREE classes – they are a GIFT! The teacher has to strike a balance between providing enrichment and fun for students and supporting them through essential units on their course. This may mean live lessons are postponed from time to time. The teacher reserves the right not to run these optional free lessons.

You will be continually assessed throughout the IGCSE Art Course and tutors will provide constant feedback and help with improvements. 

Students’ timed test / final major project and written assignment will be assessed externally by the exam board and this will decide the final grade. You will be kept informed every step of the way on how to improve your work.

Structure of the course

This exciting course has been designed to ensure you produce a stimulating and rewarding art & design project (s) which allow you to develop your knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence in developing your interests and ideas in an artistic way.

The first part of the course takes you through a programme of developing skills in drawing, painting, mixed media (collage), digital art and 3d (sculpture).

In the second part of the course you will be asked to make an art project that is related to a theme which is of personal interest to you. Previous themes have included:

• “Identity”
• “Natural Forms”
• “My Manga World”
• “I Me & Mine”
• ‘Bully’
• “Success’
• “Acceptance’
• “Delicate”
• “Overhead and Underneath’
• “Surfaces’
• “Precious”
• “Through The Keyhole’
• “My Dream World”
• “Taken”

Your artwork in two components will be assessed by the examination board to determine your final grade:

• Component 1 Timed test – 8 Hour Practical Exam at an Exam Centre
• Component 3 Critical and Historical Assignment – 1500 – 2000 word Assignment / Essay

Download Syllabus ➝

Standard 2 year course: £2000 GBP ($2600 USD)

Intensive 1 year course: £3000 GBP ($3800 USD)

Join our network of international agents – contact us

Outside Europe

Standard 2 year course only £2,999 GBP

Plus an additional surcharge of £2,999 GBP may apply for students with a low level of English speaking and writing.  For students with learning difficulties, please apply for our SEND courses. It is considerably more difficult and time consuming to teach these students.

Standard 2 year course: £999 GBP

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International GCSE Art Sketchbook: Natural Forms Coursework 98%

Last Updated on April 2, 2023

This outstanding International GCSE Art and Design Coursework project was completed by Manisha Mistry in 2003, while studying IGCSE Art and Design (CIE 0400) at ACG Strathallan College , Auckland, New Zealand. A highly talented student, Manisha gained a result of 98% for her Coursework project. She submitted an A3 sketchbook and a final painting (A2) that were based on a ‘Coastal Environment’ theme, exploring natural forms such as shells, plants and landscapes. This was a theme set by the teacher and interpreted individually by students. The year’s course was broken into a number of smaller assignments that were explored over the following sketchbook pages.  Note: In 2003 the Coursework requirement was for a final project + sketchbook, rather than the A2 portfolio of 4 sheets (8 sides) that is the maximum requirement today.

It is hoped that this case study will benefit a range of high school Art students, including those who study GCSE Art and IGSCE Art and Design.

READ NEXT: How to make an artist website (and why you need one)

A stunning and comprehensive body of work, Manisha’s IGCSE Art and Design Coursework has been admired by many of my students over the past few years. Now studying at Auckland University School of Medicine, Manisha is a talent to watch.

If you would like more help with the presentation of your own sketchbook, please read Tips for Producing an Amazing GCSE or A Level Sketchbook .

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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• How to Make Your Coursework as Good as It Can Possibly Be

Many GCSE and A-level subjects are assessed in part by coursework in addition to exams, meaning that the mark you receive for coursework contributes to your overall grade. Many students prefer coursework, because it’s a chance to showcase your academic abilities away from the high-pressured environment of the exam room, making it ideal for those who don’t perform to the best of their abilities in exams. However, the time you have available for coursework, in contrast with the time constraints of the exam room, can lull some students into a false sense of security. Coursework is arguably just as challenging as exams, just in different ways – and, given the fact that you have more time, much higher standards are expected of you in coursework than in exams. Careful planning and research are needed for successful coursework, as well as strong data-gathering and essay-writing skills. In this article, we look at how to produce excellent coursework, from planning to proofreading. This information might also be useful to you if you’re planning on attending an Oxford Summer School this summer.

What is coursework?

GCSE and A-level coursework typically takes the form of an extended essay or project. Its objectives vary from one subject to another, but there’s usually an emphasis on the student conducting independent research into a topic of their own choice. Thus coursework often takes the form of some sort of investigation; it may, therefore, help to have your ‘detective’ hat on as you explore, investigate and analyse your topic. You can usually work on your coursework at home, though it’s sometimes completed under controlled conditions through sessions at school. To give you a better idea of how coursework varies from one subject to another, here are some examples:

• English – English coursework usually takes the form of an extended essay with a title of your choice. You’re usually given a choice of themes and/or texts to explore, and you could choose a format such as a comparison between a set text and another one.
• Geography – Geography coursework usually focuses on the gathering, reporting and interpretation of data designed to answer a particular geographical question. You could investigate usage of a shopping centre, for example, or look at erosion on a particular beach.
• Sciences – coursework for science subjects often takes the form of a scientific project or experiment that you conduct and report on yourself.

Before you start work on your coursework, it’s essential that you have a thorough understanding of the rules. Failing to conform to the rules – inadvertently or not – may result in your coursework (or possibly even your entire qualification) being disqualified, so it’s a serious matter.

• No plagiarism – this is particularly dangerous given the ready availability of relevant information on the internet these days. Make sure everything is in your own words; you’ll need to sign a declaration stating that it’s your own original work.
• There’s only so much help your teacher can give you . They can provide guidance on what you need to include, and on what the examiners will be looking for. You can ask them questions, but they’ll usually only be able to check through your first draft once and offer broad hints on updating it.
• Check the word count , and stick to it. Find out whether footnotes, appendices and bibliographies are included in the word count.
• Check what topics you’re allowed to do your coursework on; if there’s an exam on this topic, you’ll almost certainly have to choose a different one for your coursework.

Choose your topic wisely

Ideally, choose something you’re genuinely interested in, as your enthusiasm will come across and you’ll find it more enjoyable to write. If there’s something you’ve been working on for the course so far that you’ve particularly enjoyed, you may be able to focus more on this as part of your coursework. For science coursework, you’ll need to choose something to investigate that you can measure, change and control; it should be what’s called a ‘fair test’, meaning that you have to acknowledge all the controls you use in the experiment and why. Try not to pick a topic for which the scope is too vast, as you’ll struggle to research it properly and you’re unlikely to do it justice, and it’ll be hard to keep within the word limit. Ask your teachers for some guidance on choosing your topic if you’re not sure what to write about; they might even tell you a bit about what previous students have done to give you some inspiration.

Plan how long it’s going to take

Never leave your coursework until the last minute, even if this is your normal approach to essays and it usually works for you. Make sure you understand when the deadlines are, including time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher. Then schedule blocks of time for working on it, allowing plenty of time before the deadline to cater for any unexpected delays. Allow ample time for making corrections based on teacher feedback on your first draft, and keep some time aside before the deadline for final editing and proofreading. Because actual deadlines are few and far between, you’ll need to take responsibility for the writing process and impose some deadlines on yourself to ensure it’s finished in time. Write down your deadlines on a calendar, with the coursework broken into stages and dates assigned to each, by which time each task should be complete. You can base your stages on the next few points in this article – research and data gathering, a structure plan for the piece of work, writing up, and so on.

Conducting your research and gathering data

As coursework is primarily a research exercise, the research phase is crucial, so don’t be tempted to skimp on it and go straight to writing up. Use as many different resources as you can to gather data: books, journals, newspapers, television, radio, the internet and anything else you think might be relevant. For science and Geography coursework, you’ll need to base your work on a hypothesis, so the research stage should start by coming up with at least one hypothesis, otherwise your research will lack direction. The research phase for some subjects may involve site visits for gathering data, so allow plenty of time for this, particularly if you need your parents to drive you somewhere to do so. If it’s a scientific experiment you’re conducting for your coursework, you’ll need to pay careful attention to planning the experiment using rigorous scientific methods (also noting what Health and Safety precautions you are taking), as well as reading up on the background and theory so that you have an idea of what to expect from the outcome of your experiment. In the research stage, make notes about what you expect to happen, so that you can later compare your expectations with what actually did happen. The experiment itself also forms part of the research and data-gathering stage for your science coursework; in the write-up stage, which we come onto shortly, you analyse and write up the results.

Plan your structure

Once you’ve completed your research, the process of writing up begins. Before you get down to the actual writing, however, it’s advisable to write a plan for how you’re going to structure it – essentially an essay plan for English coursework and other subjects for which the coursework is based on an extended essay. It’ll look slightly different from an essay plan for science subjects and others that revolve around project work, but the principle is the same: plan out what order you’re going to present your information in. For big projects, this is particularly important, because with a lot of information to convey, you risk being disorganised and waffling.

Writing up your project

For any coursework, but particularly coursework based around an extended essay, you’ll need to perfect your essay-writing abilities. For science coursework, writing up your project also involves data analysis, as you interpret the results of your experiment and work your notes into formal scientific language. Follow the links below to find lots more useful advice on writing great essays.

• How to write dazzlingly brilliant essays
• How to write more original essays
• Techniques from creative writing that can improve your essays

When you’re writing up, it’s important to find a place where you can work quietly, without distractions that could cause you to make careless errors. You wouldn’t want noise or distractions when you were in an exam room, so treat your coursework with the same reverence.

Supporting materials and images

For some subjects, namely the sciences and Geography, it would be appropriate to include images, graphs, charts, tables and so on in your coursework. For example, for Geography coursework, your extra material could include annotated images and maps of the site you’re talking about, plus tables, graphs and charts. An appendix could then detail your raw data; if, for example, your coursework focused on the results of a survey, you could put the raw survey responses in an appendix and provide summaries and analysis in the main body of the coursework.

Footnotes and bibliography

As we said earlier, it’s important that you always use your own words in your coursework to avoid the possibility of falling foul of plagiarism rules. However, it’s acceptable to quote from another source, as you would in any piece of academic writing, but you must make sure that you state where it is from and use quotation marks to show that it’s a quote from somewhere else. The best way of citing another work is to use a footnote; word processors will allow you to insert one, and it just puts a little number at the end of the sentence and another in the footer of the document, into which you put the name of the author and work, and the page within that work that the quote can be found. At the end of your piece of work, include a bibliography that includes a list of every external source you’ve used in the creation of your coursework. Stick to a set formula when including books. A common format is: Author Surname, Initial. (Date) – Title of Book , page number For example: Lewis, C.S. (1960) – Studies in Words , p. 45 When you get to university, you’ll be expected to include footnotes and bibliographies in all your essays, so it’s a good habit to get into and coursework gives you good practice at it.

The final pre-submission check

Having completed a first draft, received feedback from your teacher, and honed your work into a finished piece of coursework, have a final check through it before you send off your coursework for submission.

• Sense check : have a read through your completed piece of work and check that it all makes sense. Make sure you haven’t contradicted yourself anywhere, or repeated yourself, or laboured the point. If there are any facts that you may have meant to look up to double check their accuracy, do so now.
• Word count : ensure that the completed work falls within the word count, and double check whether the bibliography should be included in the word count. If you’ve exceeded it, you’ll need to work through the piece and tighten up your writing, omitting unnecessary information, reordering sentences so that they use fewer words, and so on.
• Proofread : check your spelling and grammar, and ensure that there are no typos. Don’t just use the spellcheck – go through it with a fine toothcomb, manually, and if you can, ask someone to read through it for you to see if they spot anything you haven’t.
• Formatting : check that you’ve included page numbers, and that the font and line spacing is consistent throughout the work. Ensure that the font is plain and easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
• Bibliography : check that you’ve included everything, that the format is the same for all sources mentioned, and that the right information is included for each.

Once this stage is complete, you’re ready to submit your coursework along with your declaration that it’s entirely your own work. Get ready for a feeling of immense satisfaction when you finally send off your hard work!

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Watch CBS News

Solar eclipse maps show 2024 totality path, peak times and how much of the eclipse people could see across the U.S.

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 9, 2024 / 5:00 AM EDT / CBS News

A total solar eclipse  crossed North America Monday with parts of 15 U.S. states within the path of totality. Maps show  where and when astronomy fans could see the big event  as skies darkened in the middle of the day Monday, April 8.

The total eclipse first appeared along Mexico's Pacific Coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, then traveled across a swath of the U.S., from Texas to Maine, and into Canada.

About 31.6 million people live in the path of totality , the area where the moon fully blocked out the sun , according to NASA. The path ranged between 108 and 122 miles wide. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality.

Solar eclipse path of totality map for 2024

The total solar eclipse started over the Pacific Ocean, and the first location in continental North America that experienced totality was Mexico's Pacific Coast, around 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. From there, the path continued into Texas, crossing more than a dozen states before the eclipse enters Canada in southern Ontario. The eclipse exited continental North America at around 5:16 p.m. NDT from Newfoundland, Canada.

The path of totality included portions of the following states:

• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire

Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan also experienced the total solar eclipse.

Several major cities across the U.S. were included in the eclipse's path of totality, while many others saw a partial eclipse. These were some of the best major cities for eclipse viewing — though the weather was a factor :

• San Antonio, Texas (partially under the path)
• Austin, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Dayton, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Buffalo, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Syracuse, New York
• Burlington, Vermont

Map of when the solar eclipse reached totality across its path

The eclipse began in the U.S. as a partial eclipse beginning at 12:06 p.m. CDT near Eagle Pass, Texas, before progressing to totality by about 1:27 p.m. CDT and then moving along its path to the northeast over the following few hours.

NASA shared times for several cities in the path of totality across the U.S. People could have also  checked their ZIP code on NASA's map  to see when the eclipse was to reach them if they were on, or near, the path of totality — or if they saw a partial eclipse instead.

How much of the eclipse did people see if they live outside the totality path?

While the April 8 eclipse covered a wide swath of the U.S., outside the path of totality observers may have spotted a partial eclipse, where the moon covers some, but not all, of the sun, according to NASA. The closer they were to the path of totality, the larger the portion of the sun that was hidden.

NASA allowed viewers to input a ZIP code and see how much of the sun was to be covered in their locations.

Could there be cloud cover be during the solar eclipse?

Some areas along the path of totality had a higher likelihood of cloud cover that could interfere with viewing the eclipse. Here is a map showing the historical trends in cloud cover this time of year. 

You could have checked the latest forecast for your location with our partners at The Weather Channel .

Where did the solar eclipse reach totality for the longest?

Eclipse viewers near Torreón, Mexico, got to experience totality for the longest. Totality there lasted 4 minutes, 28 seconds, according to NASA. 

Most places along the centerline of the path of totality saw a totality duration of between 3.5 and 4 minutes, according to NASA. Some places in the U.S. came close to the maximum; Kerrville, Texas, had a totality duration of 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

What is the path of totality for the 2044 solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Astronomy fans in the U.S. will have far fewer opportunities to see the 2044 eclipse they had on April 8. NASA has not yet made maps available for the 2044 eclipse but, according to The Planetary Society , the path of totality will only touch three states.

The 2024 eclipse will start in Greenland, pass over Canada and end as the sun sets in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall

Elon musk’s factory in china saved his company and made him ultrarich. now, it may backfire..

Hosted by Katrin Bennhold

Featuring Mara Hvistendahl

Produced by Rikki Novetsky and Mooj Zadie

With Rachelle Bonja

Edited by Lisa Chow and Alexandra Leigh Young

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Diane Wong ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Sophia Lanman

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

When Elon Musk set up Tesla’s factory in China, he made a bet that brought him cheap parts and capable workers — a bet that made him ultrarich and saved his company.

Mara Hvistendahl, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains why, now, that lifeline may have given China the tools to beat Tesla at its own game.

On today’s episode

Mara Hvistendahl , an investigative reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading

A pivot to China saved Elon Musk. It also bound him to Beijing .

Mr. Musk helped create the Chinese electric vehicle industry. But he is now facing challenges there as well as scrutiny in the West over his reliance on China.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Katrin Bennhold is the Berlin bureau chief. A former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, she previously reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. More about Katrin Bennhold

Mara Hvistendahl is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on Asia. More about Mara Hvistendahl

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