Art and Design Fine Art

ART AND DESIGN FINE ART

WHAT IS FINE ART?
On this course you will study drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. Observational drawing underpins all aspects of the course, out of which you will develop work in a creative and experimental manner. You will also study art works from the history of art as well as from the contemporary period.

WHY SHOULD I STUDY FINE ART?
If you enjoy working with visual images and particularly enjoy making drawings, painting and sculpture, then you should study Fine Art. Fine Art is a very hands-on practical course and can be very rewarding.

USEFUL SKILLS & INTERESTS
You should have a keen interest in visual art generally and enjoy making images. You will be introduced to both traditional ways of working in Fine Art, as well as challenging experimental approaches. You should enjoy visiting Art galleries, to look at both historical as well as contemporary art.

COURSE STRUCTURE & CONTENT
During the AS course you will study approaches in 2D (drawing, painting and printmaking) as well as 3D (sculpture and installation). Some students also get the chance to work with video cameras and make short art films. Throughout the course you will study modern and contemporary artists. You will be expected to make notes and analyse art works which relate to your own projects.

If you decide to progress to the A2 year, you will develop your skills further by producing more in-depth and ambitious work. Over the duration of the course you will explore the idea of Fine Art as visual language and you will learn how to make work that visually communicates your personal ideas.

Most students complete the full course doing both the AS and A2 year. This is not compulsory and you can opt to do just the AS level.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
All your work will be assessed by your subject tutor. At different times during the course you will be asked to hand in your work so that your progress can be monitored. You will receive feedback from your tutor, advising you on what to do to improve your grade. At the end of each topic you will submit your work for final assessment.

The AS course is made up of 2 units. Unit 1 is your portfolio unit and here you will submit a folder of work for assessment. Unit 2 is externally set so you are given an exam paper with different projects to choose from. You will pick one and then you will have eight weeks of preparation time, which will be just like normal lessons. Following this you will have a 5 hour exam. In this time you can produce development work or a final piece. There is no revision as all the work is practical.

COURSE COMMITMENT
We expect our students to be well motivated and enthusiastic. You must attend all lessons and never book holidays in term time as this can seriously affect your overall grade. Each week you will be given a homework task which will underpin and reinforce ideas explored in lessons. You will be expected to spend 4 hours on homework tasks each week. In addition to your lessons you will have access to the Art and Design studios in Workshop time as well as in your Personal Study Periods.

COURSE COSTS
Art and Design can be an expensive subject to study. At Prior Pursglove College you will be given lots of materials free of charge, including materials such as charcoal and pastels, acrylic paint, oil paint, water based and oil based printing inks, paper, photographic chemicals, sewing threads, calico, silk, batik wax, fabric dyes and inks. We ask students to contribute 35 towards the cost of materials as you begin your course in September, this enables us to cover some of the costs of the materials we supply to you. You will also have free access to SLR and digital cameras, computers, sewing machines, darkroom equipment and printing facilities.

PROGRESSION ROUTES
Many students do decide that they would like to continue with their art studies at a higher level and there are a number of progression routes available to you. The usual route is to study a Foundation Diploma Course before applying to do Art and Design at degree level and we would recommend that students follow this line. However, we have had students who have wanted to apply directly to universities from A level and many have been successful in obtaining places.

There of a number of career options that can come from doing the Fine Art qualification. A career in Fine Art is very competitive and many artists support themselves through teaching and lecturing. Artists can also undertake residencies; this involves the artist working in the community with organisations, usually painting murals, making public sculptures, or teaching workshops.