How do you get an A* in art?

Original post by revisioner

I'm worried art could endanger my possible A and A* streak that I'm predicted, but I'm predicted B in art.

Is there any tips or advise you can give me to help boost my grade? Thanks :smile:

I'm doing AQA Art GCSE. I'm doing self image and natural form

Posted from TSR Mobile

Hi there

What stage are you at in the project?

Reply 2

DANGO.DANGO

Original post by revisioner

I'm worried art could endanger my possible A and A* streak that I'm predicted, but I'm predicted B in art.

Is there any tips or advise you can give me to help boost my grade? Thanks :smile:

I'm doing AQA Art GCSE. I'm doing self image and natural form

Posted from TSR Mobile

I also did AQA art a couple years ago and got A*
most people think you have to be a master in copying reference material to the finest detail but that's actually not true. As long as you demonstrate what they call 'mature' sketching skills and rendering you're on the right path. I always had trouble with landscapes so I thought to challenge myself and choose natural forms as my second project. To be honest it didn't start out well but soon I got the hang of it.

One thing that I wish someone told me at the very start of the course that would help me a lot is to show development at every piece you do. I used to finish a piece and start with complete new flower and tree drawing for example but instead it's best if you link your previous piece in a different context or redo it in different media and technique. This shows that you work in an experimental nature which is something teachers and examiners appreciate.

Sorry for this long reply I hope this was useful :^_^:

Reply 3

coolerthanbeans

Annotate absolutely EVERYTHING! Seriously. Every picture I drew, every photo I took, I annotated (in addition to any artwork I analysed). My drawing standard varied during GCSE between A* and B, but I think I got the A* because it was evident that I'd made the extra effort to annotate all the visuals to a tee. :smile:

Reply 4

Also, make sure that it's really clear what each thing is. We did AQA and the things I included were observations, artist analysis, experiments, development, final piece designs and then final piece. I decorated EVERYTHING in my book to make it all look better, and if something goes wrong, include it and say what you don't like about it and what you could have done to make it better :smile:

I got full UMS in my art, and I always made sure that my pieces were 'different' and stood out, as long as they were still inspired by my artists :smile:

Reply 5

hibzmourad

Original post by revisioner

I'm worried art could endanger my possible A and A* streak that I'm predicted, but I'm predicted B in art.

Is there any tips or advise you can give me to help boost my grade? Thanks :smile:

I'm doing AQA Art GCSE. I'm doing self image and natural form

Posted from TSR Mobile

Well first thing that you would need to do is take really, really, really interesting photos because you need to show the examiner that you have an aptitude for developing your work from a source of inspiration. So for example, with natural form, you could consider looking at various elements of nature, such as the ocean (and then perhaps seashells, which you can collect and stick into your book as a gesture of creativity) or various specimens of flowers and plants and how certain weather conditions can cause them to wilt (so you'd have to take a range of photos here, comparing a fully bloomed and healthy flower to a destructed one).

Another thing would be to do plenty of artist research (roughly 4 pages) and find/print out artist's work and create your own rendition from that, whilst commenting and critiquing both the artist and your work. Find some artists who you're actually interested in because that will make the work more 'adventurous' and analyse their style.

Make sure you're experimenting with lots of different media, be it oil pastels, chalks, acrylic/oil paints, pencil, pen, a coffee background, scrunched up tissue paper, collages of your photos, ink, canvas, emulsion etc etc. But simultaneously, work to your strengths. I wasn't any good at painting and I thought that I wouldn't be able to achieve an A* if most of my work didn't consist of some sort of paint because everyone else was choosing that medium, so I ended up working with pen, and in the end it actually uniquely stood out.

Finally, try out varied styles when drawing/painting like cross hatch, or smooth and defined tones, and again here analyse each method, showing the examiner your personal response (AO4) which ones are successful and aren't, with reasons.

Make this book yours and have fun. Hope you can get an A* :smile:

Reply 6

Original post by Gingerbread101

Hi there

What stage are you at in the project?

I've just completed natural forms and now going onto self image but spent the holiday doing natural forms and trying to improve and just wants tips for improvements and what I can concentrate on more for the next unit (self image) :-)

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

Original post by revisioner

Have you taken any observational photos for the self image unit? :smile:

Reply 8

Thank you everyone :-)

Has anybody got any ideas for unique and adventurous media and that to use? :-) and how do I write a response to analysing an artist and how do I analyse my own work?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 9

Original post by Gingerbread101

Have you taken any observational photos for the self image unit? :smile:

Not yet

have you got any ideas? :smile:

Reply 10

Original post by revisioner

Not yet

have you got any ideas? :smile:

Well as you'll be developing them later, they don't really need to show a lot of the project in them, but a bit would help :smile:

Perhaps some photos of people- e.g. stereotypical types of people, people showing two sides to themselves (one side of heavy dark makeup, one girly half?), items that show self image (mirrors? cosmetic items?)

Reply 11

Thanks

Reply 12

Original post by Gingerbread101

I got full UMS in my art, and I always made sure that my pieces were 'different' and stood out, as long as they were still inspired by my artists :smile:

How did you analyse the artists? :smile:

Reply 13

Original post by revisioner

How did you analyse the artists? :smile:

We did a visual and a written analysis for a couple of pieces by each artist (about 2 per artist, about 6 overall). The visual was just drawing out a replica of the piece, and the written was writing things about the piece...
Content- what the piece is actually like, describe it, what the piece could represent/the meaning behind it
Form- writing about the colours, shapes in the piece and how they lend to the meaning
Process- What style the piece is in, what materials were used and how you could recreate it
Influence- How you could use the piece to develop your own ideas

Reply 14

Original post by Gingerbread101

Well as you'll be developing them later, they don't really need to show a lot of the project in them, but a bit would help :smile:

Hello!!! :-)

I'm working on my sketchbook again during this holiday, and want some of your help again pleeeeeease because you did so well in Art!! :-O

How did you do AO2?! Like the refining?!

Thanks!!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 15

Original post by revisioner

I can't especially remember each AO, but from what you said about it being about 'refining', that comes from your development. To do this you need to take one or more of your observational photos or drawings and combine it with the style of the artist you've been studying. If you've analysed more than one artist you can combine both (eg if one does things with lots of swirls and the other does blocks of bright colours, you could incorporate bright swirls). You should do about 4 of these, then pick 2 to develop even more into final piece ideas.
This can be adding more detail, changing the layout slightly if you thought of a way to improve it, changing the colours slightly, just changing it a bit to improve it, and then explain by annotating what you've changed :smile:

Your favourite one of these would then be your final piece, done larger and with more time spent on it to make sure it's perfect :yes:

If you have a copy of the AO2 descriptor then I can explain all parts of it :h:

Reply 16

Original post by Gingerbread101

Your favourite one of these would then be your final piece, done larger and with more time spent on it to make sure it's perfect :yes:

If you have a copy of the AO2 descriptor then I can explain all parts of it :h:

This is the objectives. I have no idea what to do or plan what to do? Haha. Can I have some help please? Preferably examples too for me to try :-)

AO1: A highly developed ability to effectively develop and creatively explore ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources. A confident and highly developed ability to demonstrate analytical and cultural understanding.

AO2: A highly developed ability to thoughtfully refine ideas through purposeful and discriminating experimentation and selection of appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes as their work progresses.

AO3: A highly developed ability to fluently and skilfully record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions in visual and/or other forms. Written communication to record ideas, where appropriate, is fluent and accurate.

AO4: A highly developed ability to competently present an imaginative, personal, informed and meaningful response when realising intentions. A highly developed ability to demonstrate critical understanding and where appropriate, make perceptive and discriminating connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 17

What do they mean?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 18

:-)

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 19