I'm a Fine Art first year student at Oxford - AMA
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I'm really enjoying my time at Oxford so far, and I wanted to share this experience with the students on this site as I imagine many of you are eager to get accepted into Oxford and want to find out what it is really like.
Obviously I can give general information on Oxford itself too, so any questions, feel free to ask
Obviously I can give general information on Oxford itself too, so any questions, feel free to ask

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#3
what were GCSE and A level grades?
what kind of art do you make?
do you think your fine art course is very academic in comparison to other courses?
how's the anatomy drawing course so far?
where else did you apply?
what kind of art do you make?
do you think your fine art course is very academic in comparison to other courses?
how's the anatomy drawing course so far?
where else did you apply?
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(Original post by AB710344)
What questions were you asked at interview?
What questions were you asked at interview?
it was actually really chill (maybe because it's art, idk, but she was a lovely interviewer)
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(Original post by bloated_utopia)
what were GCSE and A level grades?
what kind of art do you make?
do you think your fine art course is very academic in comparison to other courses?
how's the anatomy drawing course so far?
where else did you apply?
what were GCSE and A level grades?
what kind of art do you make?
do you think your fine art course is very academic in comparison to other courses?
how's the anatomy drawing course so far?
where else did you apply?
I do surrealist paintings mostly, I find the works of Dali and Magritte really inspiring.
What do you define as academic? Not practical? Our course is very practical, whilst we do have to tackle a lot of theory stuff too, I'd say that the course is well balanced in terms of having a mix of practical and theory involved.
We haven't done the anatomy drawing course
I also applied to Plymouth, Norwich, Durham and St Andrews
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(Original post by Starlight22)
did you do a foundation course and would not having one be detrimental ?
did you do a foundation course and would not having one be detrimental ?
And if you're hoping to apply to the best Unis for art, I would definitely recommend taking an art foundation course!
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#9
(Original post by tampontampoff)
Yes, I did a foundation course as it was required in the entry requirements.
And if you're hoping to apply to the best Unis for art, I would definitely recommend taking an art foundation course!
Yes, I did a foundation course as it was required in the entry requirements.
And if you're hoping to apply to the best Unis for art, I would definitely recommend taking an art foundation course!
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#10
(Original post by tampontampoff)
I got 7 A* and 2 A's at GCSE. A*AA in A Level (Fine Art, Film and English Literature)
I do surrealist paintings mostly, I find the works of Dali and Magritte really inspiring.
What do you define as academic? Not practical? Our course is very practical, whilst we do have to tackle a lot of theory stuff too, I'd say that the course is well balanced in terms of having a mix of practical and theory involved.
We haven't done the anatomy drawing course
I also applied to Plymouth, Norwich, Durham and St Andrews
I got 7 A* and 2 A's at GCSE. A*AA in A Level (Fine Art, Film and English Literature)
I do surrealist paintings mostly, I find the works of Dali and Magritte really inspiring.
What do you define as academic? Not practical? Our course is very practical, whilst we do have to tackle a lot of theory stuff too, I'd say that the course is well balanced in terms of having a mix of practical and theory involved.
We haven't done the anatomy drawing course
I also applied to Plymouth, Norwich, Durham and St Andrews
i read on the website that there was an exam at the end of the course and there was a drawing course that had loads of anatomy type stuff, tho maybe that was the second year.
also i didn't know st andrews had an art school.
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(Original post by The RAR)
Do you hope to become Pablo Picasso one day?
Do you hope to become Pablo Picasso one day?
We need something more innovative in 21st Century art now. Something bigger. Something badder.
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(Original post by bloated_utopia)
dali and magritte are cool, dali is more my tempo tho. also congrats on your grades.
i read on the website that there was an exam at the end of the course and there was a drawing course that had loads of anatomy type stuff, tho maybe that was the second year.
also i didn't know st andrews had an art school.
dali and magritte are cool, dali is more my tempo tho. also congrats on your grades.
i read on the website that there was an exam at the end of the course and there was a drawing course that had loads of anatomy type stuff, tho maybe that was the second year.
also i didn't know st andrews had an art school.

And thank you! Are you an artist yourself, sir?
Yeah, I think we're gonna be doing anatomy stuff soon, but we're not doing that right now.
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#13
(Original post by tampontampoff)
Technically i applied for Art History to St Andrews.
And thank you! Are you an artist yourself, sir?
Yeah, I think we're gonna be doing anatomy stuff soon, but we're not doing that right now.
Technically i applied for Art History to St Andrews.

And thank you! Are you an artist yourself, sir?
Yeah, I think we're gonna be doing anatomy stuff soon, but we're not doing that right now.
yeah, i am doing art a level now, planning to route myself to uni for fine art eventually. but am not a sir lol.
anatomy is a hellbeast, but also a hell of a lot of fun, good luck pal.
also i agreed with you about the Picasso thing. copying blatantly in an old context won't make anything revolutionary in art.
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#14
what range of mediums did you use in your portfolio? and what types of art? i.e 2D,3D,4D
how many pieces did you send in?
did you do a drawing exam?
how are your teachers? do you get good critique?
how much work do you do per week and do you spend extra time in the studios?
do you think its possible to get onto the course with lower than average gcses (3 a* 2 a) IF your A-levels grades are AAA+ and your portfolio is successful/to a high standard? I wasnt aware that oxford offered fine art sense my lower than your average applicants gcse grades haha. But I would love to apply, but if I cant due to my grades its better to find out now
how many pieces did you send in?
did you do a drawing exam?
how are your teachers? do you get good critique?
how much work do you do per week and do you spend extra time in the studios?
do you think its possible to get onto the course with lower than average gcses (3 a* 2 a) IF your A-levels grades are AAA+ and your portfolio is successful/to a high standard? I wasnt aware that oxford offered fine art sense my lower than your average applicants gcse grades haha. But I would love to apply, but if I cant due to my grades its better to find out now
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#16
Hi,
I would really like to apply for the Ruskin whilst I’m on my foundation course next year, but I’m worried my GCSE’s are too low. I got mostly As, 2 A*and a few Bs. I hope to achieve the requirement of 3 As on a level results day, but will my GCSE’s pull my application down? Did everyone in the Ruskin achieve their GCSE’s with very high grades? Or are A levels and portfolio more of a deciding factor?
(Also, where did you do a foundation?)
Thanks x
I would really like to apply for the Ruskin whilst I’m on my foundation course next year, but I’m worried my GCSE’s are too low. I got mostly As, 2 A*and a few Bs. I hope to achieve the requirement of 3 As on a level results day, but will my GCSE’s pull my application down? Did everyone in the Ruskin achieve their GCSE’s with very high grades? Or are A levels and portfolio more of a deciding factor?
(Also, where did you do a foundation?)
Thanks x
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#17
If you do the foundation degree in art, can it lower the expected requirement of AAA?
(I am guessing it doesn't, but if it does then I will consider applying if I get into the foundation)
(I am guessing it doesn't, but if it does then I will consider applying if I get into the foundation)
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#18
(Original post by FabricatedSwag)
If you do the foundation degree in art, can it lower the expected requirement of AAA?
(I am guessing it doesn't, but if it does then I will consider applying if I get into the foundation)
If you do the foundation degree in art, can it lower the expected requirement of AAA?
(I am guessing it doesn't, but if it does then I will consider applying if I get into the foundation)
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#19
(Original post by Artfanatic)
Hi - I am a 2nd year Fine Artist at Oxford. I know of a few people who were accepted with grades lower than AAA. So yes, the foundation can be used instead of requiring AAA but you are obviously safer in mind having the grades.
Hi - I am a 2nd year Fine Artist at Oxford. I know of a few people who were accepted with grades lower than AAA. So yes, the foundation can be used instead of requiring AAA but you are obviously safer in mind having the grades.
Additionally would be interested to know what the brief was for your practical interview ?
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#20
I hope you can find my message in good time,
Coming from someone who is wanting to apply for Fine Art at the Ruskin without an Art Foundation (I just want to give it a shot), what would you say the best thing to do for my portfolio would be? Should i be including some of my A level work? (I am really interested in the talk about life and death that i explore in my art and of course in the context of this discourse in contemporary art - my instagram is @richtea_art and you will be able to see a little more of what i am making.) However, as it is A level, in order to reach those higher grades, you have to approach your artmaking a little more literally in that you have to show a high degree of detail. However, i do find that that detail does show significance to areas within my pieces, and particularly the zoomed in textures (fish scales) in that it comments on how we appreciate the beauty of the fish once it has died - the sheen colours and translucency of the scales.
I do have some extra experiments that i have created to inform the process and creative approach of exploring my ideas - for an example, rather than just rendering the quality of the scales in two dimension, i wanted to experiment with creating the forms three dimensionally using Plaster of Paris etc. It may be quite literal, but i am not sure if it is worth showing.
I am unable to attend a Summer school as i will be in Japan, but i I am planning on creating independently-lead work for my portfolio during the summer, but i don't know what i should focus on. Whether that is creating more exploratory and investigative outcomes to use for my portfolio, and or challenging ways in which i should be using media, or trying something outside of the media available at college (i.e. trying to create something digitally, or video/installation.)
I will be applying to foundation art courses as well, but i wanted to give applying for the BFA course a shot!
Thanks
Coming from someone who is wanting to apply for Fine Art at the Ruskin without an Art Foundation (I just want to give it a shot), what would you say the best thing to do for my portfolio would be? Should i be including some of my A level work? (I am really interested in the talk about life and death that i explore in my art and of course in the context of this discourse in contemporary art - my instagram is @richtea_art and you will be able to see a little more of what i am making.) However, as it is A level, in order to reach those higher grades, you have to approach your artmaking a little more literally in that you have to show a high degree of detail. However, i do find that that detail does show significance to areas within my pieces, and particularly the zoomed in textures (fish scales) in that it comments on how we appreciate the beauty of the fish once it has died - the sheen colours and translucency of the scales.
I do have some extra experiments that i have created to inform the process and creative approach of exploring my ideas - for an example, rather than just rendering the quality of the scales in two dimension, i wanted to experiment with creating the forms three dimensionally using Plaster of Paris etc. It may be quite literal, but i am not sure if it is worth showing.
I am unable to attend a Summer school as i will be in Japan, but i I am planning on creating independently-lead work for my portfolio during the summer, but i don't know what i should focus on. Whether that is creating more exploratory and investigative outcomes to use for my portfolio, and or challenging ways in which i should be using media, or trying something outside of the media available at college (i.e. trying to create something digitally, or video/installation.)
I will be applying to foundation art courses as well, but i wanted to give applying for the BFA course a shot!
Thanks

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