AO3 - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to your intentions in visual and other forms.
Drawing could be an end in itself. .................................................. 2 A collection of developments using different materials. ................. 3 A way of communicating that could be 3D. .................................... 4 Photos taken by yourself/ digital images....................................... 5 Responses to popular film, music video. ........................................ 7 Studies and sketches documenting gallery visits/ internet sites.... 9
Drawing could be an end in itself. • With drawing being a core activity within the Visual Arts, it is only natural that you should or could use this medium for recording your ideas and work. Think of this as a way to illustrate your ideas and projects kind of like illustrating a book or story. Drawings created for the purpose of recording what you have done, and what you intend to do, only need to serve the purpose of sharing your thoughts and ideas, as such these drawings could be very loose and sketchy. • Alternatively, you could use the medium of drawing as a tool to record your work in a more controlled and accurate way to document your project work. Consider perhaps how famous botanists like Darwin and the late great explorer James Cook would use the medium of drawing to record all of the many creatures and plant life that they discovered. For them the need to accurately draw what they found was very important so that on their return from an exploration, they could identify and share their work with others. Using a similar approach for your own project and coursework, you could draw and illustrate your intentions for a project or item of work. If you have many features within your work, consider drawing each feature separately, so that you can clearly demonstrate that you have studied these features, also, consider 'alternatives' for each feature, closeups, and pick out details to draw and illustrate using a larger scale too. • Studies, drawings and illustrations that you produce during the development of a project or item of work could evolve quite naturally into a final piece of work. By producing drawings that explain your work, you may begin to find that these drawings could work quite well as larger, more complete pieces. This is a very easy way to develop a project by using 'drawing' as the main medium. ◦ Photography students should try to use the medium of 'drawing' to illustrate intentions. The use of 'sketch-frames' or 'story-boards' to provide suggestions and intentions of possible photographs.
A collection of developments using different materials. • A project can often develop quickly by using a variety of materials rather than by only using 'drawing' as a medium. Try to source and find alternative materials and medium that can help you to illustrate your intentions. For example, a quick look through a magazine or newspaper will often provide you with strong imagery which is relevant to you own work. Try to find a collection of images that are appropriate and/ or relevant to what you have in mind for your own work and make a collage of these images in your sketchbook. Think of this as a type of 'image' or 'mood' board. Artists/ Photographers and designers often make an 'image' board to help them begin work on a project. Think of this as a visual reference or guide, a resource that you can use to explore your idea and work, take inspiration from, and help guide you further into the develop of your work. • Another way that you can use 'sourced' images from newspapers, magazines and websites is to use them as a direct visual and drawing aid. Find a few images that are relevant to your own work and stick these into your sketchbook. Then along side each image, copy what you see, by producing a drawing of each. As well as aiming to create an accurate copy of the image though, try experimenting with scale and size. For example, if the picture that you are working from is approximately one quarter the size of a sketchbook page, try enlarging your drawing of the picture so that it is twice as big. ◦ Photography students could try to replicate 'sourced' images by taking photographs in ways that copy images found. Inside the journal these could then be presented side by side to illustrate how the sourced images led to your own work. • For another way to use images that you may have found, consider working directly on top of the picture itself. Larger pictures are best for this method, so choose your picture for this type of task carefully. Place the chosen picture into your sketchbook, and then work on top of it with a range of medium or materials. For example, try adding oil pastel to bring out colours, or use an ink line to bring out details, painting on top of images works very well too and will allow you to explore tone and shades. • One more way that you can produce a development task or study for your work is to 'extend' an image that you have sourced. Smaller images work best for this type of task. Find a relevant image or picture to your own work and stick this in the center of a sketchbook page. Then using the space around the image, continue the picture by drawing line that extends the picture further. You could simply use your own judgment to draw whatever is missing, and in a sense make the picture complete, although this type of task allows you to use your imagination and develop possible backgrounds and effects too. This will allow you to provide a preview of what your final outcome may look like, if you applied the same background or effect. Very useful to test or try out alternative backgrounds to your project or item of work. ◦ Photography students could mix sourced images with your own sots, by using layers in software like Adobe Photoshop or Gimp.
A way of communicating that could be 3D. • A good way to increase your chances of gaining higher marks within this assessment objective (AO3), is to include some examples of 3D work. There are many ways in which you can achieve this, and often the results gained are very effective. • An easy way to include some evidence of 3D into your project or item of work is include 'texture' within your work. Texture can be included in your work by building up the surface or area of your work. Using different types of paper can produce a subtle texture effect and is perhaps the easiest to achieve. To do this before you begin your drawing, create a layered work area, made up from layering different papers on top of each other, then draw your work on top of this 'layered' surface and continue to develop your work. • To enhance a 3D surface effect more, as well as using a range of different papers, try including card. Corrugated card works very well too. Try tearing or cutting some strips of corrugated card and place these strips on certain areas of your work area to generate a strong 'textured' effect, then draw your work on top of the surface and continue your work. • Another way to generate texture is to include fabric and thread in your work. Build up a surface or work area using a range of papers and card, and then cut out and shape some pieces of fabric that will fill in appropriate areas of your work. Stick these into place, and try experimenting further by using folds, and creases within the fabric that correspond to where you may draw features in your work. After you then draw your work on top of the surface, use some thread or lengths of wool to enhance your work further. Stick or sew the thread onto your drawing, following lines that you have drawn. Use the thread as a type of 3D pencil line. This will enhance your drawing, making your drawing stand out and appear 3D. • Modroc is another way to generate texture within your work. It is very easy to use and textured effects can be achieved very quickly. Use the modroc to build up areas of your work, make reliefs to help features in your work stand out. • Paper-mache can be a quick easy to use, way of building up parts of your work too. However, be careful not to over do it. Too much paper-mache, and if it is used without care and thought can quickly ruin your work. However, if it is used with thought and care, some very good 3D effects can be achieved. • Sometimes building up a surface from 2D to a 3D relief is not going to be enough to communicate your work or idea. This would be case if your final out come is likely to be a sculpture. Of course you will still need to produce drawings and illustrations of your idea for a sculpture, but there will come a point in your work when you will need to work entirely in 3D. To do this consider making a 'Maquette'. A Maquette is basically a small version or miniature model of what you intend to sculpt. Often these maquettes are made out of card, wire, matchsticks or cocktail sticks and can be covered in paper-mache or modroc to produce a solid surface, which is then painted. Usually when painting a maquette, it is simply painted white so that the form, structure and shape can be seen and explored easily. Although, perhaps if a second maquette is then built, it would be appropriate to add samples of colour that may be used on the final sculpture to provide an indication of your intentions.
Photos taken by yourself/ digital images. • It is worth knowing the difference between what is called 'A primary Sourced Image' and 'A Secondary Sourced Image'. A Primary sourced image is worth more marks than a Secondary sourced image. A primary sourced image is an image that you have taken or produced yourself, for example. Suppose that you are working on an idea or item of work that includes a car. To gain marks for AO3, you will need to provide evidence that you have studied and explored 'the car' thoroughly for your work. This would involve doing some drawings of cars and ideally the exact type of car that you intend to use in your work. So how would you go about this? Well, arguably the easiest way to do this would be to find some pictures of appropriate cars and then work from these pictures. However, suppose that you used the internet, found some pictures of cars that you intend to use, print these out and then work from these in your sketchbook. That would be an example of using 'Secondary' sourced images, which although will work, will not gain you as many marks as using 'Primary' sourced images. So lets take the same project, but this time using 'Primary' sourced images. For example, you could take some of your own photographs of cars that you see while you are out and about. To generate even more evidence of using 'Primary' sourced images, you could maybe go to a local car show room, take some pictures of cars that you actually see. While you are at the showroom, as well as taking photographs, produce some small sketches and drawings of the car's directly into your sketchbook, working from direct observation. Consider also that this would give your work more opportunity too, as you would be able to take a number of photographs, of the whole car and of parts of the car, you could select a specific angle or shot of the car, all of which you could not do if you simply found a picture on the internet or from a magazine. • Lets use another example to explain the importance of using and working from 'Primary' images as opposed to using 'Secondary' sourced images. Lets say you are working on a project or item of work that will include a portrait, or picture of someone. In your idea or work you decide to include an expressive face. You could spend some time on the internet or looking through magazines and newspapers trying to find an example of a face which uses the expression that you would like to use in your work. The chances of you finding an expression that uses the exact same type that you have in mind is very slim, not impossible, but very slim. As such, you will probably find one or two that near enough what you are looking for, but, the end result would be a compromise. As the images that you find will be 'okay' or 'near enough'. These could and probably will work out fine, but as well as being a compromise, they are also 'Secondary Sourced', meaning that they will not gain you as many marks for your work (AO3) as you could gain if your work used 'Primary' sourced images. So how could you source your own 'Primary' sourced images? You have in mind for your work or idea, a portrait of someone using expression on their face, this could be angry, sad, happy etc. Using a camera and a volunteer, take a series of photographs of your volunteer using the desired expression that you would like to use in your work. Also consider taking a variety of shots for example as well as taking a shot from the front, take shots form either side to gain 'profiles', take a couple of shots from different angles such as looking up at the volunteer or looking down from above. Take some close ups of the main facial features that cause the expression such as the eye's or mouth. • Also worth considering are the other opportunities that present themselves when working with your own 'Primary' sourced images. Such as the theme for you
work or idea. In this example the theme for the images is largely 'expression', therefore as well as making your images of the expression needed for your work, extend this further by exploring this theme. Get a whole series of shots showing a range of expressions, these can then be used as evidence of you exploring your work and idea. You could work from these further by producing studies in your sketchbook that shows how you have explored your idea. Another opportunity that creating your own 'Primary' sourced images presents itself is the ability to produce some sketches and drawings from life. Working from direct observation to add depth to your ideas and development work. For example, you could sketch and/ or draw some examples of facial expressions using your volunteer as a model to work from. • Another way that you can develop your work and development ideas further is to use the digital photographs that you have taken, and experiment further using image editing software. This can be very effective, fun and can produce some excellent results which when added to your sketchbook can gain you a few extra marks for assessment objective 3 (AO3). For example, lets go back to the earlier idea of using a 'Car' within your work. You have taken a series of photographs of cars that are appropriate for your work or idea. You could then take these images into a software program like adobe photoshop. Using the software program you could experiment and explore your idea by applying effects and filters that change, modify and manipulate your photographs. A simple way to do this would be to change the colours and tones of the car to see how your car would look using a range of alternative colours. Some image editing software also provides a range of artistic filters so that you can see what your photograph would look like if it were, for example a 'Pop Art' picture or a 'water colour' study. Using more advanced tools within the software you could also experiment with alternative backgrounds. So for example, you have a shot of your chosen car (taken in the showroom), but in your final outcome or idea you want to use your car at another location or with a background other than the showroom. Using 'Layers' it is possible to remove the existing background (the showroom), and place an alternative background behind the car. Using image editing software in these ways is usually quick and the results gained are worthy of any effort that you put into this sort of development. • One other way of using digital media to record ideas and developments of an Art project, which is gaining in popularity is to video to make and record your own video diary. Think of this as being a type of blog, that is updated through a series of video recordings which captures your work and experiences throughout the development process. There are many examples of this on the popular video site Youtube. Search for and find a Youtube user called: amillionfaces or Pinsall and the term art vlog, and you will see some excellent examples of what is termed a 'VLOG' or video blog for short. Making a video diary or 'VLOG' is an excellent way to record your work or project as it develops. By adding commentary, you can include your own thoughts and opinion about your work and explain your ideas clearly. This makes sharing the development and exploration of your artwork accessible and fun.
Responses to popular film, music video. • Inspiration can often be found in a wide variety of places. It may be something that you see or a story that is heard, newspapers and magazines are usually filled with photographs and imagery which can be used to spark interest in an idea or project and films, movies and music videos are no exception. • During any project or item of coursework it is a good idea to be on the look out for sources of inspiration while watching films or music or music videos. It may be a particular scene or event within a movie which you have seen that would be of use. So to help your art project or coursework, the chances are that you will need to obtain a screen-shot of the movie. There are a few ways that you can grab a copy of what you seen on-screen, which can then be printed out. Here are some suggestions to help you achieve this: ◦ If the movie is on a DVD, and you have a PC with a DVD player it is very easy. Simply put the DVD into your PC pause the movie at the scene that you need to print out and press the keyboard button called 'Print Screen' or sometimes called 'Prt Scn' for short. ◦ If the movie is on a DVD but you do not have a DVD player on your PC, you may have a games console such as a PS3 or Xbox? Usually these consoles will play DVD's and if you have a wireless USB keyboard, this can then be used to grab screen-shots of whatever is on the screen by using the same 'Print-Screen' keyboard function. ◦ Another way to capture images from a TV screen, would be to use a digital camera. The quality of the images taken may not be great, but good enough for you use and work from. Simple pause the movie at the scene that you would like to use, and point your camera at the TV screen and take a photograph. ◦ With the release of many film trailers on the internet, it is quite possible that you could find scenes within the trailers that are posted on cinema listings websites too. Using the 'Print-Screen' keyboard function you can capture an image of a movie scene directly from the website movie player. ◦ And with the many catch-up TV players such as BBC iPlayer or the ITV Player or Channel 4's 4OD, the chances are that you can find what you are looking for on one of these popular TV players, and use the same 'Print-Screen' function to capture images that you need. ◦ And finally, perhaps the most popular source of video content for movies and music videos is Youtube. Chances are that someone will have posted a clip of the move or music video that you require, so this would be another useful place to seek out and capture images for your project or item of coursework. • In any of the above cases, after using the 'Print-Screen' keyboard function, you will then need to print out your 'captured' images. It is important to know that the 'Print-Screen' function will only allow you to capture one image at a time. Therefore, as soon as you have used the 'Print-screen' button, you will need to
paste the captured screen-shot into an image editor or similar program so that you can then print out your pictures. • After using the 'Print-Screen' function, open an image editor such as MS Paint, or Photoshop. Then go to the EDIT menu and use the PASTE function to paste your screen-shot onto a new page. You can then edit your screen shot further by cropping or selecting just the part of the screen-shot that you need, such as the movie. • Windows vista and 7 users will also have a tool called 'Snipping Tool' which can be used in a similar way, and if needed there are many free screen-grabbing programs which can be downloaded too. Try searching for 'Screen Grabber' which is a free program that supports all types of PC windows or mac. • After you have printed out your screen-shots, these can then be used for your art project. You could use the screen-shots to help you illustrate an idea for a project, stick the images into your sketchbook, and add comments that explains how the movie or scene within a movie 'fits-in' with your project or item of coursework. Working from the scree-shots is also a good way to make use of this media too. Use the scree-shots to work from by drawing and copying either the whole scene or part of the scene, then work into your drawing further by adding your colour themes and perhaps include an alternative background. • As well as taking inspiration from a movie to help you develop your own project or coursework item, it could be that the movie scene which you have captured becomes the main focus for your final outcome. However, you should try to personalise this work, to make it your own and not just a copy or replica. Having said that, copying the screen-shot or at least parts of it would be a good place to start your own work, this will help you familiarise yourself with the subject for your work, and give you opportunity to refine your accuracy. Eventually though, your own work in response to the movie should begin to take shape. If you use a movie or part of a movie for your project, the inspiration should be clear, but for high marks, your work should also be original. To do this try producing a series of outcomes that develops from the original scree-shot into your own work or outcome.
Studies and sketches documenting gallery visits/ internet sites. • Drawings and Sketches that document and record a visit to a gallery either in person, or online are a strong way to gain marks for this assessment objective (AO3). Try to produce a series of studies in your sketchbook that clearly shows that you have looked at a variety of artwork which is relevant to your own project. Your work done in response to this assessment objective should also take into account the work that you should have done to gain marks for assessment objective 1 (AO1). • The types of drawings and sketches that you produce should be based on direct observation. For example, while visiting the gallery (either in person or online), seek out a few examples of artwork that you find of interest, and that is relevant to your own project or item of coursework. Try to use a variety of materials to record these works of interest by drawing them out in your sketchbook. Consider using a range of pencils and charcoals that can produce a strong and clear line. • Consider presenting your gallery visit thoughtfully in your sketchbook, by making a feature of the event. For example, make a title page. Perhaps you have kept the entrance ticket which you could stick onto your title page as evidence of your visit. Or if you visit the gallery online, copy the galley banner, print out and stick this into your sketchbook and use as the heading for your visit. Presenting your experience of the gallery visit would benefit from being clear and using structure. A typical structure that you could adopt would be to begin with a title or introduction page. This should include a title of the gallery which you visited, perhaps some images of some of the artwork that you explored during the visit, and think about decorating the page to make it look interesting. On a second page, a list of contents for the pages that follow would be a good idea, this will help any assessor looking through your sketchbook identify key evidence within your work in order to assign marks. Perhaps each item in the content list as well as using text could be presented with mini images or thumbnails to provide a glimpse of the main work each content item will provide. The first work page could be an introduction, which briefly explains the gallery or gallery's that you visited, why you chose to visit that gallery, how long you spent exploring the gallery, what you hoped to find and how the visit fits in with your current project or coursework item. After an introduction, dedicate a couple of pages to the main items of your gallery visit. Consider using the key items of artwork that you explored and provide evidence of the artwork that includes an example or picture, some sketches or drawings that you produced by working directly from the artwork that you explored, some key facts and points of interest about the artwork such as the name of the artist that created the work, the subject of the work or what the work is of/ about, what the artwork is called, the materials or medium used by the artist to create the artwork, the size or scale of the work, and then include some of your own thoughts and opinion about the work. Consider why you have chosen to explore or look at the chosen artwork, how the artwork fits in with your own project, coursework or idea, and explain how your own project or idea could develop further by using aspects of the artwork that you have explored. For example, it may be the style that the artwork has been created in that you intend to adopt and use for your own work, or perhaps it is the subject or content (what the artwork is of or about) that you may use to develop your own version of, perhaps you like the materials or medium which the artwork is made in that you decide to use for your own project or coursework. Then on a further page, select one key item of artwork that you have explored during your gallery visit and make a feature page of this work.
Include some examples of the work, and produce some sketches and developments of your own in response to the item of work. Include some text and comments about the work, why is this work a main source of interest or inspiration to your own project or coursework? What is it about the work that inspires you and your idea or work? Perhaps also find other work which is similar, and maybe created by alternative artists as well as other work that your chosen artist has created, and include this to provide a short discussion about similarities and/ or comparisons about the works. Then to end your presentation, consider a conclusion or summary of your gallery visit. Try to include what you have found or discovered, how the gallery visit has helped your own project or coursework move forward, which key items of artwork have been the main source of interest or inspiration.