How to Approach the IGCSE Art Exam: Observational / Interpretative Assignment

Concluding Updated on February eight, 2017

This commodity aims to demystify Paper i: Observational / Interpretative Assignment (0400/01), CIE IGCSE Fine art and Design. It outlines a clear process that Painting and Related Media students may use to create their preparatory work and final exam piece. This article has been written in response to the large number of questions the Pupil Art Guide has received and aims to assist teachers and schools who are new to CIE or who have received disappointing results in the past. It should exist noted that this process is not an official recommendation from Cambridge, nor is it claimed to be the best or only way of budgeted this paper (luckily, there are many, many ways of producing an excellent IGCSE portfolio): even so, it is based on a strategy that has worked well for my own students and those of my colleagues, and is provided in the hope that it makes things easier for others.

Notation: This article has not been updated to reflect changes in the 2015 curriculum. A new version of this article will be written later on in the year, with more detail, in response to the changes to the 2015 CIE 0400 syllabus. The long term goal is that teachers of CIE IGCSE Fine art and Design can work together via the Student Art Guide to share ideas and approaches, culminating in the 'ultimate' set of recommendations – all-time practises – for completing the IGCSE Controlled Test / Exam.

An Overview: Newspaper i

Paper one is described in the CIE 0400 2014 IGCSE Art and Design syllabus as:

An externally ready, eight-60 minutes assignment marked by Cambridge. The exam allows candidates to respond in either an observational or interpretative fashion or a combination of both.

Students are required to submit:

• ane x final artwork – a two or three-dimensional artwork, maximum weight 4.5kgs and maximum dimension in any management of 750mm, completed inside the 8 hour Art Test. Painting and Related Media students are encouraged to submit a final work that is a maximum size of A2 (larger works must be photographed, prior to sending away for assessment).
• A maximum of 2 10 A2 sheets (four sides) of preparatory piece of work. This is a body of piece of work illustrating a visual response to one test question, using any appropriate colours, tones, mediums, processes or techniques. The preparatory work is completed in the viii weeks before the examination and must include direct observation from primary sources, inquiry, assay and development of ideas.

Our recommendations for budgeted the viii week preparatory period are as follows:

Select your topic

Recommended fourth dimension-frame: 1 – 3 days

As a class, brainstorm topic ideas based on the set starting points that are given within the examination paper. Use our commodity nigh how to select a skilful Art project idea and look at artist works (see our Pinterest Boards) for inspiration.

Examiner Reports also provide great examples of how past students have interpreted topics. This is how examiners described responses to the topic 'before daybreak' (June 2013):

This question probably provided the nigh imaginative responses too as the most cliched. The obvious, in this instance sunrise, was oft the subject of very weak submissions. However, the very all-time candidates attempted more than interesting interpretations including morn rituals such equally Morning Prayer, brushing teeth, waking to warning clocks and some interesting abstractions using media such as batik. Several other candidates sought inspiration in an urban setting; street scenes for instance. By far the best submissions were those who had actually photographed the event themselves so made paintings entirely from their own images.

The following recommendations may as well help:

1. Brainstorm ideas quickly. Students often have far likewise long on this procedure (this is a mutual fault fabricated by loftier school Art students). While it is important to have quality offset-hand imagery to work from, you lot demand to use equally many of the 8 weeks equally possible to complete your preparatory work.

2. Select a topic that your Coursework has prepared y'all for. For example, if you have drawn still-life within your Coursework projection, it can be beneficial to select an exam topic that allows you to extend upon these skills. While y'all are free to select any question from the exam newspaper that you wish, selecting an unfamiliar topic can be akin to writing an essay on Othello, when you have studied Macbeth. Some infrequent students are more than capable of answering any test topic, but in full general, you are best answering a question that yous are prepared for. This does not mean you choose something which is exactly the same every bit your Coursework project (this would stifle and bore you), but rather that yous should select something that builds upon your prior learning.

three. Select a topic which allows yous to work from commencement-hand observation in the classroom . This is not always possible – particularly for mural or figure topics – simply at that place are certain advantages to being able to fix up and arrange items inside the classroom itself. (Teachers can likewise bring in a drove of objects to supplement those collected past the students – or used entirely past disorganised students – yet entire classes should non be forced to draw from the same all the same-life). If you wish to work from a scene or field of study that cannot exist brought into the classroom, it is essential that you lot demonstrate very early that y'all are able to take many loftier quality original photographs and can easily render to the scene if more are needed. Drawing from second-hand images taken by others – or drawing solely from your imagination – should be avoided at almost all costs. Examiners oftentimes comment that depression grade piece of work is characterized by a " reliance on copying from secondary sources such as the Internet or magazine photographs"  (June 2013 Examiner Report), with the strongest work, on the other hand, " e'er supported by splendid supporting studies with an emphasis on thorough investigation from primary sources" . Examiners keep to say that:

All questions are carefully selected to enable candidates to research from directly observation, but those who practise not show any evidence limit their access to the higher marks ranges specially in Assessment Objective 1 (AO1) and AO5.

Similarly, the October 2013 examiner report notes that oft:

…lower level submissions worked purely from these images printed off the Internet and copied them without developing any ideas of their own. Some even worked just from imagination and demonstrated no recording from observation or 2nd sources.

The exam paper itself makes this very clear:

Record and develop your ideas from direct observation and experience in order to meet all Assessment Objectives.

4. Ensure your subject thing is complex, interesting and varied. For example, three oranges is unlikely to provide sufficient variety to sustain an entire examination submission. Similarly, patterns on a flat surface (a brick wall, a sunrise, silhouetted forms or a cloudy heaven, for example) do not offer you adequate opportunity to depict complex three-dimensional form. Await for a topic that is visually interesting and contains a diverseness of shapes, textures, details and forms. This is one of the requirements outlined in our guide to selecting a good Art topic.

 Take beautiful photographs

Recommended time-frame: 1-2 days

Find and assemble all of the objects, scenes and background materials that you are contemplating including inside your projection, and have beautiful photographs of these using a loftier quality photographic camera. Treat these every bit artworks in themselves. Take close-up details, too as single objects and whole arranged scenes. Do non worry near your last piece at this point, simply detect and record your bailiwick matter, noticing the shapes, proportions, textures and forms. Select items advisedly, so that your work is imaginative and personal.

Once completed, have your instructor approve the photographs (and your topic) and offer communication.

The 2014 0400 IGCSE Fine art and Blueprint syllabus states:

Candidates may seek initial guidance regarding the selection of question and advisable choice of materials and processes at the starting time of the preparation time. They should then exist brash to work independently.

This is the time to proceeds confirmation from your teacher that you on the right track. If you take struggled to compose the photographs in a beautiful, well-counterbalanced mode, this might exist an indication that yous need to select a unlike topic. If you lot do, change chop-chop. One time you enter the next stage, a change of topic is almost e'er a mistake.

Produce the showtime prep sheet (A2 – side 1)

Recommended time-frame: 2 weeks

Care for the first preparatory sheet as an opportunity to identify your subject area thing and explore this from a range of different angles and scales, using a range of dissimilar black and white mediums.

Recommendations:

• Exercise not worry about forming 'complete compositions': instead record, draw or paint interesting objects, combinations of objects, parts of scenes or enlarged details, investigating a variety of appropriate items and background materials from different angles, viewpoints and scales. Try to include every object or scene that you intend to include within your project. Don't worry about what your final work volition look like. Consider this phase 'visual research' into your subject thing. Get together, tape, research and investigate (through drawing and painting) a diversity of appropriate beginning-hand sources, working from direct ascertainment or your own photographs. This prep sheet helps you to gain the marks in AO1: Gathering, recording, inquiry and investigation (assessment will be explained in more than detail at the end of this commodity).
• Focus upon producing stiff, realistic, observational drawings and paintings – accurately depicting shape, tone, proportion, perspective, surface/textural qualities and course. Even those who wish to movement towards an interpretative or abstract should begin working from observation (if you struggle with this, please read our article with tips for improving your observational drawing).
• Work primarily in black and white (or monochrome). While this is not a requirement, eliminating colour in the initial phase of investigation simplifies this part of your project. It allows yous to focus on accurately representing shape, proportion and tone, before moving onto more complex tasks in afterward prep sheets. Use black and white mediums that yous are able to control well, while ensuring that you include sufficient experimentation and a broad enough range of different mediums. We recommend that students consummate iv – 12 artworks, using mediums selected from the list beneath:

1. Graphite pencil on white cartridge drawing paper. These drawings may be partially incomplete – i.e. abaft out to become line only effectually the edges.
2. Ink pen or biro pen on brownish kraft paper or coloured paper that fits in with the colour of your subject matter (see our article nearly types of paper). This might be a line drawing, such every bit a cantankerous-contour cartoon or a continuous line drawing or a more realistic piece that is shaded using techniques such equally cross-hatching (see our line cartoon article for ideas).
3. Black and white colouring pencil on grey paper, with the newspaper showing through visible for the mid-tone.
4. Indian ink and white paint or black and white pencil over a watered down Indian ink footing. This will create an crawly irregular blotchy ground to work over (if you are new to grounds, our article most painting and drawing on grounds is essential reading).
5. Graphite pencil, blackness biro pen and/or acrylic over a textured footing of collaged text or patterned or textured newspaper. This may be pieces of old wallpaper, or things specific to your topic, i.e. a page from an onetime recipe book for a food related topic – see this commodity almost painting or drawing on something interesting for more ideas). You lot may too wish to use white paint for highlights.
6. Blackness biro pen over a ground of splashed ink or smeared acrylic paint, with tone applied using the biro pen, possibly white paint or white pen for highlights. Ensure that any colours used tie in with the with the colours of your subject affair.
7. Indian ink practical using a stick. This can exist onto ordinary white paper, or something more exciting, such equally a torn piece of paper-thin box.
8. Black and white charcoal on drawing newspaper.
9. White charcoal on black paper.
10. Black watercolours or ink on watercolour newspaper.
11. Black and white photographic prints (do non cram your canvas with photographs every bit a space-filling machinery, but a few loftier quality photographs, printed on matt paper, tin can make it clear you worked from observation and tin aid the examiners encounter and sympathize your starting indicate).
12. Whatever other black and white drawings or paintings in some other medium.

Three examples of A* preparatory sheets completed by IGCSE Art and Pattern students 0400 / 01, two of which were awarded Top in the Globe. The numbers correlate to the mediums in the listing above.

The examples in the diagram in a higher place show the start A2 pages of exam prep past:

• Tarika Sabherwal – A Bunch of Keys (100% /A* – Top in the World), ACG Strathallan Higher
• Nikau Hindin – Crustaceans and Natural Forms (95% /A*), ACG Parnell College
• Tingjian He (Jim) –An Atomic number 26 and a Pile of Washing (100% /A* – Acme in the World), ACG Strathallan College

Before you brainstorm, take a infinitesimal to plan the layout of the preparatory canvass (remembering that the label will be adhered summit correct) and prepare a series of grounds / drawing surfaces. Use pieces of paper that are slightly larger than necessary, so that they can be trimmed neatly and attached to your A2 sheet once complete.

Call back the accent is e'er quality. You lot do not need to demonstrate every technique on the higher up list. It is amend to do less, well. Likewise, annotation that you exercise not need to be ridiculously creative: i.e. don't mucilage on something absurd just in the effort of existence 'creative'. Always select something that is advisable for your project and focus on creating awesome observational work (if yous struggle with this, delight read our article with tips for improving your observational drawing). Ensure yous east xplore, experiment with and utilize a wide range of appropriate mediums: this helps you lot gain marks for A04: Selection and control of materials, media and processes.

Finally, if colours are used at this stage, make sure they are considered carefully, following the guidance given beneath for Prep Sail Ii.

Annotation: Marks are non given for annotation, but it may help you to note downwardly some of your ideas / clarify your thoughts in the spaces in and around your drawings. Examiners annotate that loftier achieving candidates frequently submit supporting studies that are annotated, with notes evaluating ideas, explaining thinking and "clarifying the journey made". Notwithstanding, this argument in the June 2013 Examiner Report is particularly valuable:

Some candidates spend considerable time writing about their intentions. There were instances where these descriptions of intent were more extensive than any actual visual research. Clearly, these candidates would benefit from spending less time writing about what they are going to practise and more than fourth dimension on really conveying out the visual research and developing their ideas in a visual form. Brief bullet points would suffice with the primary thrust of the supporting studies being a visual and not literary course of communication. Such an arroyo would enable candidates to achieve college marks for all of the Assessment Objectives.

To understand more than about the sorts of notes that are appropriate in an Art project (if you choose to include whatsoever), read our article almost sketchbook presentation.

For your inspiration, examples of additional blackness and white artworks produced by IGCSE Art students have been included below:

Drawings by Georgia Shattky, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (89% / A) at ACG Parnell College:

The first of these drawings is completed using black and white colouring pencil on a blotchy, watery acrylic basis; the second is completed using blackness and white pencil on textured grey paper.

Drawings past Christine Lee, from Macleans College, awarded Summit in New Zealand for CIE IGCSE Art and Design, Nov 2013 (98% /A*):

These black and white drawings show initial investigations into the open up-ended topic 'Spiral Structures'. The objects accept been cleverly selected effectually a narrow theme (icing cupcakes) with the repetition of curving and circular forms helping to brand the artworks cohesive and well balanced. The objects accept intriguing areas of complication and variation (the intertwining parts of the egg beater; the hand belongings the iced cupcake), ensuring that the subject-affair is visually interesting and challenging.

Drawings by Abby Hope Skinner, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Pattern (A*) at the International School of Paphos, Cyprus:

This combination of drawings – each completed using a different medium – is a perfect instance of visual enquiry: cute observational studies.

Drawing past Tingian He from ACG Strathallan Higher, who gained Top in the Earth for IGCSE Fine art and Design (100% /A*), Nov 2011:

This drawing of a skull has been completed using black and white charcoal on a mixed media footing of ink and torn paper. Indian ink has been used to pigment the black background once the drawing was complete.

A drawing by Hania Cho, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Pattern (95% /A*) at ACG Strathallan College:

This is a graphite pencil drawing of jewellery arranged against a mirror.

Drawings completed by Nikau Hindin, while studying IGCSE Art and Pattern (95% /A*) at ACG Parnell College:

These drawings show unmarried objects and small-scale arrangements of objects, exploring textures and forms relating to the topic 'Crustacean'. Note that the background colour (bluish) in the crab drawing links with the colours that are used later in her submission.

Drawings by Rhea Maheshwari, completed while studying IGCSE Fine art and Design (A*) at ACG Parnell College:

A drove of blackness and white observational drawings of shells, bones and seedpods, created using a range of dissimilar media.

These black and white drawings were completed as role of a mock (exercise) exam submission. The images are a combination of graphite, Indian ink and white paint, and black ink pen.

A drawing past Claire Mitchell, completed while studying IGCSE Fine art and Design (A) at ACG Strathallan College:

This observational drawing of a broccoli was completed using black and white pencil on brown kraft paper.

A graphite pencil drawing past Jae Won Yun, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A) at ACG Strathallan College:

This graphite drawing shows a flax seedpod resting lightly on a surface. Focusing on a single complex object in the early on phase of an test submission allows students to proceeds confidence with the intricacies of shape, proportion and class.

Drawings byJulie Zhu, who was awarded Tiptop in New Zealand IGCSE Art and Pattern (98% /A*) while studying at Macleans College:

Interpreting the topic 'Spiral Structures', Julie has selected an unexpected and clever combination of still-life objects. Her initial drawings show a range of marker-making techniques (splattered ink / hatching with black pen) as she explores the forms of flowers, electric drills and screws.

Black and white drawings completed by Emma Phillips, while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A*) at ACG Strathallan Higher:

Responding to the topic 'shoe and shoe polish', Emma ensures that circuitous objects are selected (a sandal, with several overlapping pieces of leather; a bristled shoe brush; a wooden box and old shoe smooth can). The image on the left is completed using Indian ink and white paint on an Indian ink wash; the epitome on the right is graphite on textured newspaper.

Produce second prep sheet (A2 – side 2)

Recommended time-frame: 2 weeks

In the second prep sail, introduce colour and beginning thinking well-nigh composition in hostage. Equally yous begin to explore limerick, ensure that you:

• Generate a range of unlike ideas. Do not ready ane system and then simply draw it from a few different angles. Or, even worse, don't produce one composition, and and then apply colour using several different mediums (this is a surprisingly common approach which produces a repetitive torso of work that bores both you and the examiner). Equally noted in a recent Examiner Study, weaker candidates have a "tendency to explore only one compositional thought or a very limited selection of images". Instead, generate multiple arrangements of your called objects. Motility the items around and position them in unlike places, testing dissimilar compositions to find ones that appear well-balanced and cohesive. Avoid randomly placing items on a folio and leaving vast empty areas of empty space. Think critically about the way you compose your piece of work and notice how changes in limerick affect the expression of ideas, mood and pregnant. To ensure that you produce successful compositions, consider:
  • Overlapping objects and including shadows to create a sense of depth and infinite
  • Foreground, middle-ground and background
  • Interesting viewpoints – perhaps looking down on things, through things, or from a worm'south eye view
  • Perspective and calibration – y'all might wish to create compositions that are focused on enlarged details and parts of compositions, and/or scenes viewed from a greater distance
  • The positioning, interaction and balancing of visual elements, such as colour, shape, texture, space etc. If you lot accept a scarlet item at the bottom of your artwork, for example, yous might residue this with a few smaller ruby areas towards the summit. Similarly, if you have a decorated area of an artwork, y'all might want to remainder this with emptier areas. (Note: exact symmetrical balancing of an artwork is rarely successful). Composition is a big subject that will exist discussed in more than item in an upcoming article – in the meantime, analyse your own piece of work carefully and written report the composition of artist works to learn successful strategies
  • Communicate ideas, meanings and emotion (think about how color selection and intensity, positioning of items, expressions on faces, dramatic contrasts and other components of your artwork communicate ideas to the viewer). Annotation: when it comes to colour pick, it is usually better to select a express palette that supports the ideas and themes expressed, rather than to use every single color (meet the consummate IGCSE Fine art Examination projects shown at the end of this commodity for examples).
• Learn from artists. Learning from artist models is the best and easiest way to learn new techniques and compositional approaches. You may notice it easiest to learn from artists that are the same or similar to the ones explored in your Coursework project. This concept has been discussed in our article about the Equally Art Exam:

I helpful strategy can be for students to follow a similar development procedure to that used in their Coursework (i.e. using the aforementioned artist models and a similar blueprint of developing composition), as this allows students to work much faster. It means students have to 'retrieve' and worry less, and just put all of their try into producing stunning artwork within the short fourth dimension frame given. As the subject field or theme is of grade totally different (because it is selected from the examination paper), students are thus excited and invigorated about their piece of work, despite the processes existence very similar to their Coursework, at least in the initial stages. As the work progresses, the new topic usually drives the work in a new and exciting direction, and so the last pieces are quite unlike.

To understand ways that your work can be influenced by an artist's work, please read our article about development and study the examples of educatee projection at the end of this commodity.

When selecting artwork to study, it is worth remembering that:

• The artist does NOT demand to use the same subject affair, simply the work must be relevant to your projection. For instance, you might be inspired and acquire from the way an creative person communicates ideas, approaches composition or uses a technique. The June 2013 Examiner report comments that low achieving candidates often included an artist who did not inform their piece of work but acted equally a "'bolt on' addition in an attempt to satisfy the Assessment Objectives". In other words, do not study an artist for the sake of it; instead, the artist work must influence and inform your own artwork.
• Long-winded written analysis is not required. Every bit is mentioned earlier, notation is non necessary. In the current eight week format, every speck of your energy should be spent on producing quality original artwork. A small colour copy of an artist's work, correctly referenced and credited, along with cursory bullet-points analysing limerick, technique and ideas is all that is needed (if whatsoever writing is deemed necessary at all). It is the integration of this learning into your own applied work that matters.

• Explore and experiment with a wide range of mediums. We recommend completing iv – viii works, selecting from the list below:

1. Coloured pencil

2. Coloured pencil with black biro pen

3. Pastels on white paper or acrylic wash

4. Carandache crayon over acrylic wash

5. Watercolour on water colour paper

6. Acrylic paint on an acrylic ground

7. Acrylic painting on a variety of textured surfaces such as unstretched sheet or textured newspaper

8. Colour photographs

9. Whatsoever other coloured medium

Notation: Due to drying times (and the issues with posting work abroad for cess) oil paints should be avoided within the CIE IGCSE Art examination.

Examples of IGCSE Fine art and Design coloured prep pieces work have been included below for your inspiration:

Artwork by Christine Lee from Macleans College, awarded Top Equal in NZ, Oct 2013:

In the first of her coloured prep pieces, Christine establishes the color scheme that is used throughout her portfolio: soft pinks of the icing, pale blue of the cupcake wrapper, deep reflective blackness of the table, the brown hand and cupcake batter. The inclusion of the photograph helps to remind examiners that the subject affair has been explored first-hand.

IGCSE Art and Design piece of work from Marti Art and Design School (left) and an IGCSE exam slice by Kale:

These two artworks contain conscientious positioning of grade and colour. The reds and oranges of the tomatoes and peppers are echoed in the backgrounds, linking and balancing different parts of the paradigm. The tabular array tiptop repeats colours used elsewhere in the composition (the imperial onion and cabbage in the work in the left; the grey knife and garlic jar on the right), helping to unify the composition. The spring onions in the left work are counterbalanced by the green vegetable in the reverse corner; gray items in the correct-hand work residue in a similar style. Information technology is worth noting that each of these images contain a variety of different shapes, textures and surfaces, creating an interesting and visually appealing artwork.

Part of an IGCSE Art and Design exam by Nefi Noufal:

The pastel cartoon (elevation) and coloured pencil cartoon (bottom) draw busy art studio scenes, containing well-selected objects such as a transparent glass bottle, paintbrush bristles and crunched pigment tubes, aslope visually interesting background items such as folded cloth. The works demonstrate a superb agreement of composition, with areas of interest and focal points created amongst a carefully balanced arrangement of grade and colour. Angular lines assistance to directly attending to certain parts of the artwork; busy and detailed areas residuum areas of empty space. There is too an intriguing interaction between the 'real' items and those that are 'drawings of drawings', resulting in an innovative and appealing submission.

Produce final prep sheets (A2 – side three and 4)

Recommended time-frame: 3 weeks

The maximum quantity of work that an IGCSE Art and Design pupil can consummate for the Paper i: Observational / Interpretative Assignment is four x A2 sides (two A2 sheets). While more does not equal better (quality is always more important than quantity), a sufficient volume of work is required to develop your ideas and show breadth of exploration to the examiner. Three sides of comprehensive piece of work can be a good target for many students, nonetheless ii sides of exceptional work (with many smaller pieces adhered to each canvas) can too be acceptable. Those who work at a larger scale, with more than gestural or abstruse work, may benefit from submitting the full four sheets. Some students may begin with a target of three or four, and and then edit this down for their terminal submission.

In the final sheets (or canvas) of prep work, your challenge is to take your all-time initial compositional ideas and develop these towards a successful concluding piece. By the time your prep work is consummate, yous must know exactly what you hope to produce in the exam and be confident that you can complete this in the given fourth dimension. Before first this part of your prep work, it tin help to enquire:

• Which mediums am I most skilled with? Which mediums can I apply quickly and confidently? This is an important consideration, equally y'all are likely to find information technology challenging to complete a great artwork within the 8 hour exam session (this commodity about how to work faster may give y'all some good strategies). The medium/due south you cull for your last work tin can be black and white or coloured – or a combination of both. At that place is no hierarchy of mediums: students are merely as capable of gaining an A* with an exceptional graphite pencil drawing as with an infrequent acrylic or mixed media painting. What matters is the quality of the work: your strength and skill with this medium and how convincingly you communicate ideas. If you lot are uncertain, or are torn between a few different mediums, continue to trial these subsequent works until you are certain – simply practise not leave this decision until the last minute. To be most useful, the concluding pieces of development work should be completed in the same medium that you intend to use within the exam, so that you have sufficient opportunity to do and refine your skill. As noted in the June 2013 examiner report:

Some candidates chose to use a media for the examination that they had niggling feel with instead of using the media that they had created their strongest work with whilst producing their supporting studies.

• Which of my compositional ideas are the all-time and so far? Expect advisedly at the work you lot accept completed. Of your initial ideas, which ones show the nearly promise? Which drawings / paintings are almost successful? Why? The examiners often brand comments that final works are non equally good as some of the prep pieces. Recall carefully about the objects and scenes that take drawn, and how these take been successfully combined together so far. Found what is working, and what tin can exist improved.

Understanding development

In one case y'all have decided which mediums and compositions hold the most hope, you need to produce new piece of work developing these ideas (refining, trialling, exploring and improving your compositions, technique/s and use of media) showing the visual journey towards an original final slice. Your final piece may be completely abstruse, surrealist, impressionist, realist or any other style or combination of styles, equally long as your project begins with start-hand ascertainment. 'Development' is a commonly misunderstood term (read more well-nigh what evolution means). In essence, your work must show a coherent journeying from an initial idea to the final piece – a journey that involves exploring and experimenting with mediums and techniques, refining approaches to composition and absorbing ideas from other artists, environments and cultures. These statements from the October 2013 Examiner Written report assist to explain this further:

A number of candidates did not understand the importance of ideas evolution choosing instead to present their supporting studies as a series of unrelated finished pieces which lacked a cohesive journeying.

In some cases it was a real pleasure to run across sheets of research where ane report had been linked to another across the whole sail, clearly showing the progress of an idea or technique.

The all-time mode to understand what develop means is to wait closely at how the work in the IGCSE Art Exam projects below changes between the outset and stop of the project. (Viewing the other featured Art projects on this website tin can also help, equally nearly show the aforementioned process of development).

In this final stage of your project, the number and quantity of works produced will vary considerably between students. At this stage y'all are likely to produce between ii-eight artworks developing ideas, primarily using your chosen medium, which may or may not be supported by photographs, composition sketches, media trials and (as described higher up) brief artist analysis. This very last segment of prep work should atomic number 82 naturally to the work you complete in the test. Annotation: Practice not endeavour to complete a whole 'do' version in advance, but program your final piece plenty so that you don't waste matter whatever examination time thinking about what to exercise. Your grooming work should allow yous to practise all the different components of the concluding work (perhaps not in exactly the aforementioned way, but enough that you are confident you tin can execute every aspect of it). Trial setting up the still life y'all will draw from and/or pre-print loftier-quality photographs to work from. You should exist able to walk into the examination, fix your equipment and still life if necessary and begin working immediately, without any 'thinking' about what you lot will do.

Final preparation

In the weeks leading up to the final exam, you need to:

• Decide what shape, format and kind of paper you will piece of work on. The maximum size that can be sent away for assessment to CIE is A2, but y'all are able to work smaller than this – in fact, for many students, something closer to A3 is much more manageable. As noted in the October 2013 Examiner Report:

The majority of candidates produced terminal pieces which filled an A2 sheet; consideration could be given as to whether this format was appropriate as many of the supporting studies were more successful in either a different format or scale. A2 is the maximum size, smaller paper is perfectly adequate.

• Fix a ground if needed. If you specialise in Painting and Related Media, you are permitted to prepare the basis (the undercoat) in advance, which may also include patterned or textured paper. An undercoat must non include whatsoever outlines or preliminary cartoon.
• Ensure all the equipment you demand to use is prepare and working – pencils sharpened / paint tubes full etc.
• Arrange, trim and attach your work to the preparatory sheets (some schools have students do this in a supervised workshop afterward exams – more than word about this approaches to mounting and displaying here).
  • Ensure that labels are correctly filled out with your Middle number, candidate number, proper name and question number and attached to the superlative right-manus front corner of each preparatory sail (your teacher is likely to aid you lot with this).
  • Ensure all smudgeable work is sprayed with fixative or something similar!
  • Organise the supporting piece of work so that it shows the inquiry, exploration of ideas, and experiments with media and materials, and shows the 'development journeying'. Every bit noted in the June 2013 examiner study, "candidates who simply pile the piece of work up without any consideration for presentation are doing themselves a disservice".

The final 8 hour IGCSE Fine art examination

These instructions are identical to those for CIE As Art and Pattern students and are a modification of our As Controlled Test Guidelines:

Bring your supporting piece of work to the exam! If you lot forget to bring it to your offset exam session, y'all volition not be allowed to submit it subsequently. This means information technology isvirtually impossible for you to laissez passer the examination.

Immediately earlier the exam is to start, fix your piece of work station . Approximately half an hour beforehand, yous should be let into the room to gear up your equipment, materials and still-life (if needed). You should prepare everything you need and should not have to share basic equipment with anyone else. Put your supporting sheets of work neatly beside y'all to refer to. Note: You are non allowed access to whatever books, magazines or artwork of other artists. Artwork may exist on the walls, but you must non access this, copy it or endeavour to submit it as your own.

One time the exam starts, yous may movement around the room as needed, to empty your water jar / get additional materials etc, although this should be minimised to reduce disturbance of others.

Tracing is rarely immune and but in specific situations, for instance, when incorporating a repeat pattern or motif that. It is not adequate for a Painting and Related Media student to bring an enlarged photograph to the exam and trace information technology.

Technical assistance is allowed if you demand it, such every bit assistance firing ceramics, welding metal sculptures or pouring out photographic chemicals, withal at no stage can you ask for any communication about your art or design piece of work. Painting and Related Media students are unlikely to need technical assistance in the exam.

All decision-making that occurs inside the examination session must be your own. Any conversation between y'all and the invigilator must be minimal and be restricted to that which is essential. Students must not communicate with each other. It is often preferable that it is not your Art teacher supervising, to prevent subconscious grimaces by the teacher when a poor colour pick is fabricated, for example! It can also put the students at ease to have a 'not artist' in the room – so they don't feel pressure from an art specialist watching and 'judging' their efforts as they work.

At the terminate of the examination, place the final examination piece on elevation of the supporting studies and fasten all your work together in the height left-manus corner.

Outstanding examples: CIE IGCSE Art & Design Paper 1

Christine Lee 98% – Macleans College,Tiptop Equal in New Zealand,2013:

Artist models provide inspiration for groundwork painting techniques and help inform the decision-making process as Christine moves from complex original black and white drawings of cupcakes and baking utensils towards dramatic, contrasting compositions depicting a cupcake and glass on a reflective table surface.

Nikau Hindin 95% – ACG Parnell College, 2007 (read more about Nikau's IGCSE Art test):

This IGCSE Fine art projection is realistic throughout. After completing artworks in a range of mediums, Nikau focuses on watercolour at the end of her second preparatory sheet, developing ideas towards her final slice.

Tingjian He (Jim) 100% – Height equal in the World, ACG Strathallan College, 2011 (read more about Tingjian's Art Test):

Tingjian's project begins with highly realistic work depicting a washing basket and iron and gradually becomes more expressive and gestural, incorporating several artistic mark-making techniques such equally scraping pigment across the paper-thin surface in order to abstruse the washing basket form. Although no notation is included, it is axiomatic that Tingjian's work has been influenced and inspired by the work of contemporary artists.

Julie Zhu 98% – Superlative equal in NZ, Macleans College, 2013:

This project stands out for the unexpected and original approach to the 'Spiral Structures' topic. Incorporating a typically cliche subject matter (roses) in an innovative and heady way, Julie's projection ends with a woodworking drill nestled upon a soft groundwork layer of roses. Her work is influenced by five artist models whose piece of work is annotated briefly at the bottom of the second preparatory sheet.

Tarika Sabherwal 100% – Top equal in the World, ACG Strathallan College, 2011 (read more almost Tarika's IGCSE Art exam):

Tarika's work shows a clear journey from strong observational work to abstruse pieces. The influence of contemporary artists is evident, without the need for note. It is worth noting that the pieces gradually go larger as the page progresses – an approach if often helpful for students.

Cess criteria

The IGCSE Controlled Test is worth fifty% of your final grade. It is externally assessed (meaning that it is marked entirely past CIE examiners). Virtually countries send test piece of work to Cambridge University to be marked; other counties, like New Zealand, accept the examiners travel to them.

The final exam piece of work and supporting sheets are assessed together and are given a single mark out of 100.

We accept listed the assessment criteria beneath. Underneath each of these we have added some questions to help yous encourage you to meet these criteria. These questions are provided equally informal guidance only and are not official questions provided by Cambridge University. Answering aye to these questions does not guarantee that you will gain an outstanding mark, however we promise that it points y'all in the right management!

AO1 Gathering, recording, research and investigation (20%)

(a) Investigate and research a variety of advisable sources

• Does your project including drawings and paintings of objects and scenes that include a variety of different shapes, sizes, details, patterns, textures and surface qualities?

• Have you investigated your subject matter in-depth, exploring things from different angles, different scales and arranged in dissimilar means?

• Have you chosen an appropriate collection of objects / scenes which are personally relevant, interesting / circuitous and point a perceptive response to a theme?

• Have you undertaken enquiry of relevant artists and is this reflected in your own work?

(b) Tape and analyse information from directly ascertainment and/or other sources and personal feel

• Is your project based upon things that you can see and impact in existent life?

• Have you produced high quality observational drawings and paintings, accurately representating shape, proportion, item, perspective, tone, infinite (through overlapping, inclusion of shadows, perspective etc)?

• Accept y'all used a range of appropriate mark-making techniques to replicate interesting surfaces and textures, such every bit shiny metallic, transparent materials and/or hair?

AO2 Exploration and evolution of ideas (20%)

(a) Explore a range of visual and/or other ideas by manipulating images

• Have y'all come up up with a range of different compositions throughout your projection, arranging your objects / scenes in dissimilar ways?
• Have you thought about how images are cropped?
• Take you chosen colours thoughtfully?
• Accept you lot used composition every bit a tool to test, explore and communicate ideas related to your topic?

(b) Show a evolution of ideas through advisable processes

• Is your projection cohesive (visually connected) and based upon one topic?
• Have you lot arranged your work in an organised manner so that it shows the journey of how you got from start to stop? Is it clear how y'all arrived at your terminal slice, and how this relates to before work?
• Does your work morph and change, with your compositions becoming more resolved / refined towards the conclusion of your projection?

AO3 Organisation and relationships of visual and/or other forms (20 marks)

(a) Organise and use visual and/or other forms effectively to express ideas

• Does your artwork convey emotion or communicate something nigh the earth?
• Have you lot chosen colours / shapes / lines / textures / forms etc intentionally, with thought nearly how these bear upon the mood and message or your work?
• Are your compositions imaginative and artistic, expressing ideas in an original and personal mode?

(b) Make informed aesthetic judgements by recognising the effect of relationships betwixt visual and/or other forms

• Are the shapes, lines, textures, spaces, colours, tone and other visual elements in your work positioned and used in such a fashion that the work appears well-balanced and pleasing to the eye?
• Have yous selected appropriate mediums?

AO4 Choice and control of materials, media and processes (20 marks)

(a) Testify exploration and experimentation with appropriate materials

• Have you conducted a wide range of appropriate exploration and experimentation with materials? For instance, h ave you used mediums in creative ways, painted on unlike materials, used lots of dissimilar mediums, and mixed these in different means?
• Are the mediums you have chosen appropriate for your topic?

(b) Select and control appropriate media and processes, demonstrating practical, technical and expressive skills and intentions

• Have you demonstrated an ability to control mediums well, with excellent fine motor skills, in a range of different mediums? For example, can you use the techniques y'all have chosen skilfully? Tin yous:
  • Replicate fine particular if required?
  • Create sharp, tidy edges if needed?
  • Blend tone smoothly or with control?
  • Dash, splash and spray paint etc, if required, in beautiful and purposeful ways?
• Accept you selected mediums and techniques that showcase your strengths and nowadays your ability in the best light?

AO5 Personal vision and presentation (xx marks)

(a) Evidence personal vision and commitment through an interpretative and creative response

• Is your piece of work personal and creative?
• Is your project all-encompassing, comprehensive and thorough – suggesting that you are a committed, defended student with personal vision?
• Have y'all taken fourth dimension and care with your work?

(b) Nowadays an informed response through personal evaluation, reflection and critical thinking

• Has your work been informed / influenced by relevant artists and/or creative practitioners?
• Did you continually evaluate your own work in order to work out how to go along (and is this obvious from your practical work)? In other words, is each new piece the result of critical analysis of the piece of work that has come before?

Please remember that this commodity does not reverberate changes to the 2015 curriculum – it will be updated shortly.

If y'all have found this helpful, delight share using the social media buttons below!

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for 7 years, responsible for the grade design and cess of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Available of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Form Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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Source: https://www.studentartguide.com/articles/cie-igcse-art-paper-1-exam