Unit One – Studio Inspiration and Techniques
In this unit students focus on developing an individual understanding of the stages of studio practice and learn how to explore, develop, refine, resolve and present artworks. Students explore sources of inspiration, research artistic influences, develop individual ideas and explore a range of materials and techniques related to specific art forms.
Students document their evidence in a visual diary and progressively refine their skills to communicate ideas in artworks.
Students also research and analyse the ways in which artists from different times and cultures have developed their studio practice to interpret and express ideas, source inspiration and apply materials and techniques in artworks.
Unit Two – Studio Exploration and Concepts
In this unit students focus on establishing and using a studio practice to produce artworks. The studio practice includes the formulation and use of an individual approach to documenting sources of inspiration, and experimentation with selected materials and techniques relevant to specific art forms. Students explore and develop ideas and subject matter, create aesthetic qualities and record the development of the work in a visual diary as part of the studio process.
Unit Three – Studio Practices and Processes
In this unit students focus on the implementation of an individual studio process leading to the production of a range of potential directions. Students develop and use an exploration proposal to define an area of creative exploration. They plan and apply a studio process to explore and develop their individual ideas. Analysis of these explorations and the development of the potential directions is an intrinsic part of the studio process to support the making of finished artworks in Unit 4.
Students investigate and analyse the response of artists to a wide range of source material and examine their use of materials and techniques. They explore professional art practices of artists from different historical and cultural contexts in relation to particular artworks and art forms.
Unit Four – Studio Practices and Art Industry Contexts
In this unit students focus on the planning, production and evaluation required to develop, refine and present artworks that link cohesively according to the ideas resolved in Unit 3. To support the creation of artworks, students present visual and written evaluation that explains why they selected a range of potential directions.
This unit also investigates aspects of artists’ involvement in the art industry, focusing on a least two different exhibitions, that the student has visited in the current year of study with reference to specific artworks in those exhibitions.