2nd Year A Level - Personal Study

Sample Personal Study page.

As part of your A2 Coursework Unit you are required to complete a 3000 word extended Essay exploring an area of Art and Design that is clearly related to the practical work you have completed this term (this could be either the Portraiture or the set of work you complete between now and the end of January) .

This piece needs:

• Plenty of good Illustrations (Good quality colour prints outs of works by relevant Artists).
• Word processing to ensure legibility and so you can save and edit.
• An Introduction that outlines what theme/Artists you are investigating and how they relate to your work (it may make sense to write this once you are well underway with your research).
• Quotations from recognised sources (online or printed).
• Written content that demonstrates you have identified and understood the Artist’s intentions and the historical context in which the work was made.
• Detailed analysis of specific Artworks.
• Some visual responses to Artist’s work should be produced, but these should be included in your practical sketchbook.
• A conclusion that summarises what you have learnt from your research and how it has impacted on your own work.
• A Bibliography of all your sources, this MUST include books as well as online resources. Get into the habit of noting down your sources as you access them.
• Care taken over spelling and grammar.
• Effective presentation and binding.

By Wednesday 8^th November: Decide on a working title and complete the slip distributed in class with a title (often this is best in the form of a question) and some initial research sources (we will do a round of 1:1s after next week to gather this information).

Between now and Christmas you should be working on this piece alongside your developing your second practical set of work. Please ask staff for guidance when you need it, we are happy to read draft sections and help ensure you are on the right track.

Drew has been running some Art History sessions that will encourage you to think and talk about Art in a more informed way, which should consequently benefit your personal study.

Straight after Christmas we will expect to see a draft version of your Personal Study.

Final Draft will need to be submitted with all Coursework in early February.

Some general guidelines:

RESEARCH

Read about the Artist’s whose work you are including. When does it date from? Find out what influences the Artist was responding to (e.g. other Artists/Art movements, historical events, social commentary, classical or religious themes, events in the Artist’s personal life etc.).

ANALYSIS

Make meaningful personal commentary on use of colour, tone/contrast, composition, technique /brushwork, scale, mood/atmosphere etc. Explain what is happening in the images you research and attempt to identify how individual Artworks relate to the Artist’s ideas and intentions.

OPINION

Give an opinion on the Artworks, but ensure you justify what you say. Avoid simple value judgements (‘I really like/dislike…’) or vague, meaningless statements (’This piece is really effective’). Comment upon how successful or unsuccessful you find each artwork, and give specific reasons why you hold this opinion.

RELEVANCE

What is the relationship between this work and your own? Identify and explain connections between each Artist’s work and your own. How does looking at this Artist’s work help inform or develop your own studio practice?