How to start your preparation work for Art and Design IGCSE 0400 Paper 1?

Hello, everybody!

Based on my experience in guiding my students for Art and Design IGCSE 0400, I am going to share with you the steps for your preparation work to the final piece (the 8hours controlled test).

( You can read 'About me' at the side of my blog if you wonder who am I! :) 

SO HERE WE GO! HOW I GUIDE MY STUDENTS

The guidelines are for Paper 1: Broad-Based Assignment

I am going to use my student's mock exam work that meet the A* requirement in IGCSE (I think so-based on my analysis). Her name is Reanne Koh, and she's a skilful art student indeed. You can follow her Instagram at reannekoh 

Based on the question given, Reanne wanna do the question number 6 which is 'Old rope and a weathered piece of wood'.

As I discussed with Reanne, I did a lot of brainstorms with her. How she wants to choose the rope, set up the rope and how she'll gathered the wood to ensure it looks like a weathered piece of wood. 

Remember (!) You have to choose the question you can VENTURE with you skills, techniques and with the subject matter, you can experiment and do a lot of exploration throughout your progress. 

According to Reanne, she bought her subject matters from the hardware store nearby her house.

These are the pictures, complication of research pictures Reanne did, and she shared all the research pictures with me through discussion at school and also send me some of them through the 'wassap' (phone) for further clarification. 

Remember (!) First Hand Studies is very IMPORTANT in Art & Design IGCSE. Below are Reannes' research pictures she set up at home and tried out different angles and views for variety and experiment purposes. 

Remember (!) Students can choose any question as long as you know that the question will benefit their progress and match their skills in art. The most important is, you have to guide your students to get their subject matter(s) and snap the pictures (can do it in school or at home). From the complication of the photos, keep on discuss with them what photo shows the best angles, lighting, composition and so on so forth. Always encourage the students to do reflection and decide what's best to use for the preparation work. 

Here is the preparation work of Reanne from prep piece number 1 to piece number 4. I will write the process and the feedback for each of them. 

(click the picture for a better view)

For preparation number 1, I always encourage my students to write in brief why they choose the question, why they choose what they choose. Also, I will ask them to find one reference artist, preferably from local artist, however, they can choose any artist (or artist's work) to refer to. The reason behind the selected artist (and the work) have to state in brief. Why they choose what they choose. They may say they like the technique; they want to try out the new technique, the technique looks similar to their subject matter. Any reason that links to their question or subject matter or the direction in work.  

The students can experiment and explore any media at Prep #1. The media can be from dry media, wet media or mixed media. From time to time, I will show a demonstration of mixed media, concentrating on the surface experiment. For Reanne, she did a lot of mixed media as early as in prep #1, which is fine. 

(click the picture for a better view)

As you see here, Reanne didn't put all her studies in a box. I don't encourage that. I want them to think how to re-arrange the layout. Make it interesting and presentable. The students should explore more on composition, proportion and look at the progress as overall. She recorded (annotate) her progress well for each process, experiments and exploration. For the prep #2, she still continues with a mixed media style (fine art style) but scopes in depth at the black and white studies. That's a brilliant choice of studies if you ask me!

(click the picture for a better view)

For the prep #3, Reanne tried to do a small 'close up' on the texture, as well as using the black surface to see the outcome with dried media on it. She also tried to experiment with the lighting at the ropes, focusing on the ropes studies with some mixture of light lines (see right on the top outcome). A lot of details and experiment happens in this prep. For each prep, I will give my feedback which area/part need improvement in techniques and placing. 

(click the picture for a better view)

You could see the separation of surface studies above by Reanne and below two with intensive details of the ropes and the wood at the back. A lot of media manipulations and studies. You can see the detail and the texture. I think, by exploring in depth with media, you can gain marks in idea development and specifically under techniques development. 

(click the picture for a better view)

FINAL PIECE

That was Reanne's final piece. She took 8 hours (4 hours in day 1 and another 4 hours in day 2) to complete the work. It was a fantastic piece. The size was A2 size on watercolour paper. She used watercolour papers for prep work as well. I gave her A* for her mock exam. The mark gave based on my analysis of the previous results. 

Additional tips:

Do feedback to your students work

Do observe your students work

Do demonstration on a new technique. Avoid showing a lot of YouTube tutorial

Involves your students during demonstration

Continue to listen to their idea and keep on discuss with them where to improve

Enjoy guiding them, and mostly, YOU WORK WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY. BASED ON THEIR SKILLS because YOU CAN'T GENERALIZE YOUR EXPECTATION AS A WHOLE. EACH OF THEM ARE DIFFERENT IN THEIR WAYS. 

Do let me know if this sharing helps in any way.

Thank you! :D