Drawing and Painting
Section: The Elements of Drawing and Painting
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Line: fundamental to drawing; links our ideas, thoughts, and observations.
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Shape: created when a line encloses an area; crucial to the organisation of a drawing.
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Form: a 3D object or the representation of 3D object on a two-dimensional surface.
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Colour: can create mood, evoke emotions, depict light and space. Understanding colour theory — primary, secondary, complementary, analogous, and tertiary colours — is essential.
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Texture: can make a two-dimensional drawing feel like it has three dimensions.
Section: Techniques of Drawing
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Observational Drawing: based on real-life observation, fostering critical thinking and awareness.
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Perspective Drawing: used to represent three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface.
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Conceptual Drawing: expresses the ideas and emotions of the artist, rather than physical reality.
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Contour Drawing: involves building up the image using only lines, enables an artist to focus on the mass and volume of the subject, rather than its detail.
Section: Painting Styles and Techniques
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Impasto: thickly applying paint to canvas creating texture; typically with a palette knife or brush.
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Glazing: applying thin layers of transparent paint, allowing colours underneath to shine through.
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Graining: a faux finish imitating wood grain; useful for understanding texture and depth in painting.
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Sgraffito: scratching into wet paint to reveal lower layers; a technique for creating texture and detail.
Section: Major Art Movements and Influences
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Renaissance: marked by an emphasis on humanism, science, exploration and a renewed focus on representation of the natural world.
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Impressionism: captures the fleeting effects of nature, centred on capturing light and colour.
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Expressionism: prioritises the artist's inner feelings or ideas over replication of external visual reality.
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Cubism: abandons perspective and instead presents objects from multiple viewpoints at once.
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Pop Art: derived from popular and commercial culture such as advertising, comic books, and everyday objects.
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Abstract Expressionism: abstract art intended to evoke emotion through colour, shape and mark making.
Section: Analysing Artworks
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Contextual Analysis: Understanding the culture, history, and personal background that inform a work of art.
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Visual Analysis: Determining what formal elements (line, shape, colour, space, etc.) the artist used and how.
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Interpretive Analysis: Identifying the artist's intentions and the work's significance or impact.
Section: Presenting and Evaluating Your Own Work
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Critique and Revision: Engage in a process of critique and revision to refine your work; learn to accept and use constructive criticism.
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Contextualising Your Work: Understand how your work fits in the broader context of art history and contemporary art practice.
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Presentation and Exhibition: Learn how to professionally display your work; consider the impact of presentation choices on how your work is received.
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Reflection and Evaluation: Reflect on your learning and creative process; evaluate the success of your final work in relation to your initial objectives.