Tips for Art GCSE

(from a student who's gotten through it!)

 

 

At the beginning of Y10, you will hear a lot of 'keep organised, be timely with your coursework and don't try and complete pieces last minute' DO NOT DISMISS THIS ADVICE! You will be a happier and healthier student if you plan your time related to art, as this will result in you meeting deadlines, not sacrificing grades in other subjects, and also maintaining yours and your teachers' sanity. Your work will also be completed to a higher standard.

 

Some more of the most important points to keep in mind: 

 

• Be clear on your task. If you're unsure of exactly what is expected of you, ask for help. Check with a friend in your class, or simply go straight to the teacher. They are there to make sure you are successful and enjoy the course, so clarifying what you need to do, run it by them. 

 

• Always keep track of/know where your sketchbooks are. Once you are well into the course and your work is building up, nothing is more terrifying than all the work being lost. I have had to watch girls lose books on the bus, leave them on the tube, and for me personally, have them taken from within school. If the latter situation occurs, it is obviously not your fault. But do try to know where your work is all the time so there are no heart racing panics right before a deadline is due.

 

• Know your teacher's email addresses. Very handy if you're not in school and have some questions about work. (but just to make it easier for you, they're on the Staff page of this website)

 

• Be neat, but don't waste time. HBS girls have a tendency to apply perfectionist attitudes towards their work. Whilst being clear and neat is great for your book, don't spend unnecessary amounts of time on this. For example, trust your handwriting. You don't always need to write in pencil, then over with pen, then rubbing the pencil out. 

 

• Know where it is & how to use the guillotine. For keeping the images stuck in your book tidy, don't use scissors. Always use the guillotine. 

 

• The work is what matters. Presentation is important. But don't go over the top. If your pages are busy with excessive decoration, titles that took longer than some of your pieces, then you're probably wasting valuable time and also distracting from what is actually being marked. Be simple and let the work speak for itself.

 

• Annotate. Always let the teacher and the examiner know how you made the piece, how you felt it went, who inspired you, etc. Anything that you feel is relevant and you should let the marker know. 

 

• Constantly seek inspiration. Don't stress out if you can't come up with an idea alone. Always look to your peers, professionals and well known figures within the art world.