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Known for her perplexing compositions of domestic interiors, Cinta Vidal continues to mesmerize with a new body of paintings at Thinkspace Projects. The artist's solo show, Inward, continues her exploration of what she describes as "un-gravity constructions," in which space and time appear folded or warped.

In Vidal's dizzying compositions, people occupy different areas of invented apartments and homes. Perhaps each tableau represents a different period of time; perhaps they are parallel universes. "For Vidal, depicting macro and micro levels of inverted apartment buildings and city structures illustrates the various ways the world is experienced by a mass population," the gallery says.

"The word 'inward' speaks to both layers of interiority: the shared indoor spaces we inhabit and the private, inward-facing state we enter when we disconnect from what surrounds us," Vidal says. A sofa, for example, can be a place of togetherness or quiet retreat. "These scenes reflect that subtle coexistence: being together, yet each within their own space," she adds.

Inward continues through November 29 in Los Angeles. And as a complement to the exhibition, Vidal painted a new mural on the side of a local frame shop called Sherman Gallery in Marina del Rey. See more on the artist's website and Instagram.

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In 'Inward,' Cinta Vidal Folds Time and Space in Perspective-Bending Paintings

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The show at Thinkspace Projects continues Vidal's exploration of what she describes as "un-gravity constructions."

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Little Artists | Art Education Projects on Instagram: "Make a torn paper garden with us this weekend 🌱🌼🍃🌸🌿 great for pair or group work, our video tutorial for this lovely project will be going live in our online classroom this weekend 🙌🏻✨ if you’re interested in getting involved in our projects, follow the link in our bio to sign up and start making with us today 🌈🧑🏼‍🎨🌱 #arteducationmatters #thelittleartistsroom"

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10K likes, 75 comments - thelittleartistsroom on May 8, 2025: "Make a torn paper garden with us this weekend 🌱🌼🍃🌸🌿 great for pair or group work, our video tutorial for this lovely project will be going live in our online classroom this weekend 🙌🏻✨ if you’re interested in getting involved in our projects, follow the link in our bio to sign up and start making with us today 🌈🧑🏼‍🎨🌱 #arteducationmatters #thelittleartistsroom". 

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‎💫دلسا.نقاش کوچولو💫‎ on Instagram‎: "@delsa.littlepainter
@delsa.littlepainter
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#نقاشی #هنر #آموزش_نقاشی #اکریلیک #شیشه #طراحی #هنرمند #هنردوستان #یادگیری_نقاشی #خلاقیت
#painting #art #acrylicpainting #artoftheday #artistsoninstagram #artvideo #draw #arttutorial #paintingprocess #creative
#آموزش_هنر #هنرهای_تجسمی #ویدیو_آموزشی #هنرآموزی #نقاشی_اکریلیک #ویدیو_نقاشی #یادگیری_هنر #اثرهنری #تمرین_نقاشی #الهام"‎

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delsa.littlepainter on September 8, 2025‎: "@delsa.littlepainter
@delsa.littlepainter
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#نقاشی #هنر #آموزش_نقاشی #اکریلیک #شیشه #طراحی #هنرمند #هنردوستان #یادگیری_نقاشی #خلاقیت
#painting #art #acrylicpainting #artoftheday #artistsoninstagram #artvideo #draw #arttutorial #paintingprocess #creative
#آموزش_هنر #هنرهای_تجسمی #ویدیو_آموزشی #هنرآموزی #نقاشی_اکریلیک #ویدیو_نقاشی #یادگیری_هنر #اثرهنری #تمرین_نقاشی #الهام". ‎

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A post shared by 💫دلسا.نقاش کوچولو💫 (@delsa.littlepainter)

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Strokes of style on Instagram: "Art by @filadorapainter “Anyone who says you can’t see a thought simply doesn’t know art.”.😌 #fyp #followme #artwork🎨 #painting #art #foryoupage #foryou"

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522 likes, 6 comments - queendex2025 on July 26, 2025: "Art by @filadorapainter “Anyone who says you can’t see a thought simply doesn’t know art.”.😌 #fyp #followme #artwork🎨 #painting #art #foryoupage #foryou". 

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Art Teacher Kim on Instagram: "Grid illusion! #Artclass #illusion #teacher #artteacher #art"

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35K likes, 185 comments - art_at_stjoes on September 17, 2025: "Grid illusion! #Artclass #illusion #teacher #artteacher #art". 

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A post shared by Art Teacher Kim (@art_at_stjoes)

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Rosso Emerald Crimson on Instagram: "Here’s PART III of this long process! This is painted in mixed media including acrylic, spray paint, oil, sticks and pastels, charcoal , and counting… 
The process is taking longer than I thought because I’m having fun adding up and removing and literally “playing and painting” as I feel, in the moment

Save & share for the final part… 🙏🏻
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#paintingprocess #mixedmedia"

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1,293 likes, 44 comments - rossoartist on September 30, 2025: "Here’s PART III of this long process! This is painted in mixed media including acrylic, spray paint, oil, sticks and pastels, charcoal , and counting… 
The process is taking longer than I thought because I’m having fun adding up and removing and literally “playing and painting” as I feel, in the moment

Save & share for the final part… 🙏🏻
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#paintingprocess #mixedmedia". 

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Chris Fornataro (Paint Coach) on Instagram: "I used to look at portrait painters who could finish a study in an hour and think it was impossible. But once I learned what was important and what was not, everything changed.
It is not about painting every wrinkle or perfecting a nostril. It is about the big things: the form of the head, how the light is hitting it, how the planes of the face turn, and the basic structure of the features. When you understand those, you stop wasting time on the wrong details and start anticipating what matters.
The biggest leaps I made came from studying the fundamentals—drawing, values, color, and master copies. That is what gave me the speed and confidence I once thought I could never have. This tutorial and hundreds of others are available on Paint Coach Studio. Comment STUDIO and I will DM you a link to sign up. 
#portraitpainting #oilpaintingforbeginners #paintingforbeginners #learntopaint #oilpaintingart #portraitartist #paintingpractice #oilpaintingtechniques #artlessons #arteducation #paintcoach"

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7,874 likes, 106 comments - forza43 on August 28, 2025: "I used to look at portrait painters who could finish a study in an hour and think it was impossible. But once I learned what was important and what was not, everything changed.
It is not about painting every wrinkle or perfecting a nostril. It is about the big things: the form of the head, how the light is hitting it, how the planes of the face turn, and the basic structure of the features. When you understand those, you stop wasting time on the wrong details and start anticipating what matters.
The biggest leaps I made came from studying the fundamentals—drawing, values, color, and master copies. That is what gave me the speed and confidence I once thought I could never have. This tutorial and hundreds of others are available on Paint Coach Studio. Comment STUDIO and I will DM you a link to sign up. 
#portraitpainting #oilpaintingforbeginners #paintingforbeginners #learntopaint #oilpaintingart #portraitartist #paintingpractice #oilpaintingtechniques #artlessons #arteducation #paintcoach". 

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Hillary Green | Teacher of Colorful Art & Classroom Fun on Instagram: "If you are looking for a COLORFUL and FREE art lesson, look no further!!! 

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

We were inspired by Australian artist @shereesmith_art to make these absolutely beautiful masterpieces!!! 

Save & Share! If you give this lesson a try, be sure to tag me and Sheree so we can share in the joy that your students create 💗💗

#artartbaby #rainbow #rainbowart #rainbowweek #kidsart #roygbiv #elementaryart #artteacher #paint #teachersfollowteachers #artteachersofinstagram #iteachart #kidsartwork #abstractart #classroomart #artlesson #classroom #student #tutorial  #iteach #school  #teachersofinstagram #iteach #teacher #teach #color #art #arted #abstract #artist #artteacher #reel"

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3,157 likes, 94 comments - mrsgreenartartbaby on September 25, 2025: "If you are looking for a COLORFUL and FREE art lesson, look no further!!! 

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

We were inspired by Australian artist @shereesmith_art to make these absolutely beautiful masterpieces!!! 

Save & Share! If you give this lesson a try, be sure to tag me and Sheree so we can share in the joy that your students create 💗💗

#artartbaby #rainbow #rainbowart #rainbowweek #kidsart #roygbiv #elementaryart #artteacher #paint #teachersfollowteachers #artteachersofinstagram #iteachart #kidsartwork #abstractart #classroomart #artlesson #classroom #student #tutorial  #iteach #school  #teachersofinstagram #iteach #teacher #teach #color #art #arted #abstract #artist #artteacher #reel". 

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Julia Stankevych Art 🇺🇦 on Instagram: "Are there any Simpsons fans here?
So funny to paint🍩
Pink donut on a newspaper. 

Oil on a newspaper (on a stretched canvas)
8x8” (20x20 cm)"

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5,834 likes, 102 comments - juli.stankevych on August 14, 2025: "Are there any Simpsons fans here?
So funny to paint🍩
Pink donut on a newspaper. 

Oil on a newspaper (on a stretched canvas)
8x8” (20x20 cm)". 

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Meticulous Illustrations Document the Flora and Fauna Observed throughout the Devon Countryside

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Behind Jo Brown’s home in Devon is a rich countryside complete with a wooded area and thick vegetation. For years, the United Kingdom-based illustrator documented the wildlife and plant species she encountered in her Nature Journal, a black Moleskine that now has been reproduced exactly in a forthcoming book, Secrets of a Devon Wood. EachContinue reading “Meticulous Illustrations Document the Flora and Fauna Observed throughout the Devon Countryside”

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In Ethereal Paintings, Calida Rawles Plunges into the Dark Depths of Water

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“What is the artist’s role in moments of crisis?” asks Calida Rawles in reference to a new body of work on view in London.

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Tenderness and Empathy Prevail in Bisa Butler’s Nostalgic and Vibrant Quilts

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Bisa Butler’s new quilted works in ‘Hold Me Close’ at Jeffrey Deitch highlights the need for connection and love.

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Artwork by Fiona Morley - Sculpture, Works on Canvas, Drawings and Small Works by Fiona Morley

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Circle Line Art School: How to Draw a Pencil with a Single Spiral Drawing

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Simple printmaking development. ADD FUEL artist.

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Simple printmaking development. ADD FUEL artist.

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This is one of my favourite printing projects to teach because it’s really difficult for students to get it wrong! The aims of this KS3 Printmaking Pattern Project are for students to underst…

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Brandi Hofer on Instagram: "Say ART ⬇️ to get our free Mediums Guide 
🌈Fun for kids or on your own! Are you going to try this!? 
We loving mixing mediums, learn the medium 😳not to use in our free guide. Find more info in our bio or highlights. 
 We have empowered millions with this method and we cannot wait to see what you create! 🌸 

This is a custom order we are working on! If you have any questions we are happy to chat anytime! ♥️

#artclasses #artclassesforkids #artclassesforadults"

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29K likes, 3,611 comments - brandihoferstudios on October 9, 2024: "Say ART ⬇️ to get our free Mediums Guide 
🌈Fun for kids or on your own! Are you going to try this!? 
We loving mixing mediums, learn the medium 😳not to use in our free guide. Find more info in our bio or highlights. 
 We have empowered millions with this method and we cannot wait to see what you create! 🌸 

This is a custom order we are working on! If you have any questions we are happy to chat anytime! ♥️

#artclasses #artclassesforkids #artclassesforadults". 

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Art Themes to explore in your IGCSE Art Coursework. 

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Art Themes to explore in your IGCSE Art Coursework. 

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If you are looking for art themes to explore in GCSE or iGCSE lessons, the huge list below is a great starting point. Thank you to art teacher Annie Chapman who started this list and to other teachers for making suggestions which I've added. Some words link to art teaching resources on this website.

Aboriginal and native art

Abandoned places

Advertising/Consumption and consumerism, Rich world vs Poor world

Ageing, old and new, decay and change

Animals

Art & Words

Beauty.The beauty myth, Self-image

Beautiful vs Ugly

Bullying

Book illustration and text

Casting Shadows

Colour and mood

Camouflage

Cubism

Carnival and Celebration

Culture Patterns, objects, traditions: eg: Africa, Asia. Japan

Collections

Contrasts

Dance

Decay
Distortion
Dream/Surrealism

Design eg. clothes/shoes/campaign poster

Depression/Fragility

Equality

Emotions

Fear and Nightmares Environment

Faces and features

From natural to abstraction

Fantasy

Fragile things

Family

Flowers and plants

Game Design

Graffiti/murals/Protest messages

Heroes

Identity

Inside out
Insects/butterflies in nature
In The News

Impressionism /light in painting

Illustrate a story
Landscapes
Landscapes of the mind, loneliness, loss

Light/dark

Masks

Magnification and macro

Memory

Music

Mirrors/reflection

Money /inequality

Metamorphosis/change

Money

Myths and Legends/Magic
Natural Forms
New/old

Opposites

Out of Place

Ordinary vs extraordinary

Paradise

Pattern eg. patterns in nature/repeat patterns/rotational patterns

Planets/Save the planet/Space

Pop Art and Comics

People

Rich world-vs-poor world
Reflections Realism/Surrealism
Refugees/War

Seasons

Stories and storytelling

Symbolism

Seven Deadly Sins

Self-portrait

Self-image

Secrets/a secret place

Time and Space

Time-lapse/freeze frame/movement

Transformation

Tropical vegetation/Jungles

Trash and/or treasure

Through a Window

Ugly/beautiful

Under water
Vegetables and Fruit
Washed-up, things found on a beach

World within a world

Women in Art

Zoom-in/Close-up

Zodiac

This website is for art teachers. I'm pleased that art students also enjoy it, but I am not able to respond to individual students who want help with ideas for their GCSE projects.

Please comment below if you have more art themes to explore in GCSE & iGCSE lessons and I will add them.

There is also a fantastic list of artists listed by theme on The Arty Teacher. Click the link below to find out more.

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Art Themes to Explore in GCSE & iGCSE - The Arty Teacher

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If you are looking for art themes to explore in GCSE or iGCSE, the huge list below is a great starting point. From Aboriginal art to signs of the zodiac!

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A really useful website for us. Great advice and suggestions along with good examples.

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Last Updated on February 8, 2017

This article aims to demystify Paper 1: Observational / Interpretative Assignment (0400/01), CIE IGCSE Art and Design. It outlines a clear process that Painting and Related Media students may use to create their preparatory work and final exam piece. This article has been written in response to the large number of questions the Student Art Guide has received and aims to assist teachers and schools who are new to CIE or who have received disappointing results in the past. It should be noted that this process is not an official recommendation from Cambridge, nor is it claimed to be the best or only way of approaching this paper (luckily, there are many, many ways of producing an excellent IGCSE portfolio): nonetheless, it is based on a strategy that has worked well for my own students and those of my colleagues, and is provided in the hope that it makes things easier for others.

NOTE: This article has not been updated to reflect changes in the 2015 curriculum. A new version of this article will be written later in the year, with more detail, in response to the changes to the 2015 CIE 0400 syllabus. The long term goal is that teachers of CIE IGCSE Art and Design can work together via the Student Art Guide to share ideas and approaches, culminating in the 'ultimate' set of recommendations - best practises - for completing the IGCSE Controlled Test / Exam.

An Overview: Paper 1

Paper 1 is described in the CIE 0400 2014 IGCSE Art and Design syllabus as:

An externally set, eight-hour assignment marked by Cambridge. The examination allows candidates to respond in either an observational or interpretative manner or a combination of both.

Students are required to submit:

1 x final artwork - a two or three-dimensional artwork, maximum weight 4.5kgs and maximum dimension in any direction of 750mm, completed within the 8 hour Art Exam. Painting and Related Media students are encouraged to submit a final work that is a maximum size of A2 (larger works must be photographed, prior to sending away for assessment).

A maximum of 2 x A2 sheets (4 sides) of preparatory work. This is a body of work illustrating a visual response to one examination question, using any appropriate colours, tones, mediums, processes or techniques. The preparatory work is completed in the eight weeks before the examination and must include direct observation from primary sources, research, analysis and development of ideas.

Our recommendations for approaching the 8 week preparatory period are as follows:

Select your topic
Recommended time-frame: 1 - 3 days
As a class, brainstorm topic ideas based on the set starting points that are given within the examination paper. Use our article about how to select a good Art project idea and look at artist works (see our Pinterest Boards) for inspiration.

Examiner Reports also provide great examples of how past students have interpreted topics. This is how examiners described responses to the topic 'before daybreak' (June 2013):

This question probably provided the most imaginative responses as well as the most cliched. The obvious, in this instance sunrise, was frequently the subject of very weak submissions. However, the very best candidates attempted more interesting interpretations including morning rituals such as Morning Prayer, brushing teeth, waking to alarm clocks and some interesting abstractions using media such as batik. Several other candidates sought inspiration in an urban setting; street scenes for instance. By far the best submissions were those who had actually photographed the event themselves and then made paintings entirely from their own images.

The following recommendations may also assist:

1. Brainstorm ideas quickly. Students often take far too long on this process (this is a common mistake made by high school Art students). While it is important to have quality first-hand imagery to work from, you need to use as many of the 8 weeks as possible to complete your preparatory work.

2. Select a topic that your Coursework has prepared you for. For example, if you have drawn still-life within your Coursework project, it can be beneficial to select an exam topic that allows you to extend upon these skills. While you are free to select any question from the exam paper that you wish, selecting an unfamiliar topic can be akin to writing an essay on Othello, when you have studied Macbeth. Some exceptional students are more than capable of answering any exam topic, but in general, you are best answering a question that you are prepared for. This does not mean you choose something which is exactly the same as your Coursework project (this would stifle and bore you), but rather that you should select something that builds upon your prior learning.

3. Select a topic which allows you to work from first-hand observation in the classroom. This is not always possible - particularly for landscape or figure topics - but there are certain advantages to being able to set up and arrange items within the classroom itself. (Teachers can also bring in a collection of objects to supplement those collected by the students - or used entirely by disorganised students - however entire classes should not be forced to draw from the same still-life). If you wish to work from a scene or subject that cannot be brought into the classroom, it is essential that you demonstrate very early on that you are able to take many high quality original photographs and can easily return to the scene if more are needed. Drawing from second-hand images taken by others - or drawing solely from your imagination - should be avoided at almost all costs. Examiners frequently comment that low grade work is characterized by a " reliance on copying from secondary sources such as the Internet or magazine photographs" (June 2013 Examiner Report), with the strongest work, on the other hand, " always supported by excellent supporting studies with an emphasis on thorough investigation from primary sources". Examiners go on to say that:

All questions are carefully selected to enable candidates to research from direct observation, but those who do not show any evidence limit their access to the higher marks ranges particularly in Assessment Objective 1 (AO1) and AO5.

Similarly, the October 2013 examiner report notes that often:

...lower level submissions worked purely from these images printed off the Internet and copied them without developing any ideas of their own. Some even worked only from imagination and demonstrated no recording from observation or second sources.

The examination paper itself makes this very clear:

Record and develop your ideas from direct observation and experience in order to meet all Assessment Objectives.

4. Ensure your subject matter is complex, interesting and varied. For example, three oranges is unlikely to provide sufficient variety to sustain an entire examination submission. Similarly, patterns on a flat surface (a brick wall, a sunrise, silhouetted forms or a cloudy sky, for example) do not offer you adequate opportunity to depict complex three-dimensional form. Look for a topic that is visually interesting and contains a variety of shapes, textures, details and forms. This is one of the requirements outlined in our guide to selecting a good Art topic.

Take beautiful photographs
Recommended time-frame: 1-2 days
Find and gather all of the objects, scenes and background materials that you are contemplating including within your project, and take beautiful photographs of these using a high quality camera. Treat these as artworks in themselves. Take close-up details, as well as single objects and whole arranged scenes. Do not worry about your final piece at this point, simply observe and record your subject matter, noticing the shapes, proportions, textures and forms. Select items carefully, so that your work is imaginative and personal.

Once completed, have your teacher approve the photographs (and your topic) and offer advice.

The 2014 0400 IGCSE Art and Design syllabus states:

Candidates may seek initial guidance regarding the selection of question and appropriate choice of materials and processes at the beginning of the preparation time. They should then be advised to work independently.

This is the time to gain confirmation from your teacher that you on the right track. If you have struggled to compose the photographs in a beautiful, well-balanced way, this might be an indication that you need to select a different topic. If you do, change quickly. Once you enter the next stage, a change of topic is almost always a mistake.

Produce the first prep sheet (A2 - side 1)
Recommended time-frame: 2 weeks
Treat the first preparatory sheet as an opportunity to identify your subject matter and explore this from a range of different angles and scales, using a range of different black and white mediums.

Recommendations:

Do not worry about forming 'complete compositions': instead record, draw or paint interesting objects, combinations of objects, parts of scenes or enlarged details, investigating a variety of appropriate items and background materials from different angles, viewpoints and scales. Try to include every object or scene that you intend to include within your project. Don't worry about what your final work will look like. Consider this phase 'visual research' into your subject matter. Gather, record, research and investigate (through drawing and painting) a variety of appropriate first-hand sources, working from direct observation or your own photographs. This prep sheet helps you to gain the marks in AO1: Gathering, recording, research and investigation (assessment will be explained in more detail at the end of this article).

Work primarily in black and white (or monochrome). While this is not a requirement, eliminating colour in the initial phase of investigation simplifies this part of your project. It allows you to focus on accurately representing shape, proportion and tone, before moving onto more complex tasks in later prep sheets. Use black and white mediums that you are able to control well, while ensuring that you include sufficient experimentation and a wide enough range of different mediums. We recommend that students complete 4 - 12 artworks, using mediums selected from the list below:

1. Graphite pencil on white cartridge drawing paper. These drawings may be partially incomplete - i.e. trailing out to become line only around the edges.

2. Ink pen or biro pen on brown kraft paper or coloured paper that fits in with the colour of your subject matter (see our article about types of paper). This might be a line drawing, such as a cross-contour drawing or a continuous line drawing or a more realistic piece that is shaded using techniques such as cross-hatching (see our line drawing article for ideas).

3. Black and white colouring pencil on grey paper, with the paper showing through visible for the mid-tone.

4. Black biro pen over a ground of splashed ink or smeared acrylic paint, with tone applied using the biro pen, possibly white paint or white pen for highlights. Ensure that any colours used tie in with the with the colours of your subject matter.

5. Indian ink applied using a stick. This can be onto ordinary white paper, or something more exciting, such as a torn piece of cardboard box.

6. Black and white charcoal on drawing paper.

7. White charcoal on black paper.

8. Black watercolours or ink on watercolour paper.

9. Black and white photographic prints (do not cram your sheet with photographs as a space-filling mechanism, but a few high quality photographs, printed on matt paper, can make it clear you worked from observation and can help the examiners see and understand your starting point).

10. Any other black and white drawings or paintings in another medium.

The examples in the diagram above show the first A2 pages of exam prep by:
Before you begin, take a minute to plan the layout of the preparatory sheet (remembering that the label will be adhered top right) and prepare a series of grounds / drawing surfaces. Use pieces of paper that are slightly larger than necessary, so that they can be trimmed neatly and attached to your A2 sheet once complete.

Remember the emphasis is always quality. You do not need to demonstrate every technique on the above list. It is better to do less, well. Also, note that you do not need to be ridiculously creative: i.e. don't glue on something absurd just in the effort of being 'creative'. Always select something that is appropriate for your project and focus on creating awesome observational work (if you struggle with this, please read our article with tips for improving your observational drawing). Ensure you e xplore, experiment with and use a wide range of appropriate mediums: this helps you gain marks for A04: Selection and control of materials, media and processes.

Finally, if colours are used at this stage, make sure they are considered carefully, following the guidance given below for Prep Sheet Two.

Annotation: Marks are not given for annotation, but it may help you to note down some of your ideas / clarify your thoughts in the spaces in and around your drawings. Examiners comment that high achieving candidates often submit supporting studies that are annotated, with notes evaluating ideas, explaining thinking and " clarifying the journey made ". However, this statement in the June 2013 Examiner Report is particularly valuable:

Some candidates spend considerable time writing about their intentions. There were instances where these descriptions of intent were more extensive than any actual visual research. Clearly, these candidates would benefit from spending less time writing about what they are going to do and more time on actually carrying out the visual research and developing their ideas in a visual form. Brief bullet points would suffice with the main thrust of the supporting studies being a visual and not literary form of communication. Such an approach would enable candidates to achieve higher marks for all of the Assessment Objectives.

To understand more about the sorts of notes that are appropriate in an Art project (if you choose to include any), read our article about sketchbook presentation.

For your inspiration, examples of additional black and white artworks produced by IGCSE Art students have been included below:
Drawings by Georgia Shattky, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (89% / A) at ACG Parnell College: Drawings by Christine Lee, from Macleans College, awarded Top in New Zealand for CIE IGCSE Art and Design, Nov 2013 (98% /A*): Drawings by Abby Hope Skinner, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A*) at the International School of Paphos, Cyprus: Drawing by Tingian He from ACG Strathallan College, who gained Top in the World for IGCSE Art and Design (100% /A*), Nov 2011: A drawing by Hania Cho, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (95% /A*) at ACG Strathallan College: Drawings completed by Nikau Hindin, while studying IGCSE Art and Design (95% /A*) at ACG Parnell College: Drawings by Rhea Maheshwari, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A*) at ACG Parnell College: A drawing by Claire Mitchell, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A) at ACG Strathallan College: A graphite pencil drawing by Jae Won Yun, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A) at ACG Strathallan College:
Drawings by Julie Zhu, who was awarded Top in New Zealand IGCSE Art and Design (98% /A*) while studying at Macleans College:
Black and white drawings completed by Emma Phillips, while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A*) at ACG Strathallan College:
Produce second prep sheet (A2 - side 2)
Recommended time-frame: 2 weeks
In the second prep sheet, introduce colour and start thinking about composition in earnest. As you begin to explore composition, ensure that you:

Generate a range of different ideas. Do not set up one arrangement and then just draw it from a few different angles. Or, even worse, don't produce one composition, and then apply colour using several different mediums (this is a surprisingly common approach which produces a repetitive body of work that bores both you and the examiner). As noted in a recent Examiner Report, weaker candidates have a "tendency to explore only one compositional idea or a very limited selection of images". Instead, generate multiple arrangements of your chosen objects. Move the items around and position them in different places, testing different compositions to find ones that appear well-balanced and cohesive. Avoid randomly placing items on a page and leaving vast empty areas of empty space. Think critically about the way you compose your work and notice how changes in composition affect the expression of ideas, mood and meaning. To ensure that you produce successful compositions, consider:

Overlapping objects and including shadows to create a sense of depth and space

Foreground, middle-ground and background

Interesting viewpoints - perhaps looking down on things, through things, or from a worm's eye view

Perspective and scale - you might wish to create compositions that are focused on enlarged details and parts of compositions, and/or scenes viewed from a greater distance

The positioning, interaction and balancing of visual elements, such as colour, shape, texture, space etc. If you have a red item at the bottom of your artwork, for example, you might balance this with a few smaller red areas towards the top. Similarly, if you have a busy area of an artwork, you might want to balance this with emptier areas. (Note: exact symmetrical balancing of an artwork is rarely successful). Composition is a big subject that will be discussed in more detail in an upcoming article - in the meantime, analyse your own work carefully and study the composition of artist works to learn successful strategies

Communicate ideas, meanings and emotion (think about how colour selection and intensity, positioning of items, expressions on faces, dramatic contrasts and other components of your artwork communicate ideas to the viewer). Note: when it comes to colour selection, it is usually better to select a limited palette that supports the ideas and themes expressed, rather than to use every single colour (see the complete IGCSE Art Exam projects shown at the end of this article for examples).

One helpful strategy can be for students to follow a similar development process to that used in their Coursework (i.e. using the same artist models and a similar pattern of developing composition), as this allows students to work much faster. It means students have to 'think' and worry less, and simply put all of their effort into producing stunning artwork within the short time frame given. As the subject or theme is of course totally different (because it is selected from the examination paper), students are thus excited and invigorated about their work, despite the processes being very similar to their Coursework, at least in the initial stages. As the work progresses, the new topic usually drives the work in a new and exciting direction, so the final pieces are quite different.

To understand ways that your work can be influenced by an artist's work, please read our article about development and study the examples of student project at the end of this article.

When selecting artwork to study, it is worth remembering that:

The artist does NOT need to use the same subject matter, but the work must be relevant to your project. For example, you might be inspired and learn from the way an artist communicates ideas, approaches composition or uses a technique. The June 2013 Examiner report comments that low achieving candidates often included an artist who did not inform their work but acted as a "'bolt on' addition in an attempt to satisfy the Assessment Objectives". In other words, do not study an artist for the sake of it; instead, the artist work must influence and inform your own artwork.

Long-winded written analysis is not required. As is mentioned earlier, annotation is not necessary. In the current 8 week format, every speck of your energy should be spent on producing quality original artwork. A small colour copy of an artist's work, correctly referenced and credited, along with brief bullet-points analysing composition, technique and ideas is all that is needed (if any writing is deemed necessary at all). It is the integration of this learning into your own practical work that matters.

Explore and experiment with a wide range of mediums. We recommend completing 4 - 8 works, selecting from the list below:

Acrylic painting on a variety of textured surfaces such as unstretched canvas or textured paper

Note: Due to drying times (and the issues with posting work away for assessment) oil paints should be avoided within the CIE IGCSE Art examination.
Examples of IGCSE Art and Design coloured prep pieces work have been included below for your inspiration:
Artwork by Christine Lee from Macleans College, awarded Top Equal in NZ, October 2013: IGCSE Art and Design work from Marti Art and Design School (left) and an IGCSE exam piece by Kale: Part of an IGCSE Art and Design exam by Nefi Noufal:
Produce final prep sheets (A2 - side 3 and 4)
Recommended time-frame: 3 weeks
The maximum quantity of work that an IGCSE Art and Design student can complete for the Paper 1: Observational / Interpretative Assignment is four x A2 sides (two A2 sheets). While more does not equal better (quality is always more important than quantity), a sufficient volume of work is required to develop your ideas and show breadth of exploration to the examiner. Three sides of comprehensive work can be a good target for many students, however two sides of exceptional work (with many smaller pieces adhered to each sheet) can also be acceptable. Those who work at a larger scale, with more gestural or abstract work, may benefit from submitting the full four sheets. Some students may begin with a target of three or four, and then edit this down for their final submission.

In the final sheets (or sheet) of prep work, your challenge is to take your best initial compositional ideas and develop these towards a successful final piece. By the time your prep work is complete, you must know exactly what you hope to produce in the exam and be confident that you can complete this in the given time. Before beginning this part of your prep work, it can help to ask:

Some candidates chose to use a media for the examination that they had little experience with instead of using the media that they had created their strongest work with whilst producing their supporting studies.

Which of my compositional ideas are the best so far? Look carefully at the work you have completed. Of your initial ideas, which ones show the most promise? Which drawings / paintings are most successful? Why? The examiners often make comments that final works are not as good as some of the prep pieces. Think carefully about the objects and scenes that have drawn, and how these have been successfully combined together so far. Establish what is working, and what can be improved.

Understanding development

Once you have decided which mediums and compositions hold the most promise, you need to produce new work developing these ideas (refining, trialling, exploring and improving your compositions, technique/s and use of media) showing the visual journey towards an original final piece. Your final piece may be completely abstract, surrealist, impressionist, realist or any other style or combination of styles, as long as your project begins with first-hand observation. 'Development' is a commonly misunderstood term (read more about what development means). In essence, your work must show a coherent journey from an initial idea to the final piece - a journey that involves exploring and experimenting with mediums and techniques, refining approaches to composition and absorbing ideas from other artists, environments and cultures. These statements from the October 2013 Examiner Report help to explain this further:

A number of candidates did not understand the importance of ideas development choosing instead to present their supporting studies as a series of unrelated finished pieces which lacked a cohesive journey.

In some cases it was a real pleasure to see sheets of research where one study had been linked to another across the whole sheet, clearly showing the progress of an idea or technique.

The best way to understand what develop means is to look closely at how the work in the IGCSE Art Exam projects below changes between the start and end of the project. (Viewing the other featured Art projects on this website can also help, as most show the same process of development).

In this final stage of your project, the number and quantity of works produced will vary considerably between students. At this stage you are likely to produce between 2-8 artworks developing ideas, primarily using your chosen medium, which may or may not be supported by photographs, composition sketches, media trials and (as described above) brief artist analysis. This very last segment of prep work should lead naturally to the work you complete in the exam. Note: Do not attempt to complete a whole 'practice' version in advance, but plan your final piece enough so that you don't waste any examination time thinking about what to do. Your preparation work should allow you to practise all the different components of the final work (perhaps not in exactly the same way, but enough that you are confident you can execute every aspect of it). Trial setting up the still life you will draw from and/or pre-print high-quality photographs to work from. You should be able to walk into the examination, set up your equipment and still life if necessary and begin working immediately, without any 'thinking' about what you will do.

Final preparation

In the weeks leading up to the final exam, you need to:

Decide what shape, format and kind of paper you will work on. The maximum size that can be sent away for assessment to CIE is A2, but you are able to work smaller than this - in fact, for many students, something closer to A3 is much more manageable. As noted in the October 2013 Examiner Report:

The majority of candidates produced final pieces which filled an A2 sheet; consideration could be given as to whether this format was appropriate as many of the supporting studies were more successful in either a different format or scale. A2 is the maximum size, smaller paper is perfectly acceptable.

Ensure all the equipment you need to use is ready and working - pencils sharpened / paint tubes full etc.

Arrange, trim and attach your work to the preparatory sheets (some schools have students do this in a supervised workshop after exams - more discussion about this approaches to mounting and displaying here).

Ensure that labels are correctly filled out with your Centre number, candidate number, name and question number and attached to the top right-hand front corner of each preparatory sheet (your teacher is likely to help you with this).

Ensure all smudgeable work is sprayed with fixative or something similar!

Organise the supporting work so that it shows the research, exploration of ideas, and experiments with media and materials, and shows the 'development journey'. As noted in the June 2013 examiner report, "candidates who simply pile the work up without any consideration for presentation are doing themselves a disservice".

The final 8 hour IGCSE Art examination

These instructions are identical to those for CIE AS Art and Design students and are a modification of our AS Controlled Test Guidelines:

Bring your supporting work to the exam! If you forget to bring it to your first examination session, you will not be allowed to submit it later. This means it is virtually impossible for you to pass the exam.

Immediately before the exam is to start, set up your work station. Approximately half an hour beforehand, you should be let into the room to set up your equipment, materials and still-life (if needed). You should set up everything you need and should not have to share basic equipment with anyone else. Put your supporting sheets of work neatly beside you to refer to. Note: You are not allowed access to any books, magazines or artwork of other artists. Artwork may be on the walls, but you must not access this, copy it or try to submit it as your own.

Once the exam starts, you may move around the room as needed, to empty your water jar / get additional materials etc, although this should be minimised to reduce disturbance of others.

Tracing is rarely allowed and only in specific situations, for example, when incorporating a repeat pattern or motif that. It is not acceptable for a Painting and Related Media student to bring an enlarged photograph to the exam and trace it.

Technical assistance is allowed if you need it, such as assistance firing ceramics, welding metal sculptures or pouring out photographic chemicals, however at no stage can you ask for any advice about your art or design work. Painting and Related Media students are unlikely to need technical assistance in the exam.

All decision-making that occurs within the examination session must be your own. Any conversation between you and the invigilator must be minimal and be restricted to that which is essential. Students must not communicate with each other. It is often preferable that it is not your Art teacher supervising, to prevent subconscious grimaces by the teacher when a poor colour choice is made, for example! It can also put the students at ease to have a 'non artist' in the room - so they don't feel pressure from an art specialist watching and 'judging' their efforts as they work.

At the end of the examination, place the final examination piece on top of the supporting studies and fasten all your work together in the top left-hand corner.

Outstanding examples: CIE IGCSE Art & Design Paper 1
Christine Lee 98% - Macleans College, Top Equal in New Zealand, 2013: Nikau Hindin 95% - ACG Parnell College, 2007 (read more about Nikau's IGCSE Art exam): Tingjian He (Jim) 100% - Top equal in the World, ACG Strathallan College, 2011 (read more about Tingjian's Art Exam): Julie Zhu 98% - Top equal in NZ, Macleans College, 2013: Tarika Sabherwal 100% - Top equal in the World, ACG Strathallan College, 2011 (read more about Tarika's IGCSE Art exam):
Assessment criteria

The IGCSE Controlled Test is worth 50% of your final grade. It is externally assessed (meaning that it is marked entirely by CIE examiners). Most countries send examination work to Cambridge University to be marked; other counties, like New Zealand, have the examiners travel to them.

The final exam work and supporting sheets are assessed together and are given a single mark out of 100.

We have listed the assessment criteria below. Underneath each of these we have added some questions to help you encourage you to meet these criteria. These questions are provided as informal guidance only and are not official questions provided by Cambridge University. Answering yes to these questions does not guarantee that you will gain an outstanding mark, however we hope that it points you in the right direction!

AO1 Gathering, recording, research and investigation (20%)
(a) Investigate and research a variety of appropriate sources

Does your project including drawings and paintings of objects and scenes that include a variety of different shapes, sizes, details, patterns, textures and surface qualities?

Have you investigated your subject matter in-depth, exploring things from different angles, different scales and arranged in different ways?

Have you chosen an appropriate collection of objects / scenes which are personally relevant, interesting / complex and indicate a perceptive response to a theme?

Have you undertaken research of relevant artists and is this reflected in your own work?

(b) Record and analyse information from direct observation and/or other sources and personal experience

Is your project based upon things that you can see and touch in real life?

Have you produced high quality observational drawings and paintings, accurately representating shape, proportion, detail, perspective, tone, space (through overlapping, inclusion of shadows, perspective etc)?

Have you used a range of appropriate mark-making techniques to replicate interesting surfaces and textures, such as shiny metal, transparent materials and/or hair?

AO2 Exploration and development of ideas (20%)
(a) Explore a range of visual and/or other ideas by manipulating images

Have you come up with a range of different compositions throughout your project, arranging your objects / scenes in different ways?

Have you thought about how images are cropped?

Have you chosen colours thoughtfully?

Have you used composition as a tool to test, explore and communicate ideas related to your topic?

(b) Show a development of ideas through appropriate processes

Is your project cohesive (visually connected) and based upon one topic?

Have you arranged your work in an organised way so that it shows the journey of how you got from start to finish? Is it clear how you arrived at your final piece, and how this relates to earlier work?

Does your work morph and change, with your compositions becoming more resolved / refined towards the conclusion of your project?

AO3 Organisation and relationships of visual and/or other forms (20 marks)
(a) Organise and use visual and/or other forms effectively to express ideas

Does your artwork convey emotion or communicate something about the world?

Have you chosen colours / shapes / lines / textures / forms etc intentionally, with thought about how these affect the mood and message or your work?

Are your compositions imaginative and creative, expressing ideas in an original and personal way?

(b) Make informed aesthetic judgements by recognising the effect of relationships between visual and/or other forms

Are the shapes, lines, textures, spaces, colours, tone and other visual elements in your work positioned and used in such a way that the work appears well-balanced and pleasing to the eye?

Have you selected appropriate mediums?

AO4 Selection and control of materials, media and processes (20 marks)
(a) Show exploration and experimentation with appropriate materials

Have you conducted a wide range of appropriate exploration and experimentation with materials? For example, h ave you used mediums in creative ways, painted on different materials, used lots of different mediums, and mixed these in different ways?

Are the mediums you have chosen appropriate for your topic?

(b) Select and control appropriate media and processes, demonstrating practical, technical and expressive skills and intentions

Have you demonstrated an ability to control mediums well, with excellent fine motor skills, in a range of different mediums? For example, can you use the techniques you have chosen skilfully? Can you:

Replicate fine detail if required?

Create sharp, tidy edges if needed?

Blend tone smoothly or with control?

Dash, splash and spray paint etc, if required, in beautiful and purposeful ways?

Have you selected mediums and techniques that showcase your strengths and present your ability in the best light?

AO5 Personal vision and presentation (20 marks)
(a) Show personal vision and commitment through an interpretative and creative response

Is your work personal and creative?

Is your project extensive, comprehensive and thorough - suggesting that you are a committed, dedicated student with personal vision?

Have you taken time and care with your work?

(b) Present an informed response through personal evaluation, reflection and critical thinking

Has your work been informed / influenced by relevant artists and/or creative practitioners?

Did you continually evaluate your own work in order to work out how to proceed (and is this obvious from your practical work)? In other words, is each new piece the result of critical analysis of the work that has come before?

Please remember that this article does not reflect changes to the 2015 curriculum - it will be updated shortly.
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How to Approach the IGCSE Art Exam: Observational / Interpretative Assignment

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Last Updated on February 8, 2017 This article aims to demystify Paper 1: Observational / Interpretative Assignment (0400/01), CIE IGCSE Art and Design. It outlines a clear process that Painting and Related Media students may use to create their preparatory work and final exam piece.

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How to proceed with Component 1 Coursework?

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How to proceed with Component 1 Coursework?

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This article was written for the benefit of IGCSE teachers delivering the course but the guidelines are worth sharing and you may find it helpful as students.

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I hope you are fine and safe wherever you are.

Thank you again for visiting my blog.

I hope my sharing here helps you prepare the work for the Art & Design IGCSE 0400 subjects.

I need to emphasize again that I don't teach As or A-Level IGCSE, and so sorry I can't help you much with that syllabus. You can always go to the Facebook page of Cambridge Art / Design AS/ A 9704, 9479 & IGCSE 0400 For Educators <-- many experienced teachers can help you there.

Here, I would like to share my guideline on HOW TO PROCEED WITH 'PAINTING AND RELATED MEDIA' art style for the COMPONENT 1 - COURSEWORK (again, for the syllabus Art & Design IGCSE 0400 / syllabus 2020-2022).

Okay, let's say your student wanted to do something related to Nature and she/he would want to capture all the Nature such as plants or flowers around her/his house. You absolutely can say yes to that idea. Recording nature and carryout nature Art Coursework is one of the easier and the best because you won't be struggling in getting the First-hand studies (Primary Resources) at all!

My recommendation for this topic is that you might want to choose another name, other than 'Nature'.

There is nothing wrong with using the topic of 'Nature', but you might want to name it with other words and make it interesting for the whole set of work. Let's call it 'Alive' for this guideline. I would pretend I give this guideline to a student named 'Megan'.

Above - SUBJECT MATTER PICTURES (SM Pictures)

Firstly, Megan needs to share with me her Primary Sources as many as she could. For example, she sent me about 35 mixture pictures of plants and flowers around her house. For your information, my students usually will share with me about 30-60pictures for their Subject Matter Pictures (SM Pictures) for the topic I approved, and we agreed. The more pictures your students present to you is the better for the ongoing discussion.

So let say Megan discuss with me her selection of SM Pictures for her nature Coursework called 'Alive'. From her observation, while capturing the Subject Matter (SM) with her gadget, she did the AO1 Record while taking the pictures, selecting the images, and choosing the best SM for her work. She investigates the various Art Elements and Art Principles that she could capture while selecting her SM for her work. This experience will help her a lot in the upcoming creative progress on each prep work.

So, here we go for the Prep 1. You can label your work as Prep 1 or Page 1 or Board 1. It's all up to you and your student. How I guide my students for the Prep 1. As you can see the layout above,
Prep 1
- You must have a brief 'Introduction' of your idea for the whole Coursework that you plan to venture with.

- You can write about your idea and content. However, make it as brief as possible.

- You can print your SM pictures and paste a few at this prep as well

- Topic has to be cleared, and you have to do mind-mapping. Early ideas using mind-mapping are always good to generate ideas, and with mind-mapping, you can write in points of suggesting artists, objects, or items to research. You can organise your early ideas better with this method. Also, it's always good to present your early ideas to the examiners.

- Then, you can start to select your SM Pictures and proceed to SM Studies at this prep. You can develop, explore and experiment with primary media at this prep.

- When I label SM Studies, it means, using your SM Picture, you plan, select, and make a decision of which SM Picture you want to draw or paint and what media you think that you want to explore first at this prep.

- You might want to choose dry media first, or you might want to sketch-and-draw first. It's up to your final decision, and of course, you should consult and discuss with your art teacher first. Discuss which media best to show at your Prep 1.

- You may want to do 4 SM Studies, or 2 small sizes and 1 big size of SM Studies or you would like to do 2 big sizes of SM Studies at this prep. The suggestion layout above is not compulsory to follow, okay. Above is the visual outline layout that could help you as a teacher (to guide your students) and to help you as an art student to plan your layout and propose to your art teacher for further discussion.

- You can rearrange the position of the mind-mapping. It is not necessarily to be placed as the sample above.

- The small boxes are for the Recording of your media used at SM Studies.

- Annotation is essential. However, my recommendation, you don't need to annotate too long. Enough to write about the process of the SM Studies you did.
Prep 2
- Some of you might want to plan, such as Artist Reference at Prep 1, Prep 3 and Prep 5. That will do too.

- For today's sharing, I planned to put Artist Reference (AR) at Prep 2, Prep 4 and Prep 6.

- Artist Reference could be any established artist that the student researched, finalised and the students should know why they choose the artist in the first place. The AR work can be related to their SM or be different from their SM as long as they know why they choose the artist's work.

- I don't advise my students to take an artist from Instagram, TikTok, unless they extend the research about the artist. The artist should be one established artist and had years of experiences and number of art exhibitions.

- At this Prep 2, again, the layout arrangement above is one suggestion, and please explore more for the layout arrangement. I arranged 2 with the frame, and 1 is frameless. If you want to present 4 of SM Studies at this prep, you can do so. The students should develop, organising ideas and discuss the Artist Reference here with the teacher and what media and techniques suitable for each study presented at this prep.

- Dry media or wet media, or even collage techniques. The students should be able to develop ideas - in term of the size of the SM Studies and show the insights relevant and the intentions as their working with the work from one part to another part.
Prep 3
- A few SM Pictures can be pasted here.

- Again, the layout arrangement is up to your creativity. Above is just a suggestion for you to generate more ideas.

In this prep, you might want to guide your students to select media, materials, techniques, and processes.

- At this stage, all the studies should show the depth in understanding in visual and tactile in art. Students should produce results (from the media selection, materials, etc) that suit their work style.

- The process of each exploration can be presented in a simple process, with tiny studies to the larger scale of the work.

- Also, the students might want to keep on relook and select the impactful SM Pictures (e.g plant with more precise Texture, petal with contrast colours etc) for the detailed studies.

- It could be from an essential media exploration to the complex ones. From this process, we can include the AO3, which demonstrates critical understanding by selecting media on structured SM studies, exploring specific techniques, and making an outcome comparison for some of the exploration.

- Again, annotation is essential. Find a slot/space to annotate your creative process at the side of the work.
Prep 4
- Here, we include another research and studies of Artist Reference #2.

However, in a similar process as AR #1, you may want to choose the artist from a specific Art Era/Movement. E.g artist from Impressionism, Cubism, Pop Art (to name a few)

- From the same process of recopying the artist's work, the student should imitate the same technique in the SM picture.

- Above is the suggestion for the layout, and again, you can come out with your layout arrangement. As long as it shows your ideas' flow, together with the continuous creative process and manipulation in media used at each study.

- You can repeat the same SM Picture, let say, from Prep 1 or Prep 2 and try out using different media, technique or style, you can do that too.

- Doesn't mean you have to capture, record, explore and experiment with all-new SM Pictures at each prep. You can repeat some of the earlier SM Picture, and you might want to adjust the size and manipulate the different techniques from the previous prep.
Prep 5
- Another layout arrangement for the Prep5.

- You can explore the size of the SM object, you can do collage, or you can explore with certain Apps and show the evidence of your creative process in this prep.

- Some students might ask you whether they can use a filter in certain Apps. I would say it's fine as long as they know why they want to do the filtering and what they want to achieve by doing that process.

- It is important to know why you do what you do.

- You can experiment with the mixed media work too.

- I quote this from one of the art reference books,
Your investigation must show visual continuity with your development work, so do not include anything which does not link with your subsequent development.
- For the annotation, it would be great to annotate with appropriate art vocabulary as you describe your creative process for the studies.

-
Prep 6
- The similar AR exploration as AR#1 and AR#2.

At this prep, you can plan to combine particular SM objects or studies and explore the Composition for each of them. For the half of the larger frame (as above), you might put SM Picture of plant with Texture and half of it you can place the smooth Texture from petals and observe the outcomes from your media exploration for both.

- Another idea, you can do half of the study with collage style and another half with traditional painting style.

- You can also take the plant and paint detailed studies, but you explore the pointillism art style for the background-just some suggestion for you.

- You can explore a close-up study as well. Using wet or dry media.

- You can crop the studies and fill in the small boxes as part of the media recording.

- Annotate as usual.
Prep 7 & 8
- For Prep 7 & 8, you can consider emphasising the Composition/Arrangement or Proportion or use of space towards the Final Piece.

- To quote one from the book I referred,

There is no minimum or a maximum number of studies, but you should try to produce several developments.

Quality is more important than quantity, but your work should effectively demonstrate the process you went through to develop your idea towards your Final Piece. Include your best work. Adding poor-quality development to fill up space may affect your mark.

You should also consider the inspiration you studied from the ARs in the previous preps. You may not take the 3 ARs into our Final Piece idea arrangement, but somehow you may want to take some aspects from one or two ARs and apply/manipulate them into your work or can be part of your work for the Final Piece.

- Well, that is why Prep 7 & 8 are the prep that you could explore your idea development towards the Final Piece. This, including your best media, explored and experimented in previous preps.

- You can annotate why you choose this and that SM Studies for the Final Piece ideas.

- You can 'tell' the examiners which media you would want to use and which Final Piece draft ideas you won't use for the Final Piece. You can state why as well.
IMPORTANT INFO
PREP 2 is at the back of PREP 1

PREP 4 is at the back of PREP 3

PREP 6 is at the back of PREP 5

and

PREP 8 is at the back of PREP 7
Total : 4 sheets with back to back studies

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Sharing the guideline of Component 1 (Coursework) - Art & Design IGCSE 0400

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Dear art educators, art students and parents, I hope you are fine and safe wherever you are. Thank you again for visiting my blog. I hope my...

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Today we have rounded up a great collection of our Best Vintage Butterfly Images for you and some gorgeous Moths too! We've searched through our extensive Image Archives here at The Graphics Fairy to find our Best Vintage Butterfly Pictures. Additionally, we threw in a few Butterfly-related Craft and DIY projects for inspiration! In this post, you'll find a plethora of beautiful Prints and images that you can download for free and use in your DIY Home Décor and Craft Projects. Many of these you can just print and frame for some instant Wall Décor. Of course these are also great to use in Graphic Design Projects, Crafts, Decoupage, Transfers, and more. We think these will work particularly well in DIY Digital Collage and Mixed Media Projects or Garden Style DIY or Craft Projects. We hope you get lots of creative ideas when you peruse this curated collection!

Multi Color Butterfly Pictures

This is such a beautiful Butterfly picture with it's deep blue colored wings, accented by bright yellow and black. Gorgeous!

Here is the latest addition to this collection. Here is a beautiful Multi color fantasy style winged creature. Lovely!

Sets of Butterflies by Color

9 Blue Butterfly Images And for even more of these delicate blue creatures, check out this post. You'll find single winged cuties as well as several gorgeous Natural History Prints that you can print and frame!

9 Green Winged Insects If green is the best choice for your craft project, then these green hued lovelies might work well for you. I love the little banner attached to the one above.

5 Red and Purpled Hued This next set is a mix of Red and Purple Moths and Butterfly images. Some really lovely creatures here.

12 Orange Butterflies These are some gorgeous brightly colored beauties in this collection! There are quite a few single pictures plus also a number of really stunning prints! These would look really nice in Fall Crafts or even Halloween.

7 Gold and Brown Hued Butterfly Images Also nice for Fall or Summer Projects. This is a lovely muted set of winged creatures in golden yellow and deep brown colors.

10 Black and White Illustrations Sometimes you need something special for your crafts that doesn't have color already added. These gorgeous pictures are beautiful as they are, but you could also color them in if desired.

Vintage Advertising

Victorian Butterfly/Moth Diecut. This is an old favorite of mine, from years ago. I've had this in my collection for quite a long time and it's been on this site for many years. I've rescanned it to give you a larger better file. I'm sure it's actually a Moth, but it says it's a Butterfly on the back of the card.

Moth Ad Image This is one that I've tried to buy several times over the years and I kept getting outbid! Then I got lucky and I was finally able to snag one at a great price! Shown here is an amazing piece of Victorian Advertising using a Colorful Moth Scrap. The ad is for Celluloid Eye Glass Frames. One of my absolute favorites I love all the bright colors on this one.

Butterfly Images Label This is a gorgeous Butterfly label from an old Pumpkin Can! I love the bright bold colors on this one. I think I would have cans of Pumpkin all over my house if they still had labels that were this beautiful.

Moth and Butterfly Prints

(Click the Bohemian Link below to grab the full size print from the Collection Post)

9 Bohemian Style Antique Prints This collection is from one of my favorite books in my collection! The book is circa 1870 and has the most stunning prints of flowers, Butterflies and Moths. Stunning!

8 Insect Book Pages This is another remarkable set of prints from an old British Book. These are quite fascinating to look at and are so beautifully illustrated.

5 Natural History Prints. I've always loved this beautiful print. The colors are so subdued and lovely plus I adore the French writing on it, especially the word "Nocturnes" in fancy script at the top of the page! You can find this print, it's coordinating mate and a few other marvelous options in this set.

Fun Butterfly Projects and Activities

2 Butterfly and Fairy Coloring Pages These are so cute! Print these out to have some coloring fun that the whole family will enjoy.

DIY Gold Foil Butterfly Stickers Grab this free Printable and follow along with Diana as she shows you how to make charming gold Butterfly Stickers!

Floral Bookmarks with floating Butterflies Wait until you see how lovely these bookmarks are! So clever too as the little winged creatures seem to be flying out of the book!

Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Butterfly Images

You might also like a recent kit from our Graphics Fairy Premium Membership site, this marvelous Lepidopterist Kit is one of nearly 400 bundles included with our Monthly, or Yearly, Membership!

I hope you enjoyed this beautiful collection of Butterfly Pictures! You might also like our Best Bird Images HERE.

Hello! Are you new to The Graphics Fairy? Welcome, I'm so glad you're here! Browse around to find thousands of Stock Images that you can use in your projects or designs! I post new Vintage images every day, as well as projects and DIY's too! Need more info about my site? Try my FAQ page.

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79 Butterfly Images (Gorgeous)! - The Graphics Fairy

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A gorgeous collection of Vintage Butterfly Images! This colorful and highly detailed Butterfly Pictures are perfect for your crafts!

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We have 672 favorite free vintage flower images for you today! I've done a major overhaul on this post as we have so many more pictures of flowers on this blog now, than when this post was first written years ago. You are sure to find some of your favorite flower images, and floral designs, here as I have categorized them by variety, as well as by Season... and there is even a category for color to make it easier to find things. I've included some original antique botanical printable flower pictures that can be used as instant art for your walls, some favorite floral frames, flower etchings, and lovely spring and summer blooms. Just click on the links to be taken to the page on the site with your chosen favorite.

I hope you'll enjoy browsing through some of my favorite floral clipart that I've shared to date on the site. These are perfect for decoupage, paper crafts, card making, transfers, Junk Journals, and just about any other craft you can think of. Enjoy!

Free Flower Images by Type and Season

These beautiful free flower images are organized by variety and season there is so much to choose from here!

Summer Pictures of Flowers

These flower Pictures include flowers that traditionally bloom in the Summer months.

11 Lavender Images This is a gorgeous collection of Lavender Flowers, included are several Botanical Printable Flower Pictures as well as smaller graphics. So delicate and lovely, the only thing missing is the fragrance!

15 Daisy Flowers A charming collection of one of the most cheerful and happy flowers in the world. These are sure to bring a smile to your face and some joy to your projects!

7 Peony Graphics I think these are just the most romantic flower! I only wish they hung around longer. We have a nice variety of offerings in this species, for you to use in your crafts and artwork.

10 Thistles Thorny looking and wild, but they are also quite lovely. This is a mix of full color flower illustrations as well as black and white ones.

10 Sunflower A Summer, and Autumn, favorite, these showy blossoms also make a tasty snack (or at least the seeds do anyway). These vintage flower images work well as the focal point in any project and they lend themselves well to French themed creations too.

10 Geranium These gorgeous flowers often add a splash of color to porches and pots. You could use these to make a welcome card for a new neighbor!

8 Hollyhock This collection makes wish I was living in the country still, as these lovelies were often a welcome site while driving on rural roads. I would often see them growing next to fences in front of old farmhouses. I even grew a few myself next to the picket fence at our home. Charming!

10 Chrysanthemum A favorite flower in the Fall and perfect for your Autumn themed crafts. Lots of bright and colorful Floral images in this set!

10 Rhododendron These floral bushes, have such delicate blossoms! There are some really dreamy colors in this group.

6 Magnolia A southern favorite. In this collection you will find both white and pink varieties to use in your projects. And some high resolution Printable Flower Pictures as well.

11 Hydrangea This is my personal favorite flower, so I am always on the hunt for great Hydrangeas. I must say this is a stunning collection, I think you will be quite pleased with it!

7 Marigold This is a small, but pretty collection of this old fashioned garden staple!

6 Hyacinth One of Spring's sweetest scented flowers! This is another small collection, but I think you will be pleased with what you find,. I especially love the free printable flowers pdf!

19 Wild Roses This is a large collection of really love images and Ephemera! If you are looking for more Roses, be sure and keep scrolling as you will find the rest sorted by color further down below.

9 Herbs This set is mixed, about half have flower graphics and the rest have just leaves. But it's a lovely set of free printable flowers!

15 Wildflowers We mustn't forget these rustic pretties! Lots of different colors here to choose from, many were scanned from an Antique English book.

Free Printable Flowers Spring Themed

These Free Printable Flowers are of Botanical flowers that mainly bloom in the spring.

10 These Romantic bushes have the most delightful scent. Their blooms are so delicate and pretty, and the purple color can't be beat! Included are the botanical illustration that you see above, plus many more.

7 Crocus These adorable blooms are often the first to arrive for the year, depending on where you live. I love the pretty colors in this collection.

15 Spring Tulip Images This is a nice sized collection of beautiful free printable Tulips flowers pictures. You will find many different colors here as well as quite a few black and white engravings.

6 Iris There are several color options here for this elegant bloom, so soft and lovely!

12 Pansy Illustrations Such a nice collection showing many flower illustrations of these sweet plants. Some are in baskets, some in bouquets and there are single flowers as well.

19 Violets This is a huge collection of this old fashioned favorite! These purple hued lovelies will add a charming touch to your crafts.

6 Easter Lilies A lovely selection of Blooms that are perfect for your Easter Crafts. These would be wonderful to use in Sunday school projects.

Christmas Printable Flower Pictures

These wonderful Red Printable Flower Pictures will make your holiday projects shine and they all have a great vintage look!

3 Amaryllis An extraordinarily beautiful collection of Red Amaryllis Botanical vintage floral prints from my stash. These are real showstoppers and perfect for your Christmas art projects!

12 Poinsettias More bright red beauties to use in your Holiday projects and cards.

10 Christmas themed Flowers This is a miscellaneous, but lovely collection of various floral Ephemera, and flower illustrations, with a Christmas theme.

Black and White Floral Clipart

These black and white Floral clipart drawings and etchings are detailed sketches of flowers.

21 Black and White Floral Clipart If you are looking for black and white pictures, there are many lovely varieties here.

7 Floral Embroidery Patterns These are some really charming pictures, even if you don't want to embroider. They would be fun to color in too!

Flower Illustrations by Color

We have quite a few posts where we have grouped Flower Illustrations by different colors, to make it easy for you to find just the right hue for your creations.

14 Yellow Roses A really sweet set of bright and lovely yellow cabbage blossoms! These are my Mother's favorite flower.

44 Pink Roses This is a huge collection, with so many gorgeous flower graphics! If you are a fan of the color Pink, you will love these free images and vintage floral prints.

10 Red Roses What could be more romantic? So many beauties to choose from!

14 White Roses Not to be outdone by the other colors, these are just as showy as their more colorful cousins. Included are Trade Cards, Victorian Scraps and even a Print.

10 Blue Flowers I always think the blue florals are extra special, you don't see a lot of them in nature, but when you do they are so lovely!

14 Purple Blooms So many beautiful shades here, including pale versions and bright ones. They are positively regal.

25 White Blossoms This is such an elegant collection, with so much variety here!

17 Yellow Vintage Flower Images Sunny, bright and happy this set will make you smile! So many Botanicals on this post and some lovely Victorian cards too.

30 Pink Flowers Another large and lovely collection! Lots of botanicals in all different varieties (the Apple Blossom is my favorite!), some on a white background, others on old Trade cards.

9 Red Posies A small but vibrant collection of blooms for you to play with in your art!

Vintage Flowers Labels and Frames

Full color Vintage Flowers and frames, and calling cards that are perfect for adding your special messages or embellishments.

17 Floral Wreaths A marvelous array of lovely Vintage Wreaths, that will add a festive touch to your projects. Both full color and black and white graphics are mixed together in this set.

17 Floral Graphics Set-1950s This is a super sweet set from the 1950s, with bright pink Roses and a Chartreuse Green frame and so much more. Fun stuff!

15 French Frames These are the most romantic frames! Not all of them have florals on them, but many do.

18 Floral Journaling Cards Each one of these cards has a blank white space where you can write your own text, making them perfect to use as labels!

Vintage Floral Prints

Our favorite collections of Botanical Vintage Floral Prints

12 Vintage Roses There are a number of gorgeous Botanical vintage floral prints in this collection, including the one that you see above and it's companions.

9 Botanical Prints A Stunning selection of Free Printable Flowers book pages, many of them that coordinate, scanned from Antique books.

7 Vintage Floral Printables This is a lovely coordinated set of floral Prints in subtle tones. They would look really nice framed on a wall together!

12 1855 Botanicals A gorgeous set of Botanicals showing mixed bouquets of different varieties, scanned from an 1855 book. The colors are just wonderful.

9 1905 Vintage Floral Prints A nice collection of bright and happy blooms scanned from a Circa 1905 Garden book. These vintage floral prints would look great in a collection on a wall.

Premium Membership Floral Themed Bundles

These are a few samples of some Flower themed bundles on our Premium Membership site.

Forget Me Not Bundle This digital collection is based around Blue Forget Me Not flowers, with birds, eggs and patterns that coordinate together.

Sage Meadows Bundle Like a walk in a Spring Meadow, this charming bundle has loads of flowers, including some gorgeous floral wreaths!

Cottage Wallpaper Bundle A bright and beautiful collection of vintage Floral Wallpapers, perfect for your Junk Journals and other creative projects.

You can learn more about our Premium Membership Site HERE. We have 100's of bundles just like the ones above included, all for one low monthly price.

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This is a gorgeous collection of free vintage flower images! These beautiful pictures of flowers are perfect for your crafts and Journals!

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Cross Hatching for Beginners - Art Challenge #9

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What is tone?

What is tone when we're talking about artworks? You might also hear the words 'tonal value' too. It just means how dark or light a colour or a shade is. In tonal drawings or paintings the picture space is made using a range of lighter or darker shades of one colour. You can make a tonal drawing using pencil or charcoal. Build up the darkest shades by pressing harder with your pencil or working layers over another to get a denser shade. You might pick out highlights with an eraser, and then put in gradations of mark between the brightest and darkest shades.

The darkest tones...

Can you make an artwork using only black? Vija Celmins has used only a graphite pencil to create these drawings of spaces that seem (or are) infinite. On the left is a galaxy and on the right is an image of a desert floor. She used graphite pencil on a white acrylic gesso ground. This means she prepared her canvas with a smooth white painted background. This smooth surface meant she could apply a lot of pencil and get a really dark black and a really bright white for the highlights. These drawings are both based on photographs.

But you can also create a painting from black pigments. Shirazeh Houshiary has used both paint and graphite for this abstracted work, while Gillian Carnegie has used thick black oil paint to build up a recognisable forest scene.

See if you can create a gradation from the lightest to the darkest tones with only a pencil or charcoal. Try using different pressures, and different softness of pencil: HB is the mid range and anything marked with an H is hard and with a B is soft. The higher the B number, the softer the pencil - you might find the graphite easier to work with with a softer pencil. You could start by creating a simple scale of tone across a page working from light to dark. Then try working from black and white photographs with high contrast like Celmins did to get used to creating these graded tones.

And the lightest tones

Can an artwork have no tonal value at all? Can all of it be white? What happens when we look at a white canvas? Our eye might search for patterns and marks, focus on the materials used, or maybe we enter into a meditative state, contemplating a feeling of emptiness.

Modelling with tone

Using tone in your drawing and painting allows you to create pictorial depth or space. If you apply a colour in one shade only, it can look like a flat graphic surface. Once you begin to add darker shades and highlights to your colours, we can begin to 'read' the flat picture plane as having depth or form.

Sometimes artists exaggerate the depth of tones to create dramatic feeling. Adding a light source can bring bright highlights and pools of shadow to invigorate a scene

Colour that isn't just one colour

James Abbott McNeill Whistler created lots of tonal works, focusing on a limited palette for each work. But Whistler also took on another meaning of tone - tone in music. This painting is the first of Whistler's Nocturnes. Frederick Leyland first used the name 'nocturne' to describe Whistler's moonlit scenes but Whistler took it up and expanded on it. He said: 'By using the word 'nocturne' I wished to indicate an artistic interest alone... A nocturne is an arrangement of line, form and colour first.'

Whistler wanted viewers to appreciate his artworks not for the story they told (like most artworks before the 1900s) but for the mood they created - like listening to a piece of classical music. Creating these beautiful, quiet paintings of the River Thames at night in using a palette of only one or two colours allowed him to try to capture the feeling of stillness and tranquillity.

But using shades and tones of colour doesn't have to mean that you are creating representational work (trying to create something recognisable). Many artists have created what are called 'colour monochromes'. Monochrome means literally 'one colour.' Though we use it often to mean black and white, it can refer to anything that is just one colour. However, when you look closely at any artwork painted by hand, you begin to see the one colour is very rarely just one colour. Tone is created by the movement of the artist's hand...

Translating colour into black and white

Before industrial colour printing, the only way to reproduce paintings was to create black and white prints of them. Some artists or printers then hand-coloured prints, but others looked for ways of representing the colours of a painting in comparable tonal values.

To make a print of this John Constable painting, Constable worked very closely with printmaker David Lucas. Constable and Lucas had to translate each colour into a shade of grey or black. Lucas used a printmaking technique called mezzotint. The printmaker rocks a toothed metal tool across a metal printing plate, creating lots of little dents or pits in the plate. When the plate is inked up, each pit holds a drop of ink. If you printed from the plate at this first stage the image would be solid black. However the printmaker creates the dark and light tones by gradually rubbing down the rough, bumpy surface to reduce how much ink is held in different areas of the plate. The roughest areas hold lots of ink and create velvety blacks, while the smoothest areas hold the least ink and create the lightest tones.

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What is tone? What is tone when we're talking about artworks? You might also hear the words 'tonal value' too. It just means how dark or light a colour or a shade is. In tonal drawings or paintings the picture space is made using a range of lighter or darker shades of one colour.

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Tumblr Takeover: Nick Knight #Answertime

For one day only, Nick Knight took to the SHOWstudio Tumblr to answer as many questions as he could get through from curious SHOWstudio viewers and aspiring creatives.

Exploring the visionary collision of sportswear and fashion, this project discusses and envisions the past and future of contemporary style, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Y-3.

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100 Photographers by Nick Knight | SHOWstudio

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Nick Knight breaks down the works of influential image-makers.

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How to Draw Great Art - No1. STARRY NIGHT by Van Gogh. Happy Drawing! with Frank Rodgers

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Discovering Line with Vincent van Gogh: How to Draw, by Rob the Art Teacher

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Last updated

This exceptional IGCSE Art Coursework Project is another from the high-achieving Art Department at ACG Strathallan College. Completed by the dedicated and conscientious Tarika Sabherwal, this sketchbook and final piece were awarded 100% and the highly sought after TOP IN THE WORLD placing for the 2011 CIE October examination session. Tarika achieved this result along with another student in her class, Tingjian He (Jim). Viewing these two projects together provides an invaluable learning opportunity for students and teachers alike, as it illustrates how a classroom-wide teaching programme can be used to successfully guide students to achieve outstanding original and creative work.

Tarika's project consists of a twelve page A3 sketchbook, plus a final acrylic painting (approximately A3 in size). Her work explores a 'Coastal Environment' theme, depicting beach-related still life scenes, bones, fish, seedpods (harakeke flowers) shells, coastal landscapes, birds and traditional Maori carvings.

Tarika's Coursework project is visible in the YouTube clip below:

If you are a reader of the Student Art Guide, you will no doubt already be aware that ACG Strathallan College has an exceptional Art department that continues to achieve great success under the guidance of Curriculum Co-ordinator Jo Palmer. More to come from this great faculty soon!

In the meantime, you may wish to view Tarika's beautiful 100% IGCSE Art exam.

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100% IGCSE Art and Design: An exemplary Coursework Project

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Last updated This exceptional IGCSE Art Coursework Project is another from the high-achieving Art Department at ACG Strathallan College. Completed by the dedicated and conscientious Tarika Sabherwal, this sketchbook and final piece were awarded 100% and the highly sought after TOP IN THE WORLD placing for the 2011 CIE October examination session.

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James Lee Chiahan is a Taiwanese-born Canadian painter and artist based in Montreal.

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Painting allows the fluidity to delineate form and air, providing a rich surface from which to observe life. It is within that context of nurturing that these works are created. Many of my figures are robed as a symbol of protection, to cover or offer, much as the carpets and curtains and quilts of our spaces remind us of home.

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in my paintings i explore the life and history contained in discarded objects: vintage books, antique lace, rusty findings, kitchen scraps, and other assorted bits and found things. in processing these collected fragments into abstract and figurative paintings, i allow their stories to work on my own biases of brokenness and wholeness, of being and becoming.

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Have a look at Shane Berkery's art for "Around the Table" inspiration.

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tania Wursig (@taniawursig_art)

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A great website for all kinds of printmaking with tools, equipment, how-to and process explained.

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There are a large variety of different lino cutting tools with different shapes and sizes. The most common lino tools are V Tools and U Tools.

U Tools carve softer lines with a curved end point and an even width but it can be harder to get control over the placement of your edges.

V Tools can give a variety of line widths with the same tool, are good for accurate edges and corners. Lines cut with V tools will have sharp pointed ends.

Carving lino is not limited to carving lines around a drawing. A wide variety of marks can be achieved, creating interesting designs when printed that
are characteristic of the lino cutting process.

We've had a go at mark making on lino to give an idea of some of the different marks that can be made. We've used traditional, grey, hessian backed lino - on other lino and vinyls the marks will vary as the materials behave differently. We've
used Pfeil Tools as well as the Japanese Cutting Tools for Wood and Lino.

Above you can see 24 different marks made using these tools on lino. The lino has been inked up so we can see the marks more clearly. Here's how they were
all made:
1. Straight cuts made using Pfeil V Tools - 12/1 and 15/2.
V Tools carve deep lines with pointed ends where the tool has been dug into and pushed out of the lino.
2. Pfeil U Tools - 11/1, 11/3, 11/2 and 9/5
U Tools carve lines that are uniform in width and have rounded ends. You can clearly see the marks made by each different tool by its line width.
3. Clearing using large Japanese U tool
U tools are good for clearing as they create more even, flatter areas with less troughs and peaks that can pick up ink.
4. Pfeil 9/5 U Tool with snap off
On traditional grey lino you can create edges by flicking the tool upwards to snap off the piece of lino.
5. Pfeil 15/2 V Tool
V Tools can create lines that vary in width with tapered ends.
6. Circles with Japanese U Tool
Create circles by rotating the lino as the tool stays still.
7. Japanese V Tool with snap off
You can also use the V tool to create sharp edges by snapping off pieces of lino. These shapes have a more pointed end because a V Tool was used.
8. Japanese V Tool corners
Neat corners and arrow shapes can be made by using two cuts of the V Tool.
9. Cutting up to an edge with Japanese V Tool
You can use the snap off technique to cut up to a line before neatening the edge.
10. Cross hatching with Pfeil 12/1 V Tool
The Pfeil 12/1 is a tiny V tool that can be used to carve delicate lines. The cross hatching can be used for creating tone or texture.
11. Japanese Hangito Tool at an angle
The Japanese Hangito tool looks a little like a scalpel. It is more commonly used in Japanese Woodblock Printing but can be used in lino cutting to achieve
sharp edges. Hold the tool at an angle and cut one side and then the other to create a V tool-like gouge mark.

12. Moving the lino to curve with Japanese U Tool
This mark was made by holding a U Tool straight whilst the lino is wobbled from side to side.
13. Japanese Chisel in a square to get sharp edges
Like the Hangito Tool, the chisel in the set of Japanese Tools is more commonly used for Japanese Woodblock Printing. You can, however, experiment with
this tool on your lino - try pushing the tool straight down firmly to create sharp edges and skimming off the surface.
14. Tiny marks with Japanese V Tool
Random, delicate marks in the same direction can create texture or pattern. The V Tools will give you tiny lines.
15. Small dots with Pfeil 11/2 U Tool
The same technique can be used with a U Tool to give small dots.
16. Shallow dot texture with Pfeil 9/5 U Tool
Using a slightly larger U tool and making your marks closer together can create interesting patterns from the raised lino left behind.
17. Circles with Japanese U Tool
Similarly to creating circles by rotating the lino, larger open circles can be made using the same twisting lino technique.
18. Leaving a positive line with Japanese U Tool
Because of their even line width, U tools can be useful when leaving delicate positive lino lines raised.
19. Japanese U Tool snap off up to a line
Use the U Tool to carve up to a positive carved line.
20. Japanese V Tool snap off to a line
V Tools can be used in the same way, when using snap off up to a carved line. Different depths of V Tool will give different shaped Vs.
21. Japanese U Tool spirals
The even line widths achieved by using U Tools are perfect for carving concentric lines and even shapes with control.
22. Wiggling line made by rocking Japanese V Tool from side to side
Hold your V Tool straight and wiggle the lino from side to side to create a jagged line.
23. Pfeil 12/1 V Tool
The Pfeil 12/1 V Tool is perfect for very fine, controlled lines.
24. Cleaning around a positive shape with Japanese U Tools
The edge of this rectangle was carved with a Japanese small U Tool. The background was then cleared using the Japanese large U Tool.

These are just some of the marks that can be achieved using your tools. Experiment with your own to see what you can make

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Using Different Tools to Make Marks on Lino

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There are a large variety of different lino cutting tools with different shapes and sizes. The most common lino tools are V Tools and U Tools. U Tools carve softer lines with a curved end point and an even width but it can be harder to get control over the placement of your edges.

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This vast oil painting is by the leading Royal Academician John Bellany. It was commissioned by London Underground in 1987 as part of the 'Art on the Underground' series. Bellany approached the subject of Chinatown by addressing highly complex issues. His allusion to a power struggle between the East and West could be interpreted as the Chinese gaining ascendancy over Britain. The woman in the foreground is clearly Western and her opera glasses establish her as from the past when the West dominated China. Here, in Chinatown, the tables have turned. She is virtually naked, stripped of her authority and power. She literally and metaphorically pales in comparison to the strong, competent Chinese characters. On a Chinese table, the head of the fish traditionally points to the most important person. On this Chinese table, in the centre of London, guests prepare to eat lobster. The lobster is a Western delicacy and represents the epitome of sophisticated dining. Is this a fusion of cultural tradition, or a collision? The lobster points to the fortune- teller. As in the card scene in Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, a diamond and a spade foretell death for both sides.

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Poster artwork; Chinatown, by John Bellany, 1987 | London Transport Museum

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This vast oil painting is by the leading Royal Academician John Bellany. It was commissioned by London Underground in 1987 as part of the 'Art on the Underground' series. Bellany approached the subject of Chinatown by addressing highly complex issues.

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Long-Term Installation

Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, 4th Floor

The Dinner Party, an important icon of 1970s feminist art and a milestone in twentieth-century art, is presented as the centerpiece around which the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art is organized. The Dinner Party comprises a massive ceremonial banquet, arranged on a triangular table with a total of thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an important woman from history. The settings consist of embroidered runners, gold chalices and utensils, and china-painted porcelain plates with raised central motifs that are based on vulvar and butterfly forms and rendered in styles appropriate to the individual women being honored. The names of another 999 women are inscribed in gold on the white tile floor below the triangular table. This permanent installation is enhanced by rotating Herstory Gallery exhibitions relating to the 1,038 women honored at the table.

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The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum is New York City's second largest in physical size and holds an art collection with roughly 1.5 million works.

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The beauty of the labyrinth

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Labyrinthos - Labyrinth and Maze Resource, Photo Libray and Archive

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Labyrinthos - Labyrinth and Maze Resource, Photo Library and Archive. Home of Caerdroia: the Journal of Mazes and Labyrinths

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Last Updated on February 8, 2017

This article aims to demystify Paper 1: Observational / Interpretative Assignment (0400/01), CIE IGCSE Art and Design. It outlines a clear process that Painting and Related Media students may use to create their preparatory work and final exam piece. This article has been written in response to the large number of questions the Student Art Guide has received and aims to assist teachers and schools who are new to CIE or who have received disappointing results in the past. It should be noted that this process is not an official recommendation from Cambridge, nor is it claimed to be the best or only way of approaching this paper (luckily, there are many, many ways of producing an excellent IGCSE portfolio): nonetheless, it is based on a strategy that has worked well for my own students and those of my colleagues, and is provided in the hope that it makes things easier for others.

NOTE: This article has not been updated to reflect changes in the 2015 curriculum. A new version of this article will be written later in the year, with more detail, in response to the changes to the 2015 CIE 0400 syllabus. The long term goal is that teachers of CIE IGCSE Art and Design can work together via the Student Art Guide to share ideas and approaches, culminating in the 'ultimate' set of recommendations - best practises - for completing the IGCSE Controlled Test / Exam.

An Overview: Paper 1

Paper 1 is described in the CIE 0400 2014 IGCSE Art and Design syllabus as:

An externally set, eight-hour assignment marked by Cambridge. The examination allows candidates to respond in either an observational or interpretative manner or a combination of both.

Students are required to submit:

1 x final artwork - a two or three-dimensional artwork, maximum weight 4.5kgs and maximum dimension in any direction of 750mm, completed within the 8 hour Art Exam. Painting and Related Media students are encouraged to submit a final work that is a maximum size of A2 (larger works must be photographed, prior to sending away for assessment).

A maximum of 2 x A2 sheets (4 sides) of preparatory work. This is a body of work illustrating a visual response to one examination question, using any appropriate colours, tones, mediums, processes or techniques. The preparatory work is completed in the eight weeks before the examination and must include direct observation from primary sources, research, analysis and development of ideas.

Our recommendations for approaching the 8 week preparatory period are as follows:

Select your topic
Recommended time-frame: 1 - 3 days
As a class, brainstorm topic ideas based on the set starting points that are given within the examination paper. Use our article about how to select a good Art project idea and look at artist works (see our Pinterest Boards) for inspiration.

Examiner Reports also provide great examples of how past students have interpreted topics. This is how examiners described responses to the topic 'before daybreak' (June 2013):

This question probably provided the most imaginative responses as well as the most cliched. The obvious, in this instance sunrise, was frequently the subject of very weak submissions. However, the very best candidates attempted more interesting interpretations including morning rituals such as Morning Prayer, brushing teeth, waking to alarm clocks and some interesting abstractions using media such as batik. Several other candidates sought inspiration in an urban setting; street scenes for instance. By far the best submissions were those who had actually photographed the event themselves and then made paintings entirely from their own images.

The following recommendations may also assist:

1. Brainstorm ideas quickly. Students often take far too long on this process (this is a common mistake made by high school Art students). While it is important to have quality first-hand imagery to work from, you need to use as many of the 8 weeks as possible to complete your preparatory work.

2. Select a topic that your Coursework has prepared you for. For example, if you have drawn still-life within your Coursework project, it can be beneficial to select an exam topic that allows you to extend upon these skills. While you are free to select any question from the exam paper that you wish, selecting an unfamiliar topic can be akin to writing an essay on Othello, when you have studied Macbeth. Some exceptional students are more than capable of answering any exam topic, but in general, you are best answering a question that you are prepared for. This does not mean you choose something which is exactly the same as your Coursework project (this would stifle and bore you), but rather that you should select something that builds upon your prior learning.

3. Select a topic which allows you to work from first-hand observation in the classroom. This is not always possible - particularly for landscape or figure topics - but there are certain advantages to being able to set up and arrange items within the classroom itself. (Teachers can also bring in a collection of objects to supplement those collected by the students - or used entirely by disorganised students - however entire classes should not be forced to draw from the same still-life). If you wish to work from a scene or subject that cannot be brought into the classroom, it is essential that you demonstrate very early on that you are able to take many high quality original photographs and can easily return to the scene if more are needed. Drawing from second-hand images taken by others - or drawing solely from your imagination - should be avoided at almost all costs. Examiners frequently comment that low grade work is characterized by a " reliance on copying from secondary sources such as the Internet or magazine photographs" (June 2013 Examiner Report), with the strongest work, on the other hand, " always supported by excellent supporting studies with an emphasis on thorough investigation from primary sources". Examiners go on to say that:

All questions are carefully selected to enable candidates to research from direct observation, but those who do not show any evidence limit their access to the higher marks ranges particularly in Assessment Objective 1 (AO1) and AO5.

Similarly, the October 2013 examiner report notes that often:

...lower level submissions worked purely from these images printed off the Internet and copied them without developing any ideas of their own. Some even worked only from imagination and demonstrated no recording from observation or second sources.

The examination paper itself makes this very clear:

Record and develop your ideas from direct observation and experience in order to meet all Assessment Objectives.

4. Ensure your subject matter is complex, interesting and varied. For example, three oranges is unlikely to provide sufficient variety to sustain an entire examination submission. Similarly, patterns on a flat surface (a brick wall, a sunrise, silhouetted forms or a cloudy sky, for example) do not offer you adequate opportunity to depict complex three-dimensional form. Look for a topic that is visually interesting and contains a variety of shapes, textures, details and forms. This is one of the requirements outlined in our guide to selecting a good Art topic.

Take beautiful photographs
Recommended time-frame: 1-2 days
Find and gather all of the objects, scenes and background materials that you are contemplating including within your project, and take beautiful photographs of these using a high quality camera. Treat these as artworks in themselves. Take close-up details, as well as single objects and whole arranged scenes. Do not worry about your final piece at this point, simply observe and record your subject matter, noticing the shapes, proportions, textures and forms. Select items carefully, so that your work is imaginative and personal.

Once completed, have your teacher approve the photographs (and your topic) and offer advice.

The 2014 0400 IGCSE Art and Design syllabus states:

Candidates may seek initial guidance regarding the selection of question and appropriate choice of materials and processes at the beginning of the preparation time. They should then be advised to work independently.

This is the time to gain confirmation from your teacher that you on the right track. If you have struggled to compose the photographs in a beautiful, well-balanced way, this might be an indication that you need to select a different topic. If you do, change quickly. Once you enter the next stage, a change of topic is almost always a mistake.

Produce the first prep sheet (A2 - side 1)
Recommended time-frame: 2 weeks
Treat the first preparatory sheet as an opportunity to identify your subject matter and explore this from a range of different angles and scales, using a range of different black and white mediums.

Recommendations:

Do not worry about forming 'complete compositions': instead record, draw or paint interesting objects, combinations of objects, parts of scenes or enlarged details, investigating a variety of appropriate items and background materials from different angles, viewpoints and scales. Try to include every object or scene that you intend to include within your project. Don't worry about what your final work will look like. Consider this phase 'visual research' into your subject matter. Gather, record, research and investigate (through drawing and painting) a variety of appropriate first-hand sources, working from direct observation or your own photographs. This prep sheet helps you to gain the marks in AO1: Gathering, recording, research and investigation (assessment will be explained in more detail at the end of this article).

Work primarily in black and white (or monochrome). While this is not a requirement, eliminating colour in the initial phase of investigation simplifies this part of your project. It allows you to focus on accurately representing shape, proportion and tone, before moving onto more complex tasks in later prep sheets. Use black and white mediums that you are able to control well, while ensuring that you include sufficient experimentation and a wide enough range of different mediums. We recommend that students complete 4 - 12 artworks, using mediums selected from the list below:

1. Graphite pencil on white cartridge drawing paper. These drawings may be partially incomplete - i.e. trailing out to become line only around the edges.

2. Ink pen or biro pen on brown kraft paper or coloured paper that fits in with the colour of your subject matter (see our article about types of paper). This might be a line drawing, such as a cross-contour drawing or a continuous line drawing or a more realistic piece that is shaded using techniques such as cross-hatching (see our line drawing article for ideas).

3. Black and white colouring pencil on grey paper, with the paper showing through visible for the mid-tone.

4. Black biro pen over a ground of splashed ink or smeared acrylic paint, with tone applied using the biro pen, possibly white paint or white pen for highlights. Ensure that any colours used tie in with the with the colours of your subject matter.

5. Indian ink applied using a stick. This can be onto ordinary white paper, or something more exciting, such as a torn piece of cardboard box.

6. Black and white charcoal on drawing paper.

7. White charcoal on black paper.

8. Black watercolours or ink on watercolour paper.

9. Black and white photographic prints (do not cram your sheet with photographs as a space-filling mechanism, but a few high quality photographs, printed on matt paper, can make it clear you worked from observation and can help the examiners see and understand your starting point).

10. Any other black and white drawings or paintings in another medium.

The examples in the diagram above show the first A2 pages of exam prep by:
Before you begin, take a minute to plan the layout of the preparatory sheet (remembering that the label will be adhered top right) and prepare a series of grounds / drawing surfaces. Use pieces of paper that are slightly larger than necessary, so that they can be trimmed neatly and attached to your A2 sheet once complete.

Remember the emphasis is always quality. You do not need to demonstrate every technique on the above list. It is better to do less, well. Also, note that you do not need to be ridiculously creative: i.e. don't glue on something absurd just in the effort of being 'creative'. Always select something that is appropriate for your project and focus on creating awesome observational work (if you struggle with this, please read our article with tips for improving your observational drawing). Ensure you e xplore, experiment with and use a wide range of appropriate mediums: this helps you gain marks for A04: Selection and control of materials, media and processes.

Finally, if colours are used at this stage, make sure they are considered carefully, following the guidance given below for Prep Sheet Two.

Annotation: Marks are not given for annotation, but it may help you to note down some of your ideas / clarify your thoughts in the spaces in and around your drawings. Examiners comment that high achieving candidates often submit supporting studies that are annotated, with notes evaluating ideas, explaining thinking and " clarifying the journey made ". However, this statement in the June 2013 Examiner Report is particularly valuable:

Some candidates spend considerable time writing about their intentions. There were instances where these descriptions of intent were more extensive than any actual visual research. Clearly, these candidates would benefit from spending less time writing about what they are going to do and more time on actually carrying out the visual research and developing their ideas in a visual form. Brief bullet points would suffice with the main thrust of the supporting studies being a visual and not literary form of communication. Such an approach would enable candidates to achieve higher marks for all of the Assessment Objectives.

To understand more about the sorts of notes that are appropriate in an Art project (if you choose to include any), read our article about sketchbook presentation.

For your inspiration, examples of additional black and white artworks produced by IGCSE Art students have been included below:
Drawings by Georgia Shattky, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (89% / A) at ACG Parnell College: Drawings by Christine Lee, from Macleans College, awarded Top in New Zealand for CIE IGCSE Art and Design, Nov 2013 (98% /A*): Drawings by Abby Hope Skinner, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A*) at the International School of Paphos, Cyprus: Drawing by Tingian He from ACG Strathallan College, who gained Top in the World for IGCSE Art and Design (100% /A*), Nov 2011: A drawing by Hania Cho, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (95% /A*) at ACG Strathallan College: Drawings completed by Nikau Hindin, while studying IGCSE Art and Design (95% /A*) at ACG Parnell College: Drawings by Rhea Maheshwari, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A*) at ACG Parnell College: A drawing by Claire Mitchell, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A) at ACG Strathallan College: A graphite pencil drawing by Jae Won Yun, completed while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A) at ACG Strathallan College:
Drawings by Julie Zhu, who was awarded Top in New Zealand IGCSE Art and Design (98% /A*) while studying at Macleans College:
Black and white drawings completed by Emma Phillips, while studying IGCSE Art and Design (A*) at ACG Strathallan College:
Produce second prep sheet (A2 - side 2)
Recommended time-frame: 2 weeks
In the second prep sheet, introduce colour and start thinking about composition in earnest. As you begin to explore composition, ensure that you:

Generate a range of different ideas. Do not set up one arrangement and then just draw it from a few different angles. Or, even worse, don't produce one composition, and then apply colour using several different mediums (this is a surprisingly common approach which produces a repetitive body of work that bores both you and the examiner). As noted in a recent Examiner Report, weaker candidates have a "tendency to explore only one compositional idea or a very limited selection of images". Instead, generate multiple arrangements of your chosen objects. Move the items around and position them in different places, testing different compositions to find ones that appear well-balanced and cohesive. Avoid randomly placing items on a page and leaving vast empty areas of empty space. Think critically about the way you compose your work and notice how changes in composition affect the expression of ideas, mood and meaning. To ensure that you produce successful compositions, consider:

Overlapping objects and including shadows to create a sense of depth and space

Foreground, middle-ground and background

Interesting viewpoints - perhaps looking down on things, through things, or from a worm's eye view

Perspective and scale - you might wish to create compositions that are focused on enlarged details and parts of compositions, and/or scenes viewed from a greater distance

The positioning, interaction and balancing of visual elements, such as colour, shape, texture, space etc. If you have a red item at the bottom of your artwork, for example, you might balance this with a few smaller red areas towards the top. Similarly, if you have a busy area of an artwork, you might want to balance this with emptier areas. (Note: exact symmetrical balancing of an artwork is rarely successful). Composition is a big subject that will be discussed in more detail in an upcoming article - in the meantime, analyse your own work carefully and study the composition of artist works to learn successful strategies

Communicate ideas, meanings and emotion (think about how colour selection and intensity, positioning of items, expressions on faces, dramatic contrasts and other components of your artwork communicate ideas to the viewer). Note: when it comes to colour selection, it is usually better to select a limited palette that supports the ideas and themes expressed, rather than to use every single colour (see the complete IGCSE Art Exam projects shown at the end of this article for examples).

One helpful strategy can be for students to follow a similar development process to that used in their Coursework (i.e. using the same artist models and a similar pattern of developing composition), as this allows students to work much faster. It means students have to 'think' and worry less, and simply put all of their effort into producing stunning artwork within the short time frame given. As the subject or theme is of course totally different (because it is selected from the examination paper), students are thus excited and invigorated about their work, despite the processes being very similar to their Coursework, at least in the initial stages. As the work progresses, the new topic usually drives the work in a new and exciting direction, so the final pieces are quite different.

To understand ways that your work can be influenced by an artist's work, please read our article about development and study the examples of student project at the end of this article.

When selecting artwork to study, it is worth remembering that:

The artist does NOT need to use the same subject matter, but the work must be relevant to your project. For example, you might be inspired and learn from the way an artist communicates ideas, approaches composition or uses a technique. The June 2013 Examiner report comments that low achieving candidates often included an artist who did not inform their work but acted as a "'bolt on' addition in an attempt to satisfy the Assessment Objectives". In other words, do not study an artist for the sake of it; instead, the artist work must influence and inform your own artwork.

Long-winded written analysis is not required. As is mentioned earlier, annotation is not necessary. In the current 8 week format, every speck of your energy should be spent on producing quality original artwork. A small colour copy of an artist's work, correctly referenced and credited, along with brief bullet-points analysing composition, technique and ideas is all that is needed (if any writing is deemed necessary at all). It is the integration of this learning into your own practical work that matters.

Explore and experiment with a wide range of mediums. We recommend completing 4 - 8 works, selecting from the list below:

Acrylic painting on a variety of textured surfaces such as unstretched canvas or textured paper

Note: Due to drying times (and the issues with posting work away for assessment) oil paints should be avoided within the CIE IGCSE Art examination.
Examples of IGCSE Art and Design coloured prep pieces work have been included below for your inspiration:
Artwork by Christine Lee from Macleans College, awarded Top Equal in NZ, October 2013: IGCSE Art and Design work from Marti Art and Design School (left) and an IGCSE exam piece by Kale: Part of an IGCSE Art and Design exam by Nefi Noufal:
Produce final prep sheets (A2 - side 3 and 4)
Recommended time-frame: 3 weeks
The maximum quantity of work that an IGCSE Art and Design student can complete for the Paper 1: Observational / Interpretative Assignment is four x A2 sides (two A2 sheets). While more does not equal better (quality is always more important than quantity), a sufficient volume of work is required to develop your ideas and show breadth of exploration to the examiner. Three sides of comprehensive work can be a good target for many students, however two sides of exceptional work (with many smaller pieces adhered to each sheet) can also be acceptable. Those who work at a larger scale, with more gestural or abstract work, may benefit from submitting the full four sheets. Some students may begin with a target of three or four, and then edit this down for their final submission.

In the final sheets (or sheet) of prep work, your challenge is to take your best initial compositional ideas and develop these towards a successful final piece. By the time your prep work is complete, you must know exactly what you hope to produce in the exam and be confident that you can complete this in the given time. Before beginning this part of your prep work, it can help to ask:

Some candidates chose to use a media for the examination that they had little experience with instead of using the media that they had created their strongest work with whilst producing their supporting studies.

Which of my compositional ideas are the best so far? Look carefully at the work you have completed. Of your initial ideas, which ones show the most promise? Which drawings / paintings are most successful? Why? The examiners often make comments that final works are not as good as some of the prep pieces. Think carefully about the objects and scenes that have drawn, and how these have been successfully combined together so far. Establish what is working, and what can be improved.

Understanding development

Once you have decided which mediums and compositions hold the most promise, you need to produce new work developing these ideas (refining, trialling, exploring and improving your compositions, technique/s and use of media) showing the visual journey towards an original final piece. Your final piece may be completely abstract, surrealist, impressionist, realist or any other style or combination of styles, as long as your project begins with first-hand observation. 'Development' is a commonly misunderstood term (read more about what development means). In essence, your work must show a coherent journey from an initial idea to the final piece - a journey that involves exploring and experimenting with mediums and techniques, refining approaches to composition and absorbing ideas from other artists, environments and cultures. These statements from the October 2013 Examiner Report help to explain this further:

A number of candidates did not understand the importance of ideas development choosing instead to present their supporting studies as a series of unrelated finished pieces which lacked a cohesive journey.

In some cases it was a real pleasure to see sheets of research where one study had been linked to another across the whole sheet, clearly showing the progress of an idea or technique.

The best way to understand what develop means is to look closely at how the work in the IGCSE Art Exam projects below changes between the start and end of the project. (Viewing the other featured Art projects on this website can also help, as most show the same process of development).

In this final stage of your project, the number and quantity of works produced will vary considerably between students. At this stage you are likely to produce between 2-8 artworks developing ideas, primarily using your chosen medium, which may or may not be supported by photographs, composition sketches, media trials and (as described above) brief artist analysis. This very last segment of prep work should lead naturally to the work you complete in the exam. Note: Do not attempt to complete a whole 'practice' version in advance, but plan your final piece enough so that you don't waste any examination time thinking about what to do. Your preparation work should allow you to practise all the different components of the final work (perhaps not in exactly the same way, but enough that you are confident you can execute every aspect of it). Trial setting up the still life you will draw from and/or pre-print high-quality photographs to work from. You should be able to walk into the examination, set up your equipment and still life if necessary and begin working immediately, without any 'thinking' about what you will do.

Final preparation

In the weeks leading up to the final exam, you need to:

Decide what shape, format and kind of paper you will work on. The maximum size that can be sent away for assessment to CIE is A2, but you are able to work smaller than this - in fact, for many students, something closer to A3 is much more manageable. As noted in the October 2013 Examiner Report:

The majority of candidates produced final pieces which filled an A2 sheet; consideration could be given as to whether this format was appropriate as many of the supporting studies were more successful in either a different format or scale. A2 is the maximum size, smaller paper is perfectly acceptable.

Ensure all the equipment you need to use is ready and working - pencils sharpened / paint tubes full etc.

Arrange, trim and attach your work to the preparatory sheets (some schools have students do this in a supervised workshop after exams - more discussion about this approaches to mounting and displaying here).

Ensure that labels are correctly filled out with your Centre number, candidate number, name and question number and attached to the top right-hand front corner of each preparatory sheet (your teacher is likely to help you with this).

Ensure all smudgeable work is sprayed with fixative or something similar!

Organise the supporting work so that it shows the research, exploration of ideas, and experiments with media and materials, and shows the 'development journey'. As noted in the June 2013 examiner report, "candidates who simply pile the work up without any consideration for presentation are doing themselves a disservice".

The final 8 hour IGCSE Art examination

These instructions are identical to those for CIE AS Art and Design students and are a modification of our AS Controlled Test Guidelines:

Bring your supporting work to the exam! If you forget to bring it to your first examination session, you will not be allowed to submit it later. This means it is virtually impossible for you to pass the exam.

Immediately before the exam is to start, set up your work station. Approximately half an hour beforehand, you should be let into the room to set up your equipment, materials and still-life (if needed). You should set up everything you need and should not have to share basic equipment with anyone else. Put your supporting sheets of work neatly beside you to refer to. Note: You are not allowed access to any books, magazines or artwork of other artists. Artwork may be on the walls, but you must not access this, copy it or try to submit it as your own.

Once the exam starts, you may move around the room as needed, to empty your water jar / get additional materials etc, although this should be minimised to reduce disturbance of others.

Tracing is rarely allowed and only in specific situations, for example, when incorporating a repeat pattern or motif that. It is not acceptable for a Painting and Related Media student to bring an enlarged photograph to the exam and trace it.

Technical assistance is allowed if you need it, such as assistance firing ceramics, welding metal sculptures or pouring out photographic chemicals, however at no stage can you ask for any advice about your art or design work. Painting and Related Media students are unlikely to need technical assistance in the exam.

All decision-making that occurs within the examination session must be your own. Any conversation between you and the invigilator must be minimal and be restricted to that which is essential. Students must not communicate with each other. It is often preferable that it is not your Art teacher supervising, to prevent subconscious grimaces by the teacher when a poor colour choice is made, for example! It can also put the students at ease to have a 'non artist' in the room - so they don't feel pressure from an art specialist watching and 'judging' their efforts as they work.

At the end of the examination, place the final examination piece on top of the supporting studies and fasten all your work together in the top left-hand corner.

Outstanding examples: CIE IGCSE Art & Design Paper 1
Christine Lee 98% - Macleans College, Top Equal in New Zealand, 2013: Nikau Hindin 95% - ACG Parnell College, 2007 (read more about Nikau's IGCSE Art exam): Tingjian He (Jim) 100% - Top equal in the World, ACG Strathallan College, 2011 (read more about Tingjian's Art Exam): Julie Zhu 98% - Top equal in NZ, Macleans College, 2013: Tarika Sabherwal 100% - Top equal in the World, ACG Strathallan College, 2011 (read more about Tarika's IGCSE Art exam):
Assessment criteria

The IGCSE Controlled Test is worth 50% of your final grade. It is externally assessed (meaning that it is marked entirely by CIE examiners). Most countries send examination work to Cambridge University to be marked; other counties, like New Zealand, have the examiners travel to them.

The final exam work and supporting sheets are assessed together and are given a single mark out of 100.

We have listed the assessment criteria below. Underneath each of these we have added some questions to help you encourage you to meet these criteria. These questions are provided as informal guidance only and are not official questions provided by Cambridge University. Answering yes to these questions does not guarantee that you will gain an outstanding mark, however we hope that it points you in the right direction!

AO1 Gathering, recording, research and investigation (20%)
(a) Investigate and research a variety of appropriate sources

Does your project including drawings and paintings of objects and scenes that include a variety of different shapes, sizes, details, patterns, textures and surface qualities?

Have you investigated your subject matter in-depth, exploring things from different angles, different scales and arranged in different ways?

Have you chosen an appropriate collection of objects / scenes which are personally relevant, interesting / complex and indicate a perceptive response to a theme?

Have you undertaken research of relevant artists and is this reflected in your own work?

(b) Record and analyse information from direct observation and/or other sources and personal experience

Is your project based upon things that you can see and touch in real life?

Have you produced high quality observational drawings and paintings, accurately representating shape, proportion, detail, perspective, tone, space (through overlapping, inclusion of shadows, perspective etc)?

Have you used a range of appropriate mark-making techniques to replicate interesting surfaces and textures, such as shiny metal, transparent materials and/or hair?

AO2 Exploration and development of ideas (20%)
(a) Explore a range of visual and/or other ideas by manipulating images

Have you come up with a range of different compositions throughout your project, arranging your objects / scenes in different ways?

Have you thought about how images are cropped?

Have you chosen colours thoughtfully?

Have you used composition as a tool to test, explore and communicate ideas related to your topic?

(b) Show a development of ideas through appropriate processes

Is your project cohesive (visually connected) and based upon one topic?

Have you arranged your work in an organised way so that it shows the journey of how you got from start to finish? Is it clear how you arrived at your final piece, and how this relates to earlier work?

Does your work morph and change, with your compositions becoming more resolved / refined towards the conclusion of your project?

AO3 Organisation and relationships of visual and/or other forms (20 marks)
(a) Organise and use visual and/or other forms effectively to express ideas

Does your artwork convey emotion or communicate something about the world?

Have you chosen colours / shapes / lines / textures / forms etc intentionally, with thought about how these affect the mood and message or your work?

Are your compositions imaginative and creative, expressing ideas in an original and personal way?

(b) Make informed aesthetic judgements by recognising the effect of relationships between visual and/or other forms

Are the shapes, lines, textures, spaces, colours, tone and other visual elements in your work positioned and used in such a way that the work appears well-balanced and pleasing to the eye?

Have you selected appropriate mediums?

AO4 Selection and control of materials, media and processes (20 marks)
(a) Show exploration and experimentation with appropriate materials

Have you conducted a wide range of appropriate exploration and experimentation with materials? For example, h ave you used mediums in creative ways, painted on different materials, used lots of different mediums, and mixed these in different ways?

Are the mediums you have chosen appropriate for your topic?

(b) Select and control appropriate media and processes, demonstrating practical, technical and expressive skills and intentions

Have you demonstrated an ability to control mediums well, with excellent fine motor skills, in a range of different mediums? For example, can you use the techniques you have chosen skilfully? Can you:

Replicate fine detail if required?

Create sharp, tidy edges if needed?

Blend tone smoothly or with control?

Dash, splash and spray paint etc, if required, in beautiful and purposeful ways?

Have you selected mediums and techniques that showcase your strengths and present your ability in the best light?

AO5 Personal vision and presentation (20 marks)
(a) Show personal vision and commitment through an interpretative and creative response

Is your work personal and creative?

Is your project extensive, comprehensive and thorough - suggesting that you are a committed, dedicated student with personal vision?

Have you taken time and care with your work?

(b) Present an informed response through personal evaluation, reflection and critical thinking

Has your work been informed / influenced by relevant artists and/or creative practitioners?

Did you continually evaluate your own work in order to work out how to proceed (and is this obvious from your practical work)? In other words, is each new piece the result of critical analysis of the work that has come before?

Please remember that this article does not reflect changes to the 2015 curriculum - it will be updated shortly.
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How to Approach the IGCSE Art Exam: Observational / Interpretative Assignment

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