Welcome to Art, Design & Photography
Welcome to the Art & Design department. We offer a course of study which aims to equip our learners with skills for learning in both life and work allowing our students to realise their creative potential.
The Art, Design and Photography courses here at Calderglen are designed to encourage and challenge pupils to be creative and to express themselves in different ways. Learning through Art and Design helps learners to develop an appreciation of aesthetic and cultural values, identities and ideas. Students will develop their knowledge of Art, Design & Photography, practice and practical media handling skills in both expressive and design contexts. Learners will develop important skills, attitudes and attributes. The learning journey in our courses will include active involvement in creative activities and the creative use of media, materials and/or technologies.
In a world where we increasingly have machines and computers to calculate and build for us, human creative thought and inventiveness is something that will become increasingly important. Whether that is pursuing a career in the creative industries or elsewhere, creative problem-solving is a fundamental skill applicable across the board.
Staff
- Mrs G Martin (Technical - Faculty Head)
- Mr R Drummond
- Mr R Galloway
- Mrs L Taylor
- Ms J Linning
- Ms L McPhie
- Ms R Gallacher
Why choose Art & Design?
Careers with Art & Design
Studying Art and Design opens up a world of career opportunities. Career paths include:
- Architecture
- Art Director
- Animations
- Ceramics
- Computer Game Design
- Costume Design
- Fashion Design
- Fine Art
- Graphic design
- Illustration,
- Interaction Design
- Interior & Spatial Design
- Make Up Artistry
- Media, Film/TV
- Medical illustration publishing, product design
- Product Design
- Set Design
- Special effects work
- Textile Design
- Visual Merchandising
- Web Design and many more
S1-S2
S1 course is designed to provide skills based learning across all aspects of the Art & Design curriculum. Pupils have the opportunity to learn basic techniques and work with a range of media. They will also be gradually introduced to art & design language and terminology.
S1 pupils will study the 7 visual elements, portraiture, and 2D design among many other projects. Art & Design history is explored as pupils create art work inspired by historical and contemporary artists & designers.
The S2 course is designed to build upon pupils prior learning in S1. It offers pupils the chance to revisit the key experiences of S1 and build upon their skills taking a more active role in their own creative decision-making. Pupils will add to, and build on previous skills by using and handling more sophisticated media, techniques and develop practises in the analysis of Art & Design work.
S3 Art & Design
In S3 pupils will follow an Art course as part of a broad general education, covering Level 4 outcomes and experiences. As well as digging deeper into drawing skills, our S3 course encourages students to be more experimental in order to understand the importance of a creative process. S3 will also include written coursework (Critical Studies) to help prepare for any SQA written exam at the end of S4.
Further details of units and course content can be obtained from:
www.sqa.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence
Assessment of Course
The course will be assessed and marked throughout the session by teachers. Assessments may include a combination of practical work, case studies, examinations and projects.
Progression
At the end of S3 pupils will progress to a course leading onto a qualification at National 3, National 4 or National 5.
At the end of S4 pupils could choose from the following progression routes:
- A pupil achieving National 3 may progress to National 4
- A pupil achieving National 4 may progress to National 5
- A pupil achieving National 5 may progress to Higher
Careers with Art & Design
Studying Art and Design opens up a world of career wonderful opportunities. Career paths include:
- Architecture, advertising, animation
- Ceramics, costume design
- Floristry, Garden design, graphic design
- Illustration, Interior design
- Medical illustration publishing, product design
- Special effects work
- Textile design, theatre set design
- Visual merchandising
- Web site design and many more
Homework
Pupils will be issued with a variety of homework tasks which will include written tasks and drawing assignments which will each engage our students in an observational drawing. In addition to this, pupils may be set an individual task by their classroom teacher that builds upon their own course work. Daily practice is encouraged to perfect assignment submissions. Our Art & Design students will be expected to use the art studios at lunchtimes and after school to ensure that their work is of a high standard.
Folio tasks:
- Research assignments
- Revision for internal assessments
- Revision for external assessment at National 5
Equipment
Learners are encouraged to come to class with their own basic drawing materials i.e. Pencils of different Grades (hard to soft), rubber, hand writing pen & colouring pencils. Students will be given an A1 or A2 waterproof folder to transport their work home. Any specialised materials required for the course will be supplied.
Higher Art & Design
Click here to see a pupil’s view
The Course consists of two mandatory Units (Expressive & Design), and a written Critical Studies exam paper. assessment. Both units and the exam paper are designed to provide progression to the related units at Advanced Higher.
Art and Design: Expressive Activity (Higher)
This unit helps learners to develop their personal thoughts and ideas in visual form. In the unit, learners will develop critical understanding of artists’ working practices and the social and cultural influences affecting their work. They will select stimuli and produce investigative drawings and studies. They will develop and refine their expressive ideas and artwork, experimenting with and using a range of materials, techniques and/or technology in 2D and/or 3D formats in response to the stimuli.
Art and Design: Design Activity (Higher)
In this unit learners will plan, research and develop creative design work in response to a design brief. They will develop their creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills as they consider complex design opportunities, and work to resolve design issues and constraints. In the unit, learners will develop critical understanding of designers’ working practices and the social and cultural influences affecting their work. They will develop and refine their design ideas by experimenting with and using a range of materials techniques and/or technology in 2D and/or 3D formats
Art & Design: Critical Studies - Exam Paper (Higher)
The question paper assesses candidates’ knowledge and understanding of the work and practice of artists and designers, and how social and cultural contexts impact on art and design works. The question paper also aims to develop their cultural knowledge and nurture a greater understanding of art & design in historical and contemporary contexts.
Course assessment
The course assessment meets the key purposes and aims of the course by addressing -
- Breadth - Drawing on knowledge and skills from across the course and from their time in the Art dept throughout BGE and S4.
- Challenge - Requiring greater depth or extension of knowledge and/or skills developed through their experiences in the Art dept.
- Application - requiring application of knowledge/skills in practical and/or theoretical and cultural contexts as appropriate
This enables candidates to -
- produce a portfolio of expressive artwork with a selection of relevant 2D/3D analytical drawings, studies and investigative research, and showing the development of one idea leading to an expressive final piece
- produce a portfolio of design work with a selection of relevant 2D/3D investigative material and market research, and showing the development of one idea leading to a design solution
- demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of art and design practice in an extended-response format in a question paper
Careers with Art & Design
Studying Art and Design opens up a world of career opportunities. Career paths include:
- Architecture
- Animations
- Ceramics, Costume design
- Fashion Design
- Graphic design
- Illustration,
- Interior & Spatial Design
- Media, Film/TV
- Medical illustration publishing, product design
- Special effects work
- Textile design, theatre set design
- Visual merchandising
- Web site design and many more
Homework
Pupils will be issued with a variety of homework tasks which will include written tasks and drawing assignments which will each engage our students in observational drawings etc. In addition to this, students may be set individual tasks by their classroom teacher that builds upon their own course work. On the Higher and Advanced Higher courses this may be every week. The homework will be based on their course work or when nearer the exams it will be revision based.
Higher Photography
Photography helps people to see.
Berenice Abbott (Photographer)
Click here to see a pupil’s view
Click here to see a pupil’s view
Purpose and Aims
The course encourages pupils to be inspired and challenged by visually representing their personal thoughts and ideas through the medium of photography.
The aims of the course are for candidates to:
- communicate personal thoughts, feelings and ideas using photography
- develop technical and creative skills through using photographic media, techniques and processes
- develop knowledge and understanding of a range of photographic practices
- develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking and reflective practice
- develop an understanding of the impact of social, cultural, historical, and scientific influences on photographers’ work and practice
- become critically self-reflective autonomous learners
Recommended entry
Entry to this Course is at the discretion of the Art and Design department. However, learners would normally be expected to have attained the skills, knowledge and understanding required by the following or equivalent qualifications and/or experience:
- Successful completion of S3 Photography Masterclass
- National 5 Art and Design Course
Course Content
Pupils learn how to plan and carry out practical photographic work. They investigate selected photographers’ work and practice and explain how external influences impact on these. They use this understanding of photographers and their work when developing their own personal approaches to photography. They learn and apply a range of image-making techniques. Candidates develop their creative problem-solving skills as they resolve visual and technical problems. They also reflect on and evaluate the effectiveness of their practice and the qualities of their photographic work.
Skills, knowledge and understanding for the course
The following provides a broad overview of the subject skills, knowledge and understanding developed in the course:
- applying knowledge and understanding of the properties of light and image formation
- applying knowledge and understanding of camera controls and a range of photographic techniques and processes
- investigating and analysing the major historical, scientific, social, and cultural factors influencing photographers and their work
- producing investigative research for photography, and planning, shooting, printing and developing photographs
- exploring and experimenting with a range of photographic media, manipulation techniques and processes
- producing and presenting creative and technically proficient photographs
- effectively managing and storing photographic images
- critical self-reflecting and evaluating by candidates of their work and practice, and the photographic work of others
Pupils must plan and carry out a selected photography project. They research and investigate their project topic. Drawing on this material, they develop their own creative response by carrying out practical photographic work. From this development work, pupils select and present a series of 12 images which communicate the project topic. Pupils also evaluate the effectiveness of their photographic work and practice.
Assessment Arrangements
The course assessment has two components:
|
Component |
Marks |
Duration |
|
Component 1: question paper |
30 |
1 hour |
|
Component 2: project |
100 |
Pupils will generally work on this during the months of January - April |
Question Paper
The question paper assesses candidates’ knowledge and understanding of photographic work and practice.
The question paper has a total mark allocation of 30 marks. This is 23% of the overall marks for the course assessment.
The question paper has two sections.
Project
The project provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate the skills listed in the ‘Skills, knowledge and understanding for the course assessment’ table in this document. The total marks available for each section are as follows:
Section 1 — planning, research and investigation 20 marks
Section 2 — development and production 70 marks
Section 3 — evaluation 10 marks
The project has a total mark allocation of 100 marks. This is 77% of the overall marks for the course assessment.
Homework
Homework will be given to students through a wide range of activities e.g. photographic assignments to help reinforce the learning in the classroom. In addition to this, students may be set individual tasks by their classroom teacher that builds upon their own course work.
Homework is an integral feature of the course and may be issued on a weekly basis throughout the session. Much of the work for the Course Assessment in particular will have to be completed outwith School time.
*Please note: students must provide a USB memory stick and memory card in order to store their digital files and shoot with respectively.
Progression
This course or its units may provide progression to:
- other qualifications in Photography, Art and Design or related areas
- further study, employment and/or training
Careers in Photography
A qualification in photography provides you with both technical and transferable skills that could lead to a range of careers in the creative industries.
This course is especially useful for the following careers (employed and self-employed):
- Advertising and Commercial Photography
- Architecture Photography
- Fashion Photography
- Food Photography
- Forensic Photography
- Fine Art Photography
- Photojournalism
- Portrait Photography
- Product Photography
- Sports Photography
- Wedding Photography
Other related careers include:
- Creative Arts and Design
- Marketing/Advertising/PR
- Media and internet
- Television/Film/Video
Advanced Higher Art & Design
Click here to see a pupil’s view
The Advanced Higher – Design or Expressive qualification develops learners' aesthetic understanding, creativity and awareness of Design or Expressive Arts. It encourages candidates to use a range of media and technology to respond to their environment. It promotes creative thinking, independent thought and problem solving.
Learners will gain the ability to think creatively and independently through an intensive study within a chosen area. They will develop their skills in visual perception, observation and investigation, through research in response to a design brief, or as part of an in-depth expressive arts project. This will reinforce their skills in handling materials, techniques and processes. They will be able to make informed analytical and critical evaluations.
Course Assessment
- 1500 Word written report
- Folio of work
Both assessed by SQA
There is no written exam for Advanced Higher Art
