How Do You Teach People to Cfeate a Conceptual Art Pice
Last Updated on February 8, 2017
Looking for art project ideas? A theme for high schoolhouse art boards? Whether specialising in Painting, Graphic Design, Photography, textiles or Sculpture, virtually senior high schoolhouse Art students begin by selecting a topic for their portfolio, coursework or examination project. It is a determination that many find hard, whether due to a lack of inspiration, an inability to discern between two or more possible ideas or a general misunderstanding almost the type of topic that is appropriate. Below is a step-by-footstep guide that IGCSE, GCSE, A Level Art students (and those from many other loftier school Fine art qualifications) may utilise to assist begin, evaluate and select an outstanding field of study, topic or theme for their high school Art project.
Step one: Begin Ideas
- Write down all subjects, themes, places, things, activities or issues that are personally relevant and that affair to you(fifty-fifty random, unexpected things, such as a the fine art room sink, or heirloom knives and forks in your kitchen drawer). The purpose of any artwork is to communicate a bulletin: to comment or scream or sing about the earth in which we find ourselves in. If there is no emotion behind the work, at that place is no driving force – nothing to direct and shape your decision making. Write downwardly the things that you care virtually; that movement you.
- Include topics that are unusual, challenging, controversial, gritty or inspiring: those that fill up y'all with passion. Students who select substantial, heartfelt issues that they really believe in are more than probable to achieve great results than those who choose aesthetically pleasing simply superficial subjects. A tried and truthful field of study can still be approached in an individual and innovative mode, but choosing a topic that is novel and fresh has certain advantages. Strong, contentious bug are those which the assessors themselves take a reaction to; they provoke an emotive response. Such topics make the markers and moderators sit down upwards and take notice: it gives them aplenty opportunity to see the merit within your work. (Instance shown below:Photography Coursework folio boards by Louise Hutt).
Painting Coursework page boards past Lauren Day from Greenish Bay High School:
Painting Coursework final piece by Hera Lorandos from St. Lawrence College:
Painting Coursework folio boards by Michaela Coney of Waiuku College:
Note: For inspiration about how to present your brainstorming, you may like to view How to make a Heed Map: creative examples for loftier schoolhouse Art students.
Step 2: Evaluate your ideas
Call up carefully nigh the topics that you have written downwardly. Use the flowchart at the end of this article to evaluate your ideas.
- Eliminate those which are 'cheesy' (i.eastward involving pink hearts and Brad Pitt), insincere (i.east. a theme of 'World Peace', when really this is something you couldn't intendance less well-nigh) andoverly "pretty" or lacking in substance (i.due east. bunches of roses). This doesn't mean that a traditionally 'beautiful' discipline cannot exist successful, (meet the cupcake example beneath past a student from Sir William Ramsay School – image sourced from Dan Mainland china), merely think carefully before proceeding with such a topic.
- Eliminate those subjects which you are unable to explore first-manus. In lodge to create artworks, you will need admission to high quality imagery. For example, if you lot are exploring the way in which humans impale animals in order to consume their meat, access to the inside of a butchery or slaughter-house/freezing works is likely to exist essential. Reliance on photographs taken by others is rarely a skillful idea. No matter how awesome a theme appears, if you are unable to explore any aspect of it firsthand, it is very unlikely that y'all volition exist able to do the topic justice. Call back that you lot will likely need to return to your source imagery several times during your loftier school course, so a submission based upon a detail found that but blooms for a couple of weeks out of the twelvemonth or a view of your village during a rare wintertime snow storm is very risky. The platonic GCSE, IGCSE or Art A-Level subject area is one that you can physically return to, whenever yous need – to draw, photograph or experience start-manus.
- Remove the topics for which the source material is excessively uncomplicated, i.east. containing just a few forms, textures and patterns. A small pile of cardboard boxes, for example, might inspire a great cartoon, but if this is the starting signal for an entire year's AS or A2 work, the straight lines, rectangular forms and flat box surfaces are unlikely to provide enough visual variety to explore for months on cease. Overly busy source fabric, on the other mitt, is not an upshot – it is much easier to simplify form and detail than information technology is to add dorsum in.
- Eliminate those topics for which the source textile lacks aesthetic appeal . Practice not mistake 'aesthetic appeal' for pretty. In fact, some of the 'ugliest' things can exist stunningly rendered in an artwork or design. Art teachers (and artists in general) frequently speak of finding the beauty in the ordinary or mundane: seeing the magic in that which others accept discarded or forgotten (see the electrical plug painting below by Amy Thellusson fromNotting Loma and Ealing High Schoolhouse) . This does not hateful, however, that anything is suitable for your A Level topic. Some scenes are genuinely unattractive and unsuitable visually. Sure object combinations (due to their particular shapes, colours or textures) are extremely hard to compose in a pleasing way. Similarly, some items – particularly disproportionate drawings or designs by others – are very challenging for a high school student to replicate. A drawing, for case, of a doll that is proportioned unusually, may appear to be an inaccurate, desperately proportioned drawing of an ordinary doll. In other words, the examiner may not realise that the doll is proportioned badly – they may think yous just cannot describe. (If y'all find ascertaining the aesthetic potential of your ideas difficult, talk over this further with your art teacher. Alternatively, y'all are welcome to join the discussion in our forum).
- Eliminate topics which are common or over-done (unless you have an original style of approaching this topic) . It doesn't matter if some others have explored the same topic as you… With the millions of people in the world, information technology is highly unlikely that you volition be the only one to explore a particular theme (in fact, this is beneficial, as yous can larn from others…and no i will brand fine art exactly similar you), merely, if EVERYONE is doing it – if it is a topic that the examiners have seen a hundred times before, you should think carefully about whether y'all take something sufficiently new and original to say nigh it.
- Ensure that the topic y'all choose is something that y'all really care nigh and which can sustain your interest for a year. If you have more than 1 topic left on your list, pick the thing that you care about the well-nigh.
A Level Photography slice past Kate Dunn from Cobham Hall Schoolhouse:
Painting Coursework folio boards by Melanie Nieuwoudt from Green Bay Loftier School:
A quick guide for evaluating ideas
The information in this article has been summarised in a flowchart, which tin be used as a quick tool to evaluate GCSE, IGCSE and A Level Fine art ideas. The top section of the diagram contains general areas to trigger brainstorming; the bottom outlines the evaluation procedure.
Summary
A good GCSE, IGCSE, NCEA or A level Art coursework topic keeps you lot enthusiastic, creative and eager to create more. It eliminates the need for slavish cocky-subject field. It opens the door for you become a 'existent' artist – making art about what matters to you.
Comments
When first published, this article received over eight hundred comments from students looking for direction and assistance with their loftier school art projects. S ome of these comments take been published below. It is hoped that the answers provide valuable insight for others.
Levi:I am struggling with a theme for my art A2 Level Unit three. I was wondering if y'all can suggest. I was thinking of 'seasons' merely cannot observe much information or artists to enquiry and this is of import because I accept to write an essay on the artist. I do non recall this is a theme with enough information. I did very well in my AS Level and got an A on both units. They were on Natural Class (Fish) and Waterways. At that place was then much information on both these themes. I did the 24-hour interval of the Dead festival for my GCSE and got an A*. I am trying to find a theme which has lots of information merely am struggling. Thank you for your help.
Amiria: Firstly, I want to stress that the most of import cistron should be how personally relevant your theme is: the quantity of information available on this topic is much less crucial. The truth is that these days – with the prevalence of data available on the internet – it is very rare to find a topic which you lot are unable to find sufficient material. If you are finding it difficult to source information that relates to a 'seasons' theme, this may exist because yous are beingness too general in your investigations. I propose that you recall most what aspect the topic you are almost interested in… For example, are you lot merely drawn to aesthetic aspects, i.e. tawny fall leaves or a barren wintertime scene…or do y'all wish to conduct a more theoretical investigation – i.e. exploring ideas of regeneration / cycle of life etc? Once y'all have narrowed it downwardly (hopefully to something that is gritty, meaningful and personal) brainstorm Google searches for artwork that fits this specific bailiwick. Hopefully this will provide yous with more results.
If you would like to abandon the seasons theme altogether, and wish to start with something new, it is difficult for me to brand suggestions every bit I don't know your interests and the possibilities are endless! If you are really stuck, take something ordinary – and do something unusual to it. For example, 1 of my most recent students took fruit, waited until it rotted and decayed…and then strung them up on the classroom wall using nails and string. She then took cruel and beautiful photographs of these, and began the most intricate and detailed drawings and paintings. At that place were many painters of fruit whose piece of work was helpful to her. There was also an endless supply of crazy, contemporary modern artists whose exploratory employ of media was of relevance.
Forget well-nigh quantity of information. If you care enough about something, you volition be able to write an outstanding essay with ease.
What moves you lot? What matters to you most in the world?
SOPHIA:I'm almost to brainstorm my AS Art and we have been asked to produce work over the summer on the topic they have given u.s.a.. Although I won the art prize last year I am struggling with ideas for our theme which is Manmade. I like fine fine art and my previous works have been detailed forms of nature including horses, plants etc. To starting time with I accept been looking at Leonardo da Vinci and have been inspired by his sketches of human anatomy, but I don't know how to develop this into my own ideas keeping within the Manmade topic. Also after reading your tips I realise it has to convey emotion. Help!
AMIRIA:Hi Sophia, thanks for your question. Your enjoyment of drawing natural forms, horses, plants and human being anatomy drawings suggests you particularly like curving, organic forms – perhaps with a preference (at this stage) for realistic depiction. In that location are plenty of 'Manmade' items that also fit into this category, i.due east. curving architectural forms; ornate utensils / kitchenware (old kettles etc); woven baskets; intricate jewellery pieces… If you lot do a Google paradigm search on 'curving organic course' you become a expert idea of the huge range of beautiful man fabricated forms that fit into the aesthetic you seem to like… which could thus form the footing of an As portfolio. The possibilities, even so, are endless, then it is better to inquire yourself what things really matter to yous – what practice you want to communicate to the world? Your work is oft best driven not just by an emotion, but by a bulletin (which will and then provoke an emotional response in you and viewers). What bothers you? What enrages y'all? Once yous have an idea, you can then starting time to think nigh ways of exploring this aesthetically…
ABIGAIL: Hi! I am really struggling to find ideas for my theme of landscape this twelvemonth. Last twelvemonth I received an Excellence for my NCEA Art board which was to practise with humans and birds. My art ofttimes surrounds humans and animals simply I cannot do that with the theme this year then I am actually stuck! I was thinking of doing Rural vs Urban merely as I am in beloved with Venice and other historical buildings that I feel the need to paint them for my art board!! I don't know how I could comprise these ideas (rural, urban, historical buildings) or if you take any other ideas for the theme of Landscape it would be MUCH appreciated! Cheers!
AMIRIA: What detail aspect of a Rural vs Urban theme would you focus on? The encroachment of urban sprawl on the rural environment? Disharmonize at the boundary where the ii meet? It is possible that historical buildings could play a function in an urban/rural theme if you looked at, for example, vines/creepers itch over bedraggled buildings / nature taking back a manmade structure etc. However, such interpretations are reasonably mutual and don't seem to be that personal – i.e. historical buildings seem to be something a teenager might similar aesthetically, just don't appear to have much personal relevance (right me if I am wrong).
When thinking about a 'mural' theme, remember that the word landscape can be interpreted quite widely…i.due east. it doesn't necessarily limit you to 'pretty' outdoor scenes, merely could involve digital/virtual landscapes and how these interact with the physical world…or mayhap human despair / disenchantment manifested in dirty, graffiti-filled urban alleyways. Whatsoever the case, every bit suggested in my responses to the above two questions, you need to begin by identifying issues that really matter to y'all and using these as the starting point for exploring landscape. For example (this is simply a random thought, to illustrate the signal), you lot might be disenchanted with the rigidity of school life and how the education system has been reduced to spoon feeding students with small capsules of data. You could and then begin to explore this idea through the depiction of schoolyard landscapes – focusing perhaps on filigree-similar patterns (repetition of rectangular classroom windows etc) in dreary disconnected compages. Equally your work progress, you might end up abstracting the architectural forms in an endeavor to better represent/communicate/express your ideas.
If you find information technology easier to start with a concrete subject area and let the ideas menstruation from there, then select something unusual and interesting. Not a pretty building or a valley containing flowers – but perhaps a cattle carcass decomposable in long grass or a smashed up car abased on a verge. It's not the macabre is necessarily more advisable than pleasant imagery, simply that the world is already filled with a million depictions of pretty landscapes. Unless you are an absolutely amazing artist,you are doing yourself a disservice by selecting a common, 'pretty' subject. And even if yous are absolutely amazing, information technology tin can exist far more heady to selection something unusual and crazy!
HAYA:Hey! I'1000 having a problem choosing a topic with my five page (Equally Level) portfolio. I prefer natural over manmade. Whatsoever idea as to what I tin can base my v pages on? So far I've been working on different postures of the human torso wrapped with curtain in an attempt to symbolise repression – a characteristic well known to myself as I'm a repressive person. Throughout my piece of work, the true identity of the model is hidden. I was wondering if my topic needs to exist developed any further? Also, I was thinking of basing my work on something manmade…but I don't know what I could possibly do nether manmade. Your site is absolutely awesome. Thanks for all your help!
AMIRIA: I actually like your repression theme. It has a lot of potential. You could explore such things as the results of repression and whether this amercement you lot / makes you withdraw or put up facades / muffle your true personality etc. The theme may lend itself to using acrylic gel mediums etc to achieve transparency and translucent layers…exploring what is seen / what is not seen / what is hidden etc.
It is difficult to say whether your topic needs to be developed further without seeing your work – but the body of piece of work equally a whole should bear witness development…from a starting point towards a resolved work. If your project seems to be simply repeating the aforementioned subject from a unlike bending etc it is time for ideas / compositional strategies to be resolved. Looking to other artists for inspiration is often the all-time way to move forrad if you are stuck.
You might like to select manmade items that are continued to both material and ideas of repression …i.e. metallic buckles on article of clothing and stitched ties / cords / zips etc – all of which invoke ideas such as tying shut / restraining / confining etc. These objects have more structure and rigidity than merely draped cloth and the homo form (and would thus provide you with some welcome variety) but also can be tied in nicely with your before themes. Proficient luck!
ASHLEIGH:For my As Fine art I am doing Urban Decay. It has to have some kind of story developing through to the end but I cannot recollect of anything????
Amiria:There are many possibilities… Literal interpretations, such as an area of town that is physically falling into disrepair and has some sort of history or story attached to it…i.e. perhaps a thriving industrial surface area that became disused for some reason and and so became overtaken by graffiti / vandalism etc. Alternatively yous could explore notions of communities being dispersed due to computers …i.e. the desertion (disuse) of traditional urban social centres (i.e. malls / picture theatres) due to people favouring internet-based interactions from the warmth of their ain homes…
Maybe you could zoom right and look at things on a most molecular level…extreme close-ups, visually analysing, for instance, the rust and erosion that creeps across metallic surfaces – or mites that eat into timber. These could lend themselves to beautiful abstract works. The 'story' in this case might be to do with the circle of life and how physical forms are transient and illusory with no articulate boundaries…the ebb and catamenia of atoms etc…
Another pick might be the beauty in decay? Discovering something that has rotted abroad only to expose something beautiful…
INAPICKLE:Hi! I have to COMPLETELY rethink my original thought for my folio board (NCEA Level 3) and I'm really struggling for conceptual ideas. At the moment my new thought is the loss of innocence/complete mental destruction and changed perception of the world through the experiences of state of war, told from a third person point of view with a solider equally the master character (similar a narrative). Also weaved into that idea is the idea of being so easily manipulated/brainwashed by the authorities into existence merely a playing piece/slaughtered in their 'game' of war.
Help! I need your advice, am I on the right track? Or am I completely off?? I fear that the idea is way too platitude AND I'grand as well unable to take photos of the subject affair kickoff paw…
AMIRIA: Your ideas are not new, equally such, in that others take explored them earlier, just I don't think they are cliché. In that location is a slight gamble that they could be presented in an obvious, literal 'this is what I am proverb' blazon way, only this applies to virtually topics.
In terms of immediate subject matter, I would be hesitant about only using tertiary party images – and would be particularly conscientious if they are just commonly available photographs (i.due east. those off the internet). You should apply first hand subject matter if at all possible. For instance, exercise you have relatives who were in a war? Can you get hold of any of their old memorabilia? Perchance you could have photographs at a museum or an old bunker? If you lot were thinking more along the lines of Americans in Iraq etc, and so paper clippings / mag articles – perchance televisions or computer screens with online news stories – could be used every bit physical objects in themselves (i.e. with yous initially creating a pile of photographs or pinning articles to a wall…and then drawing them, with all the creases / shadows / three-dimensional elements). You could even have images and digitally superimpose them onto other surfaces (i.e. find a demolished edifice or something that appears to be some war scene ruin blazon affair…photo it beautifully, then digitally superimpose other state of war based images over the summit of it…
In that location are some instances where third political party source fabric is appropriate (ordinarily when the resulting work is a far deviation from the initial images)…simply I would exist hesitant. Discuss it advisedly with your teacher. They volition know your work and whether it will piece of work for your situation.
KIMIKO:I've recently started my NCEA Level three Painting lath and I'm very confused and muddled with ideas. I'm worried that my theme may be too superficial or not piece of cake for others to understand, to the point where I'm thinking of redoing my boards. My theme right at present is Arizona (desert), which was inspired by a dream I had of an open road journeying. The paintings that I have already done accept a lot of vast open up spaces to show freedom, buffalo skulls and night colours which depict death of the state, a primary character (a girl), her tattoos and an old school machine. I plan on making my second board more surreal and reintroducing this coyote as a spirit guide (maybe this would create the more dreamlike qualities I'thou trying to bear witness)? I am also worried that I might be trying to cram besides many themes or ideas into 1 making information technology complicated. Any ideas or pointers would be such a life saver.
AMIRIA: Hi Kimiko.Your theme sounds cool and crazy (in a good mode), but it seems to join a whole range of elements and ideas, so it doesn't surprise me that you lot are floundering a fiddling.
Firstly, I simply want to check whether yous have (or have had) immediate access to any of your subject field matter? Have you been to the Arizona desert? Have y'all seen and photographed existent buffalo skulls? Is the car a real ane that you lot have access to? Is the daughter y'all? Even if these things are ultimately depicted in fashion that is stylised and surrealistic, it helps immensely to have quality source textile the showtime. Could you lot substitute cow skulls for buffalo skulls (your school science dept should take some)? You desire the examiners to believe that this is something personal to you – y'all don't want them to suspect you take produced the whole thing from 2nd hand imagery sourced off the internet. There have been some skillful folios based on second hand imagery – i.e. pictures from comic books – but these are rare, and in these cases the students cleverly manipulate the image to 'brand them their ain'.
The second thing that concerns me a piffling is the big range of objects/scenes within your work. For most students, condign proficient with the representation of just one or ii items inside a year'southward work is enough of a claiming, permit alone trying to become competent at drawing landscapes, bones, human being figures, cars, and (at present possibly) animals all at the aforementioned fourth dimension. I would probably refrain from introducing a coyote, especially if this is something that has not appeared anywhere elsewhere in your board for this reason…only it is difficult to say without seeing your piece of work. If you are a strong drawer and can cope with a broad range of forms, it might be appropriate, as long every bit it could exist integrated seamlessly within your board. What does your teacher recall?
The real issue at hand, all the same, is whether yous accept established what your work is actually nearly. If it is difficult for others to understand, it may exist because you have non fully defined yourself what you lot are trying to say. You mention that yous are trying to depict a dreamlike state, and also liberty and decease of the state, simply how are these things connected? Your art needs to exist more than a simple depiction of a landscape y'all dreamed about, with hinted emotion. Information technology needs to have a real bulletin and purpose. What was the dream really well-nigh? What is the purpose of the mural? What is the artwork trying to say?
Once you take established this, information technology should be easier to know how to proceed with your piece of work. For example, if y'all are trying to communicate the thrill and fearful freedom that might follow an apocalyptic catastrophe (that is the issue of humanity'due south careless mental attitude towards protecting our planet, for example), with the earth is 'wiped clean' and the landscape as nosotros know it gone, leaving humans gratuitous of the shackles of modern society and eking out a primitive existence etc… and so little details in the desert sand could requite hints at what happened and what has been lost – perhaps collaged littered remnants of society… The expressions, vesture and tattoos on the girl could likewise all contain clues about what has happened…
JADE:I'm having a lilliputian difficulty deciding on a projection for my A2 Fine Art project. I begin this project in September but nosotros take been brash to start brainstorming ideas and collecting relevant sources during the summer holidays to contribute to the evolution and stability of my project. This projection is basically a personal experimentation projection, so I can literally do anything for this project which is why I'm struggling slightly to find an idea. I am generally quite an indecisive person unfortunately! So when I think of an idea, information technology has to be one in which I feel I volition not ever become bored of and a projection that substantially tin can exist broadened. In my previous projects, I've ever had trouble with keeping with projects consistently flowing. I tend to eventually run out of different ideas!
I have been thinking about doing 'the seven mortiferous sins' every bit a project, and I've done some research on this topic. Personally, I call up this could be an interesting theme to explore. However, my concern is that my ain research and gathering of sources (i.due east. original images) may be limited. If you have any suggestions I would be very grateful. If you likewise have whatever other suggestions for me going in a different direction or topic, I would also much appreciate any ideas. I savor painting, sketching, chalk and I beloved mixed media work. I'd like to find a projection in which I can incorporate all mediums.
Thanks for your fourth dimension, i'm pitiful this mail is so long! I find this site very helpful and encouraging, so thanks.
AMIRIA:Well done for beginning your preparation early on – your teacher will be very happy! My feeling is that the seven deadly sins is a very broad topic. Even just ane of the sins would be sufficient for an A2 theme. It is much meliorate to accept a narrow, well executed torso of work, rather than a broad project that is scattered and breathless. The fundamental to picking a topic is to observe one that is actually important to you (on an emotional level, non merely an intellectual level). For example, you could selection gluttony if you (or someone you are close to) struggles with dieting/eating/weight; or greed if people you are close to piece of work themselves into the ground in chase of money, whilst sacrificing other aspects of their lives (i.e. a father who is always at the role and doesn't spend time with his family); or green-eyed if there is something you desperately long for…or someone who y'all meet is being destroyed by envy etc… In other words, be driven by an event that is actually relevant in your life.
In terms of your desire to employ many mediums – this is a great thought for all topics. Experimentation and trialling a range of mediums is beneficial for all topics, so don't permit this worry or influence your topic choice.
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Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of educatee work in 2 high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Compages (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Fine art & Design Coursework Assessor.
Source: https://www.studentartguide.com/articles/a-level-art-ideas
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