The acronym GCSE tends to make our heart race and our palms sweat…and that’s whether we are the student, teacher or parent of the student! It’s a time of high stress and high anxiety. Some students automatically think they will fail, that they aren’t good enough, and some completely melt down at the thought of enduring these exams. So let’s just put these exams into perspective for a moment.
Have you ever heard of Sir Ken Robinson? He was the leading expert on creative education before he passed in 2020. He advised governments and schools on how to better the system in the UK, which is largely based on the ‘Fordist’ model from the industrial revolution, which aims to offer skills on a mass basis. Here’s what he says:
“Our school systems are now a matrix of organisational rituals and intellectual habit’s that do not adequately reflect the great variety of talents of the students who attend them. Because they conflict with these systems, too many students think that they are the problem; that they are not intelligent, or must have difficulties in learning.”
“we are currently operating a Fordist model of mass education that is failing to prepare young people for the dramatic socioeconomic demands of the digital age. What is more worrying is that politicians, rather than supporting a schools system with the flexibility and innovation obviously needed, have fallen for a theology of standardised testing and assessment that is exacerbating the crisis”
Check out Robinson’s 2006 TED talk, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”
GCSEs are a current part of life and it is my aim to help students and parents prepare for GCSE art in a simple and effective way that will ensure a good grade. Getting a good grade is less about your talent as an artist and more about the preparation and presentation of your portfolio. Pablo Picasso wouldn’t get a good grade if he couldn’t supply the examiner with a cohesive portfolio. Try to get a mentor or tutor if you can too as they will be able to help you put your work together.
So let’s get started. Here are my top tips for getting an A grade in your GCSE art exam. It’s what I teach to each GCSE student I work with and it’s never failed me!
Firstly, I recommend a ring binder portfolio with black paper because you can easily tear out sheets that weren’t successful or add sheets as required. The black paper helps to create a beautiful border to anything you stick in it. I recommend sticking everything in with blutac before committing to glue. This way you can easily change your design or add text (which, trust me, always happens!). Wait until you hand your book in before committing to glueing everything in.
Secondly, your portfolio must ‘read’ like a novel. Think of your front cover as the title of the novel – something to draw in the viewer and make them buy into what you’re selling. The artists are the ‘characters’ of the story – who are they? What do they do? Why are they important in the ‘novel’? Each ‘chapter’ ends with a semi-conclusion – an original artwork of your own. If you view your portfolio in this way it will help you to build it cohesively and ensure a good grade. Those who ‘throw’ their books together without a ‘story’ won’t get a high grade.
Thirdly, if your handwriting isn’t neat then type your notes and stick them in. The examiner can’t mark what she can’t read. You’ll be assessed on your spelling and grammar too so have someone check it over.
Finally, if you are someone who loves to be creative with your presentation then now is your chance to shine, but if you’re not that person then don’t worry – follow my steps and you’ll do just fine. As long as your presentation makes sense then you’ve nailed it.
- Your portfolio must have an engaging front cover with images and perhaps some collage that relates to the topic (be experimental with your design) and include a title using a nice font (either freehand or typed and cut out if your handwriting is messy). This introduces the examiner to your portfolio and tells them exactly what it’s going to be about so make it crystal clear.
- Introduce your first artist using a title and some text (make your text very neat or type it and cut it out) – who is she? What has she accomplished? Why is she relevant to your portfolio? What interests you about her work? What is unique about her work? What mediums has she used?
- Include some images of artworks your first artist has created and choose one to make a study of in your chosen medium no bigger than A4 size and no smaller than A5 size.
- Stick your study into your portfolio and add some text – what went well? What didn’t go so well? What did you learn about the medium you chose? What did you learn about the process? What could you have done better?
- Take some photos (at least 10) of objects/scenes related to your topic and stick them in your portfolio (no bigger than A6 size).
- Choose one of them to turn into an artwork using the style/format of your first artist. Try to use a medium you haven’t yet used.
- Stick your art work into your portfolio and add some text – what went well? What didn’t go so well? What did you learn about the medium you chose? What did you learn about the process? What could you have done better?
You should repeat this process at least 3 times (for 3 different artists related to your topic) in as many different mediums as possible such as:
- Watercolour paint
- Gouache paint
- Acrylic paint
- Soft pastel
- Oil pastel
- Oil paint
- Pencils (colour and graphite)
- Mixed media
Then it’s time to start generating your own ideas about your own artwork related to your topic. Heres what you need to do…
- Take a photoshoot of at least 30 photos related to your topic. For example if you are studying portrait’s then take 30 photos of the faces of your friends and family in different settings with different expressions. Stick them in your portfolio.
- Choose 3 photos to make a study of in different mediums and add text identifying why you chose those 3 photos and which of the 3 artworks was the most successful and why.
- Complete a final A4-A3 size artwork of the most successful artwork identified in the previous step.
You have finished your first topic! Repeat this process for each topic you are given, making sure that you follow the advice of your teacher – after all she’s the one who is likely to be your first examiner.
Good luck artists!!