Creative Statement Comp 1

Task:
You are to begin to write your Creative Statement for Component 1. This is what the moderator requires to help them understand your project.

Open the Creative Statement Template on Google Drive HERE. 

Remember to look at an example HERE

GCSE Gr Grade boundaries fro last year.

9 189
8 177
7 165
6 148
5 131
4 114
3 82
2 50
1 18

Attempt to make a full version

Attempt to make a full version of your current idea. 
This will include ALL of the elements needed. Text, colour, photographs etc.

Remember you must:

• Link your idea somehow to an artist that you have studied. Don’t copy, be influenced.
• Develop and refine one of the ideas that you have already attempted.
• Work in a medium that you feel comfortable in... but definitely try to push yourself. Ask me when you want to try something you need help with.

We will be doing this for the next two weeks. Then we have one week after until the 2-day exam.

Deadline March 11

Further Investigation with photography

Deadline: Start of lesson Thursday, February 28th

Objective
To gather further primary research for your Component 1 project. 
To enable those who feel drawing is weak to collect useful primary research.   
Within the mark scheme, AO3 states: 'Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other forms.'

Task
1. Consider the subject matter for your project. Take a collection of 30+ photos that you could either edit and use in the final artefact or just use as drawing/illustration reference.
To get the best results from this task, be as creative as you can with your subject and composition. 
As an example, if you have a wise old wizard in your book—and don't have a wise old wizard to hand—dress up your friend/dad/self in a bed sheet, cardboard hat and long stick. Pose them in different, relevant positions. 
Or, look on YouTube for tutorials about how to create wise old wizard make-up. There are loads of tutorials (plenty of zombies) on make-up. Make sure you then photograph the 'making of' period.
You will get plenty of good results from using your initiative. 
Do not make excuses as to why you couldn't get interesting images, there is no excuse.

2. Screenshot the collection of thumbnail photographs. (see presentation above)
Print off and annotate -

• Note images that are good. This might be due to them being in focus, correct composition etc. 
• Cross out images that are not to be used. Out of focus, badly cropped, wrong position etc. 
• Write simple notes against the photos, 'out of focus', 'too far away' or 'too dark', 
• Make your annotations obvious - write in pink? 

Within the contact sheet presentation, comment on the following:

• What were your intentions for the shoot? Why take these images? 
• What are the successful elements, What worked well? 
• What were the unsuccessful elements? What didn't work well? 
• If you were to take these images again, what would you do to make them more suitable? 
• Do you believe that you have all the shots you need for the project? If not, what others do you need to take? 

Checklist for assessment
Lots of interesting photographs with concise and insightful evaluative annotations. 

Exploring media

Exploring media

Deadline: Tues 25th Feb.

In a nutshell, make your design. Just see how it goes.

It is very important that you are influenced by the artist you have just studied in SOME way

For this task, you will have time to develop your ideas by exploring different media. You should attempt to choose a technique or medium that is similar to one that you have mainly been using. For example, if you have begun to create a photography based artefact, choose more photography developments that show that you can move an idea along, that you are playful and creative.

Look in my books and on Pinterest for ideas.

By the end of this section, your idea should have moved along considerably and you should be breaking new ground.

Please have fun, work hard, and be playful. Honestly, you will get marks for being courageous as well as skilful.

Comp 2 mid term assessment - BIG hand in

Comp 2 midterm assessment

BIG hand in for all current work is Tuesday 12th of Feb.

There are 10 tasks.
Please ensure that all work below is completed, titled and annotated.

Annotation should include: intentions and a critical evaluation of the work completed. This basically means that you write about how well and how useful the task was.

Important! There are only 4 weeks to go until your exam! If you are unsure of any task, please either see the course blog (gcsegraphics2017-19.blogspot.com) or see me.

This is your chance to reeeeally impress.

Classwork	Home Learning
Brainstorm of your theme	Gather related imagery (a range of existing artwork related to your theme)
Drawings of subject matter in different media	Investigating using photography (a range of your photography related to your theme)
Initial ideas (sketch your first ideas!)	Write an outline of what you plan to make. Explore the ‘conventions of the form’
Further drafting of ideas	Written notes for artists research
Exploring and experimenting with media	Presented artists research and visual response

Artist Investigation - Hwk

2 x Deadlines
Written analysis notes - Tuesday 5th of February
Creative presentation of analysis - Tuesday 12th of February

Objectives
To further your understanding of graphic communication practitioners

Task
Using the web, the list below and my books, research and present a contextual investigation of a relevant artist, illustrator, photographer or designer. 
Feel free to ask me for suggestions. The list below is just some interesting suggestions. Remember that you are looking for a designer or artists that could influence your work and that you will be working in the style of. 

Some are linked, some you have to copy and paste into Pinterest

Craig Thompson	Felicita Sala	Depero Futurista	Daniel Danger
Beatrice Alemagna	David Carson	Petra Eriksson	Digital Paint / Photo
Marcus Walters	Jamie Reid	J Grant Brittain	Barney Bubbles
Paula Bulling	Laura Carlin	Joohee Yoon	John Dilnot
Martin Parr	David Hockney	Francesca Woodman	Double Exposure
Oliver Jeffers	Busy Collage	David Downton	Robert Rauschenberg
Jonny Hannah	Andrea D’Aquino	Isabelle Vandenabeele	Carson Ellis
Privat Livemont	Art Chantry	Victor Moscoso	David Carson
Killer Acid	Dave McKean	Jamie Hewlett	Tom J Newell
Peter Saville	Rick Griffin	Martin Sharp	Kate Moross
Clare Caulfield.	Jon McNaught	Gipi	Mark Hearld

The contents of the investigation should include the following:

1 Gather 4+ pieces of their work - bullet point why these pieces are characteristic of the artist’s work. Don’t describe them separately, look for similar traits. 

2 Explain your personal response and criticise and analyse their work. Use the relevant questions on the LOOKING AT ARTEFACTS sentence starters sheet to help your questioning and responses. 

The full 'Looking At Artefacts' sheet is HERE

3 Respond to their work by emulating their style or process. Take characteristics of their work and merge them with your own work. Translate the work into your own ideas. Don’t spend hours coping whole images. Copies don’t earn many marks - your personal response does.



For those students wishing to achieve the top grades:
Context GCSE Stretch and Challenge 1 Write about the context. What other designers are working at the same time? Include a range of illustrator's work

Influences GCSE Stretch and Challenge 2 Research to find out who the designer has been influenced by. To do this you may need to read an interview with the illustrator. 
Just Google "Interview with [illustrator's name]" and read a few passages

Collecting artefacts - Choosing and drafting.

Tuesday task (Page Title: Thematic Artefacts)
1. Collect artworks, illustrations, artefacts, related to your theme.
2. Choose your ‘form’. (book cover, poster etc)

Thursday and Friday task (Page Title: Initial ideas)
1. Draft out potential ideas using either pen, pencil, watercolour OR photoshop or collage. Any creative way of playing with ideas is fine.

Just try things out.
You have no time to hesitate.
Just keep pushing at ideas. Even if they are 'wrong', you will still get a better mark and end result. Fill your pages.

Deadline: Tuesday 29th of Jan

Comp 2 - Conventions - Hwk

Conventions of the form - Homework
Deadline - Tuesday 29th Jan.


Task 1 
Write an outline of what you plan to make. This will change, so don’t stress.

Task 2 
Explore the ‘Conventions of the Form’.

You should now have an idea of what you plan to make. At least a general idea of the direction and the form (i.e. gig poster, film poster etc).
Gather and annotate a few examples of artefacts to indicate the elements that are typically included.
If you find that there is not much on a single digipak or book cover, use a few different examples - especially if you are aiming for a 7 or 8.

Tip
Those looking at children's' picture books, you will find that once you have noted down things such as title, author, image etc, you will wish to examine some in a little more detail. Notice general things about the use of type, is it straight? what sort of typefaces? Maybe look at the size and shape of characters, how big are their heads? what expression do they have? You are after generalisations, not specifics for these tasks.

Those looking at album cover design, once you have completed stating that most albums have a title, image and barcode, you will want to look a little deeper. Try gathering some example from different genres (metal, country, indie, Blues, EDM etc) and noting the similarities or differences that they have. As an example, you may wish to spot at how Blues albums mainly feature musicians holding or playing their main instrument - probably guitar. This is due to the audience's fondness for seeing blues artists and being able to actually play rather than mime. There is an authenticity.

Time needed 
2 hrs. Use (at least) a double page spread. 

Investigate using Photography - Homework

Investigate using Photography - Homework
Deadline - Tuesday 22nd March.

Task:

Using your camera, go out and take pictures related to your theme. Don’t hold back! Variety and a creative/inventive/playful mind will produce the best results.

Remember, you have no idea what your final will be yet. That's 7 weeks away.

30+ images. To be presented in your sketchbook. 

Title: 'Photography investigation.'

Annotation should include 1. Your intention. 2. Any observations about the images that spring to mind and 3. An evaluation of the task.

Explore using drawing - Classwork

Exploring your starting point using drawing.
Deadline: Tuesday 22nd Jan

Task:
Fill pages with drawings relating to your brainstorm.
Thos that struggle with drawing, FEEL FREE TO USE A LIGHTBOX.
Use a variety of different media. Look at the presentation above for inspiration.

Title: 'Exploring using drawing.'
Annotation should include 1. Your intention. 2. Any observations about the images that spring to mind and 3. An evaluation of the task.

Helpful links:   

How to draw
Primary drawing  

Gather Related Imagery - Homework

Using your brainstorm as a reference, you should now gather together related imagery. This can be anything related to your theme. Be clever, obvious, playful and creative with your choices
Include your own drawing. 
Create a clear title.

Remember! The more you can introduce your own drawing and creative making into your pages, the better result you will obtain!

Don't forget to annotate as you go along. What is your intention and what have you achieved at the end of the exercise. What interesting observations have you made along the way?

Deadline: Tues 15th of Jan