A-Level Art Tips!
I took AQA A-Level Fine Art and got an A*, so now I hope to be able to help those struggling with it at the moment by giving tips, showcasing my work and talking about what I did wrong!
Each college/school asks you to work differently, but I was in one where they taught us to use sketchbooks. However, every applicant has to follow two briefs: The Personal Investigation and the External Set Assignment.
THIS IS A LONG POST SO BE READY
PERSONAL INVESTIGATION
My school divided the PERSONAL INVESTIGATION into two projects, in which we had to research at least 4 artists, make responses to their work and create a final piece. The first project was called Identity and the second project was up to us, it could be about anything as long as it somewhat related to what we looked at in the first project.
PROJECT 1 IDENTITY
This project was to lead you into your personal investigation, try new ways of working and a more clear idea for when you start the proper thing. Some people did not present this for examination.
What I did wrong here was overestimate how much time I had. Deadlines creep up and many people make the mistake of leaving things to the last minute. To make sure that you get things done to a good standard, you need to work constantly, since it's all coursework. This will also give you time to make extra work, the more explorations and pieces you create, the better.
Per project, make sure you look at at least 4 artists, and by that I mean make a study of 1-2 of their works, write information about them, what you like about them and how they link to your project as well as an original piece that is based on their work.
Make sure you use a variety of styles and mediums. And lay out your sketchbook in interesting, unique ways.
For example, I made booklets in some pages which open up to reveal information and art
Once you've looked at your artists, it's time to prepare your final response to the project. Make sure you do as many experiments as possible, explain EVERY SINGLE thing you do, like you're leading the examiner through your thought process, and make sure your project STANDS OUT! Don't limit yourself to making a painting, think about how you present your work and do something different and unique. For this project, for example, I wrote and illustrated a book. This was because I looked at how fantasy books had impacted me and shaped my identity.
I annotated the whole process, everything in the book was symbolic for something (examiners love metaphors!) If you are interested in reading my book, it is available in my Ko-Fi shop.
^^ Process!
PROJECT 2 PARACOSMS
This project was my favourite and what carried my grade up. You can make this project about ANYTHING. Mine was about how detailed universes develop inside of imaginations, therefore having a direct link to my other project. Here I was much more thoughtful of what to include and how to lay things out. I would look at two artists with something in common and then create a piece or two (mini-projects) that represented them.
For the final piece of this project I constructed a wooden Dungeon Master Board, I made it with a functional dice tower with a gargoyle, as well as a chalkboard and clipboard. I made it all from scratch, which is something the examiners like, especially since I annotated it all. Overall, what you need to do is write everything down and make everything look pretty. You will have to write an essay explaining this project. Just trust your yapping skills, examiners only skim-read. Also make sure that you have a good relationship with your teachers because they mark everything, the examiners are only there to make sure they agree with them, and if you are part of a large class, they likely will only look at the work of a few students.
EXTERNAL SET ASSIGNMENT
This was the project I did the worst in. You only have a few months to complete the external set assignment, so it tends to be rushed. Use the same formula that you used for the rest of your projects, but make it simpler and work as quickly as you can. This project is only 20% of the grade, but it includes a 15 hour exam at the end, where you will make your final piece. This project is where you do not want to take risks, stick to what you're good at and plan a piece you can definitely do in the 15 hour slot. Make sure you are sufficiently prepared for the exam so you do not stress during it. For example, I made an oil painting because it's the medium I'm best at. To make sure I finished in time, I made the sketch first, you are allowed to sketch your work on the canvas and write it down in your sketchbook as preparatory work. Then you are not fiddling with perspective or proportions and can get right into it.
Let me know if you have any questions, if you would like to see more of my work, artists I could recommend etc. Good luck with your A-Level Art course!
I have not included everything, of course, because there is A LOT. The more work you present, the better. If you have personal art you do in your own time, throw that in too. They won't take marks away for extra work.
You will also find this to be the most taxing a-level (sorry, science kids) because of the sheer volume of coursework. I would only recommend this course to people who want to go into a creative career, simply because your other a-levels may suffer due to you concentrating more on this course. For example, while I got an A* in Art, I got a C in History because I completely ignored that subject for so long.