Art - A Level
The Art course at Lansdowne is designed to develop your ability to appreciate the visual world, respond to images in a creative, inventive way, and develop and practice your ability to produce basic elements of art such as line, texture, colour, form, etc. Although the A Level traditionally focuses on drawing and painting skills, you may choose to specialise in printmaking, sculpture or 2D or 3D mixed media work. An integral part of the A Level is to explore and learn from the art traditions, styles and skills of contemporary and historical artists and art movements.
Lansdowne is equipped with a large, well-lit, well-equipped studio space. Classes are small, lively and relaxed, allowing students to exchange ideas with their tutor and fellow students, and gain the benefits of intensive one-on-one tuition, constructive criticism and advice.
Lansdowne’s results in Art have been consistently excellent: we recently arranged for a student to continue her undergraduate studies at the highly prestigious Cooper Union Art School in New York.
What will I study in Art?
AS Units 1 and 2
Coursework. You will be given a theme and guided through the research and development stages of your project. From project conception to completion you will learn about the work of relevant artists and explore the use of different materials and processes. This knowledge and skill will be used to comment on and aid improvement of your project. Your tutor will continuously review and monitor your progress.
Externally Set Assignment. Utilising the skills and processes acquired in unit 1, you will have a structured framework within which to respond to a theme set by the examination board under timed conditions.
A2 Units 3 and 4
Coursework. Through workshops and discussions with your tutor you will identify areas of interest to you and plan a major project. Whilst working toward your goals you will construct a written/illustrated study which explains the influence of other artists on your work. Continuous review and evaluation will enable you to monitor and improve your progress.
Externally Set Assignment. Utilising the skills and processes acquired in unit 3, you will have a structured framework within which to respond to a theme set by the examination board under timed conditions.
How will I be assessed?
The majority of marks for Art are gained through long term coursework projects, the remainder through externally set and moderated exams.
Do I need to have studied Art before?
Although it would be preferable to have acquired a good grade at GCSE, this is not essential. Rather we value creativity, enthusiasm and a willingness to develop your talent.
Who will teach me?
David Mullen is a graduate of Camberwell College of Arts with a first class BA (Hons) in Painting. He is practising artist, showing his work in galleries in London. He is new to the Lansdowne Art department this year and brings with him a youthful enthusiasm and love of Fine Art.
Which subjects complement Art?
Other visual arts such as Photography, Graphics and performance/arts based A Level such as Theatre & Drama, Media Studies, History of Art or English Literature. However Art can be combined with any A Level. With the advent of digital technologies, Art can relate well with ICT and Computing.
Which careers can Art lead to?
Art is specifically related to careers in fields such as advertising, marketing, design, architecture, publishing and the media. There is a huge range of Art based courses in Higher Education ranging from theatre design to textiles, fashion, computer animation and 3D modelling, jewellery design and cinematography, as well as traditional fine art courses.