Transition Pack

For

Level 3

Art and Design

Get ready for Level 3 qualifications! A guide to help you get ready for Level 3 Art and

Design, including everything from practical and written activities to days out and online learning courses.

Summer 2018

This pack contains a programme of activities and resources to prepare you tostart Level 3 Art and Design in September. It is aimed to be used after youcomplete your Level 2 qualifications throughout the remainder of the Summerterm and over the Summer Holidays to ensure you are ready to start your coursein September. The two activities, one practical and one critical analysis will needto be completed for your first Art lesson in September.

• Access to the internet• Opportunities to travel• Basic art equipment• Collage materials• Sketchbook – any size or shape. A5 sketchbooks are available from

school to complete the practical activity in if you wish to collect one before the end of the summer term.

Kick back this summer with a good read. The books below are all popular art books and great for extending your knowledge, skills and understanding of Art and Design.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence

by Betty Edwards

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is the world s most widely used drawing instruction book. Whether you are a professional, a student

or enjoy art as a hobby Betty Edwards practical step-by-step guide to drawing will give you greater confidence in your ability, deepen your artistic perception and provide a new way to appreciate the way you

perceive the world around you.

The Shock of the Newby Robert Hughes

A beautifully illustrated hundred-year history of modern art, from cubism to pop and avant-garde. More than 250 colour photos.

The Thames & Hudson Introduction to Artby Debra J. DeWitte and M.Kathryn Shields Ralph M. Larmann

This is a bestselling and comprehensive introductory

textbook that uses a four-part structure to cover all aspects

of the visual arts, including: how art is designed - the visual

language of art; how art is made - the media and

processes, covering everything from painting and sculpture

to graphic design, digital media, film and installations; the

history of art, from prehistoric times to the twenty-first

century and including art from all parts of the world; and

major themes that recur across cultures and throughout history.

Kick back this summer with a good read. The books below are all popular art books and great for extending your knowledge, skills and understanding of Art and Design.

Nothing If Not Critical: Selected Essays on Art and Artistsby Robert HughesFrom Holbein to Hockney, from Norman Rockwell to Pablo Picasso, from sixteenth-century Rome to 1980s SoHo, Robert Hughes looks with love, loathing, warmth, wit and authority at a wide range of art and artists, good, bad, past and present.

Ways of Seeingby John Berger

John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any

language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about which the (London) Sunday

Times critic commented: "This is an eye-opener in more ways than one: by concentrating on how we look at

paintings . . . he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures."

The Artist's Handbook 3rd Editionby Ray Smith

Whether you're interested in the traditional art methods of

drawing, painting and printmaking or modern art techniques

such as digital photography, digital printing and digital image

manipulation, this guide is for you. Get the low down on all

the tools, materials, procedures and techniques of the

artist's craft, from how to mix paints to lighting. Step-by-

steps provide the inspiration to experiment with creative

techniques and professional artworks highlight the use of

these new skills. With information on colour theory,

perspective, setting up an artists studio and exhibiting your

work. This is the definitive reference guide for amateurs and

proficient, conventional and progressive artists alike.

Everyone loves a good story and everyone loves some great artwork. Here are some of the picks of the best films based on real life artists. We’ve looked back over the last 50 years to give you our top 5 films you might not have seen before. Great watching for a rainy day.

There are some great TV programmes and series too, you might want to check out: Grayson Perry – All in the best possible taste and Who are you?And any programmes on http://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/sections/art.

Frida is a 2002 American biopic drama film which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. It stars Salma Hayek in her Academy Award-nominated portrayal as Kahlo and Alfred Molina as her husband, Diego Rivera. The movie was adapted by Clancy Sigal, Diane Lake, Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas from the book Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera. It was directed by Julie Taymor. It won two Academy Awards for Best Makeup and Best Original Score.

Pollock is a 2000 biographical film which tells the life story of American painter Jackson Pollock. It stars Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Connelly, Robert Knott, Bud Cort, Molly Regan and Sada Thompson, and was directed by Harris.

Basquiat is a 1996 American biographical drama film directed by Julian Schnabel and written by Lech J. Majewski and John Bowe based on the life of American postmodernist/neo expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Basquiat, born in Brooklyn, used his graffiti roots as a foundation to create collage-style paintings on canvas.Jeffrey Wright portrays Basquiat, and David Bowie plays Basquiat's friend and mentor Andy Warhol. Additional cast members include Gary Oldman as a thinly disguised Schnabel, Michael Wincott as the poet and art critic Rene Ricard; Dennis Hopper as Bruno Bischofberger; Parker Posey as gallery owner Mary Boone; and Claire Forlani, Courtney Love, Tatum O'Neal, and Benicio del Toro in supporting roles as "composite characters".

Lust for Life is a MGM biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by John Houseman. The film stars Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh, James Donald as his brother Theo, Pamela Brown, Everett Sloane, and Anthony Quinn, who won an Oscar for his performance as Van Gogh's fast friend and rival Paul Gauguin.

Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 2003 drama film directed by Peter Webber. The screenplay was adapted by screenwriter Olivia Hetreed, based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier. Scarlett Johansson stars as Griet, a young 17th-century servant in the household of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (played by Colin Firth) at the time he painted Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) in the city of Delft in Holland. Other cast members include Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy, and Judy Parfitt.

If you have 30 minutes to spare, here are some great presentations (and free!) from world leading artists, designers and craftspeople on a variety of topics. They provide some interesting answers and ask some thought-provoking questions.

Philippe Starck: Design and destinyAvailable at : https://www.ted.com/talks/philippe_starck_thinks_deep_on_designDesigner Philippe Starck — with no pretty slides to show — spends 18 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question "Why design?" Listen carefully for one perfect mantra for all of us, genius or not.

Tracy Chevalier: Finding the story inside the paintingAvailable at:https://www.ted.com/talks/tracy_chevalier_finding_the_story_inside_the_paintingWhen Tracy Chevalier looks at paintings, she imagines the stories behind them: How did the painter meet his model? What would explain that look in her eye? Why is that man … blushing? She shares three stories inspired by portraits, including the one that led to her best-selling novel "Girl With a Pearl Earring."

Brian Dettmer: Old books reborn as artAvailable at : https://www.ted.com/talks/brian_dettmer_old_books_reborn_as_intricate_artWhat do you do with an outdated encyclopedia in the information age? With X-Acto knives and an eye for a good remix, artist Brian Dettmer makes beautiful, unexpected sculptures that breathe new life into old books.

Dustin Yellin: A journey through the mind of an artistAvailable at : https://www.ted.com/talks/dustin_yellin_a_journey_through_the_mind_of_an_artistDustin Yellin makes mesmerizing artwork that tells complex, myth-inspired stories. How did he develop his style? In this disarming talk, he shares the journey of an artist — starting from age 8 — and his idiosyncratic way of thinking and seeing. Follow the path that leads him up to his latest major work (or two).

Level 3 Art will use your skills and knowledge from Level 2 and build on these to help you develop your

skills further and understand new and more demanding ideas. Complete the following activities to

make sure your skills and knowledge are up to date and you are ready to start studying. You will be

expected to present your practical and written activities in the first Art lessons in September.

Act

ivit

y1

Practical ActivityOver the Summer create an exciting visual holiday journal/sketchbook. Your sketchbook can be

any size or shape but make sure that it is creatively presented and visually interesting. You

must show off your artistic skills on every page as this book will become part of your Level 3

Art coursework.

Wherever you are on your travels try to visit galleries and museums. You may find images and

artefacts that interest and inspire you, ensure that you record these visits in your book.

You should have the following elements in your holiday journal/sketchbook:

• A selection of photos from your travels

• Small mementos that you have picked up on your way

• Sketches of places visited and observed drawings of objects found

As well as creating pencil drawings in your book, try to experiment with other types of media.

Holiday journal/sketchbook examples…….

Act

ivit

y 2

Critical Analysis of art workDuring the Level 3 Art course you will be required to look at the work of other artists,

designers and craftspeople. You will be expected to create evidence of artist studies, gallery

pages, transcriptions, partial reproductions and pastiches.

It is important that you are confident in analysing and describing a piece of artwork and

presenting your own opinion. This activity will allow you to practice this.

To begin:

Watch all four videos on the artists and make Cornell notes on the information (see the next

page on how to produce Cornell notes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgSAtBCRzuk - Howard Hodgkin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpZbJagmC1Y - Turner Prize Retrospective 1984 – 2006

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwfCdz9XkdE – Artist and Empire, The Singh Twins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao12qChxaiA - Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose

Task:

1. Write a short essay (500 words) in response to watching the video’s.

You may wish to comment on:

• Do you like the work? Justify why or why not?

• What materials and techniques are used that you were surprised by?

• What are the different approaches the artists have towards creating work?

• Do consider the language and vocabulary you are using.

2. Find an exhibition to visit; this can be a local exhibition in Birmingham or better still, an

exhibition you have travelled to e.g. in a London gallery or another gallery you have visited

whilst on holiday.

3. Pick out one piece of artwork that interests you and be prepared to perform a 2 minute

presentation about this piece of art work in front of the rest of the group.

4. The presentation can take the form of; a PowerPoint (saved on memory stick), a

presentation board, a video or any other visual format you can think of.

5. You will be expected to talk about the work for 2 minutes so be prepared to discuss the

following (use the questions on the second hand-out to help you):

• Content – (the subject matter of the art work)

• Form – (formal elements e.g. colours, textures)

• Process – (how the work has been developed and made)

• Mood – (how the mood of the artwork is communicated)

• Context – (artwork title, artist name, the date it was created, influences etc.)

6. Make sure you have visual aids to make the presentation more interesting e.g. an image of

the artwork, photographs you took at the gallery, images of other artwork by the artist,

images of the subject matter in focus etc.

7. Allow some time/space to mention the name of the gallery you visited and the date you

visited, the title of the exhibition and any other exhibiting artists.

Research, reading and note making are essential skills for Level 3 Art study. For Activity 2: Critical Analysis of art work you are going to produce ‘Cornell Notes’ to summarise the information listened to and seen whilst watching the four video’s.

1. Divide your page into three sections like this

2. Write the name, date and topic at the top of the page

3. Use the large box to make notes. Leave a space between separate ideas. Abbreviate where possible.

4. Review and identify the key points in the left hand box

5. Write a summary of the main ideas in the bottom space

Images taken from http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.html

Understanding ArtworkArtist research analyse sheet 1aContent, Form, Processes and Mood

CONTENT

• What is the subject matter of the work?

• Has the subject matter been selected as a matter of interest in itself or for the purpose of expressing social, moral, religious or political concerns of the artist or patron?

• Was the subject observed at first hand or from memory or imagination?

• How has the artist interpreted the subject matter - representationally or with exaggeration, distortion or abstraction?

• What do you think the artist’s reasons might be for treating it like this?

• Is the subject matter meant to be taken at face value or are there hidden meanings such as symbols, double meanings, metaphors in the work which are not immediately evident?

• Has the artist used similar subject matter in other paintings and, if so, how do they compare?

• Have other artists used similar subject matter and, if so, what comparisons & contrasts can be made?

FORM

• How have things in the painting been arranged - are they orderly, busy, chaotic?

• Is the arrangement in keeping with the images portrayed or is at odds with them in some way?

• What kind of colour scheme has the artist chosen?

• Is it harmonious or discordant?

• Does one colour dominate are there several of fairly equal significance?

• Is there a shape which predominates or is the composition made up of combinations of inter-related shapes?

• Are there recurring shapes, lines, rhythms, forms which determine the design of the work?

• Does the work have a unified texture or is there a variety of different textures?

• Does the painting hold together as a unified whole or are there parts which you think are better than others?

Understanding ArtworkArtist research analyse sheet 1bContent, Form, Processes and Mood

PROCESS

• What materials, processes, tools and techniques were used to produce the work?

• Have you used similar materials and techniques and, if so, how does your handling of these compare with that which you see in the painting?

• In what setting do you think the work was painted and what effect might this have had on the outcome?

• How did the artist start out on this work?

• Try to describe, from start to finish, the different stages which the artist went through in order to produce this work.

• What research might the artist have undertaken in preparing to produce it?

• Did the artist work slowly or quickly and how long did it take to produce the final painting?

• What particular skills can you identify in the work?

MOOD

• As you take time to look at the work, what impression does it have on you?

• Does it capture a mood, feeling or emotion that you have experienced before?

• What sort of feelings does it convey to you personally about life?

• What might the artist have felt when producing this work?

• Is the painting quiet, contemplative, soothing to the senses or does it have the opposite effect?

• For what kind of setting or what kind of person would the painting be most suited?

• Are your feelings about the painting likely to pass quickly or is it something that will have a lasting impression on you?

• What qualities does the painting have which may affect the mood of someone?

• If you were trying to create this mood what sort of painting might you produce?

Key words to use when annotating and evaluating work

Formal Elements – the smallest units that art is made from:

Line – outlines, sketches, doodles, hatching

Tone – shading from dark to light

Colour – everything that isn’t black and white

Pattern – repeated shapes whether found in nature or man-

made

Texture – how surfaces look or actually feel

Shape – regular (as in geometric) or irregular (as in nature)

Form – three-dimensionality, either in appearance or reality

Space – real or apparent depth and distance

Formal principles – rules for using formal elements:

Harmony – making sure the elements you use ‘accord’ with

each other

Balance – not necessarily symmetrical, but always well

matched

Scale and proportion – the size of the work and of the

elements in it

Contrast – giving some elements more impact than others

Rhythm and motion – the movement of the eye across and

around the work

Composition – arranging the elements into a successful

conclusion

If you are on holiday in the UK, or on a staycation at home, why not plan a day trip to one of these:

Birmingham• Barber Institute

of Fine Arts• Birmingham

Museum and Art Gallery

• Ikon Gallery

Liverpool • National Museums Liverpool• Tate Liverpool• Victoria Gallery and

Museum at the University of Liverpool

• Walker Art Gallery

St. Ives• Tate St. Ives

Wakefield• The Hepworth

Wakefield• Yorkshire Sculpture ParkWalsall

• New Art Gallery

Warwickshire• Compton Verney

Edinburgh • National Galleries of Scotland• Fruit market Gallery• National Museum of Scotland• Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyrood

house• Royal Scottish Academy• Talbot Rice Gallery at the University

of Edinburgh• Jupiter Artland

Barnstaple• Broomhill Sculpture

Gardens

Forest of Dean• Forest of Dean Sculpture

Hawkshead• Grizedale Forest sculpture trail

West Yorkshire• Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Visual communication is essential in the modern world and most of the big companies, museumsand artists have their own social media accounts. Here are some of our top tips to keep up to datewith developing news or interesting stories:

Follow on Twitter:deviantART (@deviantART)Who: Heidi and Lauren from Hollywood.What to expect: Important art news and the work of deviants (plus a little gossip).Follow @deviantART

Art.sy (@artsy)Who: A new way to search and discover art online at Art.sy.What to expect: A comprehensive stream of tweets and re-tweets involving contemporary art, art history, art sales, technology in art, and everything in between.Follow @artsy

It's Nice That (@itsnicethat)Who: London-based creative design bloggers.What to expect: Regular tweets that highlight the best of every creative industry.Follow @itsnicethat

Find on Facebook:All the major art galleries and museums have Facebook pages

Tate - Tate first opened its doors to the public in 1897. Today it has four major sites and 70,000 artworks.

BBC Entertainment and Arts News - The latest BBC Entertainment and Arts News.

Art on Social Media

Royal Academy Of Artswww.royalacademy.org.uk

Tatewww.tate.org.uk

The National Gallerywww.nationalgallery.org.uk

National Portrait Gallerywww.npg.org.uk

Victoria and Albert Museumwww.vam.ac.uk

Saatchi Gallerywww.saatchigallery.com

Art Finderwww.artfinder.com

Student Art Guidewww.studentartguide.com

Art websites

Day 4 of the holidays and boredom has set in?

There are loads of practical and theory projects you can take part in either from the comfort of your

bedroom, out and about, or when on holiday.

Want to stand above the rest when it

comes to UCAS?

Now is the time to act. MOOCs are online courses run by nearly all Universities. They are short FREE courses

that you take part in. They are usually quite specialist, but aimed at the public, not

the genius!

There are lots of websites that help you find a course, such as edX and Future learn.

You can take part in any course, but there are usually start and finish dates. They

mostly involve taking part in web chats, watching videos and interactives.

Completing a MOOC will look greaton your Personal statement and theyare dead easy to take part in!

Extra! Extra!Art: More things to do!