Creative Approach to Portraiture: An Exciting A2 Coursework Project

Creative pencil drawing

This A2 Coursework project was completed by Dave Watson, while studying AQA A Level Fine Art at Hereford Sixth Form College, United Kingdom. Dave achieved a final A Level Art result of 91% (A*). Portraiture is a common subject amongst A Level Art students; it is therefore essential that this topic is approached with [...]

Distortion of Form: A Level Art Journal, Preparation and Final Piece

AQA Art A Level painting

These last few weeks I have been fortunate enough to write about three amazing A Level Art portfolios. This is the second of the three: a comprehensive and well-executed A2 Painting project (AQA A Level Fine Art) awarded 100%. It was completed by Claire Lynn, while she was a student at Carmel Sixth Form Catholic [...]

Dark Matter: An Award Winning Coursework Project

Dark Matter: a gripping charcoal drawing

I have seen a lot of amazing A Level artwork over the years (in my role as a teacher, curriculum co-ordinator and, now, writer of this blog), but it has been a long time since I have encountered a project as inspirational as this.

Dark Matter is a mixed-media installation using charcoal, ink [...]

artistic risk: painting a portrait from a photo

semi-complete commissioned portrait painting

Painting a portrait when you don’t know the person is hard. Painting a person that you don’t know from a photo – especially a photo you have not taken yourself – is even harder. You have only what the photo gives you: tiny pixels of colour, often with areas that are out of focus [...]