Art and Design

“Creativity is critical thinking and without it how are you going to open up and ask harder questions? Art opens up those… possibilities to think beyond what we already know.”
Catherine Opie, artist

Learning through and about the arts enriches the experience of studying whilst at school as well as preparing students for life after school.

Arts subjects encourage self-expression and creativity and can build confidence as well as a sense of individual identity.

Creativity can also help with wellbeing and improving health and happiness.

Studying arts subjects also help to develop critical thinking skills and the ability to interpret the world around us.

Skills

Studies show that studying Arts subjects leads to improved student performance in Maths, English, critical thinking and verbal skills. Arts education can also help with developing skills and ways of working that will benefit you in the future in whatever career you choose.

  • The leading people in any field are those who can think creatively and innovatively. These are skills that employers value alongside qualifications. Making and participating in the arts aids the development of these skills.
  • When you study art you learn to work both independently and collaboratively, you also gain experience in time management – skill sets valued by employers.
  • Studying the arts teaches determination and resilience – qualities useful to any career. It teaches us that it is okay to fail, to not get things totally right the first time and to have the courage to start again.

By developing their creativity skills and an enterprising mind-set, young people will be:

  • Confident, with a positive attitude towards change, challenges and unknowns.
  • Engaged and motivated in their learning.
  • Prepared to work independently or with others.
  • Flexible and open-minded about a wide range of solutions.
  • Ready to learn from their mistakes.
  • Able to recognise opportunities and to set goals.
  • Enthusiastic and excited about new experiences.
  • Curious, imaginative and innovative.
  • Resilient and committed to finding solutions.
  • Ready to self-manage their learning and their lives.

Careers

Some jobs that you could pursue in the creative arts, design or fashion include:

  • Gallery curator
  • Graphic designer
  • Illustrator
  • Textile designer
  • Fine artist
  • Animator
  • Ceramics designer
  • Creative copywriter
  • Fashion designer
  • Furniture designer
  • Furniture restorer
  • Game designer
  • Web designer
  • Graphic novelist
  • Art teacher
  • Cake decorator
  • Illustrator and technical illustrator
  • Industrial designer
  • Makeup artist

Broad General Eduction (BGE)

In the BGE our priority is to ensure all students gain competency in fundamental art techniques and expand on skills for learning, life and work.

These skills include:

  • Observational Drawing – (line, shape, tone, pattern, texture, proportion & perspective)
  • Colour Theory – mixing and blending colour,(secondary/ tertiary), understanding thermal/ emotive colour, understanding the colour wheel
  • Using Media- paint (watercolour and tempera), pencil, chalk and charcoal, oil pastel, chalk pastel, pen and ink, pen and wash, printmaking, collage, clay, paper sculpture
  • Understanding the Design process
  • Critical Evaluation of their own work, that of their peers and the work of practising artists and designers (written and verbal)

These skills will be taught through exercises in expressing thoughts and ideas and creating solutions to design problems, working from a breadth of source material; contemporary and historical, global and personal, traditional and modern.

S1 and 2

Pupils will participate in a balance of Design and Expressive projects from the following experiences:

  • Expressive Drawing and Painting
  • Printmaking
  • Sculpture
  • Clay
  • Graphics
  • Illustration
  • Photoshop

Pupils develop their experience of Art and Design practice through developing skills, technical ability, and creativity. Critical examples are introduced with each project, and referenced in pupils’ sketchbooks. At least one extended study will be completed for both Design and Expressive. Pupils will complete evaluation of their own work as well as that of their peers with each activity. Use of ICT is intrinsic to the course.

Homework is completed fortnightly to build on and enhance understanding of class work.

S3

  • Art and Design
  • NPA Level 4 Photography

These courses are suitable for all students with an interest in art and design, and for those wishing to progress to higher levels of study. Students will build on art and design skills developed through the experiences and outcomes of early-stage art and design in the BGE of S1 & 2.

Senior Phase

In the Senior Phase, courses are suitable for all students with an interest in art and design, and for those wishing to progress to higher levels of study. Students will build on art and design skills developed through the experiences and outcomes of early-stage art and design in the BGE phase of S1 & 2.

Courses available are-

Art and Design

  • N3, N4,  N5
  • Higher
  • Advanced Higher Expressive
  • Advanced Higher Design

Photography

  • National Progression Award in Photography Level 5 (S4)
  • Higher Photography (S5,6)

Why choose Art and Design?

The form of every man-made object we buy is the work of designers. In addition, a whole range of our entertainment stems from expressive artists through painting, sculpture, photography in films, DVDs, book illustrations, CD covers. The courses offered will help you to appreciate good design and creative expression by the practice of design and expressive skills.

Skills

  • to communicate personal thoughts, feelings and ideas using art and design media
  • to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and appreciation of art and design practice
  • to work imaginatively and develop individual creativity through developing skills in problem solving, critical thinking and reflective practice
  • to understand the social and cultural influences on artists and designers and their work

Course content

  • Students explore design in a range of forms over two years. You might explore product design, jewellery, fashion and textiles and graphic design.
  • Students learn how to express your thoughts and ideas through drawing and painting, collage, printmaking and sculpture. Students might explore portraiture, still life, landscape and the built environment.
  • Students will develop Art and Design terminology, and research and evaluate the work of artists and designers.

Art and Design Course Structure

The Art and Design Courses enable learners to plan, develop, produce and present creative art and design work, and to develop their critical understanding of a range of art and design practice. The Course also enables learners to understand the impact of external factors on artists and designers and their works.

National 3

You will complete two Units:

  1. Expressive with Critical Activity. You will produce a range of visual research and development, and study artists’ working practices.
  2. Design with Critical Activity. You will produce a range of investigative research and development, and study designers’ working practices.

National 4

You will complete three Units:

  1. Expressive with Critical Activity. You will produce a range of visual research and development, and study artists’ working practices.
  2. Design with Critical Activity. You will produce a range of investigative research and development, and study designers’ working practices.
  3. Added Value Unit:You will produce one finished piece of expressive art, and a piece of design.

National 5 and Higher

Students produce a Design and Expressive portfolio, which is externally assessed. They also sit an externally assessed written paper.

Expressive

Students learn to develop their personal thoughts and ideas in visual form, and develop critical understanding of artists’ working practices and the social and cultural influences affecting their work. They will select stimuli and produce analytical drawings and studies. They will develop and refine their expressive ideas and artwork, experimenting with and using a range of materials, techniques and/or technology in 2D and/or 3D formats when responding to their chosen theme.

Design

Students learn to plan, research and develop creative design work in response to a design brief. They will develop their creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills as they consider design opportunities and work to resolve design issues and constraints. They will develop critical understanding of designers’ working practices and the main social and cultural influences affecting their work. They will experiment with, develop and refine their design ideas, using a range of materials, techniques and/or technology in 2D and/or 3D formats.

Advanced Higher

Advanced Higher Art and Design – Expressive

The Advanced Higher Expressive course provides opportunities for learners to develop their creativity, visual awareness and understanding of aesthetic, while exploring how to communicate their personal thoughts, ideas and opinions through their expressive artwork.

The course provides opportunities for learners to develop their creativity, visual awareness and understanding of aesthetic, while exploring how to communicate their personal thoughts, ideas and opinions through their expressive artwork. This involves visually exploring and responding in an individual way to stimuli, researching challenging expressive art contexts and evaluating how artists respond creatively to stimuli.

Advanced Higher Art and Design – Design

The Advanced Higher Design course combines investigative and practical learning with knowledge and understanding of design practice. Candidates develop a range of design techniques and creative skills.

Candidates select a design brief for their portfolio. They follow a design process to develop design ideas and resolve and realise solutions which are influenced by their investigation into design practice. They produce a contextual analysis of a selected design work by discussing related contexts and analysing their impact on the features of the design work. Candidates reflect on and evaluate their creative decisions and design work.

Photography

National Progression Award (S4)

The National Progression Award in Photography at SCQF level 4 develop knowledge and understanding in practical photography. The Awards are aimed at those who want to explore their interest in photography and perhaps take it to a more advanced level.

Higher Photography (S5/6)

The course encourages candidates to be inspired and challenged by visually representing their personal thoughts and ideas through the medium of photography. An integrated approach to learning means candidates plan, develop and produce creative and technically proficient photographs.

Candidates develop skills that are valuable for learning, life and work. The course allows them to broaden their skills base and to widen their horizons regarding the range of vocations available to them.

The course consists of a Project and a written examination which are externally assessed.

The aims of the course are for candidates to:

  • communicate personal thoughts, feelings and ideas using photography
  • develop technical and creative skills through using photographic media, techniques and processes
  • develop knowledge and understanding of a range of photographic practices
  • develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking and reflective practice
  • develop an understanding of the impact of social, cultural, historical, and scientific influences on photographers’ work and practice
  • become critically self-reflective autonomous learners

Members of the Art and Design Department

J Dixon – Principal Teacher of Art and Design

N Keir – Teacher of Art & Design

A Collop – Teacher of Art and Design