This page will help you prepare and create your 'Personal Study' - a really important part of A Level Art, Craft & Design.*
*Created with more than a little help from the good people at artpedagogy.com and studentartguide.com
*Created with more than a little help from the good people at artpedagogy.com and studentartguide.com
what is it?
To keep things really simple; it's an essay. A piece of continuous writing of at least 1000 words that forms a pretty big chunk of your marks. It should:
- Be no more than 3000 words (keep it short, to the point and avoid waffling)
- Focus on a specific artist/photographer or art movement (or alternatively, a concept or piece of art)
- Be related to your own investigations and practical work
- Include supporting images - from your chosen focus, your own work, and relevant wider connections
- Include a bibliography
- Be informative, insightful and provide a personal perspective
- Be well-presented and a pleasure for others to pick up and read
how to prepare
You may not have expected to have to write an essay as part of your art course; writing is clearly a very different process to drawing, painting or taking photographs. Use the skills you developed at GCSE and refer to the ways you are asked to write in different subjects - the key to success is preparation and the use of all your transferable skills.
Think about what is worth the reader giving up their time to actually read and use the tips below to help you get started:
Think about what is worth the reader giving up their time to actually read and use the tips below to help you get started:
- Try to write honestly and clearly, but still let your personality come through. Remember this is Art and not any of those other boring subjects
- Read sentences aloud to hear how they flow - listen for the rhythm of your words. Ask others to listen to you read and get their feedback too.
- Vary sentence length. A longer sentence that cascades the reader forwards, gathering momentum as it snowballs along, will resonate most when followed by a sorter one. Honestly, it's true.
- Do not underestimate the power of a full stop. A full stop provides an important pause. Good writing should not leave the reader exhausted.
- Avoid over-elaborating. Don't use three words if one does the job.
- Remember your writing is a gift to the reader. Don't waste their time, reward their interest. Insightful connections; reflective moments; imaginative metaphors; thought-provoking questions; a sense of purpose - these can all make for suitable rewards.
getting started
Deciding which artist, art movement or theme to base your personal study on shouldn't be difficult. The Personal Study is related to your practical, personal investigations - your key themes and inspirations to date. Your sketchbooks and experiments should point you in the right direction. But it is okay to take a relevant sidestep and use the Personal Study as an excuse to learn more about a connected artist or theme (rather than following a line of enquiry you are already exhausted with).
choosing your title
Once you've decided on your theme or focus it's up to you to give your work an interesting title. Try to keep this short and to the point; it should spark interest. Often a question or two part title can help. For example:
- How has society blurred the lines between natural and ‘fake’ beauty?
- Memory: The exploration of the past in contemporary art
- Decay: How artists explore ideas of aging and deterioration
research thoroughly
Your work should be comprised of informed personal views; views that are supported and shaped by an in-depth understanding of the issues discussed. You can't go into this part of your work half-heartedly, if you don't do the research you will be quickly found out.
Before starting the project, you should conduct thorough background research, selecting and recording information from second-hand sources (such as books, websites and other publications) and, if possible, first-hand sources (interviews with artists, studio visits / gallery visits etc).
Conducting research is critical for creating an excellent Personal Study. But remember to avoid:
Instead you need to:
Before starting the project, you should conduct thorough background research, selecting and recording information from second-hand sources (such as books, websites and other publications) and, if possible, first-hand sources (interviews with artists, studio visits / gallery visits etc).
Conducting research is critical for creating an excellent Personal Study. But remember to avoid:
- Photocopying, cutting and pasting or transcribing information from other sources
- Long lists of facts or chronological sequences of events
- Long-winded descriptions of technical processes
- Including extensive artist biographies
- Re-using, or copying, pieces of text from other sources
Instead you need to:
- Select the information which is relevant and analyse this in detail
- Evaluate and interpret your findings
- Use your research to inform intelligent, knowledgeable, personal responses
- Explain and justify your viewpoints, judgements and conclusions
- Use carefully chosen quotes to support or contrast your ideas
- Include correct terminology and background knowledge
- Communicate an in-depth understanding of relevant issues
- Use images where appropriate