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Art Themes to Explore in GCSE & iGCSE

If you are looking for art themes to explore in GCSE or iGCSE lessons, the huge list below is a great starting point.  Thank you to art teacher Annie Chapman who started this list and to other teachers for making suggestions which I’ve added.  I also have an ‘ Artists Listed by Theme ‘ page, which lists lots of artists under a huge range of themes. Some words link to art teaching resources on this website.

Aboriginal and native art

Abandoned places

Advertising/Consumption and consumerism, Rich world vs Poor world

Ageing, old and new, decay and change

Art & Words

Beauty.The beauty myth, Self-image

Beautiful vs Ugly

Book illustration and text

Casting Shadows

Colour and mood

Carnival and Celebration

Culture Patterns, objects, traditions:  eg: Africa, Asia. Japan

Collections

Dream/Surrealism

Design eg. clothes/shoes/campaign poster

Depression/Fragility

Fear and Nightmares Environment

Faces and features

From natural to abstraction

Fragile things

Flowers and plants

Game Design

Graffiti/murals/Protest messages

Insects/butterflies in nature

In The News

Impressionism /light in painting

Illustrate a story

Landscapes of the mind, loneliness, loss

Magnification and macro

Mirrors/reflection

Money /inequality

Metamorphosis/change

Myths and Legends/Magic

Natural Forms

Out of Place

Ordinary vs extraordinary

Pattern eg. patterns in nature/repeat patterns/rotational patterns

Planets/Save the planet/Space

Pop Art and Comics

Rich world-vs-poor world

Reflections

Realism/Surrealism

Refugees/War

Stories and storytelling

Seven Deadly Sins

Self-portrait

Secrets/a secret place

Time and Space

Time-lapse/freeze frame/movement

Transformation

Tropical vegetation/Jungles

Trash and/or treasure

Through a Window

Ugly/beautiful

Under water

Vegetables and Fruit

Washed-up, things found on a beach

World within a world

Women in Art

Zoom-in/Close-up

This website is for art teachers.  I’m pleased that art students also enjoy it, but I am not able to respond to individual students who want help with ideas for their GCSE projects.

Please comment below if you have more art themes to explore in GCSE & iGCSE lessons and I will add them.

There is also a fantastic list of artists listed by theme on The Arty Teacher.  Click the link below to find out more.

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The Arty Teacher

Sarah Crowther is The Arty Teacher. She is a high school art teacher in the North West of England. She strives to share her enthusiasm for art by providing art teachers around the globe with high-quality resources and by sharing her expertise through this blog.

74 responses to “Art Themes to Explore in GCSE & iGCSE”

Hi im doing my first sketchbook for my igcse course.Im really struggling on finding a subject.At first i thought of teenages. And thought to talk about depression , social media and etc.But i have noticed that many people choose this subject so i dont really want to do it now.I have in my mind now social media impacts.Or even artificial intelligence.I believe its something unsual and not really talked about in art topics.Although im struggling on what photoshoot and some artists references.Could you please give me some ideas

Hi Yolanda, It’s good to choose a topic that no one else is doing. This shouldn’t be too hard: just look at the list above! It sounds like you like issues rather than something that is purely asethetic. At the following link are artists who have created artwork about interesting topics like the environment, social issues, isolation, death, emotions, identity and more. It might inspire you: https://theartyteacher.com/artists-themes/ What ever you choose, make your life easier by connecting it to something that is easy to photograph in an interesting way. e.g. If it is about death you could photograph churches and graveyards, if it is about social media photograph someone all alone and people in a group having a great time.

Hello, Is childhoon a good topic for igcse art and what subtopics can we explore for this theme and the reference artists?

Yes, childhood is an excellent theme. As for a subtopic, perhaps you could look at your own childhood to help you. What was significant? Toys? Place? People? Make it personal and think of something really good to photograph to make your life easier. The section on nostalgia on this page may help: https://theartyteacher.com/artists-themes/

Hi, I am grade 10 student and i am struggling to find a suitable topic. I have tried 3 to 4 topics and created many art works for them but I end up not liking them or feel like the topic is boring.What should I do also the topics i find interesting are hard to take pictures for.I mostly stay at home so can’t get pictures easily.Is there any topic i can explore which is interesting and easy to take pictures for?

Hi, If you have already tried 3 or 4 topics and created many artworks, you really need to pick a theme and stick to it. Choose a topic where it is easy to take inspiring photographs. Why pick something hard? Fantastic photos can be an inspiring starting point. There are so many good starting points in the blog post above. You need to think about what you are interested in and what you enjoy. Sometimes finding an inspiring artist can be a good starting point if you can’t find a topic that excites you. Only you know what you find interesting!

I want to do islamic architecture as a topic but I don’t know if it can be used as a topic, can you tell me if it can be used and what type of different panels I could make with this theme? , I have a feeling that it might be too broad and not very precise?

I think Islamic architecture is an excellent starting point. Start by researching it broadly and create work based on your findings. Then really think about what it is that you find appealing about it and narrow it down to that. Is it the colours, the patterns, the gold leaf, the domes? It is the religious aspect? A particular geographic area? Explore it further.

hi the arty teacher, i am a year 11 student taking igsce art and our theme is identity, however we need to choose a “sub-theme” sort of to explore along with that in regards to identity. would it be alright to explore something like ghosts or media (as in film, devices, internet, etc) ?

Yes, but it would be good if you could say why Ghosts is identity or what aspect of media you see as identity. Also, find some artists who explore identity through these sub-themes.

i understand what you mean, thank you! would something like the theme of confusion/belonging (not sure what’ll work better) in identity using ghost symbolism be better then?

I think you are exploring some interesting ideas. Why and how would a ghost symbolise confusion or belonging?

Hello Arty Teacher, I am an A-level student and I’m doing Art & Design. The theme given to us is “Observe, Seek and Challenge” but I am struggling to find any ideas, and I also don’t know many artists who have done paintings related to this theme. Would you please suggest any ideas that I can use and talk about so I can create an individual response to this theme? Thank you very much!

Hi Lili, I have a useful page on this website of artists listed by theme which is great for researching: https://theartyteacher.com/artists-themes/ “Observe, Seek and Challenge” is nice and broad. All artists observe. Seek, is interesting. What is the artist seeking? ie trying to find, desiring? I think artists seek ways to communicate, seek inspiration, seek to explore their own identity and that of others, seek to explore natural and manmade environments. Artists challenge us with their ideas all the time. They raise our awareness about climate change, social issues, race, gender, fears, prejudices, and stereotypes, ethical dilemmas and mental health challenges.

I think I’d pick a challenge first, find some artists, see what they are seeking to say and how.

Hi, the theme I’m exploring for my final GCSE piece is the power of love but I’m struggling to find inspiration and an artist. Any suggestions? Thanks

If you are struggling to find inspiration, it may not be a good theme for you. Try choosing a question from the paper that gives you lots of ideas. The word ‘ideas’ appears in 3 out of the 4 assessment objectives and you should be the one who is having the ideas. Lots of artists have been inspired by love. Jim Dine painted hearts. You could use them as a symbol of love. Make sure to include in your annotation why Dine used them. He was responding to a close friends mental breakdown. You can read more here: https://cranbrookartmuseum.org/artwork/jim-dine-the-heart-at-sea-in-a-non-secular-way/#:~:text=Dine%20felt%20the%20paintings%20were,Dine's%20is%20a%20compassionate%20one . The Pre-Raphalites painted about nature and religion but also literature and poetry, particularly text that dealt with love and death. Many of their painting depict beaufiul women. Rob Ryan creates paper cut outs. Many of them are romantic. If you google ‘paintings about love’ or ‘artists who depict love’ lots of things come up. I hope these suggestions help.

The aqa exam paper released and I want to do portraiture theme would faces and features be a good theme?

Hi Ayesha, I don’t think faces and features are a theme, they are simply part of portraiture. Themes could be: family, loniless and isoltion, cultural and ethnic identity, Intamcy and connection, time and aging, spirituality and faith.

Hi! I was wondering which to do between war and the Japanese imperialism and how it still seems to affect future generations or the role of beauty in horror. I have many many points for both but the first is much more personal but it seems to be quite controversial. What would you recommend i do?

These all sound like good themes. I would go with the most personal one. Controversial can be exciting when you explore it through art.

The edexcel exam paper has been released early for 2024 and the theme is power. I’m thinking of doing the power in oppression /war/genocide but I’m unsure of how to take a photoshoot/portray these ideas. I do have other ideas like discrimination (islamophobia, racism) , medicine, drug addiction , etc. I’m just not sure what to do that will be easy and fun?

What pops into your head when you think of oppression, war and genocide? I think of old rusty chains, blood stained cloth, dirty old hands, tattered flags, gas masks. These are all things that would make a powerful photoshoot. Could your drama department help? Do they have any war-appropriate costumes? Do you have a museum near by with artifacts? (War museum in London or Salford) Start with a broad photoshoot showing lots of ideas and then after you have worked from these photos, do a second more specific photoshoot to ‘develop your ideas’.

Hi there, this site is really helpful well I wanted to ask that can I go with the topic Indian gods

I think Indian Gods would be an excellent topic. You could look at how lots of different artists have drawn/painted them and then perhaps focus on an artist that you particularly like.

Thanks so much for your assistance Sarah. Please can Game design be considered as a theme?

Hi Liz, Great idea; I have added it. Thanks for the suggestion.

Hello I am called Robert from kenya any new themes for IGCSE exams for November and June exams 2023/24?

Hi Robert, No one will know the themes that will be on the exam papers until they are published.

my son is doing GCSE coursework but wanted to do it on African culture but he has to choose famous artists to tie in with that theme any help please

Hi Billie, You can look at a culture instead of an artist. GCSE specification states that you need to look at ‘contextual sources’. These could be artists, cultures, films, animation, or anything that inspires creativity. If I had a student who wanted to look at African culture, i would want them to narrow it down to a tribe or country within Africa. He could do a page in his sketchbook on ‘African Art’ to start with, but then look at Maasai Clothing or Senufo Masks. If his art teacher insists upon an artist, and hey, they are running the course, there are some great choices here: https://blog.artsper.com/en/a-closer-look/10-african-artists-you-absolutely-must-know/

Fantastic resources, I appreciate you making them available to us. The extensive list below is a wonderful place to start if you’re seeking for art-related topics to cover in GCSE or iGCSE classes. This incredible collection was compiled by Annie Chapman, a teacher of art. A few of these words are clickable links to useful pages for art teachers. Keep writing, I really enjoy reading your posts. Come across Joshuacreekarts.com and hope you can visit this too to get more information.

Hi! Thanks for your positive comment. I’m delighted you like the list. I’m happy to keep adding to it, so if you have any ideas, do let me know. I do mention Annie at the top of the post! I’ll check out your website.

Greetings, may you please advise what aspects are considered irrelevant and ‘out of topic’ when choosing a starting point?

Hi Klavier, I think you can pick any theme as long as you can see how you can fulfil the assessment objectives for your course. Choose a starting point that really excites you as you will be working on that theme for a long time. Pick something where you are inspired to record in a variety of ways. (Photography, drawing etc) Most of all, be creative and make a personal response!

I am an IGCSE teacher from Ghana. I have 5 learners and I am currently preparing them for the exams. However, I am a bit lost with the kind of themes to make available to them to choose or help them choose. Kindly, share some possible themes with me. It will really be helpful.

Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for your comment. You could choose any of the themes in this post but I always think it is a good idea to choose a theme that makes it easy for students to photograph something and to easily find artists. For examples ‘Natural Forms’ is a good theme as learners could choose from a huge range of items that would photograph well. There are also lots of artists that cover this theme. You may find these links useful: Artists listed by theme: https://theartyteacher.com/artists-themes/ Natural Forms Artists: https://theartyteacher.com/downloads/list-of-natural-forms-artists/ List of Natural Forms: https://theartyteacher.com/downloads/list-of-natural-forms/ You may also find these complete units of work useful: https://theartyteacher.com/category/arty-students/

This is so helpful and very relief. Thank you.

Hi Elizabeth, I’m so pleased you found it helpful 🙂

hello art teacher, is it true that we can choose to draw whatever we want in igcse art? or is there a subject for igcse art every year?

Hi, Different art teachers run their GCSE courses in different ways. They may give you a theme to start with at the start of the first year. If you are a self-motivated, confident learner they may well let you plot your own course but it is up to your teacher to guide you and do what is best for the whole class. When you get the exam paper in the second year, there is a broad range of starting points and often you can fit in what you would like to do into one of the questions (but not always!). I hope this helps.

Hi, this blog post is really helpful to me. But is art a good subject to take for pursuing engineering or design?

If you are thinking of persuing engineering or design, I would think that art would be the perfect subject to study. Think of polymath Leonardo da vinci, he found that recording his observations and ideas through drawing was essential. Many of his drawings were engineering designs! Many design courses would expect your to have studied art.

is art a good career choice? im 15 and haven’t actually decided a career choice, I used to just draw any image that I liked, but recently I have started learning art, practicing anatomy for example I have got a sketchbook that I actively use and, I also have another one which I am working on a comic in. i love drawing, but is it a good career choice? and if so, what opportunities are there abroad that I can look into *for the future*.

Hi Huzaifa, If you love being creative, studying art at a higher level can lead to all sorts of interesting jobs. It might help you to look at all of these art related careers here: https://theartyteacher.com/art-careers-written-for-kids/

Hiii, is it ok to do a fictional character as a theme?

Hi Jordan, Yes, that would be an interesting theme. I would strongly advise you to find an artist who has created artwork about the fictional character you choose. Or an animator or has created artwork, or a theatrical set designer who has made sets or costumes about the character. This would make your life easier!

Hi! i’m a gcse art student and i was just wondering if something about old fashioned clothes or something like armour would be a theme. i currently don’t have an art teacher :/ do we have to do the same theme as everyone in our class

Hi, Thanks for your message. Yes, both ‘old fashioned clothes’ and ‘armour’ would be excellent themes. Choose a theme where it is easy to photograph something. You don’t have to do the same as everyone in your class, you can all do your own theme. I would start by photographing either old fashioned clothes or armour, and then draw from your photos in a range of different media. Think about working on different surfaces and different sizes. You then need to find an artist that links with your theme in some way. Create a beautiful artist research page. Good luck!

Would surrealism be a theme ?

Hi Vishva, Surrealism is a movement rather than a theme. I’m trying to think if movements have ever come up on the exam papers and I can’t think that they have. I don’t see why you couldn’t research into Surrealism if that was something of interest. There are themes within Surrealism such as ‘Dream Like Scenes’, ‘Illogical juxtapositions’, or ‘Distorted figures and biomorphic shapes’.

Hi, my son his in his 1st year of art gcse. He is a good little drawer but that’s it really, not particularly good at painting or using different textiles. we are a little confused as to the structure of the course…. I do need to speak to his teacher but so hard getting to do this! portfolio/theme idea he has thiught of is western/ cowboy….came from his love of an xbox game. We’ve had a little look at the ladscape artists for that era and he has favourite characters from the game that he can sketch etc just not sure how to make it into a portfolio….any help would be grateful. thanks.

Hi Mari, Hopefully his art teacher has shared the GCSE assessment objectives with him. You can see them on the following page: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/art-and-design/gcse/art-and-design-8201-8206/scheme-of-assessment If you scroll down to ‘Assessment criteria grid’, in bold you will see the 4 assessment objectives. The first reads ‘Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.’ ‘Sources’ can be artists, designers, film-makers, books, anything creative really, including the designers and artists who made the xbox game. I would suggest he created a research page all about the game, the publisher of the game, the artists. You can find all sorts of stuff online about the art in games. For example here I found some fan art on the Rockstar Games website: https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/51ka2k2819a1ak/fan-art-spindel-art-s-portraits-of-the-van-der-linde-gang After this research page, he could photograph someone dressed up as a cowboy. Make sure he considers background, lighting, focus. Present these photos in the portfolio. Draw from these photos. Draw in different media e.g. pencil, ballpoint pen, fine liners, markers, chalks, charcoal (what ever he feels comfortable with). Draw on different surfaces: white paper, brown packing paper? Cowboys drink coffee: coffee stain some paper and draw on that. Hopefully once he’s done this his art teacher will be able to tell him what to do next!

Hi, I am a teacher at a school in England. We have had our new brief for our y11 exam and the theme is ‘MAKE MUSIC DAY’. We are stuck for ideas on what the students could research into as well as artist who relate. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi Chloe, I hope you’ve discovered my ‘Artists Listed by Theme’ page. There are some artists listed under the theme ‘Music’ that might be useful to your students. You can see it here: https://theartyteacher.com/artists-themes/ I hope your school has a music department. I would be straight up there to borrow instruments as some students might want to start with photography as instruments are so photogenic. Other ways students might begin: Photographing a friend listening to music. Ask if anyone plays an instrument and use their own experience as a starting point. This article was interesting: https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/24-times-fashion-designers-got-their-beat-from-music They could pick their favourite band and promote them as if they were playing at ‘Make Music Day’.

Hello Mrs! I’m a current IGCSE art and design student, our school doesn’t have a art teacher yet. I have no idea what to do, should I start with making a portfolio on my own first? thank you! A topic I want to do is “behind the eyes” it’s a topic surrounding mythical creatures and mythology. would this be appropriate? thank you so much!

Hi, That sounds like a very difficult situation. I’m surprised your school is letting you do an art course without an art teacher. Are you in your first year of the course? What have you completed since September? I would first try and find a couple of artist that create artworks about mythical creatures and/or mythology. Produce some research pages on them in your sketchbook. Then try and think of something real that you could draw (a primary source) that relates to your artists. (This will depend on the artist you have chosen, but it might be something like animal skulls if your school has them) You could also work from secondary sources, perhaps images of lizards? Or could you get a real octopus from a fish mongers and draw and photograph it? (I’ve had students do this!) You could then use your drawings to create mythical creatures of your own. Make sure you work in a variety of media and on a variety of surfaces. Hopefully this would be a start. Let me know how you get on.

Hi The Arty Teacher, I am teaching iGCSE Art and Design for the first time. Just wondering as to what you would consider as an ideal number of themes that can be introduced to a class over the course of two years. Is it several or is it a matter of concentrating on one theme only throughout the entire course? Much appreciated, thank you.

Different teachers structure the course in different ways. At my school, we do one theme in Year 10 with two main outcomes. In year 11 they do another theme (we run this a little bit like a mock). Then they do the externally set task from January.

Great job! ” The Arty Teacher” The resources and responses you provided are very helpful and so inspiring. I teach Igcse Art and design in keystages 3,4&5 in Africa. Thanks!!

Hi Cletus, I’m so pleased to read that you find my resources useful and inspiring – thank you 🙂

Interesting and informative. I am an igcse teacher.would like to see the blog

Hi Ina, Thanks for your comment. You can see more blog posts here: https://theartyteacher.com/blog/

Have just come across this blog…. hope to gain more!!

Hi Brenda, That’s great to hear. I hope you enjoy more of my posts!

Hi Arty Teacher,

I am an art teacher in Africa Nairobi Kenya teaching IGCSE Art & Design. Just wondering if you still do this blog. Any materials would be appreciated including advice on Photography.

Kind regards. James

Hi James, Yes, if you go to the home page of the blog you’ll see I post every week. If you look under the category ‘Techniques and Processes’ there are some articles about photography. https://theartyteacher.com/category/techniques-processes/

Good day what ideas could I work on for Stories or story telling

I think you might find the artists listed on the following page under ‘Narrative’ inspiring. https://theartyteacher.com/artists-themes/

Hi Annabelle, That sounds like an excellent theme to me. Don’t worry about it – enjoy it. You could go in so many directions and make it personal. Within that theme, you can look at one aspect of it and then flow into other areas of it. Here is a list of artists you might like to look at: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/8-lgbtqi-artists-you-should-know/iQLiswH6mVfoJQ

‘Inside Out’ is a great topic. You could do a person without drawing a person e.g. A house on the outside where the objects in the house represent the person, or a jewellery box where what is in it represents the person. Both these could be 2D or 3D. Or make a book (or a box) where the outside is the personality you show to the world and the inside is what you keep hidden. You could take a more literal approach: You could do fish and fish skeletons. If you didn’t want to do a portrait, you could still do feet or hands and draw them and also the bone structure or x-rays.

This is really helpful thank you so much for sharing these I’ve already gotten an idea of what I want ❤️

That’s great to hear. Thank you.

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GCSE / IGCSE / A Level Art Exam Ideas 2013

Last Updated on April 2, 2023

This article aims to help GCSE, IGCSE and A Level students come up with ideas, interpretations and artist models for their 2013 Art Exam papers. Responses are given to topics from a number of different exam papers from examination boards such as AQA, Edexcel and CIE. These suggestions are not intended to be a complete list, nor to provide ‘perfect’ ideas: rather they have been supplied to help you with the brainstorming process. Final selection of ideas should only be made in conjunction with advice from your teacher.

As noted in the 2012 Art Exam topics  article:

No topic is inherently boring. Even the most mundane can result in beautiful work. What matters is not the thing or even the idea, but the way it is interpreted; the way you respond to it, what it means to you and whether it wriggles inside and kicks at your soul.

It is important to remember, too, that it is not always necessary to have an exceptionally clever or original interpretation. Sometimes a literal or simple approach can be conveyed in a imaginative, skilful and unique way. If you have spent days searching for the ‘perfect’ interpretation, consider whether this time would be better spent starting and creating artwork. Good artwork takes time. Stop fretting about whether your idea is perfect and begin.

Force (GCSE Art and Design Edexcel)

• Brute force / violence (relating to a particular circumstance, scene or activity)
• Athletics / human strength / physical activity (focused on one particular activity or sport)
• Movement involved in a particular forceful action

Paintings depicting movement by Simon Birch and David Agenjo :

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• Peer pressure (relating to a particular behaviour / action / activity)
• Trees / landscapes ravaged by wind
• Rain lashing a particular scene
• A boiling hot summer’s day / icecream melting
• Decay / rot / mould: an outdoor structure succumbing to the forces of nature
• Aftermath of an earthquake or some other natural disaster
• Floods / slips / erosion / cars swept away in swirling flood waters
• Bombs / terrorist activity
• Gravity / falling / precarious sculptures / structures

An imaginative painting exploring gravity by Jeremy Geddes :

• Scientific analysis of forces (old textbooks / diagrams / scales)
• The conversion of one force to another: i.e. an old mechanical plough / pulleys / cogs

Beautiful works from a series entitled ‘Man and the Machine’ by Kelani Abass :

• The force of waves disintegrating items at the edge of the sea
• Electrical force fields
• Political / religious forces
• Societal obligations to conform
• Human perseverance in a trying circumstance / willpower / desire to survive / force of life
• Breaking or smashing something
• Car crashes

Clever collaged artwork by Patrick Bremer :

• Recycled items being crushed together prior to transporting
• A building being demolished
• A still life where items are balanced precariously / crushed from above / squashed
• A wreckers yard

Striking scenes by Jason Webb :

• A nut cracker
• Breaking something obscure and unexpected into tiny pieces and reassembling these, or using as the basis for a still life

Example of an abstract sculptural form created by Cornelia Parker :

• The human body subjected to forces of some kind: pushing / pulling / shredding
• Mental forces and the way these shape or deform our being

Intriguing artwork by Henrietta Harris :

Art2day has also put together a collection of images that might inspire here . For more artist model ideas, please visit the Student Art Guide Pinterest Boards .

Juxtoposition (IGCSE Art and Design CIE)

• Siblings sitting side by side
• Unexpected items sitting side by side on a refrigerator shelf, or in a pantry, or supermarket shelves
• Different species of animals living happily in close quarters
• Wild animals alongside tame / domestic
• Unexpected combinations of objects at unexpected scales

Surrealist paintings by Matthew Grabelsky :

• Healthy food alongside unhealthy food
• Multiple views of a single person within one portrait
• Unexpected items in bowls of food
• Drawings of items alongside actual items (integration of drawing with photography: drawings of drawings)

Beautiful print by Aaron Horkey :

Open (IGCSE Art and Design Edexcel)

• Architectural openings – looking through windows / doorways / framing of scenes
• Bodily openings (wounds / scars)
• Open mouths: the never ending desire to be fed

Example: Scotch Tape Series by Naman Photography:

• Pile of open books / letters / desk scene
• Animals in cages / open latches / gates / escape
• Birthday scene – unwrapping / opening presents
• Unexpected packages containing random items
• The peeling open of nuts / fruit / vegetables / discarded skins
• Animal carcasses

A great Foundation sketchbook page depicting open hanging carcasses by Seamus O’Dare :

• Gutting fish
• Open scissors / surgical instruments
• Open hands / fingers / holding of precious items
• Breaking open something unexpected

Example by Dennis Sibeijn :

• Open boxes / cartons / packaging
• Grocery bags spilling open
• Flies landing on a food item that was left open
• Opening seedpods

Beautiful drawings by students of Monica Aissa Martinez :

Floating (AS Art and Design OCR)

• Swimming / diving
• Ducks and ducklings
• Something horrific floating in water
• Rubbish / litter clogging waterways
• Hot air balloons (showing the interior mechanisms / people etc)
• Floating seeds / seedpods
• Gravity / weightlessness
• A body caught at the bottom of the sea

Covert and Obscured (AS Art and Design Edexcel)

• Masks / disguises
• Makeup / concealment
• Carrying out an embarrassing activity / action in private
• Unexpected objects buried in soil
• Wrapping in layers

Amanda Duke has also collected some great artist models for this topic on  Pinterest !

Inside, Outside and in Between (A2 Art and Design Edexcel)

• Please see our extensive list of subject matter suggestions for the ‘ inside / outside ‘ topic in our  2012 Art Exam ideas  article (most of these could align perfectly within the Inside, Outside and Between topic).
• The Saatchi Gallery has also produced a good resource  here .
• This Pinterest Board by Amanda Duke has some great artist model ideas related to Inside, Outside and In Between, as does Art2day .

Student Art Guide members are also actively discussing this topic and sharing ideas within our forum! Join the discussion !

Rolling (A2 Art and Design OCR)

• Rolling pins / baking scene
• Road rollers / diggers / construction workers
• Children playing – rolling down hills etc
• Spinning wheels / cogs / mechanical items
• Roller coasters / spinning rides at amusement parks
• Rolling random items down hills
• Runaway vehicles
• Items blowing across sand in the wind (rolling tumbleweed etc)
• People pushing a vehicle stuck in mud
• Kids playing with marbles
• Forward rolls / gymnastics
• Rolls of paper – beauty in the mundane
• Rolls of skin / fat
• Old fashioned bicycles

An amazing painting by Edie Nadelhaft :

Taped, Tied and Bound (A2 Art and Design OCR)

• A chained animal
• Animals trapped / entangled in rubbish / litter
• Zipping up of unexpected items (zips in flesh etc)
• Taping / tying of the human figure ( see the Scotch Tape Series above as well as the captivating drawing below by Gillian Lambert ):

• Swings tied to trees
• A person tied up by their hair
• Washing tied on the line
• Bundles of random objects tied and bound together
• Bound onions, garlic and other vegetables hanging to dry
• Blood relatives: inescapable ties between generations / family

There are also some great photos that could inspire ideas for this topic in the Student Art Guide Pinterest Photography Board .

Narrow starting points

Some examination boards set students a range of topics – those which are open and interpretative; others which are descriptive and narrow. This range of topics is to cater for individual student preferences: some students prefer to have more flexibility with their topic choice; others relish the security and direction provided by a set starting point. It is not important which style of topic you select: what is important is the quality of the work you produce in response to your chosen (or given) topic.

Examples of more directed starting points within the 2013 IGCSE, GCSE and A Level Art exam papers include:

• A seated figure leaning forward with hands resting on a walking stick
• The upper part of a person trying on clothes for their next holiday

In topics such as this, the initial decisions you must make are less about interpreting the topic (although an element of interpretation is required) and more about:

Selection of Subject matter .  Some helpful recommendations include:

• Ensure your chosen subject includes a range of different surfaces / textures / patterns (not an excessive quantity – this runs the risk of resulting in images that are too busy or complex, but enough to ensure that your images have variety and visual interest).
• Ensure your subject is accessible first-hand.
• Aim for subjects that have personal relevance (i.e. if people are included, draw people who are important to you).
• Consider backgrounds / surrounding imagery.

Composing the subject in an aesthetically pleasing way (partly influenced by artist models).

It is important to note that if you choose (or are given) an open-ended starting point, these decisions must be made too!

Some final reminders

The best Art exam topics (or interpretations) are:

• Significant and important to your life in some way
• Able to be seen / experienced / explored first-hand

The above suggestions do not attempt to explain how an idea might be developed. Development should occur naturally as your project progresses. You are not expected (or even encouraged) to have a clear idea of where your project should end up at the outset. To understand how to move forward with your idea once you have chosen it – or indeed, how to begin – read our article about Development of Ideas  (although targeted at A Level Art students, this is helpful for GCSE / IGCSE students too).

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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The Art Teacher

Art Lesson Ideas, Plans, Free Resources, Project Plans, and Schemes of Work. An 'outstanding' art teacher in Greater Manchester. Teaching KS3 and KS4 art and design.

GCSE Artist Research Guide

Creating research about artists is a creative and exciting part of a GCSE course. It will allow you to discover new artworks and learn about how artists think and work.

This GCSE artist research guide will help you find an appropriate artist, analyse their work and present your research to a GCSE standard. The purpose of research in GCSE Art is to help you understand the artist’s style , techniques / processes and themes . You will use this knowledge to inform your own artwork.

Researching artists / art exhibitions / photographers / designers is an important aspect of your GCSE Art course and can help you improve your own work and generate new ideas.

Successful GCSE artist research pages are produced by collecting information and images about an artist you are studying or want to study. Your research should include:

• A brief biography of the artist
• Pictures of their artwork
• Analysis of their artwork(s)
• The inspiration behind their pieces
• Your own response

A guide to creating high quality artist research:

• It is important to choose a relevant artist. If your project is about portraits , you shouldn’t really be looking at artists who specialise in landscapes !
• You should also choose an artist that you like . It’s no good choosing an artist if you think their work is boring.
• Use an artist who has similar skills to you. Do you prefer drawing? Avoid painters!
• This will show that you understand the context of their work.
• This will make your research look more professional.
• Artists often use social media to show their processes. Online museums and galleries also share information about the artist’s work or techniques.

How to present your artist research:

Once you have found an artist that you’re interested in and you have started to research them, you need to present what you have found. Use these tips to help show off your research:

• Plan your layout
• Include colours related to the artist
• Have a clear title
• Write neatly, checking spellings and grammar
• Type up annotations if it will help you
• Create a response using the same materials as the artist (eg. acrylic paint)
• Create your research on a computer if it will help you

DON’T:

• Spend hours on a fancy title
• Spend hours on a fancy background
• Feel like you need to write lots and lots
• Copy a full piece of the artist’s work – a colour study, or a section of their work is enough to learn from them

Let’s look at a good example of GCSE artist research :

• The layout is simple and clear; the background lines link to the artworks.
• The student has stuck to black and white, just like the artist.
• The title is clear and reflects the ‘glitch’ style of the art
• The writing is neat, along straight lines
• The drawing is high quality and uses appropriate materials (pencil and white pen). The student has clearly studied the artist’s work carefully.

How to analyse artwork:

You should choose a piece of artwork by the artist to analyse . Writing an image analysis about art can seem strange because there are no absolutely ‘correct’ answers. However, if you’re not sure how to analyse artwork, this guide to analysing art can help.

You don’t need to answer every question, but aim for at least 2 or 3 from each section:

Artist: Janet Fish Title: “Untitled (Two Packages of Pears)” Date: (1969) Medium: oil on canvas Size: 52 1/4″ x 42″

Let’s analyse an artwork using some questions from the “Content, Form, Process, Mood” Guide:

What can you see in the picture? Think about objects, colours, shapes and textures. The painting shows two packets of green pears, there are six in total. They are still in the wrapper and there are a lot of reflections painted to show the plastic covering them. What is the composition (layout) of the work? The pears fill the whole canvas and we can’t see much of the background. There is some symmetry with three pears on each side. Is there a colour scheme? Why or why not? There is a limited, harmonious colour palette of calm greens, blues and yellows. The colours are quite realistic and natural to reflect the subject matter. Is it realistic, or surreal, or both? Why? Overall the piece has realistic and surreal elements due to the sharp shapes of the light reflections that add contrast to the soft natural shapes. The shape of the reflections stand out against the soft round edges of the pears. How was the artwork made? The artist has used oil paints which enhances the glossy, plastic effect. Do you think the artist made any other versions or sketches? I think they would have sketched different layouts and mixed tester colours to match the fruit carefully.

Creating your own artist response:

Your response to an artist or artwork should use the same (or similar) materials to the artist. You might choose to focus on their use of colour or composition for example.

You should always include your opinion about an artist’s work in your research, explaining why you like/dislike their work.

You should also explain how it will inspire you or influence your own work.

In this artist research example the student has studied the artwork of Tjalf Sparnaay. Their response is a good quality drawing of a fried egg, copied from one of the artist’s paintings. The artist is a hyperrealist painter, but the student has responded with coloured pencils, showing skill in the accuracy of their drawing and managing to show some realism in their work through natural colours and a range of tones.

In this example, the student has researched the ceramic artist Mechelle Bounpraseuth . Their response doesn’t use clay like the artist, but the student has used the same idea as Bounpraseuth and chosen to draw a food object that reminds them of their family / friends. The drawing is highly skilled, showing a range of tones and highlights with exceptional attention to detail.

GCSE Artist Research examples:

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Artist research page checklist:

Now that you’re got an idea of what good artist research looks like, download the checklist below to use and help make sure you have included everything you need.

This artist research page checklist is simple to use and will make sure you / your students have included everything they need to make a successful, GCSE standard artist research page!

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Published by art_teacher_mcr

Making and teaching art. Based in Manchester. View all posts by art_teacher_mcr

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The curriculum for Art aims:

Throughout their personal creative journey with us students are empowered to develop creative ways to communicate their thoughts and feelings about the meaning of the visual world around them. We support these journeys by giving students opportunities to experiment with a range of art materials, techniques and processes underpinned by an appreciation of artists both past and present. Our aim is twofold; to equip our students to consciously observe, record and question the visual world and to take ownership of their own creative outcomes as a response to it.

Medium Term Plans

Foundation year.

GCSE Course

We use Pearson Edexcel Exam Board for GCSE Art, Craft and Design (1AD0).

Component 1: Portfolio 60%

Our GCSE Art students will complete a portfolio of assignments with teacher input and advice.

Component 2: Preparation and exam 40%

Externally Set assignment. The exam board sets the theme of a project. The students have a preparatory period of eight weeks leading to a 10 hour supervised practical to produce final realised outcomes.

Component 1 (coursework) gains 100% of marks for this year-group due to Covid.

GCSE Course Year 1

GCSE Course Year 2

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GCSE Art and Design

8201, 8202, 8203, 8204, 8205, 8206

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• Introduction
• Specification at a glance
• 3.1 Knowledge and understanding
• 3.4 Art, craft and design
• 3.5 Fine art
• 3.6 Graphic communication
• 3.7 Textile design
• 3.8 Three-dimensional design
• 3.9 Photography
• 3.10 Progression

Scheme of assessment

• Non-exam assessment administration
• General administration

Find past papers and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers

This specification is designed to be taken over two years.

This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.

GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2018 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.

All materials are available in English only.

Our GCSE exams in Art and Design include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:

• bring together the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired during their course of study
• select and present work produced during their studies to demonstrate attainment, reflecting a holistic approach to coverage of the assessment objectives
• a starting point, stimulus or issue-based concern
• a design brief or problem requiring a solution
• a task which specifies an outcome such as an image, artefact or product.

There is synoptic assessment in both components of the GCSE that provides rigour and presents opportunities for students as follows:

In Component 1 (portfolio) students develop responses to initial starting points, project briefs or specified tasks and realise intentions informed by research, the development and refinement of ideas and meaningful engagement with selected sources. Responses will include evidence of drawing for different purposes and needs and written annotation.

In Component 2 (externally set assignment) students respond to a starting point provided by AQA. This response provides evidence of the student’s ability to work independently within specified time constraints, realise intentions that are personal and meaningful and explicitly address the requirements of all four assessment objectives.

Aims and learning outcomes

Courses based on this specification should encourage students to:

• actively engage in the creative process of art, craft and design in order to develop as effective and independent learners, and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds
• develop creative, imaginative and intuitive capabilities when exploring and making images, artefacts and products
• become confident in taking risks and learn from experience when exploring and experimenting with ideas, processes, media, materials and techniques
• develop critical understanding through investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills
• develop and refine ideas and proposals, personal outcomes or solutions with increasing independence
• acquire and develop technical skills through working with a broad range of media, materials, techniques, processes and technologies with purpose and intent
• develop knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design in historical and contemporary contexts, societies and cultures
• develop an awareness of the different roles and individual work practices evident in the production of art, craft and design in the creative and cultural industries
• develop an awareness of the purposes, intentions and functions of art, craft and design in a variety of contexts and as appropriate to students’ own work
• demonstrate safe working practices in art, craft and design.

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE Art and Design specifications and all exam boards.

The exams and non-exam assessment will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

• AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.
• AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
• AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
• AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

Assessment objective weightings for GCSE Art and Design

Quality of making.

The ability to handle materials, techniques and processes effectively, skilfully and safely underpins all the assessment objectives. It is important in enabling students to develop a personal language, to express ideas and to link their intentions to outcomes in a confident and assured manner.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria must be applied to the assessment of students’ work for both components. The assessment objectives are equally weighted in each case. The Assessment criteria grid indicates the levels of attainment that would be expected for the award of marks in the ranges shown.

Each component is marked out of a total of 96 marks. As the assessment objectives are equally weighted in each component, there is a maximum of 24 marks for each of the assessment objectives. The marks, out of 24, for each assessment objective must be added together to produce the total mark out of 96.

You are required to provide a mark for each of the assessment objectives separately in accordance with the assessment criteria and a mark out of 96 must be provided for each component. The assessment grid must be used to identify the student’s level of performance in relation to each of the assessment objectives.

Six mark band descriptors are provided, with a range of marks for each of the four assessment objectives.

A Candidate record form (CRF) must be completed for each student for each component. When completing each form the teacher should decide which mark band best describes the student’s performance for each assessment objective, then circle the appropriate mark. These marks should then be transferred to the ‘mark awarded’ row and added together. This total should be entered in the ‘total mark box’ to the right of the grid.

Four marks are available for each mark band in each assessment objective. The lower mark indicates that the student has just met the requirement described in that particular band, the next mark indicates that evidence is adequate , the next that evidence is clear and the higher mark indicates that evidence is convincing but that the student has not quite met the requirements set out in the next band.

Assessing components 1 and 2

For Component 1, the portfolio submission must be assessed as a whole, using the assessment grid to select which of the six mark band descriptors for each objective best describes the student’s overall performance. The same process is met for Component 2, preparatory studies and the work undertaken in the supervised time, must be assessed together when arriving at an overall mark.

Marking to the correct standard

Work submitted for assessment for the GCSE components is assessed at a standard that can be reasonably expected of a student after a full GCSE course of study.

If your school or college offers the art, craft and design title alongside endorsed titles, evidence of an area of study for the art, craft and design title must be assessed to the same standard as it would for the relevant endorsed title.

Teacher standardisation meetings are provided free of charge in the spring term. At these meetings teachers are trained to use the assessment criteria grid through marking exercises using 'live' sets of students' work from each title.

In addition, online exemplification materials are provided on e-AQA with written commentaries which explain how the marks have been awarded. To ensure you use the assessment criteria grid to mark to the correct standard:

• access the online exemplification materials (provided on e-AQA) before you mark your own students work
• ensure a senior art and design representative from your school or college, with responsibility for conducting internal standardisation, attends a teacher standardisation meeting.

For more information on attendance at teacher standardisation meetings and internal standardisation refer to Teacher standardisation and Internal standardisation .

Assessment criteria grid

The grid below further expands on the assessment objectives. It provides a link between the grade descriptions and the assessment objectives. It should be used to mark students’ work and to complete Candidate record forms .

Drawing activity and written annotation must be evidenced in AO3, but can also contribute to evidence for AO1, AO2 and AO4.

Assessment weightings

The marks awarded on the papers will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students’ final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.

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Teaching assistants routinely cover lessons in England and Wales, survey finds

Exclusive: Research shows extent to which schools are struggling to provide qualified teachers for every class

Hundreds of thousands of pupils in England and Wales are being educated “on the cheap” by low-paid teaching assistants (TAs) covering lessons for teachers who are off sick or have quit, according to new research.

A desperate teacher recruitment crisis, compounded by inadequate funding, means schools across the country are struggling to put a qualified teacher at the front of every class, unions say.

TAs – who earn as little as £14,000 with salaries rising to £21,000 for the most experienced – are being asked to plug the gaps for little or no extra pay. At primary level they describe being told to lead classes ranging from nursery to year 6, with just minutes to spare. In secondary schools, TAs are teaching subjects at GCSE level where teachers have left and not been replaced.

The use of TAs to supervise classes was introduced in 2004 in cases of unexpected teacher absence, to allow for supervision for limited periods. The current teacher shortage, as well increased levels of long-term sickness, means TAs are routinely being deployed as teachers, though national guidance states they should not “actively teach”.

Children with special educational needs (SEN) are among the worst-affected by the crisis, according to research by the public service union Unison . As TAs are increasingly asked to step in for teachers, many of the 1.5 million children with SEN they normally support are left to struggle in class on their own.

The survey of almost 6,000 TAs found two in five (39%) were covering classes for regular teachers for at least five hours a week – roughly the equivalent of one school day a week or half a term’s cover over a school year – while 15% said they were expected to teach entire classes for at least 11 hours a week.

“I don’t think parents have any idea how much of their children’s education is being delivered by unqualified teaching assistants,” one primary higher-level TA told researchers.

The research shows that the crisis is getting worse. Almost half (45%) of TAs who participated in the survey said they were teaching more classes than they did last year, while more than two-thirds (68%) said that it was having a negative impact on the quality of learning in their school.

A higher-level TA working in a secondary school in the north-east told the Guardian he had covered 448 lessons last year, and it would be more this year. “It can be anything,” he said. “French, maths, science, PE. I’m quite comfortable teaching maths and PE, but French and English I’m not so good at.

“Before Covid, when teachers were off, cover would come in, but it’s harder to find teachers since Covid. It’s sad for the kids. It’s sad for the school – they want the best for the kids, but half the time they can’t get anyone.”

Another TA, working in a primary school in the north-west, said: “When we were doing training, we were aware there would be occasional times – if a teacher goes home poorly – we might have to step in. But not to this extent. It all comes down to money. If schools were given a proper budget, there would be adequate support.”

TAs are particularly concerned about the consequences for children with SEN or additional learning needs (ALN). Four in five (81%) said that covering for teachers was having a negative impact on SEN and ALN provision in their school.

As a result, pupils were missing out on classroom support (63%) and intervention sessions (58%), while those with more complex needs who have an education, health and care plan were missing out on one-to-one support (52%).

The Unison head of education, Mike Short, said: “Schools’ budgets are so tight that, instead of getting in supply teachers to cover classes, heads are having to use teaching assistants on the cheap. This is neither right, nor fair.

“Parents will rightly assume their children are being taught by teachers, not teaching assistants. The government must ensure all schools have the budget and staff to provide the education they’re meant to deliver.

“This over-reliance on unsatisfactory stopgap measures and overburdening teaching assistants in this way has to stop.”

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Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the school leaders’ union, the NAHT, said: “It is not right that teaching assistants should be asked to routinely cover classes but sadly sometimes schools have literally no other choice.

“Teaching assistants play a crucial role in our schools, particularly for pupils with additional needs, but we should not expect them to fulfil the role of the teacher.”

Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added: “Without action from the government to address the teacher recruitment and retention crisis by improving pay, conditions, and school funding, it is difficult to see how things will improve.”

Parents are also concerned. One mother of two told the Guardian: “My daughter is in reception and has not had a teacher since coming back from the Easter holidays. We don’t know what’s happening. She’s been taught by a range of TAs – never the same person.

“She’s at the very foundation of learning, and she’s getting bored. The TAs are struggling to hold the class. It means the ones who are able are missing out, and the ones who are struggling are missing out too.”

Rob Webster, a researcher and expert on teaching assistants, said: “This study reveals the hidden costs of deploying teaching assistants to plug gaps in the teacher workforce. It disrupts support for pupils who need it, and prevents teaching assistants from doing their essential work.

“The special educational needs system in England is already at breaking point. Parents of children with additional needs will wonder what effect this considerable loss of teaching assistant capacity is having on their child’s provision. “The current situation is having a detrimental effect on teaching assistants’ workload and wellbeing too. Left unaddressed, it could exacerbate the existing recruitment and retention crisis facing schools.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We have undertaken the biggest reform of training and development in a generation, and … recognise the key role teaching assistants play in supporting children and young people with SEND. We are developing practitioner standards for all frontline staff to help them identify and support the needs of these children.”

• Teacher shortages
• Special educational needs

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