'O' Level Art

all your horrors and questions about GCE 'O' Level Art answered in this page of...

Hi guys,

Welcome to the What? Why? Page.

I know how tricky and scary the situation is.

You put in your choice (or not!) to get into an art stream at Sec 3 and now you feel as lost as a Sec 1 on the first day of school.

Some questions that come to your mind:

"Art - Do what uh?"

"Aiyah, Art so easy, sure pass one right?"

"Aiyah, Art so difficult, how to pass?"

"How the seniors come up with so cool ideas for their paintings and installation works?"

Well, fret not!

I am here to help!

'Cause I have been in that same shoes as yours back when I was in Sec 3 too!

And well, whether it's easy or difficult.

It's entirely up to you to make that decision for yourself!

So, what I will do right now is to explain to you as much as I can the basics and requirements of this sought-after and much-talked-about (ahem!) subject.

Okay, here goes!

What are the papers offered/I have to take if I sit for GCE 'O' Level Art?

There are 2 papers involved:

- Paper One aka Coursework weighs 60%

- Paper Two aka Drawing and Painting weighs 40%

So, what is Coursework?

Coursework is an approximate 8 month long project in which you will have to work on developing a concept/idea based on a chosen theme which will translate into a final artwork of your choice.

When do we receive our themes/question paper?

Somewhere mid-January.

How many themes are there to choose from for my Coursework?

You will be given 6 different themes.

What exactly do I have to produce for my Coursework?

You have to show evidence of the working process. Working process must include relevant preparatory studies (drawings/writings/photo documentation) before and during the production of a finished piece. The preparatory studies must be presented over eight A2 boards.

 What are preparatory studies?

Preparatory studies means research into your selected theme, exploration of artists/artworks
relevant to the chosen theme and the development of ideas or concepts leading to the final artwork.
These could be in the form of drawings, sketches, photographs, reproduced images, research
information/data, written notes/annotations and experimental samples.

What... Are you talking about?

Okay, let's try to understand the key things you will be hearing me rant about throughout the entire time of your coursework making.

5 key features:

- Research

- Development

- Artist Reference

- Layout

- Final Layout

The chartered process of your coursework is basically a documentation of your researches and adventures. It's like conducting and recording a Science research, but cooler.

What are the examiners looking out for when marking my Art Coursework and Paper 2?

They are looking for creative and different perspective; good communication and a high level of appreciation for your own works as well as other artists.

ART LINGO:

Prep Boards -> Preparatory Boards

Crap Boards -> Horrible and Crappy Preparatory Boards

Prep Work -> Preparatory Studies

Research -> Images and Writings of Your Proposed Idea

Primary/Observational Drawings -> First-hand and direct drawing of subject matter