Fine art begins with an induction course which teaches core observational drawing techniques.
As part of the course, you will learn to draw and paint using a wide range of professional, coloured and textured materials; you will experiment and work in a variety of creative disciplines. Your skills will develop to high standards through regular practice, including weekly homework. Projects are based on design briefs, involving research from direct observation, including the human figure, which often follows visits to museums and galleries. Teaching includes group work and an individual demonstration of practical techniques.
You will develop analytical, experimental and documenting skills, a specialist vocabulary and knowledge and understanding of the place of art and design in history and contemporary society. The main purpose of art, craft and design education is to develop your ability to appreciate the visual world and to encourage and promote:
- Intellectual, imaginative, creative and intuitive development
- Investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills, aesthetic understanding and critical judgement
- An awareness of the interrelationships between art, craft and design
- Knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design in contemporary society and other times and cultures (i.e. contextual relationships)
There will be opportunities to experiment with a wide variety of techniques, including 3D processes and printmaking or textiles. You will also be encouraged to explore the work of contemporary artists working today, and to keep abreast of new forms of art and new ways of working, particularly in terms of how these can be related to your own work.
Learners will experience a broad range of interlinking creative skills, discover their own approach and are encouraged to specialise within a range of creative disciplines. The first year will focus on exploration of materials, tecniques and processes of a broad range of creative art, craft and design skills. The second year offers the opportunity for learners to choose a specialist discipline and develop a consistent idea as a primer for pre-degree Art Foundation or degree-level creative courses.
Specialist areas can include:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Textiles
- 3D design
- Sculpture
- Illustration
- Printmaking
With an emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach, this course would suit all students interested in a career in the creative and visual arts. Students will learn about visual culture from diverse sources, including artists, art movements, designers, films, social and cultural history, fashion, philosophy, philanthropy and anthropology, and incorporate themes into making imaginative and personal responses. There are also opportunities to get involved with competitions and live briefs which provide a vocational springboard from which every student can flourish.
