Helston Community College

Art & Design Fine Art

Is this course for me?
A career in art and design will lead towards a lifetime of experimentation, invention and discovery. If you have a strong feeling for a particular discipline, be it fine art, film, fashion or textiles, or know that you long to work with colour, line, form, shape and pattern and that you love to explore and experiment then a career in art and design could be for you.

What qualifications do I need?
It is desirable to have studied some form of Art, Design or Technology subjects to a grade 5/6 at KS4. However, if you are keen and committed we can teach you missing elements during Year 12. You will need to bring a portfolio of your creative work showing your levels of confidence and skill to a member of the Art team and we will then advise you about your ability to access the course successfully.

What does the course involve?
Year 1. Three units of practical work: Core skills are covered through a range of disciplines including drawing, painting, printmaking and three dimensional studies. Themes such as abstraction, identity, structure and landscape are studied whilst making links to contextual sources through artist studies and presentations preparing for the second year.

Year 2. Specialist project exploring a specific genre and style which students become very involved with, personalising their progress to their interest areas. You will also need to complete a progressive journal where you clearly articulate verbally your investigation, demonstrating clear understanding and analysis of your own work. You finally take a controlled test that results in a 15 hour final piece that brings all your research and understanding together.

There may be considerably more options open to you than you first think: Skills developed on your course, such as research, negotiation, problem solving and teamwork can put you in direct competition with more traditional graduates giving you an even greater pool of opportunities to consider.

It may surprise you to learn that 40% of graduate opportunities advertised are open to graduates of any discipline!

Even within art design & media, there is still flexibility. Graphic designers may choose to use their design skills in gardens or interiors, and fine artists have been known to become well-established film makers.

It may be that you will choose to practice in several different areas -what is known as a portfolio career. We are not trying to confuse matters here, just encourage you to consider all the options!