Art and Design (Fine Art)

Course summary

The study of fine art is the development of expressive and creative responses to thematic enquiry through visual research, analysis, observation and recording. Students will develop practical skills in a wide range of media including oil and acrylic paint, printmaking and graphic media. Visual communication skills include drawing (recording) in a range of media, problem-solving, sequential development, interpretation, reviewing, modifying and refining, discussion, evaluation, critical appraisal and analysis. Projects are broad and developed in a direction personal to students guided by department staff. Topics of exploration previously selected by students are diverse and include surveillance, equality and genetics. Component 2 is set by the exam board. Creative industries are the fastest growing sector of the UK economy contributing over £115 billion gross value to the UK economy, more than the automotive, aerospace, life sciences & oil and gas industries combined! Feeding into this are careers in architecture, digital media, 3D design, graphic design, illustration, fashion, music, film, theatre, video games, TV and publishing sectors. The creative industry is one of the UK’s greatest success stories, with British artists, fashion brands, musicians, and films immediately recognisable across the globe growing at almost twice the rate of the wider economy and worth a staggering £10 million per hour.