Art and Design (Fine Art)

Course summary

Ashbourne students have the choice to experience a wide variety of art and design activities, such as drawing, life drawing, silk screen printing, sculpture, digital design and graphics, photography, fabrics and textiles. This allows them to make an informed decision, based on their interests, aptitude and skill, on which subjects to specialise in. They are also offered plenty of opportunities to showcase their talents and artwork both at Ashbourne and further afield, as part of their professional development. A-level Fine Art students develop the confidence and technical skills to express their ideas and convey messages to change the way people see the world. This course requires critical thinking, independent research, appreciation of historical and contemporary context and evaluation of their work. All of which are excellent preparation for a wide variety of career pathways. Fine Art students have a wide range of traditional career paths to follow including practising as professional artists, directing and curating at galleries and museums, creating mural art, promoting art in the community, becoming technicians, printmakers, sculptors and teaching, for example. Students may also delve into the digital world where the demand for new media software and graphic designers, illustrators, multimedia artists, online publishers, and video, animation and gaming artists is growing at an unprecedented rate. Fine Artists today can reach a worldwide audience almost instantaneously thanks to the internet and new media technology. Now they can market and sell their work directly to people around the world without having to go through traditional channels, although galleries and other art institutions remain highly influential. To survive and thrive in such a competitive industry artists need to be versatile, multi-skilled and able to promote their ideas and work – something greatly encouraged at Ashbourne from the very outset.