Is This A Good Theme for Art GCSE or iGCSE?
This blog post is for all the students who contact me and ask “I’m thinking of doing this theme, is it a good idea?” Or “Is this a theme?” or “ What artists would be good for this theme?”
I understand that it is difficult to choose a theme to pursue at GCSE or IGCSE, or for any independent course. You will be working on it for a long time and it needs to stimulate lots of ideas.
Here are some things to consider about any theme you are considering:
Start Broad or Combine
Start with a broad theme and then narrow it down. For example:
- If you are attracted to the idea of song lyrics, start with the broader theme of ‘Art & Words’. How have artists incorporated words into art?
Alternatively, combine your theme with another connected idea. For example:
- If you are interested in cyberpunk, which is futuristic, start with some research pages on cyberpunk and then research either something dystopian that ends the world, e.g. Look at viruses (You could do some wonderful drawings of viruses viewed under the microscope) or scientific equipment.
Ideas
Does your chosen theme give you lots of ideas? The word ‘ideas’ appears in three of the GCSE assessment objectives. Do many visual images pop into your head when you think of your theme? Creating a mind map is a great way to start. It is okay to ask your friends and family what they think of when they hear your theme. This isn’t cheating; it is collecting ideas.
If you struggle to find inspiration, you have probably chosen the wrong theme.
It’s your job to come up with ideas.
Photography
Choose a theme that makes it easy to take high-quality creative photographs. If you do, you are making it possible for your teacher to award you marks.
Of course, if your theme makes it impossible for you to use your own photographs, (e.g. Indian Gods) that is fine. You can use images that you find from the Internet, books or galleries, (make sure you reference everything) but you will not be awarded marks for them under the ‘ recording’ assessment objective.
If you struggle with accuracy in drawing and painting, taking your own excellent photographs can boost the recording assessment of the objective.
Finding Appropriate Artists
Finding artists that really inspire you can make a huge difference to how you progress. There is a huge list of artists categorised by theme here.
Trying to Choose
If you are struggling to choose between two different themes choose the theme that gives you lots of ideas and also an idea of what to photograph. Write each theme down and write the ideas you have around each. Which has the most? Choose that one.
Just Go For It
Sitting there like a fart in a trance isn’t going to get you anywhere. In the end, you are going to have to choose an idea and go for it. The sooner you do, the better. Go for it.
I hope this helps.
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