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There are two parts to the AQA course for GCSE Art and Design. The portfolio is 60 per cent of the course and the externally set assignment is 40 per cent.

What is the externally set assignment?

The externally set assignment is the ‘e�油��’ at the end of the GCSE course. In January of Year 11 the externally set assignment papers are released. They contain starting points written for the different areas of the course – eg Fine Art, or Graphic Communication.

What is a ‘starting point’?

Each paper has seven starting points. You can choose the one you like or excites you most or one that you think you can do well.

The starting point is a short paragraph on a theme that gives some guidance and some suggested artists to look at.

An example starting point

The starting points are broadly framed so you can respond to them in your own way. For example, in an Art, Craft and Design or Fine Art paper, you could be given the following text as a starting point:

Emotion

Artists use a variety of means to express emotions in their work. Fauvism was a French art movement which followed Impressionism. Artists such as Henri Matisse, André Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck used wild, expressive and exaggerated colour in their paintings which later inspired German Expressionism. Pablo Picasso also made effective use of colour in his paintings producing two series of works known as his ‘Rose’ and ‘Blue’ periods. Powerful, emotive imagery can also be seen in the work of Käthe Kollwitz who produced art centred on women and the working class.

Research appropriate sources and produce your own work based on emotion.

In this example, would you have to use artists whose work is only linked to emotion?

You are not restricted to the artists mentioned in the starting point text. For instance, you might like the sculptures made from recycled objects by Anthony Heywood. You could use his idea of using recycled materials and objects to make your own work. A heart made from children’s toys could remind us of the joy and happiness of time when we were younger. This would make a powerful link to the theme of emotion.