Tips for Producing an Amazing GCSE Art Sketchbook

This document contains tips, examples and guidance to help students produce
a top grade GCSE Art sketchbook. It outlines best practice in terms of
annotation, content and page layout.

What should a GCSE Art sketchbook contain?

A sketchbook is a creative document that contains both written and visual

material. It is a place for researching, exploring, planning and developing ideas
– for testing, practising, evaluating and discussing your project. It is the place
where you learn from other artists and express and brainstorm ideas.

The sketchbook shows the journey (or development) towards your final piece
and usually contains:

• Drawings, diagrams, thumbnails, composition plans, paintings and/or

designs (particularly those that are incomplete or experimental)
• Practise and trials of different techniques and processes
• A range of mixed mediums and materials
• Evidence of first-hand responses to subject matter and artworks,
demonstrated through observational drawings, photographs and
annotated pamphlets and sketches from exhibitions or gallery visits.

(Note: the sketchbook must NOT be used as a dumping ground for fliers and pamphlets. If you are
going to glue something in, evaluate it, discuss its relevance and explain how it helps to inform
your own work)

• Digital printouts of relevant artist work

• Annotation (see below)
How to annotate a GCSE Art sketchbook

The following tips and guidelines should help you understand how to add
quality notes to your pages:

• Reveal your own thinking and personal responses (rather than

regurgitating facts or the views of others)
• Explain the starting points and ideas, emphasise personal relevance and
your own connections to subjects
• Critically analyse and compare artwork of relevant artist models (both
historical and contemporary artists, from a range of cultures). Discuss
aesthetics, use of media, technique, meaning/emotion/ideas and the
influence of an artist upon your own work. Avoid copying large passages
of information from other sources. Instead, select the information that
you think is useful for your project and link it with your own viewpoints
and observations. Use research findings to make you sound clever and
knowledgeable – to prove that you are aware of the artists and cultural
influences around you – and to help you to critically evaluate artworks (by
giving you background information and a peek into the mind of an artist):
do not use it to fill your sketchbook with boring facts
• Demonstrate good subject knowledge, using correct vocabulary
(phrases such as ‘strong contrast’, ‘draws the eye’ and ‘focal point’ etc.)
• Reference of all images, artwork and text from other sources, ensuring
that artists, websites and books are acknowledged (it should be obvious
to an examiner which work is yours when viewing a page, so cite sources
directly underneath the appropriate image. Photographs taken by
yourself should be clearly labelled, so examiners know the work is yours
and reward you for it)
• Communicate with clarity. It doesn’t matter whether you jot down notes
or use full sentences, but never use ‘txt’ speak and try to avoid incorrect
spelling, as this indicates sloppiness and can hint to the examiner that you
are a lower band candidate

When annotating a sketchbook, it may benefit you to contemplate the

following:

• What subjects / themes / moods / issues / messages are explored? Why

are these relevant or important to the artist (or you)?
• What appeals to you visually about this artwork?
 • How does the composition of the artwork (i.e. the relationship between
the visual elements: line, shape, colour, tone, texture and space) help to
communicate ideas and reinforce a message? Why might this
composition have been chosen? (Discuss in terms of how the visual
elements interact and create visual devices that ‘draw attention’,
‘emphasise’, ‘balance’, ‘link’ and/or ‘direct the viewer through the
artwork’ etc.)
• What mediums, techniques (mark-making methods), styles and processes
have been used? How do these communicate a message? How do they
affect the mood of the artwork and the communication of ideas? Are
these methods useful for your own project?
• How does all of the above help you with your own artwork?

Remember that these questions are a guide only and are intended to make you
start to think critically about the art you are studying and creating.

Sketchbook Presentation Ideas

Layout and presentation is an area that many GCSE students struggle with –
often spending hours adding decorative features to their sketchbooks that
make little difference to final grades. In appearance, a sketchbook should be
reminiscent of what you might expect an artist or designer to create. The
sketchbook is NOT meant to be a complete a book of finished artworks and
illustrations; it is meant to be creative document of exploration and
investigation. A place where an art student thinks, works things out and learns.

This does not mean, of course, that your sketchbook should be unattractive.
Indeed, to get a top grade it must look stunning!!!!!!

Guidelines for presenting a quality sketchbook are as follows:

• Let the artwork shine. Do not spend weeks preparing beautiful

backgrounds if this compromises the amount of time you spend on the
artwork itself. Producing quality art or design work is your number one
goal.
• Vary page layouts to provide variety and visual interest. Some pages
should have many illustrations; some should have single, full-page
artworks; others should be somewhere in between. Position items
carefully on the page as you work: making sure pages are well-composed.
• Use a consistent style of presentation, so that a consistent visual
language unites the sketchbook. Some students are drawn towards hard-
edged, ordered presentation methods (often those studying graphic
design, for example); others prefer messier, looser, gestural presentation
styles. Neither is better than the other: both can be amazing.
Inconsistency, however (pages jumping from one presentation style to
the next), can result in a submission that is distracting, busy and hard on
the eye.
• Be selective. More is not necessarily better. Although examiners look to
reward candidates bulking up your sketchbook with poor work does you
no favours. Weak work can set off alarm bells for an examiner, leading
them to be on the lookout for potential weaknesses elsewhere. This does
not mean that you should discard everything which is not perfect (work
should rarely be thrown away, as most things can be worked over and
saved for far less effort than would be required starting anew), but you
must discriminate. Don’t automatically include everything. Select work
which shows the journey your project has taken and presents your skill in
the best light.
• Prioritise visual work above annotation. It doesn’t matter how
intelligent, well informed or clever your annotation is – it cannot redeem
rushed, poorly executed practical work. Only once images on a page are
complete (or as complete as needed) should you fill some of the gaps
 with notes. Even the hurried addition of annotation can be done
harmoniously – making a sketchbook page appear thorough and well-
balanced. Use text as a compositional element. Write neat and small (this
way spelling or grammatical errors are less obvious), and – if your
examination board allows it – in pencil (so that mistakes can be easily
changed); otherwise, write in black or white pen: not ink that switches
colour every sentence or is ‘enhanced’ by hearts on the ‘i’s.
• Give every page of your sketchbook some love. Use each page as an
opportunity to remind the examiner that you are a hard-working,
dedicated student who cares passionately about this subject. This does
not mean that your sketchbook must be crammed to the brim with
intense, laboured work (sometimes an expressive, ten minute charcoal
drawing on a page is all that is needed) but that each part of your
sketchbook is produced with care and dedication.
 GCSE Art and Design Set Task – April 2018

What to do Evidence Assessment Notes Suggested pages

Objective
Task One Title Page A01 A02 Makes these pages 3-4 pages
visually interesting!
Produce a title page that makes clear what you have
Fine Art Theme chosen (do not spend too long on this!).
Initial Ideas
Mind map
Create a mind-map where you list as many words
associated with your THEME.
On the next page link these to images that you have
found.

Task Two Use FOUR pages of your sketchbook where you produce a COLLAGE of images related to your 4 pages
THEME. These should be a combination of your own photos (originals) and images that you
Source Material - have researched.
PRESENTATION of
CONTEXT
 GCSE Art and Design Set Task – April 2018

Task Three 2 pages

Use a double page spread to show the artists/movements that you have looked at and why (A01 Develop)……..

2 pages

Task Four

Artist Research 1 - Complete a minimum of one double page on an appropriate artist. Include:

2 pages
Artist Research 2 - Complete a minimum of one double page on a second appropriate artist. Include:

5 Mount up all artist research onto paper/into sketchbooks

using the method described above

 GCSE Art and Design Set Task – April 2018

Task Five A01 A04 Explain why you have 2 pages

chosen the section of
Study of selected artist(s) their work.
Make study of a section(s) in black/white and All or part in COLOUR

Annotate why you are doing this and what you have learnt

Task Six A02 A03 Experiment!! 6 pages

Vary scale (size)
Drawing from Observation of your work

Make 10 studies from OBSERVATION of objects and images related to your theme
Use a variety of materials/media e.g. Pencil/Tone Oil pastel/texture
Pen/hatching
Task Seven A01 A02 6 pages

Development
Make 10 studies of images developed from
your theme (combine images where needed).
Use a variety of materials/media
e.g. Pencil/Tone Oil pastel/texture
Pen/hatching
 GCSE Art and Design Set Task – April 2018

Task Eight A01 A02 Use different media 4 pages

(pencil/watercolour/etc.)
Experimentation
Produce four pages where you analyse your artists
technique(s) and how you might use these for your final
piece. This could include a large printed copy of the work
and you annotation.

Remember to include YOUR OPINIONS and UNDERSTANDING

Task Nine A03 A01 4 pages

Further Development Use different media
(pencil/watercolour/etc.)

Develop ideas by making thumbnail sketches of

different ideas- you can use
photographs as well – mock COMPOSITIONS
using tracing paper/Photoshop etc.
Explore how you might wish to communicate your ideas
Task Ten Select your favourite idea Layout of your composition A02 A04 How are you using the 4 pages
Refine ideas elements?
Line/Shape/tone etc
Task Ten Produce your final piece. This should be an effective statement A04 How well does this show
Final Piece This could be a painting or of what you have learnt! what you set out to do?
mix media collage etc.