Lesson video

Hello.

My name is Ms. Batrue.

I hope that you are all doing well.

I'm really looking forward to teaching and learning with you today.

Our learning outcome for this lesson is I can curate and present key pieces of my artwork to create a cohesive visual story.

Let's look at our keywords for this lesson, which are curate, cohesive, and present.

Let's look at each word in turn and find out what they mean.

Curate.

To carefully select, organise, and present artwork.

Cohesive.

Something that is well-connected, unified, and works together smoothly as a whole.

Present.

To show, display, or share something in a clear and intentional way.

Okay, let's look at our lesson outline, which is Curating the artwork: selecting and arranging key pieces.

So let's begin with our first learning cycle, curating a cohesive portfolio.

Okay, What does curating mean? Curating means selecting and presenting your best work to tell a strong story.

Your portfolio should reflect your intentions and decisions.

This means curating your work to show the thinking and purpose behind it, not just focusing on the final outcome.

Your intentions should be clear and communicate what you are trying to express or explore, why you chose a particular theme, material, or subject, and what message, mood, or story you were aiming for.

Okay, let's have a check in for understanding.

What does it mean to show your intentions in your portfolio? Is it A, to include as many finished pieces as possible, even if they're unrelated, or B, to show how your ideas developed and why you made certain creative choices, or C, to avoid showing any mistakes or changes.

Let's pause for a moment here to think about our answer.

We will resume shortly.

Which option did you choose? Let's have a look.

The answer is B, to show how your ideas developed and why you made certain creative choices.

Your presentation of your portfolio should document decisions including how you developed your ideas over time, what materials or techniques you tried and why.

Whether you changed direction at any point and what led to that choice.

Let's continue our journey about curating a cohesive portfolio.

So carefully selected work tells a clearer, more cohesive story about your growth and creativity.

Okay, so just spend a moment or two observing the following images.

What do you notice about each one? Can you see the stages of development from the first image to the third? Look at the level of detail and how the medium used has been experimented and explored.

What kind of visual story would your work show that indicates your growth? Okay, let's look at this question.

So why is choosing artworks carefully more powerful than presenting everything in your portfolio? Okay, let's explore potential outcomes to this question.

Why is choosing artworks carefully more powerful than presenting everything in your portfolio? Let's take a look.

Laura says, "Choosing a select range of images shows I can make good creative decisions.

It creates focus on my strongest work, by not including everything." Andeep says, "Choosing carefully helps tell a clear visual story and makes my ideas cohesive." Okay.

So carefully selecting and arranging your work helps to create a cohesive narrative.

Choose works that tells a clear, connected story showing how your ideas grow, change, and resolve over time.

And this is really your creative visual story.

Aim for a consistent visual thread.

Use recurring elements like colours, marks, or symbols.

Let's take a moment to look at these images.

Okay, what is the visual thread here that links these three images together? What's a theme that's being explored and also the kind of mark making that's been employed to create these images? What recurring elements can you see in your work? Spend a moment here to think about that and perhaps have some work in front of you to start practising this.

And we'll resume when you are ready.

What should you consider when photographing 3D work for presentation? How could you improve this photograph? Pause for a moment here and think about these two questions.

Make a note of your answers.

Okay, let's continue.

When 3D work is being photographed for presentation, consider the following.

Using natural light, take photos near a window during daylight to avoid harsh shadows and colour distortion.

Using a tripod or steady hand, keep your camera or phone stable.

To avoid blurry images, select a plain background or neutral wall, sheet, or table helps your piece to stand out.

Show different angles, photograph from the front, side, top, and any interesting viewpoints.

Okay, let us continue.

What should you consider when photographing your work for presentation? Let's see.

So framing it well.

Compose your photo carefully, focusing on your work and avoiding cutting off edges or including unnecessary backgrounds.

Capturing close-ups.

Include detailed shots to show texture, brush work, layering, or fine drawing.

Avoiding reflections.

Tilt the camera slightly or used diffuse lighting, particularly when photographing glossy or mixed media work.

Some artists focus on close-ups in their artwork, including Catherine Opie, who takes close-up photography, particularly in her portrait and body-focused work to explore personal and collective identity.

Lalla Essaydi known for richly patterned close-up elements of staged portraits.

She uses calligraphy on skin, fabric, and architecture.

Richard Avedon, who is renowned for stark high-contrast close-up portraits, capturing intense expressions.

Okay, let's have a check-in for understanding.

Which of these images shows the best presentation.

Is it A, B, or C? Pause for a moment here to consider your answer and why? Which one did you think? The answer is A.

And why do you think this is? Remember, we want to show our artwork in the best light possible.

And for reflective surfaces, we need to make sure we have a neutral background and we also have to consider how we are actually framing.

Okay, let's bring our focus to task A, curating a cohesive portfolio.

Photograph key pieces of work to form a cohesive narrative.

Take into consideration the following.

Use good lighting, natural daylight is best and avoid harsh shadows or yellow indoor light.

Frame it well.

Make sure the whole artwork is visible, straight, and fills the the frame.

Capture details.

Take close-up shots of textures, marks or areas you're proud of.

Create a clear focus.

Use a plain background like a table or wall to keep your focus on your work.

Okay.

So, please pause the video here whilst you complete your practical task and resume when you are ready.

Okay.

You were tasked to photograph key pieces of work to form a cohesive narrative.

Let's look at some of the outcomes that could be possible.

Okay, so this is Izzy's response.

"I have started curating my visual story by photographing my inspiration, a close-up of texture, and one drawing.

These images work well together as a cohesive group showing clear links between my source material and creative response." If we take a moment just to look at this example, we can see the connection between the original textured image and studies of the bark, the mark making and the colour palette all have a link, and this is a real clear indicator in making this a very cohesive visual story.

Let's continue.

Aisha says, "I have started to curate photographs that document my response to feathers.

This includes a photo of my inspiration, an experimental cyanotype, and a drawing, all of which work together as a cohesive visual exploration." This is very clearly indicated in this example.

We've got the photograph of the feather, we've got the experimental part and some mark making a completely different medium.

However, the exploration of the feather is the visual thread that makes this story cohesive.

Let's continue with our lesson outline for today, Curating the artwork: selecting and arranging key pieces, and let's begin our second learning cycle, which is documenting and presenting the creative process.

There are several ways to display and present selected pieces, including sketchbooks.

Sketchbooks are a space to document your creative journey, step by step.

Reflect on your process and curate your sketchbook carefully.

Use layout to create a cohesive narrative and consider how one page leads to the next.

Include research, drawings, experiments, photos, and annotations.

Personalising your sketchbook presentation.

You might choose to curate your pages in a clean and simple way, using plain white backgrounds to let the artwork speak for itself and keep the focus clear.

You might use washi tape, coloured paper, or textured backgrounds to add personality and interest, as long as the presentation looks cohesive.

Any decorative elements should be purposeful and support and enhance the work.

Okay, let's do a check-in for understanding.

What does it mean to curate your sketchbook? Does it mean A, to carefully select, organise and arrange your work to tell a clear story, or B, fill every page with as much work as possible, or C, only include final pieces when curating your work.

So let's pause for a moment here whilst you think about your answer.

Okay, which do you think is the answer? Let's take a look.

The answer is A.

To curate your sketchbook, it means to carefully select, organise, and arrange your work to tell a clear story.

Some artists may create a digital sketchbook, curating and arranging photographs to form a cohesive presentation.

You could combine the two approaches using digital pages to enhance or extend a traditional sketchbook.

Digital presentations are an option for showcasing work online or for assessments.

Combine photos, videos for 3D/kinetic work, and text.

Use the same fonts, colours, and image formatting techniques for a professional and cohesive look.

When annotating digitally, keep your font readable and use consistent colours or styles for a cohesive look.

You may choose to use presentation sheets to highlight final outcomes or stages of development.

Focus on clarity, layout, and visual impact to help curate a page that feels visually cohesive and well-organized.

Okay, let's check in for understanding.

Is the following statement true or false? You can include photographs, drawings, and digital work on the same sheet.

Is this true or false? Let's pause for a moment here for you to think about your answer.

The answer is true.

Why do you think this is? Combining different types of work allows you to curate a fuller picture of your creative process and makes your presentation more dynamic and visually engaging.

Artists have a choice in how they present their work.

Aisha asks, "Do you prefer working in a sketchbook, on presentation sheets, or digitally? I like sketchbooks because they feel more personal." Alex says, "I find that my work and notes look neater when presented digitally." Jacob says, "I like presentation sheets.

When I want to focus on one piece, it makes it feel more professional." Some artists present their work digitally as part of their process, including Refik Anadol who creates immersive, data-driven digital installations using AI and generative art.

His work encourages audience to rethink the relationship between art, technology, architecture, and nature.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley an artist working with video games, animation, sound, and performance.

Brathwaite-Shirley creates immersive, interactive experiences that record and reimagine the lives of Black trans people.

Jeremy Deller who presents his work via film, posters, and interactive public installations.

He shows how presentation can be digital and narrative-driven.

Presentation is important in many creative careers.

Shoe designers often pitch their concepts to brands, manufacturers, or creative directors.

Sketches, digital renderings, and mood boards need to clearly explain the idea behind the shoe.

Interior design is all about turning spaces into experiences.

A strong presentation helps communicate a concept clearly.

It allows others to visualise a space before it is built.

Public events need people who can curate visual experiences that reflect and celebrate identity, tradition, and creativity.

Annotations are vital in explaining your process, decisions, and materials and create cohesion.

Aim to show how your work develops, show what you learned along the way.

Demonstrate understanding and reflection.

Create a cohesive record of your creative journey.

Reflection helps you to improve and make creative choices.

You might reflect by writing down what worked or didn't.

Identify areas for improvement.

Lucas and Sofia are discussing making notes.

"Do you write notes for every page in your sketchbook, Sofia? I'm not sure when it's necessary." And Sofia responded by saying, "I don't always write a lot but I add annotations when I need to explain a decision, link to an artist, or make the page feel more curated and cohesive." Okay, let's focus on task B, documenting and presenting the creative process.

Present key pieces either digitally, on sheets, or in a sketchbook.

You should choose the format that best presents your work and style.

Curate your selection carefully to create a cohesive narrative that highlights your development and strongest ideas.

Include annotations or captions to explain your creative choices and help viewers as understand your process.

Pause the video here whilst you complete this practical task.

Resume the video when you are ready.

Okay.

Let's see some examples of possible outcomes.

Jacob says, "I have chosen to present my work in a sketchbook.

I have displayed it in a logical sequence, including experimental pieces." Izzy response by saying, "I chose to present my work digitally.

It meant I could easily play around with different layouts And edit the work as required." Okay.

We have now arrived at our summary for Curating the artwork: selecting and arranging key pieces.

Artists use a variety of methods to present their work from digital displays to sketchbooks and design sheets.

Artists curate their work to present a cohesive and compelling narrative that effectively communicates their ideas and creative process.

There are many ways to create a strong presentation, including the choice of format, layout, annotations, and selection of images.

I hope you have enjoyed this lesson in curating your artwork.

Thank you.

Take care and I look forward to seeing you next time.

Bye for now.