Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping, and I'm looking forward to learning with you today about evaluating your work.

We're going to do lots of thinking, talking, and exploring together in today's lesson.

So shall we get started? Let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to reflect on your own artwork by identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and setting clear goals for future projects.

Before we start, I would like to introduce you to some keywords that we'll be using during the lesson.

Intention is the creative goal or message you want your work to express.

Choice is the act of selecting from two or more options.

Impact is the impression your work makes on the viewer.

And reflect refers to when you pause to review your work and process.

So pause the video here to make a note of these keywords, and when you're ready to continue, press play.

These are the learning cycles that we'll be working through together in today's lesson: how choices impact the overall effect of a piece and reflective evaluation and planning for future work.

In this first learning cycle, we're going to explore how choices impact the overall effect of a piece.

What is meant by the intention of your outcome? Well, the intention is what you set out to achieve in your artwork.

Your intention might have been a specific theme, a visual effect or visual impact, a specific technique, or an emotional goal.

So your intention might have been any of these.

When evaluating your final outcome, you should consider reflective questions.

Reflection will help you to recognise both strengths and areas to improve in order to grow as an artist.

Did your creative choices ensure your work stayed close to your initial theme? Pause the video here and have a quick discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Did your creative choices allow your work to stay close to your initial theme? So here, Jacob talks about how his theme was transformation.

He experimented with string pull art, transforming marks into coral, and then he turned shapes into sea creatures but chose to change direction conceptually.

Which choices ensured your theme developed in the way that you wanted? Pause the video here and have a quick discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Well, Jacob here talks about how his intention was to include many types of sea creatures, but then he felt it would be more impactful to choose only one species.

You can see here in this piece of artwork we've got a number of different species here, but Jacob has decided that it would be more impactful for one.

So think about some of the choices that ensured your theme developed in the way that you wanted.

And how well does your final outcome communicate your theme? Well, here, Jacob says, "I think it is clear to see that my theme is about the impact of pollution on the environment.

I made the right choice focusing on the effect of one species as the concept is clearer." How did you feel about your final outcome and the way it communicated your theme? Well, pause the video here and have a quick discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Now discussing your work with peers can reveal new perspectives.

Sam says, "I can see the message you intended in your final outcome.

Would you keep the same theme or choose a new approach if you could start again?" Jacob says, "I would choose a new approach within the same theme.

I would consider making a turtle from rubbish found on the beach.

I would also like to strengthen the connection to artists such as Abdulnasser Gharem and maybe use found materials." Many artists use recycled materials linked to the coast to create an impact, including Mandy Barker, a photographer who collects marine plastic and arranges it into striking compositions, highlighting ocean pollution, Alejandro Duran, known for his "Washed Up Project," where he created site-specific installations from ocean debris on the beaches of Sian Ka'an, Mexico, arranging plastic rubbish by colour and form, and Abdulnasser Gharem.

Known for conceptual and installation work, he has produced pieces referencing the coastal ecology of Southern Saudi Arabia, incorporating found materials in public interventions.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

How can evaluating your choices during the process improve your final piece? It helps you follow the exact intention, it makes your artwork more confusing, or it allows you to make informed decisions based on what's working.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question, and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said that evaluating your choices during the process improves your final piece because it allows you to make informed decisions based on what's working, then that's absolutely right.

Well done.

What is the difference between visual effect and visual impact in an artwork? Well, visual effect is a specific look or mood the artist was aiming for.

What mood does this artwork evoke? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? What mood does this artwork evoke? Perhaps something suspicious or mysterious.

Visual impact is the result the viewer experiences.

Which artwork grabs your attention the most and why? Pause the video here and have a discussion with people around you, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Artists might aim to create visual effect through contrast: warm and cool colours, differences in materials, or scale and proportion.

Can you see any visible contrasts within this artwork here? Perhaps you can see the differences in materials of the pencil on the paper and then the tissue paper colours on top.

Artists might aim to create visual effect through mood: through blurred edges, muted colours, or layered textures.

What mood does this artwork evoke? Pause the video here and have a quick discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Well, perhaps you thought it was quite dreamlike or ethereal.

Artists can also achieve visual effect through techniques such as pouring, dripping, scraping, or distressing, through materials that are maybe reflective, layered, transparent, rough, or smooth, or through repetition and rhythm of patterns, shapes, and symbols.

A visual impact goal might be to trigger an emotional reaction, to stand out instantly, or to feel bold or unusual.

Have you created visual effect or visual impact in your work? Pause the video here and have a discussion with the people around you, and then press play when you're ready to continue.

Well, perhaps like Aisha, she talks about her ice sculpture of a hand which contains trapped flowers.

The frozen state shows an attempt to preserve identity or heritage in changing times.

She says, "I think this artwork shows both visual effect and visual impact." Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Artists can use visual effect to support their theme or message.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here to give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said that that's true, you're absolutely right.

But how can you explain that that is true? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your peers, and press play when you're ready to continue.

So why is that true? Perhaps you said something like, there are many ways to achieve visual effect, including choices regarding use of materials, techniques, or the use of the elements and principles of art.

Well done.

How can specific material or technique choices affect the intended outcome? Well, technique is the method or process used, and the process can strengthen the meaning.

For example, weaving could represent connection.

The weaving technique could link to communities because it often involves shared skills and traditions passed down through generations.

Different materials or techniques for the same subject can impact the viewer's experience.

How do these two artworks make you feel? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did each of the artworks make you feel? Which one were you more drawn to? And did the materials affect how you interpret the work? Or which materials or techniques have you used that impact the outcome? Perhaps like Sam, she says, "I made a painting and a modroc model of a trainer.

They both have visual effect and visual impact in their own way.

The painting has more striking colours and the model has more of a physical presence." An emotional goal is how the artist wants the viewer to feel.

It's usually the result of intentional choices in materials, techniques, subject matter, and presentation.

Emotional goals in artworks are achieved through colour.

Warm tones may feel happy or exciting and cool tones may feel calm or sad.

Lighting and tone.

High contrast can feel dramatic, while gentle shifts in light can evoke calmness.

Texture.

Rough textures can feel raw or harsh, and smooth textures can feel soothing or calm.

And also, subject matter.

What's shown can evoke empathy, nostalgia, tension, or positivity.

Have you made any choices to achieve emotional goals? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your peers, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Well, Laura here for her "Emotion" project, she looked at facial expressions and how those emotions can impact the viewer.

She says, "I chose to draw my nanna, and her expression evoked a feeling of sorrow and loneliness." This brings us to our first learning task, where I'd like you to evaluate how the choices you made impact the effect of your final outcome and communicate your theme.

You might want to consider the following questions.

Did the direction you took with your idea help you explore the theme in a meaningful and personal way? What made you choose the materials or techniques? Were they the most effective option for communicating your theme? Were there parts of your work where your choices didn't create the desired visual impact? And why might that have been? And you might want to record your responses in a written format, digitally or as voice notes.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at this learning task, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you get on with evaluating your choices? Well, let's have a look at this example here.

Jun says, "For my 'Cells' project, I initially made clay structures.

I wasn't happy with how rigid they looked.

I wanted more organic-looking clusters.

My choice to use layered paper was a much better option as it was more tactile." Alex says, "I photographed buildings and drew them.

I experimented with layers and wanted the layers to be my own artwork, not photos.

I made a paint pour, took a photo of it, and edited it digitally.

I like the concept but not this piece as the detail within the building has been lost." So well done for evaluating how the choices you made impact the effect of your outcome and communicating your theme.

We're now ready to move into the second part of our lesson, where we're going to take a look at reflective evaluation and planning for future work.

What is reflective evaluation? Well, reflective evaluation means looking back at the work you've created and thinking carefully about the choices you made.

You might identify what worked well and what you might improve next time.

Artists often reflect on their work to notice patterns in how they approach themes.

Izzy says, "I often start my projects the same way, usually with an observational drawing.

I then develop my drawing into experimental pieces using a variety of media." Experiencing an environment can have a strong impact on your drawings.

Laura says, "I like to draw in an environment that's linked to my theme.

I created drawings at the skate park to capture the emotions evoked, like excitement, surprise, fear, and courage." Many artists are renowned for recording directly from their surroundings, including Gina Phillips, known for her vibrant paintings inspired by urban life, often working on site to capture the energy of the environment, David A.

Bailey, who is primarily a curator and photographer.

His work engages deeply with Black British culture and environments.

And Emily Allchurch, who uses detailed studies of architecture and landscapes, often working from direct observation and on-location research.

When planning future work, it's is useful to consider how you approach themes and begin developing an idea.

Lucas says, "I often start with a large-scale drawing to establish the overall composition, then zoom in on specific areas, exploring different media and techniques to create a stronger impact.

Artists often reflect on their work to understand their creative process.

Andeep says, "I took my own photos as a starting point for my "Urban Landscapes" project.

It meant the imagery was personal and directly connected to my own perspective and experiences." Reflecting helps artists learn from both successes and mistakes.

What mistakes have you learned from? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Well, Sofia says, "I didn't always get the proportions right in some of my anatomy drawings, but through reflection and consistent practise, this has improved." And Jacob says, "I tried to cram too much into some of my compositions, which resulted in the focus being lost.

I learned the importance of simplifying compositions to create a clear focal point and stronger visual impact." Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Reflective evaluation should only focus on what went wrong in a project.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here to give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said that's false, you're absolutely right.

But can you explain why this statement is false? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How could you explain that this statement is false? Well, you might have said concentrating solely on mistakes can be discouraging and overlooks important successes.

Reflection is about recognising both strengths and areas to improve in order to grow as an artist.

Artists reflect on their work in order to make more confident, purposeful choices in the future.

Andeep says, "For my 'Landscapes' project, I explored making wire trees.

My intention was to use the sewing machine, but it proved too difficult.

I stitched them on by hand, which was more effective." Sofia says, "I chose to explore a wide range of media, including coffee to paint a pelvis and spine.

I enjoyed this process, and it taught me that results can be achieved with materials other than traditional ones." There are many ways to reflect on past work to help identify what could be improved for future projects.

So you could gather evidence.

Collect together your body of work and include photos, sketches, samples, and finished pieces.

Then list the strengths.

Identify things that worked.

Write or record a short description of evidence.

For example, the colour choices evoke mood or the texture creates interest.

Then reflect on any problems or mistakes.

Be specific about what didn't work technically.

Be specific about what isn't communicated conceptually.

Reflecting on mistakes will help to evaluate how your choices impacted your intention.

Understand the challenges faced.

Consider why each problem or mistake happened and consider the impact of these challenges.

For example, maybe a rushed process, or unclear intent, or overcrowded composition.

Reflecting on mistakes can deepen your understanding, helping to avoid them being repeated.

So Jun says, "I wasn't happy with my first paint pours.

I wasn't able to achieve as many cellular patterns as I wanted.

I realised I was being impatient tilting the paint." Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Why is reflecting on mistakes important in the creative process? It helps you ignore your successes and focus only on what went wrong.

It allows you to understand what didn't work and find ways to improve.

It makes you feel bad about your work and lose confidence.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question, and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said it allows you to understand what didn't work and find ways to improve, you're right.

Well done.

That's why it's important to reflect on mistakes in the creative process.

By reflecting on your work and identifying what you've learned, you can turn these insights into clear goals.

Make two to three actionable goals for the next project.

For example, looking more closely when making observational studies or ensuring the tension is correct when using the sewing machine.

This now brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to reflect upon your body of work and set clear goals for future work.

Consider the following and write or record your thoughts.

What worked well and why? Identify your strengths and successful choices for future work.

What didn't work and what caused it? Analyse problems or challenges to understand their root causes and how to address them next time.

And what are your goals for improvement? Set specific, achievable targets based on your reflection to guide your next project with clear focus.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at reflecting upon your body of work, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you find that? Shall we take a look at some examples? So Jun says here, "My strengths are exploring a wide range of media to create detailed and varied cell designs.

What didn't go well was the paint pour as it became difficult to control and didn't give the effect I wanted.

In future, I will focus on developing a clear and consistent colour scheme." Andeep says, "My strengths are adding intricate detail within the buildings and including elements of cultural architecture to give character and context.

What didn't go well was planning my final piece, which led to a composition that felt unfocused.

Going forward, my goal is to focus on developing one key aspect in greater depth." Well done for having a go at reflecting upon your body of work and setting clear goals for future work.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about self assessment techniques in evaluating your own work.

Artists reflect on their completed artwork, considering how their original intention guided the creative process.

Artists analyse the choices they made in materials, techniques, and composition, and discuss the impact these have on the final outcome.

Reflection is important in analysing how choices contribute to the intended concept or visual outcome, helping to set goals to inform future projects.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson today.

I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.