Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling good.

My name is Ms. Afzal and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling very pleased about that because this is what I love doing, teaching art.

Today's lesson is all about developing ideas.

Hope that sounds interesting to you.

Our lesson is called Develop Ideas: Trials and Experiments.

We're gonna be exploring, we're gonna be experimenting, we're gonna be having fun.

Our lesson comes from the unit of work Second sustained project: working from a theme, changing perspectives.

So if you are ready with some energy, some focus, some enthusiasm, we'll begin our lesson.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can use my insights to develop new innovative experiments.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Iterative, insights, intention, innovation.

All the I words.

What do these words mean? Iterative, repeating a process or idea many times to improve or develop it further.

Insights, a new idea or deeper understanding, usually recorded in your sketchbook.

Intention, the purpose or reason behind an artist's work or how they want viewers to feel or think.

Innovation, creating new and original ideas, techniques, or styles.

These are our keywords, iterative, insights, intention, and innovation.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called Develop ideas: trials and experiments, and it has two learning cycles.

Develop new ideas based on your reflections and create innovative experimental outcomes.

Sounds fun.

Let's begin with develop new ideas based on your reflections.

And let's zoom ahead to the end of a lesson and take a look at what's some possible outcomes for today might include.

Pause here while you take these in.

What an array of exploration and experimentation.

And now let's begin our lesson.

How does experimentation become part of a creative journey? Pause here and share with somebody.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Lucas.

"I tried to think critically about what I've already created and use those observations to come up with fresh ideas, sometimes in relation to new artists, too." The creative process is iterative.

Artists repeatedly experiment, reflect, and make changes to their work.

They gradually refine ideas and skills through multiple cycles.

This process is recorded to enable you to move forward.

How have you and your peers developed your work so far? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false.

Iterative means developing a solid idea very quickly and working with it for your whole project for a cohesive outcome.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Iterative means repeating a process or idea many times to improve or develop it further, but it is important to allow the idea to change and grow as it evolves.

It shouldn't remain fixed throughout.

The quality of your recording is assessed in AO3.

We look for insights into how you think critically and develop new ideas.

They should be clear, concise, and useful.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of the quality of this recording that we can see on the screen.

Thanks for sharing.

What sort of questions help you think critically? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's hear from Izzy.

"What went well? What could be improved?" Really helpful questions.

"Does the visual language reflect your theme or idea?" And Jun, "What techniques or materials gave me the results I wanted?" Great question to ask yourself.

I wonder if these were similar or different to the questions that you came up with.

And what were your intentions in the first place? Pause here and consider this.

Thanks for your consideration.

Here's Izzy.

"My project is about recycled fashion and nature.

I want to make a costume.

I enjoyed batik last year so I wanted to explore whether I could use batik here too." Which successful techniques or ideas will you develop further? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Izzy.

"I found a color scheme I like and I have some marks that worked well in the wax.

The tjanting made it hard but the organic shapes match the flow of the ink." Can you identify a moment where an experiment led you to a surprising new direction? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Izzy.

"I had a go on paper and loved the result.

It feels really different to the fabric, the ink behaves differently.

I realized then I could try batik on newspaper too." What a great idea.

How do you record ideas and insights? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

You might note down observations and reflections.

Include sketches and diagrams. Record the process.

Highlight successes and challenges.

Add photos of your work.

Review regularly to develop ideas.

How do you present experiments you really dislike? Pause here and share with someone.

It doesn't always go well.

Let's hear some responses.

"I use contact sheets and put across through the ones that didn't work." "I explain why it didn't work and what I'll do differently." "I use scale to emphasize what works and what didn't.

My best work is always larger and more prominent on the page." Evidencing unsuccessful work alongside insights into why and what next will help you gain more marks.

It all counts.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Why do you present unsuccessful work? Is it A, I don't, it looks terrible in my book? B, I want to demonstrate that I recognize when something hasn't worked and that I understand how to improve it.

C, it is part of the process.

If I never made mistakes, I wouldn't learn anything.

Pause here while you decide why do you present unsuccessful work? Well then if you selected answers B and C, indeed, both of these are really good reasons for presenting unsuccessful work.

What could recording ideas and insights look like in your specialism? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

There are many possible ways to record your insights.

They can be visual, verbal, or written.

What examples can you find in your classroom? Pause here and consider this.

Thanks for considering.

Examples of artists recording ideas.

Antony Gormley uses his sketchbooks to explore ideas, experiment with form, and develop concepts through detailed drawings and visual notes.

Francis Alys often records his ideas through video and walking journeys, documenting his interactions with urban landscapes.

Julie Mehretu creates layered drawings that combine architectural plans, maps, and abstract marks.

She often uses digital tools to sketch.

Frida Kahlo's personal diaries are filled with sketches, watercolors, and written reflections.

Her sketchbooks provide insight into her world.

Mary Blair was a Disney concept artist and illustrator.

Her work had to be shown in development as part of pictures and design meetings.

So these are just some examples of artists recording ideas.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to record your experiments and reflect on the questions.

What were your intentions? Does the visual language reflect your theme or idea? What went well? What could be improved? What techniques or materials gave you the results you wanted? Which successful techniques or ideas will you develop further? Can you identify a moment where an experiment led you to a surprising new direction? Pause here while you have a go at this task of recording your experiments and reflecting on your questions.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task of recording your experiments and reflecting on the questions? There are many ways to record your ideas, but you may have recorded in this way.

And here's Laura.

"My experiments are based on drawing different forms, I recorded them in my book and explored how effective they are in my notes." That's a great example.

Here's another example from Izzy.

"I record experiments in my book.

Here I used pictures to record the process of taking prints from different surfaces.

I added my ideas and reflections around the images." And now it's time for our next learning cycle, create innovative experimental outcomes.

John Akomfrah is a British filmmaker known for his work, exploring themes of migration, identity, history, and memory.

In his conversation with The Box Museum, he said, "I've never had an idea at the beginning of the project that stays the same.

It just doesn't happen because there's the magic of discovery." What a wonderful quote from John Akomfrah.

Let's keep this magic of discovery with us all the way through our projects.

What have you discovered that sparks new ideas? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Izzy.

"I wonder if batik will work on my stitched newspaper as it's so thin? The batik wax is translucent.

Could I layer things into it? Natural forms perhaps? I suppose it depends who the costume is actually for." Great ideas being sparked there for Izzy.

Innovation is about creating new, original ideas or techniques.

New ideas challenge traditional ways of working.

They lead to exciting forms of expression.

To be innovative, you need to take creative risks.

Taking creative risks means being open-minded to things not working out.

That can be challenging, especially when you're keen to succeed in your course.

Remember, GCSE marking values experimentation, so taking creative risks can really benefit your overall progress.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Taking a creative risks means trying something new and seeing if it works.

Pause here and decide, is this true or false? Well done if you said true.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

That's true, if your idea works great, you've made progress.

If it doesn't work, you record it and reflect and try something else.

It's all part of the creative process.

Andeep is reflecting on his project and his intentions.

"My work is about time and framing.

I'm interested in how you capture the essence of time with a camera.

Some photographers seem able to capture a fleeting moment and still make their work feel evocative.

I want my work to feel like time stood still.

I want to focus on ordinary scenes and the subtle movement within them." I love this idea of capturing the essence of time, so excited to see how that works out.

Andeep feels his latest work is too safe and doesn't convey his theme in terms of time and movement.

What could he do to take more creative risks? Pause here and share with someone, what do you think? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Andeep could try new methods like using found images or film.

Try new materials, perhaps layering edits, stitching, or painting over images.

Use different framing techniques to isolate parts of a scene, emphasizing the stillness amid subtle movement.

Experiment with long exposures to blur movement and make scenes look like the time stands sill.

Some really great ideas there.

I wonder if you had any like these or maybe something different.

There are often many different approaches you can take.

How do you choose? Pause here and share with someone.

How do you choose? Thanks for sharing.

Let's hear from Andeep.

"I decided to start with film, it best fits my project and interests as it's a time-based media and I can work some of the other techniques into it.

I made this one out of the window on the train." Love looking out the window on the train.

And of course you can always go back and explore other options too.

Each step in the process leads to new ideas and new experiments.

I love the colors and the motion blur in this film.

Recreating some of the colors and blur on a film still in paint.

I tried moving my image across the scanner as it scanned.

I combine both effects too.

You can come up with something really interesting.

Each step in the process requires care and attention.

Film of the light, reflecting the plants on my wall.

Selecting plants and pressing them flat under heavy books.

Combining plants and images on acetate over cyanotype paper.

Final cyanotype layered with plants over stores of a window.

How do you develop new ideas for experiments? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's hear from Andeep.

"I found small details I liked in each trial and used them in my next experiment.

All the while I'm searching for new ideas and techniques.

I've even been inspired by colors, textures, and compositions I've seen at home on films and on TV." What have you seen at home, at school, on TV or in a gallery that could offer new ideas for experiments? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following questions are useful when making experiments? A, what am I trying to convey, put across? B, what is the visual language communicating? C, what are the materials communicating? Pause here while you decide which of these questions are useful when making experiments.

Well done if you selected all three.

They are all really helpful questions when making experiments.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to record questions and intentions for a new period of experimentation.

Consider, what questions do you have? What connections have you made? What new materials will you use? And what do you want the visual language to convey? So pause here while you have a go at this part of your task, recording questions and intentions for a new period of experimentation.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Good to be back with you.

How did you get on with recording questions and intentions for a new period of experimentation? You may have said something like this.

Here's Jacob.

"I've been working with layers and holes and last lesson, I stitched together my samples.

I really enjoyed using the sewing machine so I'll pick that up.

I want to see how I can recreate the shapes using thread to create a worked, erratic effect that I could use later over other layers of material.

For the next part of your task, I'd like you to make intentional decisions while creating experiments to take your work forward.

Consider, what could I add, change, leave out? What am I trying to convey? What is the visual language saying? And what are the materials saying? Pause here while you have a go at this part of your task of making intentional decisions while creating experiments to take your work forward.

I'll see you when you're finished.

It's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with making intentional decisions while creating experiments to take your work forward? You might have thought and made something like this.

Here's Jacob.

"I realized I preferred using the stitch to create rougher, less uniform shapes.

They appear more organic and complement the overlaid stitching.

My work shifted from precise to a more freeform style." Love this.

Pause here and share with someone your impressions of where Jacob has taken his work.

Thanks for sharing.

In our lesson, Develop ideas: trials and experiments, we've covered the following.

Idea development is iterative.

Each trial can lead to new insights, refining the original concept.

Keeping thorough records of trials, including intentions, outcomes, and reflections helps you track progress and identify successes.

Taking risks can lead to unexpected and innovative results.

Innovation is about creating new, original ideas or techniques, new ideas, challenge, traditional ways of working.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore ideas together, experimenting, exploring, learning from mistakes, recording our mistakes, and finding new unexpected ways forward.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I've really enjoyed teaching you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.