IB Digital Visual Arts – INVESTIGATION WORKBOOKS

ACCEPTABLE:
• Photographs/images related to ideas or products being pursued.
• Images should not take up over 2/3 of the page.
• Relevant materials from other disciplines (Math, TOK, Literature)
• Material documenting a museum/gallery experience.
• Typed responses to artists, materials, techniques etc.
• Material experimentation and documentation.
• Unanswered questions, thoughts and ideas.

UNACCEPTABLE:
• Lengthy biographies or printed information without student interaction.
• Photographs/images that are irrelevant to ideas or products.
• Class handouts.
• Editing pages (blacking out, tearing out etc.)
• Skipping pages.
• Not using citations.
• Writing in large print simply to “fill space”.
• Blank pages or space in pages.

*Just a reminder, I will attending the International Robotic Olympiad  Monday – Thursday and will not be at school during these days.  However I will be at school Friday if you need to speak with me before break. 

You are to finish and prep all your work for the end of the semester. 

* Updated 12/16/13

1.  First Complete and print the Final Project Turn-in Sheet. Here is the link.

In a spreadsheet list the following for each project:

• Title
• Printable Size & Size of Original (cm or time)
• Medium / software used
• IWB pages documented on (entire process needs to be documented for full credit)
• Date Started
• Date Completed
• Identify if is a large or small project - ONE long term and TWO short term projects every quarter
  
  https://docs.google.com/a/skarunner.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtjMyW0QKhnWdEdFdkhUNDVkeU1UUGw2dEt1M3RWVUE#gid=0
  
  
  
  2.  In your IWB, write a formal write-up of each project.  It should include, but not limited to:
  
• Multiple images of the process (Contact Sheet)
• Images of the final project
• Title
• Date Started, Date Finished, Time Spent
• Description / Process (List the IWB Pages where documented)
• What you liked about it or not.
• What did you learn.
• Compositional attributes

 

3. In a folder on my desktop (Minimum 1 – large project & 2 – small projects)

*First project turned in should be your large project

• Studio Work: (3GP,F4V,FLV,GIF,JPG,M4V,MOV,MP4,PNG)
• Two Sizes – Name them:
• #_FirstName_LastName_Title.jpg
• #_FirstName_LastName_Title_sm.jpg  (no more than 1MB)

Studio Work

	100	90	80	70	60
PROJECT COMPLETION	The entire assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 3/4 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 3/4 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 1/2 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 1/2 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	100 pts
PROJECT COMPLEXITY	Two Months + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 2X)	One Month + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 1X)	Two Weeks + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 1X)	One Week + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 0.5X)	One Day + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 0.125X)
PROJECT Technical competence, personally relevant, reviewed, modified & refined, Sensitivity to materials	Consistently Demonstrates	Good	Satisfactory	mediocre	Minimal	40 pts
PROJECT PROCESS *DOCUMENTED IN IWB	Coherent, Focused and Appropriate Documentation	Appropriate Documentation	Satisfactory Documentation	Some Documentation	Limited Documentation	60pts

 

 

IB Independent Research: The workbooks successfully and consistently demonstrate an independent, exploratory, and integrated approach to research, expressed both visually and in writing. The research shows appropriate depth and/or breadth and the findings are thoroughly understood.

IB Critical Research: The workbooks show a methodical, critical examination of the meaning and significance of both visual and functional qualities of art related to the themes under consideration. They include critical analysis of relevant aesthetic issues and appropriate examples of art from various cultures. The research strategies are coherent and appropriate to the themes examined.

IB Contextual Research: The workbooks contain compelling evidence of thorough and consistent research into the sociocultural and historical contexts of more than one culture, including some unconventional approaches by the candidate. The contextual research is synthesized and appropriately integrated throughout the workbooks.

IB Visual Research: The workbooks illustrate a comprehensive exploration of the range of visual qualities and the representation of ideas related to themes, demonstrated through various types of original and recycled images, media experiments, and technical practice. Visual exploration exhibits both divergent and convergent strategies in the study of expressive forms.

1.  First Complete and print the Final Project Turn-in Sheet. Here is the link.

https://docs.google.com/a/skarunner.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtjMyW0QKhnWdEdFdkhUNDVkeU1UUGw2dEt1M3RWVUE#gid=0



2.  In your IWB, write a formal write-up of you project.  It should include, but not limited to:

• Multiple images of the process (Contact Sheet)
• Images of the final project
• Title
• Date Started, Date Finished, Time Spent
• Description / Process (List the IWB Pages where documented)
• What you liked about it or not.
• What did you learn.
• Compositional attributes

Studio Work

	100	90	80	70	60
PROJECT COMPLETION	The entire assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 3/4 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 3/4 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 1/2 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	Less than 1/2 of the assignment was completed. *Based on Complexity / Effort	100 pts
PROJECT COMPLEXITY	Two Months + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 2X)	One Month + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 1X)	Two Weeks + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 1X)	One Week + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 0.5X)	One Day + Legitimate work *Well Documented (Equals 0.125X)
PROJECT Technical competence, personally relevant, reviewed, modified & refined, Sensitivity to materials	Consistently Demonstrates	Good	Satisfactory	mediocre	Minimal	60 pts
PROJECT PROCESS *DOCUMENTED IN IWB	Coherent, Focused and Appropriate Documentation	Appropriate Documentation	Satisfactory Documentation	Some Documentation	Limited Documentation	40 pts

 

Printing Options:

At Costco as of 11/12

IWB Content guidelines

· The content of the investigation workbooks can vary considerably, but must show evidence of investigation into artistic qualities and cultural contexts from different cultures and times. (A culture can be described as learned and shared beliefs, values, interests, attitudes, products or patterns of behavior. Culture is dynamic and organic and operates on many levels—international, national, regional, local and social interest groups.) A developing use of the specialist vocabulary of visual arts is expected.

· Workbooks are working journals that should reflect personal approaches, styles and interests. They are not simply scrapbooks, sketchbooks or diaries but may be a combination of all three. They may contain weak initial ideas and false starts, but these should not be seen as mistakes and can be used as a means of identifying a student’s progress over the course.

· While the teacher is expected to guide and support the students, workbooks should reflect students’ personal interests. Students should be encouraged to investigate “around” ideas, themes and issues, make links and connections, speculate, hypothesize and draw conclusions that may support or challenge artistic conventions. The work should be presented in a way that is appropriate to visual arts, rather than as isolated ideas or formal essays.

· Information may be recorded in a variety of ways. This is a good opportunity for visual experimentation, and may be both critical and creative. Written work must be legible and all sources, both written and visual, must always be acknowledged properly.

· Meetings with local artists, and visits to museums, galleries and libraries, provide first-hand opportunities for investigation. Students’ personal responses to these visits should be documented in the workbooks and may well influence some of the studio work they produce.

· Class notes and handouts should only be included in the workbooks if appropriate. Visual material should be relevant to the investigation and not simply used to fill space. Photographs, copies and magazine cut-outs are acceptable if they are relevant to the investigation, are accompanied by an explanation or critical comment and are acknowledged properly. Copying from Internet sites, books and other secondary sources without personal and critical reflection should be avoided.

Format

· Entries must be dated and kept in chronological order. Pages must be numbered for cross-referencing ideas, themes or issues that run through the investigation workbooks. (Care should also be taken to leave the top right-hand corner of each page free, in order to allow the candidate session number to be included.)

· Students should be advised that legibility is extremely important. Blue-black or black ink is recommended for writing.

The most common strengths identified by examiners were:

· Strong links between studio work and IWBs in candidates‘ submissions. The interdependence of these two components, with wisely chosen pages documenting the evolution and development of studio works, was clear in the case of the strongest candidates, who had successfully used their IWBs as a base for visual and written exploration and integrated all aspects of studio and investigation practice throughout.

· Creative presentation was noted in many cases.

· HLA/SLA candidates sometimes achieved a very successful visual quality in the initial stages of their IWB practical experimentation, preparation and studio development.

· Critical thinking was apparent in the best submissions, where candidates had thoughtfully analyzed their own work and that of others, especially where candidates were encouraged to explore their own interests and to consider cultural and contextual issues.

· Candidates who used a sufficient range of sources and cited them appropriately and correctly.

· IWBs that read very well, using a narrative that touched on the salient points and evidenced knowledge and understanding.

· Some candidates showed real breadth and diversity, with evidence of bold experimentation, investigating new and exciting ways of working.

The most common weaknesses identified by examiners were:

· Weaker candidates were found to be limited in considering, describing and particularly in analyzing work from other cultures and/or times. Examiners again noted that culture and context appear to remain difficult areas for some candidates, with the function and significance of culture and the role of art in different cultures rarely being explored.

· Weaker candidates omitted to effectively investigate the processes which enabled the production of studio works. Few candidates demonstrated that they had developed the ability to understand and discuss the methodologies of other artists noted that culture and context appear to remain difficult areas for some candidates, with the function and significance of culture and the role of art in different cultures rarely being explored.

· Weaker candidates omitted to effectively investigate the processes which enabled the production of studio works. Few candidates demonstrated that they had developed the ability to understand and discuss the methodologies of other artists. Examiners confirmed that many candidates working in digital media and photography were still not documenting their practical work effectively, in line with CRB requirements.

· Inaccurate and inadequate use of subject specific vocabulary for the evaluation and critical analysis of candidates‘ own works and that of others.

· Appropriate page selection for CRBs remained a weakness, with candidates not selecting IWB pages to document their creative process and to best match the requirements of the markband descriptors.

· Weak links between investigation and studio work were identified and a lack of connections noted between candidates‘ own work and that of other artists, with some difficulty in considering and reflecting upon these connections and little development of candidates‘ own ideas.

· Many examiners reported a real over-reliance on the internet for investigation, contributing to superficial responses. Candidates who achieved in the lower markbands had often presented information directly from web sources and text books, frequently verbatim, without the thorough examination of the information to gain understanding, which would have led to informed investigation.

· Many candidates failed to acknowledge their sources sufficiently or correctly, thus not complying with IB requirements for academic honesty. It is important that pages selected for assessment include appropriate acknowledgements.

This is a working journal of your life as an artist over the next nineteen months!

How do I start?

Put your name and address ( or school address ) inside the front cover.
A telephone number is useful – after all you don’t want to loose it!
Oh yes, also put the date.

Then leave the first double spread of pages blank, these can be used as a table of contents later. Now number the rest of the pages on the bottom right.

What do I put in it?

Well, who am I? What am I interested in?

To get some of the answers make a mind map starting on page one and two, the first double spread that’s numbered. You might need to use more pages!

This will give you clues to two lines of research.

Now you will have some idea of the subject matters you are personally interested in. These can be related to your personal heritage or community, or to the way artists respond to their culture or the way art is used by a culture. Select the one subject you find the most interesting and briefly say why.

Also you will have some ideas of what to draw, paint, make in clay, metal or glass. Sketch out your ideas with notes about what it is you’d like to do and why you think it is important for you – not just “I’d like to do it”, but “I’d like to do it because . . . . . ”.

How many pages have you used - 5, 6, 7, or 8?

Discuss these ideas with us.
It does not matter how wild the ideas are, nor that you might have no idea how to make them real nor where to start your research. The important thing is that you now have something to work on.


Good Working Practices

When you finish working in your IWB for the day always put the date, including the year! This is not only so we can mark it in monthly chunks but for the reasons of … see the next paragraph!

When you sketch an idea, or when out drawing in a café or park, etc., always sign or initial your sketch/drawing and date it. ( This is for copyright / provenance reasons )

When drawing from observation always write down where the subject is, why you are drawing it and, if on location, a short note as to the weather, lighting and other interesting points you were unable to include in the drawing. A photograph of the subject can be very useful at a later stage if you are going to develop the sketch into a painting or sculpture. Take your camera with you!

If you are using pencil or coloured pencil or soft pastel to draw with always fix it. You can get a can of fixative at an art shop or use ‘firm hold’ hair spray. Watercolour or acrylic paints do not need fixing as the paints contain an adhesive.

If you are using oil pastels, glue in a sheet of tracing paper, greaseproof or typing paper along the bound edge of the page to cover it and so protect your artwork and the facing page. You can do this also to help protect soft pastel drawings. Use UhU, PVA or some similar glue, Pritt Stick is not permanent enough!

When you write in your RWB use a black or blue-black pen, and write clearly. This is because we will need to be able to read it, and you will have to photocopy pages to send to the IB art examiners. You can make your RWB a pleasure to look at and read. Even writing is an art form, and one can take a degree in lettering and calligraphy!

When visiting exhibitions and art galleries collect postcards and brochures, stick them in. Refer to the historical / social influences on the artist. Write your personal impressions. This goes for field trips and holiday travel too.
If you are using the www or a book to find information always give the full reference. You may need to refer back at a later date. The format for this is the full web address and the date you accessed it, and for books the author, title, publisher and edition date and page numbers. For periodicals the name of the magazine, issue number and date, and of course the page number, author and title of the article. The same idea goes for television programmes and films! Sources of information must always be acknowledged – even the postcard that you stick in your RWB.

You remember you numbered the pages? This makes it easy to refer back to an idea or thought. Ideas will keep recurring, but also developing. Sometimes the development can be stimulated by an exhibition or another piece of work you are doing, or something you have been researching.
On page 60 you might sketch an idea and remember you did something similar before and write: -
“The idea / sketch on page 27 has possibilities for a painting, see my notes of ‘x’ exhibition on page 56.”
Also remember to cross-reference on pages 27 and 56!

Never ever cut or tear pages out from your RWB! Nor stick them together even if you have made what you think is a mistake or a terrible drawing. The RWB has to show mistakes, good work and very importantly your development as an artist over a period of time.

Make comments on your feelings, how your work is progressing, what successes you have and also on research and technical problems and how you have overcome these.

Make comments on your attitudes about life, social, cultural and political concerns. These can be related to artwork you are researching and / or to artwork you are producing. Through your research you will find artists often make such comments!

When trying out new media, experiment with them and find out what you can do with them and make notes as below.

Make notes on which materials you have used in your studio work experiments. The type of paper, the type of media, what type of glue gives the best results, which clay you used and how wet it was, which glaze and what temperature it was fired to, etc. this will save much time when later you need a specific result!

Work generates excitement and energy – have fun!
Guidelines for Critical and Contextual Research

Among the “Good Working Practices” we have mentioned collecting postcards and brochures when visiting art galleries and exhibitions, and to make notes about the historical / social influences on the artist, and writing your personal impressions. Also, artists make comments on their attitudes on life, social, cultural and political concerns.

These comments put the artwork into the context of the social, historical and cultural period in which they worked, or now work. This connects the artwork with the time it was made and this makes your understanding clearer as to why the artists did what they did. You will find that the patron or organisation that commissioned the work put definite limits onto the artist – for example the Pope on Michelangelo. It is interesting how Michelangelo got around some of these so he could fulfil his own vision, but not without some heated arguments! You could ask yourself whether that is true today, or is the artist more autonomous?

The IB expects you to look at more than one culture. This is probably easier than you think! Just make a list of the artists you already know and find out where they came from. As your work in the studio and in the RWB progresses we will make comments and often suggest relevant artists to look at.

It is a very good thing to read the arts page in newspapers and articles in the art periodicals in the library as well as the craft ones in the 3D Workshop to get an idea of what the current trend and style is now. Plagiarism will be frowned upon; your own words are more exciting. You will find some of the “art critic” language strange and often too verbose! However you will need to use some of this special language. Reading the reviews will help you to understand it and so to use it in context. You might not agree with what is being said, say so and why! The critic is not always correct.

Use the language of the artistic elements and analyse the composition! Make you own judgement of how effectively the artist has used colour, line, tone, shape, pattern, texture, form and space.
Is the composition such that your eye is lead around the picture or sculpture, exploring and experiencing the subject?
What is the mood and how has that been created?

We have other handouts on criticism and there are useful books in the library.