Visual Arts

The Visual Arts faculty at Engadine High School offers a wide range of courses both in junior and senior years. We aim to provide  exciting, challenging an stimulating courses with a wide range of experiences in the classroom including painting, photography, ceramics and computer graphics.

Stage 4 - Years 7 and 8 Mandatory

The aim of Visual Arts in Years 7-8 is to enable students to develop and enjoy practical and conceptual autonomy in their abilities to represent ideas in the Visual Arts. They also learn to understand and value the different beliefs that affect meaning and significance in this field. This course mostly consists of practical artworks that students engage in making with a wide variety of media ranging from clay work to painting and many more.

Course assessment:

• 70% making
• 30% Critical and Historical Studies

Stage 5 - Years 9 and 10

Visual Arts

This course is mainly practical work, offering students the opportunity to use a wide selection of art materials and techniques including painting, pottery, sculpture, leatherwork, drawing, video, photography, cartooning, photo silk screening, graphic design, computer graphics and wearables. Students look at everything from traditional, realistic to wild abstraction for inspiration (having free choice in the media areas) and explore the differences between art and craft.

Course assessment:

• 60% making
• 40% critical and historical studies

Photographic and Digital Media

This course is extensive, covering the techniques of handling cameras, lenses, film, processing, printing in the darkroom, and using studio equipment. Students will become proficient photographers, being able to explore their creative  ideas and expression in an individual style. There is also an emphasis on digital photography where students will experience working with advanced techniques in photoshop.

Course assessment

• 60% making
• 40% critical and historical studies

Visual Design

Visual Design prepares the student for the future work environment – planning, producing and decision making. Visual Design is an interesting subject, which offers skills in design and layout work (cutting, pasting, lettering, page design etc.). Some of the artworks produced could include jewellery, ceramic wares, fabric design to theoretical applications, video animation, exterior spaces, photographs and computer graphics.

Course assessment:

• 60% making
• 40% critical and historical studies

Ceramics

Students will gain knowledge and skills in designing, making, decorating and firing a range of ceramic projects. Students will also have the opportunity to research, explore and experiment with a range of practical, technical and creative possibilities when dealing with clay.

Students will keep a journal/diary to document processes, experiments, techniques and research information on ceramic artists and their work.

Stage 6 - Years 11 and 12

Visual Arts

Visual Arts involves students in the practices of artmaking, art criticism and art history and links them together. Students develop their own artworks culminating in a submission of a ‘body of work’ in the HSC course that reflects students’ knowledge and understanding about the practices and demonstrates their ability to resolve a conceptually strong work. Students critically investigate works, critics, historians and artists from Australia as well as those from other cultures.

Course Assessment:

• 50% making
• 50% critical and historical studies

Photography

This 2 unit HSC Course over two years offers students for the first time an innovative and comprehensive approach to photography. It will provide students with the opportunity to access a variety of state of the art equipment and give them a good understanding of techniques and technologies used in Photography, Video and Digital Imaging in a creative, exciting and imaginative way.

Course Assessment:

• 70% making
• 30% critical and historical studies

Visual Design

This course is all about designing objects and images. These ideas will help students communicate about the world and their immediate environment. Get your message across by using the tool of design. Students explore design, jewellery making, stage sets, costumes, industrial production, interior design, fashion design, photography and video animation.

Course Assessment:

• 70% making
• 30% critical and historical studies.

 Staff