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Visual Art

Visual Arts education at HGHS is centered around developing visual literacy and thinking creatively. All students benefit from the visual art curriculum in that they develop and establish creative habits of mind. Our students also learn a wide variety of art-making processes from traditional through to digital. Some students go on to study Visual Art at the tertiary level to train further for a variety of creative industries. Our facilities offer computer labs, a book room, a senior design room, a photography lighting studio, senior painting studios, and several printing presses.

  • About the subject
  • Pathways

ABOUT VISUAL ART

Art can lead to a diverse range of careers such as graphic design, spatial design, concept design, photography, animation, set design, web design, jewelry metalsmithing, glass artist, ceramicist, 3D artist, Arts education, product design, Illustration, architecture, marketing, advertising, creative design, writing and curation, and fine artist.

All courses at Level 3 are University approved and will allow students to gain academic endorsements as well as enter Scholarship.

Students explore a variety of media and processes, such as paint, watercolour, pencil and ink while learning the key elements and conventions that make up a work of art. In addition to the practical and formal properties of artworks, students are encouraged to consider the bigger questions of why artists make artworks and how works are interpreted, viewed and valued in a range of contexts.

Visual Art Pathways

  • Art
  • Design
  • Painting
  • Photography
  • Print Making

ART

LEVEL 1 ART

Level 1 Art is an open entry course for students who would like to cultivate their creativity and confidence in practical art. Throughout the course, a range of media and techniques will be used to develop an overall theme which will culminate in the making of a Folio of work at the end of the year. Media used may include but is not limited to, acrylic paint, watercolour, drypoint printing, collage and cutouts as well as pencil charcoal and India ink. Critical thinking and literacy are developed in visual art by researching established practice.and students are encouraged to communicate their ideas in written formats as well as in visual responses.

Level 1 Digital Art

Level 1 Art is an open entry course for students who would like to cultivate their creativity and confidence in practical art. Throughout the course, a range of media and techniques will be used to develop an overall theme which will culminate in the making of a Folio of work at the end of the year. Media used may include but is not limited to, acrylic paint, watercolour, drypoint printing, collage and cutouts as well as pencil charcoal and India ink. Critical thinking and literacy are developed in visual art by researching established practice.and students are encouraged to communicate their ideas in written formats as well as in visual responses.

DESIGN

LEVEL 2

This course is for anyone interested in being a creative visual communicator. Students are encouraged to become independent problem-solvers while researching traditional and contemporary graphic designers. The course offers a wide range of technical skills from exploring typography, digital/hand-drawn illustration, image manipulation, and layout. The creative process is an essential component of this course through ideas development and image regeneration and becoming confident in using digital formats such as Adobe Creative Cloud.

Level 3

This course is suitable for students interested in expanding their creative visual communication skills.  The course will build on students’ knowledge of graphic design conventions such as posters, packaging or magazine layout, logo, or character development while they discover their creative style. An authentic learning environment is where the students choose and develop their theme and ideas while using established practice relevant to their desired outcome.  An independent exploration into the creative design processes and ongoing problem-solving is a crucial component of this course, along with the use of digital formats such as Adobe Creative Cloud.

PAINTING

LEVEL 2

Authentic learning is encouraged through the independent study of established practice and thematic content in the form of a proposition to be developed in both internal standards as well as the external Folio submitted at the end of the year. The creative process of analysis, generating ideas, developing artworks, refining and extending ideas is central to this course. Students will gain confidence in their creativity and critical thinking with this process, as well as advance their techniques and skill in various wet media.

Level 3

Suitable for students who want to produce original work and have a high level of visual literacy and skill in painting. Students are initially asked to develop a proposition for the entire course of study and are expected to research established practice in-depth to refine their project over time. Research also takes the form of an internal standard that is run in parallel with the practical internal standard. The use of drawing to generate ideas and clarify directions well as experimentation in media includes but is not limited to; gel mediums, pouring mediums, watercolour, gouache, acrylic paint, oil paint and collage media. The external Folio submitted at the end of the year is an edited presentation of the student’s ability to systematically demonstrate conventions and ideas in painting practice.

PHOTOGRAPHY

LEVEL 2

This course is suitable for students who enjoy taking photographs and being creative. Students are taught how to use a single lens reflex digital camera in order to have total control of the photographic image making process. A range of techniques are explored including compositional conventions, depth of field, shutter speed, colour, lighting and photo editing. Individualised programmes of study are encouraged with students deciding on their own thematic pathway supported by studying the work of tradition and contemporary photographers. The creative process of analysis, generating ideas, developing artworks, refining and extending ideas is central to this course. Students will gain confidence in their creativity and critical thinking as well as advancing their techniques and skills using the Adobe creative cloud.

Level 3

This course is suitable for students who want to explore their own creativity within the field of photography. Previous knowledge of camera techniques is built upon and an individual program of study is followed with students choosing their own theme for the year. It is expected that in-depth research of traditional and contemporary visual artists including photographers is carried out in order to enable students to refine their work over time. This practical course encourages the art of image making with the camera to generate ideas and clarify directions as well as experimentation and manipulation of photographic images using the Adobe creative suite. The external Folio submitted at the end of the year is an edited presentation of the student’s ability to systematically demonstrate conventions and ideas in photography practice.

PRINT MAKING

LEVEL 2

This course is suitable for students who enjoy taking photographs and being creative.

Students are taught how to use a single lens reflex digital camera in order to have total control of the photographic  image making process. A range of techniques are explored  including compositional conventions, depth of field, shutter speed, colour, lighting and photo editing. Individualised programmes of study are encouraged with students deciding on their own thematic pathway supported by studying the work of  tradition and contemporary photographers. The creative process of analysis, generating ideas, developing artworks, refining and extending ideas is central to this course. Students will gain confidence in their creativity and critical thinking as well as advancing  their techniques and skills using the Adobe creative cloud.

Level 3

This course is suitable for students who want to explore their own creativity within the field of photography. Previous knowledge of camera techniques is built upon and an individual program of study is followed with students choosing their own theme for the year. It is expected that in-depth research of traditional and contemporary visual artists including photographers is carried out in order to enable students to refine their work over time. This practical course encourages the art of image making with the  camera to generate ideas and clarify directions as well as experimentation and manipulation of photographic images using the Adobe creative suite. The external Folio submitted at the end of the year is an edited presentation of the student’s ability to systematically demonstrate conventions and ideas in photography practice.