Art News

Year 11 Unit 1 Outcome 3 “DESIGN’S INFLUENCE AND INFLUENCES ON DESIGN”

Students had to design a sustainable outdoor chair based on a given brief. Considering design’s influence and factors that influence design, and working through the Develop and Deliver stages of the VCD design process, students presented:

• A folio of work using circular design practices to develop a sustainable outdoor chair.
• A design solution in the form of a concept board with a collection of presentation drawings depicting the design of the sustainable outdoor chair. The concept board included a written statement about the design.

Year 8 Howard Arkley Paintings

Howard Arkley was a Melbourne born artist who was inspired by the rural and suburban culture of Australia. He was known for his Pop Art styled airbrush paintings of houses, architecture and suburbia. Students have been inspired by Arkley in their interpretation and creation of their own homes.

Year 8 Monogram Logo

Year 8 students designed a Monogram Logo based on the student's initials; first name and family name. The purpose of the work was:

• To understand how logos are used to inform and convey information
• To look at developing and presenting information in a variety of ways digitally
• To understand how colour can be used to create a logo’s image

Students explored the Design Elements of Type, Shape and Colour while developing their manual skills to produce a logo. Year 8s learnt about the Design Process working and following a ‘brief’ which includes design limitations. Please be advised that students do not include real contact details. 

Year 9 Expressive Eyes 

You have probably heard the phrase: ‘The eyes are the windows to the soul’. Portrait artists throughout history have tried to depict a glimpse into the soul of their subjects using a variety of expressive styles. Students have explored a range of media and techniques to create an expressive artwork based on the subject matter of ‘Expressive Eyes’. The final artwork was created on the surface of a timber block.

Year 9 VCD Mobile Cover Decal

Students created a mobile cover design based on the design periods; Art Deco and Art Nouveau. They had to accurately measure their mobile cover and produce an orthogonal drawing of it to scale. Their decal design was added to the orthogonal drawing either manually or digitally. The design was then cut onto vinyl and attached to the student's mobile cover.

Year 9 Ceramics - Art Deco Plates

In their latest ceramics project, Year 9 students delved into the Art Deco style to design and create unique ceramic plates. Using white earthenware clay, they rolled out slabs and slumped them into molds to form the plate shapes. Once the clay reached a leather-hard stage, students applied underglaze and employed the sgraffito technique to etch their Art Deco-inspired designs. After the plates were bisque fired, a clear gloss glaze was added to complete the process. This project not only enhanced their understanding of Art Deco aesthetics but also allowed them to develop their skills in various ceramic techniques. The resulting plates are a testament to their creativity and craftsmanship.

Year 10 Fragrance Bottle

Students had to design a new fragrance bottle that was to be endorsed by their chosen celebrity. A folio of designs was created following the design process. For the final presentations, a scaled model was made using the 3D printer and a magazine advertisement for the new fragrance using Adobe Photoshop.

Year 10 Photography - Still Life 

In their recent photography project, students explored the art of still life photography using traditional SLR film cameras. Each student selected a theme, planned their composition, and executed their shoot with careful attention to detail. Following the shoot, they developed their own films, experiencing the full photographic process from start to finish. After reviewing their work, students chose their best image to create a final black and white print in the darkroom. This hands-on project not only honed their technical skills but also deepened their appreciation for the classic techniques of film photography.

Bernadette McIvor: Head of Visual Arts & VCD Teacher 

Ben Wickham: Art Teacher

Karyn Lindner: Art & VCD teacher