VISUAL ARTS
TERM 1 IN THE VISUAL ARTS
It has been wonderful to see students return to Term 2 enthused and engaged with their Art, Design and Media projects.
Please enjoy this photo galleryrecapping some of the incredible work completed during Term 1, including Year 11 Art Creative Practice Still Life drawings, Year 11 Visual Communication Design user-testing of citrus juicers and Year 10 Media Zines, where students created their own zines. Zines were really the first form of ‘user-generated content’ as they allow everyday people to plan, create, produce and distribute an individual media product.
Ms Jessica Rogosic
Acting Learning Area Manager for the Visual Arts
YEAR 10 MYTHS AND LEGENDS
Our Year 10 Art students have dived headfirst into the world of 'Myths and Legends,' exploring how ancient narratives can be reimagined through contemporary mixed media. From the initial sketches of monstrous forms to the intricate layering of ink, paint, and textured medium, students are learning that art is as much about storytelling as it is about technique.
The classroom has been a buzz of experimentation as students manipulate the Art Elements to convey mood and atmosphere. Whether they are depicting the ferocity of a Greek Hydra or the ethereal beauty of local folklore, the level of detail and personal expression in their work is outstanding. We are incredibly proud of the way these young artists are developing their unique visual voices and cannot wait to see their final resolved pieces!
Ms Joelle Ferre
Art Teacher
MEDIA TOP SCREEN
On Thursday 26 March, the Year 12 Media students had the amazing opportunity to attend an excursion to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), where we attended the VCE Top Screen.
VCE Top Screen is a selection of short films that were created by the previous year's VCE media students as part of their SAT, a large aspect of the Study Score. The selection was curated by VCAA as part of the annual Season of Excellence, and out of over 350 submissions by media students all over the state, the showing only comprised fifteen. A mix between animated and live action shorts, these films were not chosen for being the ‘best’, but because they explore a diverse variety of different genres and film devices. Ranging from a simple animated story of a cat wandering the streets, to a comedy about two brothers fighting over the last cookie, these films demonstrated to us what was possible with just a camera and the materials at our disposal.
It was also very exciting to see McKinnon alumni Delilah Vlasak-Galante’s name in the program as she was shortlisted for 2025 with her product; Letting Go.
At the end of the 90-minute showcase, audience members were able to scan a QR code and vote for the short film that they thought was the best. This showing gave us some great inspiration for our final products that we will be creating in the coming months, and emphasised how limitations can be an advantage, rather than a hindrance. Our excursion to the VCE Top Screen has encouraged us to try our hardest to get our own films shown as part of the next year’s selection.
Matthew Shelley
Year 12 Student
VCD VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN EXCURSION TO TOP DESIGNS AND ACMI
On Wednesday 22 April 2026, the students of VCE Visual Communication Design visited the Melbourne museum to view the TOP DESIGN exhibition. Looking at the final presentations and folios of the 2025 graduates was an amazing source of inspiration.
This opportunity gave our Year 11 cohort an impressive understanding of what to expect for VCD next year in Units 3 and 4, as well as preparing us with excitement for what is to come with the further exploration of fields of design practice.
After the museum, we visited ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and engaged with the permanent exhibition, the story of the moving image. This was a highlight for all students and really demonstrated what could be possible with interactive experience design. All students were thoroughly engaged, seeing how the technology we use daily has developed over time and prompted us to think outside the box about how the reach of visual communication design is everywhere.
Ciara Tarasiuk
Year 11 Student
YEAR 9 PORTRAIT INQUIRY
The year 9 art class at Mckinnon East Campus completed a watercolour portrait/self portrait over Term 1 and 2. I, along with my classmates, worked on drawing exercises including thumbnail sketches and blind contour drawings before taking a look at inspirational portraits, particularly winners of the Archibald Prize. We then began to practice different watercolor techniques such as using salt to create unique patterns and masking fluid to keep paint contained. The class studied poses for portraits, with a goal to veer away from a simple head and shoulders stance.
It was after we had done lots of preparation that we were able to start our practice portraits. Using examples provided by our teacher along with the inspirational images we gathered earlier, the class and I began creating the detailed thumbnail pictures. Over the week we used watercolour along with some other mediums to create some portraits before our final artwork. I thought the pieces looked fantastic and a couple of art teachers commented that our work looked above a year 9 level. When we began completing our final artwork, our practice pieces were hung up in the art room.
After weeks of practice, we could finally begin our final work by combining the multitude of skills our art teacher had taught us over the unit. Some students had chosen to paint a portrait of a family member or friend while my other classmates, including myself, completed self portraits. Although we all used predominantly watercolour in our artworks, I saw some variation in other mediums used. I used fineliner to create outlines for my portrait whilst others used pencil to create smooth blends of colour. By the end of the portrait unit my classmates had completed some very impressive works that I was even able to some take inspiration from.
I greatly enjoyed this unit of study and I think many of my classmates did too.
Harvey Cohen
Year 9 Student