This article contains a collection of beautiful sketchbook pages to help students studying a range of high school Art qualifications, including GCSE, A Level and IB Visual Art. The collection includes sketchbooks completed by students as well as artist sketchbooks. Pages have been selected to demonstrate different sketchbook presentation techniques as well as to indicate the variety of layout styles possible. Descriptions underneath each image provide tips and guidance, outlining the successful aspects of each page.

Whether specialising in Painting, Graphic Design, Photography, textiles or Sculpture, most high school Art students begin by selecting a topic for their Coursework or Examination project. One of the most crucial decisions an IGCSE, GCSE or A Level Art student has to make is what subject or theme they will spend the year exploring. It is a decision that many find difficult, whether due to a lack of inspiration, an inability to discern between two or more possible ideas or a general misunderstanding about the type of topic that is appropriate. This resource contains a step-by-step guide that students can use to brainstorm, evaluate and select (in conjunction with advice from their teacher) an outstanding topic for their high school Art project.

Many high school Graphic Design students are unsure what to include within their sketchbook or how to present their assignments in an innovative and appealing way. This article provides examples of artist and student sketchbooks to motivate and inspire those who study qualifications such as IGCSE / GCSE Art and Design, A Level Graphics and NCEA Level 3 Design (Scholarship). It is written for those who are working in areas such as illustration, publication design (pamphlets, brochures, websites, magazine and book design, CD / DVD covers), corporate identity, advertising and marketing (logo and branding, promotional merchandise, posters, internet and television advertising), packaging design and/or symbol design.

This resource contains a list of tips that have been written specifically for high school art students who are looking to improve the realism of their observational drawings. It is for those who have already selected something appropriate to draw and who understand how to compose a drawing well.

Observational drawing is an integral component of IGCSE, A Level Fine Art or Painting and Related Media courses. For many students, drawing is the core method of researching, investigating, developing and communicating ideas. While it is accepted that there are many wondrous types of drawings - and that non-representational drawing methods have an important role in student art projects – it is usually advantageous to demonstrate competent, realistic observational drawing skills to the examiner (particularly in the early stage of a project).

The A3 sketchbook examples shown in this blog post were created by Amiria Robinson and her sister Heather Garland, prior to Amiria's first year of teaching IGCSE Art and Design (the International equivalent of GCSE Art, assessed by Cambridge University). Amiria employed Heather to work for her
during the Christmas holidays and together they created sketchbook pages that could be used to inspire and guide Amiria's students. She needed physical Painting and Related Media Coursework examples that her students could learn from. The sketchbook pages you see here are based a Coastal Environment theme: the exploration of natural forms, such as shells, plants and seascapes.

This article contains exercises for Art students who wish to produce contour line drawings, cross contour drawings, blind drawings and other types of line drawings. It is a teaching aid for high school Art students and includes classroom activities, a free downloadable PDF worksheet and inspirational artist drawings.

When we first picked up a pen or pencil and started making marks on paper, we began with line. Whether self-taught, through trial and error, or guided by others, we learned how line defines form, creates structure, divides a frame, traces contour, creates tonal variation (cross-hatching, for example) and leads the eye from one part of a work to another. Initially a mechanism for getting outlines onto paper – identifying edges – we begin to applaud lines for their own merit: celebrate their presence...whether a quiet flick of charcoal on paper or a streak of graphite.

Many high school Photography students are unsure how to present flat, printed photographic images in a creative and visually appealing way. This article provides examples of 16 Photography sketchbooks to help motivate and inspire students who study high school qualifications such as NCEA Level 3 Photography (Scholarship), A Level Photography, and IB Art.

This article features twenty outstanding sketchbook pages that have been produced by high school Art and Design students from around the world. Exploring topics such as abstract sculpture, figurative sculpture, installation, architectural design and product design, these sketchbook pages illustrate the range of excellent presentation techniques and styles that are possible. It is hoped that these examples will motivate and inspire those who are working on their own Sculpture or 3D Design sketchbook as part of a high school Art or Design project. Enjoy!

This article contains tips, examples and guidance to help students produce an A* grade GCSE or A Level Art sketchbook. It outlines best practice in terms of annotation, content and page layout, and gives ideas and recommendations for students of any discipline (including Painting / Fine Art, Graphic Design, Sculpture, Printmaking, Photography, Textiles and Fashion students). It is likely to benefit those studying under a range of examination boards, as well as those producing sketchbooks for other high school qualifications, such as IB Art (the Investigation Workbook / IWB) and NCEA Level 3 Scholarship.