GCSE Revision Aid: This resource is designed to support your revision and may contain errors. If you find a discrepancy with your class teaching, your teacher is correct — please let us know at gcserevise@scott.scottrix.co.uk.

🧬 GCSE Art and Design

AQA Pearson Edexcel OCR Eduqas CCEA

Complete revision notes for GCSE Art and Design covering all topics across AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA specifications.

Art And Design — AQA (38 Topics)

3d1 3d1 Product Design And Development 3d2 3d2 Materials And Manufacturing 3d3 3d3 Architectural And Interior Design 3d4 3d4 Designers And Design Movements AC1 Art Craft And Design Making Connections AC2 The Creative Process From Brief To Outcome AC3 Building Your Portfolio Component 1 AC4 The Externally Set Assignment Component 2 AC5 Formal Elements Line Colour Tone Shape Form Texture Pattern AC6 Design Principles Balance Emphasis Proportion Unity Variety Rhythm AC7 Artists Craftspeople And Designers FA1 Mark Making And Line FA10 Artists And Art Movements FA2 Colour Theory And Mixing FA3 Composition And Layout FA4 Working With Watercolour And Acrylic FA5 Observational And Analytical Drawing FA6 3d Form And Sculpture Techniques FA7 Installation And Mixed Media FA8 Printmaking Techniques FA9 Photography And Digital Art In Fine Art GC1 The Design Process GC2 Typography And Lettering GC3 Digital Design Tools And Techniques GC4 Branding And Corporate Identity GC5 Packaging And Print Design GC6 Graphic Designers And Movements PH1 Camera Controls And Exposure PH2 Composition And Framing PH3 Lighting And Flash PH4 Digital Editing And Manipulation PH5 Photographic Genres And Styles PH6 Photographers And Photography History TD1 Hand And Machine Stitching TD2 Knitting Weaving And Crochet TD3 Fabric Printing And Dyeing TD4 Embellishment And Mixed Media Textiles TD5 Textile Designers And Traditions

Art And Design — Pearson Edexcel (38 Topics)

3d1 3d1 Product Design And Development 3d2 3d2 Materials And Manufacturing 3d3 3d3 Architectural And Interior Design 3d4 3d4 Designers And Design Movements AC1 Art Craft And Design Making Connections AC2 The Creative Process From Brief To Outcome AC3 Building Your Portfolio Component 1 AC4 The Externally Set Assignment Component 2 AC5 Formal Elements Line Colour Tone Shape Form Texture Pattern AC6 Design Principles Balance Emphasis Proportion Unity Variety Rhythm AC7 Artists Craftspeople And Designers FA1 Mark Making And Line FA10 Artists And Art Movements FA2 Colour Theory And Mixing FA3 Composition And Layout FA4 Working With Watercolour And Acrylic FA5 Observational And Analytical Drawing FA6 3d Form And Sculpture Techniques FA7 Installation And Mixed Media FA8 Printmaking Techniques FA9 Photography And Digital Art In Fine Art GC1 The Design Process GC2 Typography And Lettering GC3 Digital Design Tools And Techniques GC4 Branding And Corporate Identity GC5 Packaging And Print Design GC6 Graphic Designers And Movements PH1 Camera Controls And Exposure PH2 Composition And Framing PH3 Lighting And Flash PH4 Digital Editing And Manipulation PH5 Photographic Genres And Styles PH6 Photographers And Photography History TD1 Hand And Machine Stitching TD2 Knitting Weaving And Crochet TD3 Fabric Printing And Dyeing TD4 Embellishment And Mixed Media Textiles TD5 Textile Designers And Traditions

Art And Design — OCR (38 Topics)

3d1 3d1 Product Design And Development 3d2 3d2 Materials And Manufacturing 3d3 3d3 Architectural And Interior Design 3d4 3d4 Designers And Design Movements AC1 Art Craft And Design Making Connections AC2 The Creative Process From Brief To Outcome AC3 Building Your Portfolio Component 1 AC4 The Externally Set Assignment Component 2 AC5 Formal Elements Line Colour Tone Shape Form Texture Pattern AC6 Design Principles Balance Emphasis Proportion Unity Variety Rhythm AC7 Artists Craftspeople And Designers FA1 Mark Making And Line FA10 Artists And Art Movements FA2 Colour Theory And Mixing FA3 Composition And Layout FA4 Working With Watercolour And Acrylic FA5 Observational And Analytical Drawing FA6 3d Form And Sculpture Techniques FA7 Installation And Mixed Media FA8 Printmaking Techniques FA9 Photography And Digital Art In Fine Art GC1 The Design Process GC2 Typography And Lettering GC3 Digital Design Tools And Techniques GC4 Branding And Corporate Identity GC5 Packaging And Print Design GC6 Graphic Designers And Movements PH1 Camera Controls And Exposure PH2 Composition And Framing PH3 Lighting And Flash PH4 Digital Editing And Manipulation PH5 Photographic Genres And Styles PH6 Photographers And Photography History TD1 Hand And Machine Stitching TD2 Knitting Weaving And Crochet TD3 Fabric Printing And Dyeing TD4 Embellishment And Mixed Media Textiles TD5 Textile Designers And Traditions

Art And Design — Eduqas (38 Topics)

3d1 3d1 Product Design And Development 3d2 3d2 Materials And Manufacturing 3d3 3d3 Architectural And Interior Design 3d4 3d4 Designers And Design Movements AC1 Art Craft And Design Making Connections AC2 The Creative Process From Brief To Outcome AC3 Building Your Portfolio Component 1 AC4 The Externally Set Assignment Component 2 AC5 Formal Elements Line Colour Tone Shape Form Texture Pattern AC6 Design Principles Balance Emphasis Proportion Unity Variety Rhythm AC7 Artists Craftspeople And Designers FA1 Mark Making And Line FA10 Artists And Art Movements FA2 Colour Theory And Mixing FA3 Composition And Layout FA4 Working With Watercolour And Acrylic FA5 Observational And Analytical Drawing FA6 3d Form And Sculpture Techniques FA7 Installation And Mixed Media FA8 Printmaking Techniques FA9 Photography And Digital Art In Fine Art GC1 The Design Process GC2 Typography And Lettering GC3 Digital Design Tools And Techniques GC4 Branding And Corporate Identity GC5 Packaging And Print Design GC6 Graphic Designers And Movements PH1 Camera Controls And Exposure PH2 Composition And Framing PH3 Lighting And Flash PH4 Digital Editing And Manipulation PH5 Photographic Genres And Styles PH6 Photographers And Photography History TD1 Hand And Machine Stitching TD2 Knitting Weaving And Crochet TD3 Fabric Printing And Dyeing TD4 Embellishment And Mixed Media Textiles TD5 Textile Designers And Traditions

Art And Design — CCEA (38 Topics)

3d1 3d1 Product Design And Development 3d2 3d2 Materials And Manufacturing 3d3 3d3 Architectural And Interior Design 3d4 3d4 Designers And Design Movements AC1 Art Craft And Design Making Connections AC2 The Creative Process From Brief To Outcome AC3 Building Your Portfolio Component 1 AC4 The Externally Set Assignment Component 2 AC5 Formal Elements Line Colour Tone Shape Form Texture Pattern AC6 Design Principles Balance Emphasis Proportion Unity Variety Rhythm AC7 Artists Craftspeople And Designers FA1 Mark Making And Line FA10 Artists And Art Movements FA2 Colour Theory And Mixing FA3 Composition And Layout FA4 Working With Watercolour And Acrylic FA5 Observational And Analytical Drawing FA6 3d Form And Sculpture Techniques FA7 Installation And Mixed Media FA8 Printmaking Techniques FA9 Photography And Digital Art In Fine Art GC1 The Design Process GC2 Typography And Lettering GC3 Digital Design Tools And Techniques GC4 Branding And Corporate Identity GC5 Packaging And Print Design GC6 Graphic Designers And Movements PH1 Camera Controls And Exposure PH2 Composition And Framing PH3 Lighting And Flash PH4 Digital Editing And Manipulation PH5 Photographic Genres And Styles PH6 Photographers And Photography History TD1 Hand And Machine Stitching TD2 Knitting Weaving And Crochet TD3 Fabric Printing And Dyeing TD4 Embellishment And Mixed Media Textiles TD5 Textile Designers And Traditions

🧭 Board Differences

AQA

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

Pearson Edexcel

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

OCR

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

Eduqas

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

CCEA

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

🧭 Board Differences

AQA

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

Pearson Edexcel

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

OCR

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

Eduqas

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

CCEA

Unitised assessment (Northern Ireland): a controlled-assessment portfolio and an externally set assignment. Check your endorsement and the support-studies expectations; CCEA values written annotations linked to artists.

🎯 Coursework & NEA Guide

How it is assessed: portfolio of work (~60%) plus an externally set assignment (~40%) ending in supervised time (10 hours on AQA). No written exam. All boards follow the same four assessment objectives.

Your NEA frame — every portfolio page should serve an objective:

  • AO1 Develop — contextual research pages: named artists/designers with YOUR analysis of their technique, plus how it feeds your idea
  • AO2 Refine — media experiments with written reflections (what worked, what you changed and why)
  • AO3 Record — observational drawings/photos from first-hand sources, annotated in your own words
  • AO4 Present — a personal, informed final piece that visibly grows out of the development pages

Timeline: portfolio builds through Year 10–11 (aim to finish before the ESA launch); ESA preparatory work runs over ~8–10 weeks; the 10-hour supervised piece lands in the late-spring window.

Top pitfalls: beautiful pages with no annotations (AO3 lost); one artist copied instead of several compared; a final piece that ignores the development work; leaving the ESA preparatory studies to the last fortnight.