Fine Art

Explore the technical and conceptual possibilities of Fine Art.

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Course Overview

sector iconCreative Industries

This course will benefit students who want to explore the technical and conceptual possibilities of Fine Art.

During your first year understanding the visual world by thinking through drawing is crucial; you will also experiment with paint using colour, texture and mark-making to express thoughts and feelings. Your second year will help you to continue developing these skills alongside printmaking, animation, installation and conceptual art.

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to provide written analysis of artworks and institutions with a key understanding of social and cultural contexts. You will also have experimented with a wide range of materials, techniques and processes.

What will I study?

  • Drawing and painting
  • Mixed-media, including collage and assemblage
  • Sculpture
  • Ceramics
  • Installation
  • Printmaking

You will learn a range of fine art media, processes and techniques. You will explore the use of drawing for different purposes, using a variety of methods and media on a variety of scales. You will produce sketchbooks / workbooks /  journals and exhibitions to showcase your work.

In Year Two, you will work on personal investigation unit and an externally set unit.

Trips and visits to galleries are a must to appreciate the historical development and contemporary trends within the area of art.

Entry requirements

  • Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including Maths.
  • Grade 5 or above in GCSE English Language.
  • Grade 5 or above in an Art & Design or Creative Media GCSE subject is preferred.
  • If you haven’t taken a GCSE in Art & Design or a Creative Media subject, you can still show a portfolio of work that shows your passion, ability and commitment to this course.

Why should I choose USP College?

  • Visits to museums and galleries form an important part of the curriculum; previous trips have included V&A, Tate, National Gallery, Royal Academy, Saatchi Gallery, Whitechapel Gallery, British Museum, Hunterian Museum, Wellcome Collection, and Cambridge Museums.
  • An annual residential trip for second year students to a European city such as Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam or Berlin.
  • Tutors have a broad range of industry and teaching experience.

Additional costs

You will be required to provide and care for your own art materials such as brushes, pens, pencils and paints, although materials are provided when participating in technical workshops. Sketchbooks and canvases can be purchased from the college.

Trips will be advertised with plenty of notice, and will require advance payment for travel with pocket money on the day.

What could I do next?

On successful completion of the course you will have the opportunity to:

  • Progress to the Foundation Diploma or HND in Art & Design at USP College.
  • Continue on to university or a specialist Art College.
  • The British art and design industry is respected world-wide and you can progress into a wide range of careers such as Art Therapy, Architecture, Concept Art and Model Making, Interior Design and Animation.

Previous students have studied Architecture at UCL and Norwich, Theatre Design at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance, Fine Art at Goldsmiths and UAL, Illustration at Brighton, Art History at the Courtauld Institute, amongst many others.


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