NCFE Level 3 Portfolio building How to order

NCFE Level 3 Portfolio building How to order and best present portfolio evidence.

NCFE level 3 – the overall aim of your file/ portfolio evidence Within the first unit you are expected to begin a professional working relationship with your client. After some experimentation with ideas and materials you should approach the client with your first designs. Outline your intentions and proposed uses of materials and methods. These are unlikely to be the finished designs produced as your final work. They may only be the starting point for thoughtful dialogue with the client. As the course progresses [unit 2]you are expected to further explore creative ideas, tune the artwork/craft items until your creative input and the vision of the client are satisfied. All client – artist relationships are different. Sometimes all will run smoothly and the client will be easily pleased, whilst other clients will be hard to please or do not share your taste and vision. The level 3 is intended to give you an insight into professional practice and help you gain practical skills to help you work in a professional manner. Documenting your personal artistic journey, responding to the commercial brief, should form the core of your portfolio evidence.

Portfolio or file External moderators require work to be presented within a portfolio or file. This keeps the work clean and in good order Your tutor will advise you as to suitable portfolios/files to purchase for your course.

On the cover of your file or portfolio Please write or print the following: ● Your name ● Course title and number ● Centre you have attended.

Number the pages in your file This will make it easier to reference information within your file and work book.

Create an index Please indicate where the following can be found: ● Workbook ● Health and safety information ● Techniques and materials information ● Commercial brief – and related correspondence with client and initial costing ● Reference and research material ● Work showing development of art/craft skills and creative thinking ● Planning and development work relating to final craft item ● Written critique of development of art/craft work created in response to commercial brief and conversations with client with final costs ● Final craft item

The workbook Please place this at the front of the file. The moderator will want to see how you have reacted to each unit of learning. Please check you have filled in the written elements regarding units 1, 2 and 3 Check you have signed and dated all sections marked ‘candidate’

Unit 1 n n n n Health and safety information Commercial brief Your written response to the commercial brief – outline client /student relationship and proposed product Outline proposed methods, materials and techniques to be employed within commercial brief whilst illustrating safe planning of appropriate use of materials Reference material gathered to help with early development of arts/craft work responding to commercial brief Arts/crafts work showing early development of ideas responding to commercial brief. Evidence of written feedback from tutor, client initial thoughts on proposals and a brief outline of your response to clients reactions to your initial ideas Estimated costs of project

Health and safety information What should you have in this section? Health and safety information and guidance from the centre you have attended. ● Health and safety quiz/questionnaire for arts and crafts ● Health and safety information you may have been given by your tutor on materials used or have collected from materials suppliers/manufactures, within brochures or from

Commercial brief - Unit 1 You should be given a written outline of the principles of a commercial brief by your tutor. You should then write an outline of your intentions, the proposed client and arts/craft product requested by the client. In some circumstances the student may be the principle instigator of client/student relationship. If this is the case show documented evidence of the development of this relationship. Your commercial brief should be placed at the start of the file/portfolio It is very important to minute the verbal discussions you may have with the client. This will chart the relationship with the client, signposting any modifications to designs resulting from the development of ideas proposed by both the client and the student. Discuss costs with the client from the outset, clarify what is required and the time scale the work is expected to be produced in. When you correspond with the client by letter or email include copies within the file

Materials and Techniques ● Show written evidence of understanding of arts/crafts methods, with written evidence of your critical appraisal of developing understanding of uses of tools, materials and techniques. ● Evidence of research of materials using brochures from retailers or manufacturers and independent reviews from magazines and internet– optional

Evidence of level 3 craft skills UNIT 1 Development of first ideas to show client. ● Show all developmental arts/craft work. Most initial design work looks rough and sketchy. The work should illustrate your thinking which may not always be logical and ordered. Also include all experimentation with materials and techniques which helped inform later work, including ideas/methods that you later discarded. If you did it show it. ● Annotate your design work and experimentations with materials and techniques. Write short critiques of the qualities of the effects created and justify your choices.

Reference material ●Evidence of inspiration – sketch book/scrap book of reference material you have gathered to help you visualise your ideas within art/craft work. This might be photos, magazine cuttings or images downloaded and printed off from the internet. If you have watched helpful films, TV programs or videos from the internet , read books or visited exhibitions please write down details.

Unit 2 n n n Minutes of conversations with client as work develops. Written correspondents with client. Personal statement to record the creative development of ideas. Show the development of a range of ideas using various techniques, methods and approaches Adaptations, revisions of ideas, methods of construction developed from discussions with the client Evidence of analysis of work produced. Evidence of written feedback from tutor and client.

The main aims of Unit 2 is intended to give you time to develop your ideas and tune your craft skills. It also gives you space to build common ground with your client. They see a broader response to their initial ideas and gain a broader understanding of your work. At the end of Unit 2 you should have decided with your client which design/idea will form the basis of the final craft item.

Evidence of developing of creative thinking It is advisable to chart the development of your work by making notes on all sketches, reference material and finished artwork. Document your thought processes whenever possible. This will help you in the creation of a personal statement. Artists and craftspeople are often asked to create a personal statement to go alongside their work or act as press release when their work is exhibited. Your personal statement is intended to give the reader a better insight into your work, the reasoning behind your ideas and the intended results/reaction from the viewer. Often troublesome to write they do help clarify artists ideas in the same way that a mission statement will help clarify the aims and intentions of a business helping them focus on key elements for development.

Evidence of increased understanding of uses of materials and techniques and continued observance of health and safety good practice Within the commentary you write regarding the development of your ideas embed information relating to the materials and techniques used and reasoning behind their applications. Whenever appropriate include written evidence relating to health and safety good practice.

Unit 3 n n n Development of ideas for final craft item- show planning and preparation of final craft item Critical analysis of methods used and ideas explored within final craft item Final costs Clients reactions to final work. Presentation of final craft item Place all unit 3 work at the back of the portfolio/file

Unit 3 Show evidence of the development of your creative thinking: ● Reference ● Sketches material which was helpful in forming your ideas and notes that helped you plan the art/craft work ● Art/craft work that was influential in helping you create the final artwork Some students take photographic reference of the development of the work – if you have it include it.

Critical analysis - Unit 3 Critical analysis of the final craft item including a breakdown of the materials and techniques used and costs incurred should be evident. Evaluate both the project as a whole and the end results. Include the reactions of the client on receipt of the final work

Choosing complementary card mounts for artwork There are many framers who will help you choose a suitable mount for your finished artwork. Online framers offer easy to use virtual framing where you can select mounts and frames once you have loaded your image to the site. www. eframe. cu. uk www. pictureframesexpress. co. uk The two websites above offer this facility. It lets you visualise the mounting and framing of the work and offers you the facility to print off examples to use as evidence within your final project.

Presentation of final craft item Two dimensional art/craft work should be presented in a complementary card mount. Three dimensional art/craft should be photographed from several angles and presented in a professional manner. Presented on card mount if possible.