0:00:02 > 0:00:05Meet Matt, Beth, Tim and Ashby - four GCSE art students from Essex.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07They all share the same dream -
0:00:07 > 0:00:11to make a living from their artistic endeavours.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Top artist Stuart Semple has made millions from his art.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17He exhibits all over the world, counting Sienna Miller
0:00:17 > 0:00:19amongst his celebrity collectors.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23He is going to meet our bright young artists,
0:00:23 > 0:00:27to see how they develop their ideas into great works of art.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31We've given the students hand-held cameras, to film themselves,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34as they cultivate ideas for their final GCSE art exam -
0:00:34 > 0:00:38a ten-hour creative marathon, spread over two school days.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43We'll follow their highs and lows, as they try to turn their raw ideas
0:00:43 > 0:00:44into artistic success.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49Then, after that daunting, ten-hour exam, they will face a public exhibition
0:00:49 > 0:00:52and discover what Stuart really thinks of their work.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Along the way, we'll see strange experiments from Beth...
0:00:56 > 0:00:59- That one's horrible. - It's creepy, isn't it?
0:00:59 > 0:01:01There'll be some very arty talk from Tim...
0:01:01 > 0:01:07It's like metaphorical and physical. I'm actually learning something. I'm learning more about myself.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Matt finds inspiration in some unusual places...
0:01:11 > 0:01:17I found some quite interesting colours in the sky.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20..And Ashby finds the pressure just a little too much...
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Oh, I don't know what I'm saying! Don't know!
0:01:23 > 0:01:24But it will all be worth it
0:01:24 > 0:01:27if these four young artists can makes great works of art.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32I think really it's just a beautiful painting that she's made. It sort of glows.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Hi, I'm Matt, I'm 16 and my main interests are football and art.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Matt's not your textbook
0:01:44 > 0:01:45arty type.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I play a lot of football. I play for my local team, Woodham Radars, and for Essex.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53Away from the easel, he's more Lionel Messi than Leonardo da Vinci.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57- But he loves his street art and takes a very hands-on approach. - Rough areas like this,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01I had to put Polyfilla on, because it's more flexible , a lot stronger.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06A fan of Banksy, Matt will build you a wall and then vandalise it.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08He's a very practical and active artist.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13I've never been any good at drawing in itself. I've always preferred painting, making things.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17- Hello.- This is Beth.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Beth makes big, emotional works of art
0:02:21 > 0:02:23and sometimes gets lost in the creative process.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27It just sort of happens naturally, I don't really even notice.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31I'll apply paint with a brush and blend it in with my fingers. It's quite messy.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36But Beth doesn't mind getting her hands dirty, as long as her art is focused...on herself.
0:02:36 > 0:02:37- SHE CHUCKLES - Excuse me!
0:02:37 > 0:02:42Art, for me, is about, you know, it's personal and you can do whatever you want with it
0:02:42 > 0:02:44and that's why I enjoy it so much.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Barney, this is about ME!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Just go away!
0:02:52 > 0:02:53Is he actually in there?
0:02:53 > 0:02:54Yeah.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- BLEEP - Redo it.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58This is Tim. He's rarely seen without a sketchbook.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Tim kills time by sketching his thoughts
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and when he's got no thoughts, he sketches anyway.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Sometimes I draw people, sometimes I just draw weird shapes.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I'll sit there drawing triangles, or something.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13He's very thoughtful and serious about his art
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and is constantly looking to improve.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17To get better, you have to keep pushing yourself.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20He's found a big, expressive painting style,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22but keeps going back to his pencils.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27His precise illustrations are holding him back from a new, riskier style.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Can he step away from the pencil pot?
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Maybe later on, I'll be able to go straight in with the paint. Is it all right if I carry on?
0:03:34 > 0:03:35Hi, I'm Ashby.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40When Ashby's not painting, she's usually found juggling a baton
0:03:40 > 0:03:42with her majorette troupe. Ashby finds a personal edge
0:03:42 > 0:03:45helps her to develop her ideas into great works of art.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49This is actually me. I did get my friend to take that one.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Um, and that's me at the back.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55But I'm going to cut me out, because it looks like that person has two heads!
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Ashby's on a voyage of discovery into the world of oil paints
0:03:59 > 0:04:03and loves using them to create Cubist and Expressionist styles.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08I've learned you can do with a lot more with oil painting than just paint with it.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11You can smudge it, you can just to do all sorts with it.
0:04:11 > 0:04:18Ashby's recently started to experiment with a palette knife, an idea she borrowed from a friend.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20She had a good final piece, It came out effectively.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I thought, "I'm going to steal that." I'll nab that!
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Hello.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32We've invited top artist Stuart Semple to meet the students,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35to discover how they develop their artistic ideas.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39From what I've seen, the students look great and I really can't wait
0:04:39 > 0:04:41to see more about their thought processes.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Stuart's art is full of playful references to pop culture
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and comments on consumerist Britain.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52He's often likened to Andy Warhol, for his accessible style
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and is sought after by A-list celebrities.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59He has collaborated with Lady GaGa and the Prodigy, and has been so successful,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03he once tried to buy his own island off the Dorset coast.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07In 2005, Stuart snuck one of his own images into the Saatchi Gallery,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11to protest against the lack of British artists on display in the exhibition.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Naughty!
0:05:12 > 0:05:17But Stuart's main aim is to make art that's accessible and fun.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23So how does a flourishing artist like Stuart continue to develop his ideas day after day?
0:05:23 > 0:05:27When I make my work, I tend to work, I suppose, a lot more like a musician,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32where I make a series of paintings that become a bit like songs or tracks on an album.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37And I suppose the initial inspiration can come from anywhere.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I can spend months sat there when nothing happens at all
0:05:39 > 0:05:43and I'm terrified nothing's going to come and, all of a sudden,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I'll hear a piece of music, or I'll see someone, or overhear something,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51or pick up a fashion magazine or something, and then the idea starts.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57I try not to plan every aspect of the work before I start it.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02What is developed is a concept that I want to explore before I start painting.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04But in terms of the visual element of it,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I might only know a fraction, or at least the starting point,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and I really believe in letting the work, kind of, dictate its own course -
0:06:11 > 0:06:17letting the time and experiments and mistakes, kind of, show me where I want to go.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21We've invited Stuart to William de Ferrers School in Essex,
0:06:21 > 0:06:26to find out how Matt, Beth, Tim and Ashby develop their artistic ideas.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29First up is football fan, Matt,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32who's borrowed some ideas from Banksy and Nigel Cooke.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Stuart wants to know how Matt has referenced these artists in his own work.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39What do you like about Banksy's stuff? The humour of it,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42or the politicalness, or...?
0:06:42 > 0:06:47I do like the political side of it, but with Banksy, I think art isn't about sitting down
0:06:47 > 0:06:50doing a nice painting. It's about getting out in the real world
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and doing something you enjoy and something that's you.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- I looked at Nigel Cooke. - What do you like about him?
0:06:56 > 0:07:00He does pictures that are a lot like what I was working towards.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Big walls, foreground in front of them, paintings on the walls.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07So where do you go from this? Looking at this one over here.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12I looked at different areas round where I live, photographed them
0:07:12 > 0:07:17and I thought from there I could push Banksy into Nigel Cooke and start spraying over the top.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I can see that Nigel Cooke influence in this one.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Particularly from my original inspiration of Banksy,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27I'm able to push it forward and do my own development.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31At the moment, he's, kind of, playing it a bit safe
0:07:31 > 0:07:36and he's got that, sort of, Banksy reference very firmly in his head
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and he hasn't really run into Matt's world yet.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43I think when that starts to come through, this is going to get really exciting.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Personally, I see Banksy as a bit commercial,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48a bit derivative of a lot of other stuff.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54But I love the fact it is enthusing people to start looking at art and get involved in making images.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57A blank canvas can be a pretty intimidating sight,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00so seeking inspiration is a great way to get started.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04You can take the bits you like about lots of different artists
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and push them together in your own work.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But you can't just steal ideas. Your art should be personal.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Now, obviously, inspiration doesn't just come from other art,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17it comes from all around you.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20And ideas can come at the most random moments,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22so it doesn't hurt to make a note when you get one.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Ashby's work is inspired by her recent holiday.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35She tried to show the Cubist side of New York, but got stuck.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Stuart wants to find out how she got through her artistic block.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44I tried to see whether I preferred this kind of loose mark making
0:08:44 > 0:08:48to the really structured oil paintings,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51but this was where I did hit a massive wall.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57I just... I just sat and looked at it for ages
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and just couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong and where I could go with it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- So it felt like a complete dead-end with it?- Yeah.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08- But...I did get over it eventually. - How did you do that?
0:09:08 > 0:09:12I did a similar thing. I went right back to the basics.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16I found images I'd taken of the Statue of Liberty. They're these ones.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18How do you find working from the photographs?
0:09:18 > 0:09:23I thought it was easier. Because I'd seen the statue in real life,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27I knew I could put some of my own personality into it.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I could visualise it whilst I was painting.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Then you moved on to a much more ambitious one, didn't you?
0:09:33 > 0:09:37It's a really nice final piece, because it's quite concise.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- It shows traces of your whole journey, I think.- Yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44I still see the piece that I didn't like.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I still see the colours that I didn't really want to push,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49but I still incorporated them, just to...
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- So you got something out of it, in the end?- Yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- I did, yeah.- So it was definitely worth going through it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I hit walls in my work all the time.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02You get to a place where you just don't know where to go next.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I do all sorts of elaborate things.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08I move studios, or not paint the three months, or do something entirely different.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I don't want to just chuck it all in because I can't get an idea.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13But, in the end, something happens
0:10:13 > 0:10:15and you have to keep making through it.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21I don't know where she'll go next. Her oil painting skills and sense of composition is getting stronger,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23the way she's collaging these images together.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28So I think maybe that's something that will be explored more deeply next time around.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30HE WHISTLES
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Every artist hits a wall at some point in their work.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37This is when you don't like what you've made and don't know what to do next.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42When this happens, you should decide what you do and don't like about your artwork.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Then you can just take the good bits and avoid the bits you don't like next time.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50You might find you need to research or experiment more before you start again.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57So hitting a wall is good. It makes you a better artist.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Tim's determined to push himself into uncharted territory,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05using paint instead of pencils.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Stuart's fascinated to find out how Tim
0:11:08 > 0:11:11is coping outside of his usual comfort zone.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16The reason why I wanted to move out of my comfort zone, with charcoal,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20and later on, paint, is because I wanted to try something new.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Because you can't always stay the way you are, you've got to develop, evolve.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28So how did you feel? Were you a bit intimidated at first by this charcoal?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It was something I haven't tried before,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33so I was out of my comfort zone, I didn't know what I was doing.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37You're sort of trying to make it do what the pencil did, to an extent?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40- I can't, because it is not pencil. - It's really loosened you up.- Yes.
0:11:40 > 0:11:46It's metaphorical and physical. I'm actually learning something, learning more about myself.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49This is my next piece.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54At this point, I was still using little brushes
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and you can see it here. I was using little brushes.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01- Yes. I mean there is a kind of fussiness.- Yeah. - What happened after this?
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- So I moved on to this...- Yes.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06..which was my painting of Nat King Cole.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It's like a total break out. You really start express.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11You're using your whole body when you paint.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I can't use those little brushes anymore.
0:12:13 > 0:12:19No, to get that mark there, to go like that, you need so much confidence.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- Force and...- Because now you're totally out of your comfort zone
0:12:22 > 0:12:24and you don't mind to take a risk.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29You've got to trust yourself and go into it and just be like...whoosh!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Whenever you're making work, you can get complacent,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36or you default back to a system of making things that works for you.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I find that all the time with my work, where I get stuck in a rut
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and I need some way to break through it and I need to try something else.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49It is really depressing sometimes when it doesn't happen and you try and force a change.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54But, with Tim, it felt like a totally natural thing for him to do.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56I think it's just going to carry on.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00The thing I'm excited is, when he starts to discover colour properly,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03because I think there is going to be a total explosion
0:13:03 > 0:13:08of expressive, big, gestural painting that's going to be really good.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11It's easy to get stuck in a comfort zone,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13making art you're used to or good at.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16But you're bound to get bored doing the same thing all the time
0:13:16 > 0:13:20and maybe yearn for a bit of a challenge.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24But getting bored is good, if it makes you try something new.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28If you're used to drawing detailed miniatures, try big, expressive painting.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Or if you usually have to spend our hours finessing your work,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35give yourself a time limit, so you have to work fast and furiously -
0:13:35 > 0:13:38whatever it takes to keep your creative juices flowing.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44There's nothing Beth won't use to make her experimental art.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47She's toyed with watercolours, powder paints
0:13:47 > 0:13:50and even salt, before settling on inks.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Stuart's intrigued by what Beth has learnt from her experiments.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59I've had to be aware of the inks being really unpredictable,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02so I did two studies at the same time.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05So was that quite nerve-wracking,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08because you didn't really know what the inks were going to do?
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Um, it was, but it was quite exciting, as well.
0:14:11 > 0:14:18I just wanted to make sure that I'd experimented with every material
0:14:18 > 0:14:21that I could have - on its own and then with other things -
0:14:21 > 0:14:26just to see what different effects I could create and which ones I liked the best.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30- And then you were ready to do your final piece after that?- Yeah.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31- This one over here.- Right.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Now, all of a sudden,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38- you've got a portrait. It's a self-portrait.- Yeah.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I suppose I was quite lucky with how that turned out, really,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43because I hadn't done a lot of experimentation.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47That's what I was going to say. It's a big risk to decide that you are going to do
0:14:47 > 0:14:52quite an accomplished, figurative oil painting of yourself, at the last minute.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55With all the materials I was using,
0:14:55 > 0:15:02I knew if I didn't like it, there would be a way of changing it.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- So it wasn't as risky as you might have initially thought?- Yeah.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09I must have used just about everything in my time, when I've been making my art.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Strange stuff. At its nuttiest, maybe, lentils and spray paint
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and tarmac and feathers.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18HE LAUGHS
0:15:18 > 0:15:21And, at its most normal, kind of, expensive oil paints
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and linseed oil, maybe, and everything in between.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But I have to go through the process of playing with everything.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33I think it's important to remain playful and explore what is possible.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Because, you know, she's discovered a whole way of doing things
0:15:37 > 0:15:41with these materials, that she's managed to bring together
0:15:41 > 0:15:43into quite a complete and concise final piece.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48I don't think she'd have been able to do this if she hadn't endeavoured to do that other stuff.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Experimenting is great for finding the best material to work with.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58There's the obvious materials, as well as the weirder stuff.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Blindly experimenting might be fun,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05but it's better to know what you want from your material.
0:16:05 > 0:16:11Make a note of what's good and what's bad, in case you forget. From all these experiments,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13you'll eventually find the best material for your art.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It might even be the material you started with.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26We've given Matt, Beth, Tim and Ashby hand-held cameras to film themselves over the next two months,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30as they develop ideas for that scary ten-hour exam.
0:16:30 > 0:16:36If they get through it in one piece, they'll get the chance to hear what Stuart thinks of their artworks
0:16:36 > 0:16:40and get to share their final pieces with friends and family at a special exhibition.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Matt's chosen to develop his ideas around the topic of urban areas.
0:16:46 > 0:16:52He has set himself the challenge of making his work a little less Banksy and a bit more Matt,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55taking in influences a little closer to home.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01I found some quite interesting colours in the sky.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I'm not sure if they'll come out on here,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08but they really do work with my current unit.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14I'm exploring the idea that every area
0:17:14 > 0:17:16is a rural area waiting to be revealed.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20Matt's widened his interests to include Scottish painter Jock McFadyen.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24His work has been a major influence for me.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27His ideas - sense of abandonment, urban areas and big skies -
0:17:27 > 0:17:30have helped my own work.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34My next idea was to develop the wall piece I've got here.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37This developed into my David Hepher-style piece.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I liked the textured background of his work
0:17:39 > 0:17:42and I tried to put that into my own work.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45But he's not forgotten his favourite street artist.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Another influence was Banksy.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51His work helped to develop these two pieces, as I like the hole in the wall idea.
0:17:51 > 0:17:57Against the clock, Matt's challenge is to put his own stamp on his work before sitting the exam.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00It's 7th of March, three weeks away from our exam,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03and I thought I'd show you the current piece that I'm doing.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06These are two pieces I've been working on at the moment,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09knocking through the wall reveals the rural area behind it.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14Taking inspiration from the red skies outside his bedroom window,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Matt's work is finally starting to feel a little more personal.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Ashby has chosen to develop her ideas around the theme of dance,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26something close to her heart, as a hardened majorette.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29This was the big routine that we're doing.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34I really liked it, because it was a lot of shapes I could photograph and see the movement in.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Like Matt, Ashby also looks to an artist for inspiration -
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Edgar Degas.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I've decided to focus on Degas,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43because I really like the way he painted.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Ashby's very organised this time,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49doing a lot of prep work, to avoid hitting any walls.
0:18:49 > 0:18:56I realised I needed to work on my features and my hands, because they weren't very clear.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00As you can see, I did get a lot of out of these.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02These are my before and after.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07I'm going to incorporate this kind of technique into my painting.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10But it's not without the odd tantrum.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15I developed this throughout all of my studies. It just kind of...
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Oh, I don't know what I'm saying! Don't know!
0:19:18 > 0:19:22With the final exam looming, Ashby reflects on her progress so far.
0:19:22 > 0:19:28So it's four days to the real ten-hour exam and I am really scared.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32But I think I am well prepared for it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35I did a lot of prep work.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40I didn't hit any walls, which was lucky, but, touch wood,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I don't in the next four days.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Tim's chosen to develop his ideas around his family tree
0:19:46 > 0:19:51and starts by trying to find the true meaning of heritage.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55What is the meaning of your family tree? Is it where you are from
0:19:55 > 0:20:01or the life that you've been living and where you were brought up?
0:20:01 > 0:20:02Or is it where your family is from?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04This is a painting I'm doing right now.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Tim has pushed himself even further out of his comfort zone
0:20:07 > 0:20:12by introducing colour to his artwork. But is it a step too far?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16I found it quite difficult when I started this painting,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18because I'm so used to using black and white.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21And I wasn't really sure what colours to use.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Tim's inspired by Chinese artist Zhang Yuan's snapshot style,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29but wants to take it to the next level by adding a splash of colour.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33I got pictures of my family and started to think of how
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I could put them together for an overall painting at the end.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42This is a very ambitious piece. There are lots of family portraits to paint against the clock
0:20:42 > 0:20:47in the exam and Tim is already making the leap from black and white to colour.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52He's going to have to be pretty prompt to paint so many pictures in just ten hours.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- Hi, Beth.- Hello.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Beth has also chosen to develop her ideas around the theme of her family tree
0:21:00 > 0:21:02and is being typically experimental.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08I volunteered my friend Ellen and my friend Katie, who I'm going to paint in a minute.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10In a way, I'm sort of creating twins out of them.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14I'm looking at the fact that people can look so alike, but be so different.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Don't worry, it comes off. I tried it last night!
0:21:19 > 0:21:23I'm just experimenting with different ways of showing their emotions.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24She looks like she has a red beard.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27LAUGHTER
0:21:27 > 0:21:30OK, so this is Ellen fully painted.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35I'm going to take a picture like did earlier. Think of something sad. Just feel depressed.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Beth takes photos of her painted friends to use as source material back in the art room.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45- BETH GIGGLES - That one's horrible. - It's creepy, isn't it?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- It doesn't even look like you. - That's extremely scary.
0:21:48 > 0:21:54I am, sort of, halfway through this next piece that I'm doing.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58And I'm looking at the idea of the double image or twins.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Yeah, I'll have to see how that turns out.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Unhappy with her progress, Beth changes her mind.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08She's losing confidence in her experimental approach and abandons her work, half-finished,
0:22:08 > 0:22:13to make a last-minute u-turn, deciding instead on a much subtler style.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17But will Beth's late change of heart leave her underprepared for the exam?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25With preparations complete, Matt, Beth, Tim and Ashby
0:22:25 > 0:22:31head into the daunting ten-hour art exam to create their final piece.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34The students have two sessions, split over two days.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Starting with a blank canvas on day one, they paint against the clock
0:22:38 > 0:22:42and have to submit their final pieces at the end of day two.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The exam marks the end of their GCSE art course.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49They can do nothing more after this point to improve their grades.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54Now I've finished everything. I've done my prep work and my exam.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56And everything went very well.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I think the main reason for that was all my prep work I did,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02all the experiments.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Looking back, there were a few things I would have done differently.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Mainly, I would have done more preparation for it
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and experimented more with ideas and stuff.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Looking back on the actual exam, I was quite pleased with how the exam piece went.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Erm, I'm glad it's all over.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21With the exam complete,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25it's the day of the students' first public exhibition.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29We've invited Brit artist Stuart Semple back, to see how far the students have progressed.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34We let him in early for a sneak preview of their final pieces.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39First up, Stuart reacquaints himself with Ashby's work.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Did her thorough preparations stop her from hitting a wall?
0:23:43 > 0:23:48It's really come on miles from the stuff I saw her do last time.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52The way she's using her materials, there's a whole new confidence to it,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55in the way she is applying the paint itself.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59I think really it's just a beautiful, beautiful painting she's made. It sort of glows.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Next up is Matt.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Did he manage to finally put his own stamp on his work?
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Matt's final piece seems so much more ambitious,
0:24:09 > 0:24:14but I don't really see what Matt sees on his doorstep coming into this,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16which I think it, kind of, should, really.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Stuart was impressed by Tim's earlier work,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22but felt that he had a lot to do against the clock in the exam.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Oh, Tim, I think he's let me down a little bit here.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30I was expecting a really big, expressive, explosive painting,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33like the Nat King Cole one we saw before.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36It seems what he has done is introduce the colour to the work,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40which is his way of challenging himself.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45Maybe it has distracted him a bit too much from the core issue, which was how he put down the paint.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48And, finally, Beth.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Stuart loved her playful approach to experimentation,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55but what will he think of her u-turn back to safer ground?
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Beth was at a real crossroads with her work.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01The prep work is actually a lot more experimental
0:25:01 > 0:25:04and, in a lot of ways, for me, a lot more interesting than her final piece.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07It seems a lot braver.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10In the final piece, she's really reined herself in.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14She's taken herself to the extreme and then walked back a few steps.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18I think, maybe she's walked back a little bit too far.
0:25:18 > 0:25:25Matt, Beth, Tim and Ashby are joined by their friends and family for the exhibition.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28This is the first time their artworks have been on public display.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31And the students get another chance
0:25:31 > 0:25:35to meet their chief critic Stuart, to hear what he thinks of their creations.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41- Ashby, you've got to be really happy with that. It's come out really well. - Yes, in the end, I was.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42During the exam, I wasn't.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- I had a few temper tantrums. - Did you?
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- You didn't hit one of your walls, did you?- No, I didn't.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- I didn't hit any walls, luckily, this time.- What went wrong?
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I hadn't drawn my scale out right and the legs
0:25:56 > 0:25:59were too long for the body and the head was too small.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02So then I'm going, "It's rubbish, I might as well go home now."
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- You can't tell. I can't see it. - I managed to fix it in the end.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- How did the exam go? - I think it was my best exam yet.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And you can see the inspiration, you can see the Jock McFadyen thing,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16the Banksy wall.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Yes, I tried to put as much that I'd learned from other artists into it
0:26:20 > 0:26:25and then develop it into my own techniques and own ideas.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28It's a lot of freer than some of the stuff I saw.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31In the exam, I was still experimenting on other pieces of paper
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and I liked dripping, running down lines. Really rough.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- Some of this is lovely.- Rough, like the spray paint up the edge.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42- Laid it on thick and stood it up, so it ran down.- That's the economy if it. It's a very quick gesture.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- It's quite brave to do in the exam. - Yes!
0:26:46 > 0:26:49I think one of the things I really love about this drawing
0:26:49 > 0:26:53is it's still got that expressive kind of mark-making
0:26:53 > 0:26:55gesture that I loved when I saw the other stuff.
0:26:55 > 0:27:01When you've got to your bigger piece, it doesn't seem quite as expressive. You've reined it in a little bit.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06When I saw the artist Zhang Yuan, I thought I'd definitely want to do that,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10but didn't think about how long it takes to do those paintings.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Those paintings - it takes him a month to finish one.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17What I found in some of the exploratory work I saw of yours
0:27:17 > 0:27:21was these really striking, kind of,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23quite aggressive colours, these red faces.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It wasn't something that I felt was really personal
0:27:26 > 0:27:29to me, so I think that's mainly what led me away from it.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33I think I was a bit worried about putting the ink on, then not being happy in how it turned out.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38- Did you feel that you held back, for the sake of the exam?- Yeah.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43Matt, Beth, Tim and Ashby have come to the end of their journey through GCSE art.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48They all survived that daunting ten-hour exam,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51but how did they feel about Stuart's final feedback?
0:27:51 > 0:27:56It's been great having Stuart look at my work, because he's been giving me the advice I wanted
0:27:56 > 0:27:57and needed to help me develop my art style.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I've definitely taken it on board. I know that I need to loosen up
0:28:01 > 0:28:03a bit more and maybe work bigger.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08It's been interesting, but scary, having Stuart look at my work,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10because, obviously, he is a professional,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12so he knows what he's talking about
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and he's shown me what my strengths and weaknesses are.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17The experience has been excellent.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19It's made me really confident in my own work.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Really encouraged me to push forward with my art and get somewhere in life.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27It's been so nice having someone's opinion who is so successful.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Yeah, it's been really, really great.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32It's been amazing meeting the students and getting to know them
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and see how they make their work. I've enjoyed every minute.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I really hope they are going to carry on making their work
0:28:38 > 0:28:42and we see one or two really strong artists come out of here.
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