Experimenting With Media, Materials and Techniques
A beautiful final piece can still score badly. Learn what AO2 really rewards: experimenting with a range of media, discovering their effects, and refining your ideas so the journey is visible, not just the outcome.
Revise this, the fun way
Play it interactively, earn XP and build a streak, free.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
What AO2 really rewards
AO2 is the "refining" objective. It rewards how you **experiment** with media, materials and techniques to develop your ideas as the work grows. Here is the surprise that catches people out: a single beautiful, polished piece can score **badly** for AO2 if it shows no trail of trials. AO2 wants to see the journey, not just the destination.
Four words to know
These words come up again and again in AO2. Learn what each one means.
Match the medium to its effect
- Charcoal
- Ink
- Watercolour
- Collage
- Soft, smudgy tone that blends easily
- Bold, permanent lines
- Translucent, fluid washes
- A layered, textured surface
Which one is refining?
Which of these is an example of refining your ideas?
- Trying an idea in three different media, then choosing the strongest
- Making one neat final drawing and stopping there
- Copying a photograph exactly as it looks
- Rushing straight to a finished piece
What the evidence looks like
Two sketchbooks can hold the same final image and score very differently. The difference is the visible experimenting.
Match intention to medium
- A soft, atmospheric mood
- A bold graphic poster
- A delicate, translucent sky
- A rich, textured surface
- Charcoal
- Bold ink or marker
- Watercolour
- Collage
The grade 9 rule
AO2 marks the experimentation itself. A highly finished final outcome with no visible trail of trials and refinement under-evidences AO2, no matter how skilful the final piece looks. Always show what you tried and how you decided.
Complete the idea
AO2 is about how you _____ your ideas as the work progresses. You explore a range of _____ and techniques, review the results, and then _____ the most successful ones. A visible _____ of your trials matters more than a single polished _____.
Good AO2 practice
Which of these show good AO2 practice? Choose all that apply.
- Trying the same subject in charcoal, ink and collage
- Writing a note on what each experiment taught you
- Selecting the strongest technique to develop further
- Going straight to a final piece with no trials
- Using only one medium from start to finish
Spot the experimenting
An interactive activity.
Order the cycle
An interactive activity.
The polished trap
A student hands in a beautiful, highly finished painting but shows no trials, experiments or notes. How does this score for AO2?
- Poorly, because AO2 needs visible experimentation
- Top marks, because the final piece is skilful
- It cannot be marked at all
- Full marks for AO2 automatically
In the sketchbook
An interactive activity.
Your turn
An interactive activity.