Drawing as a Recording Skill
A sketchbook is a record of seeing. Learn to record ideas and observations through drawing, photography and annotation, and to use primary sources well.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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A record of seeing
AO3 is about recording ideas, observations and insights. A sketchbook is not just for finished art; it is a record of what you have seen, collected and thought. Recording well, from real sources, is one of the most rewarded skills at GCSE.
Four ways to record
You can record what you observe in several ways:
Match each method to what it captures best
- Observational drawing
- Photography
- Annotation
- Sampling
- Shape, form and detail seen directly
- A quick, accurate image of a moment
- Your thinking, in written notes
- Materials, textures and colours collected
What observational drawing means
What does observational drawing mean?
- Drawing what you actually see in front of you
- Copying a photo from the internet
- Drawing only from memory
- Inventing an imaginary scene
Where the source comes from
Sources come in two kinds. A primary source is something you observe or record yourself directly: a real object, a place, or your own photo. A secondary source is made by someone else: a book, a website, or another artist's photo. AO3 values recording from primary sources highly.
Primary or secondary?
Which of these is a primary source?
- A drawing you make of a real object in front of you
- A photo copied from a website
- An image cut from a magazine
- A picture printed in a textbook
Record with a purpose
AO3 rewards recording that is relevant to your intentions, accurate, and shows critical reflection. Do not just fill pages. Record with a purpose, and note what each recording tells you and how it will shape your work.
What scores well
Select the TWO things AO3 rewards.
- Recording accurately from primary sources
- Reflecting critically on what you record
- Copying images with no thought
- Recording nothing at all
The recording process
Put the steps of recording for AO3 in order.
- Observe the primary source closely
- Record it by drawing, photographing or sampling
- Annotate what you notice
- Reflect on how it will shape your work
Recording terms
- Primary source
- Secondary source
- Annotation
- Observation
- Something you observe or record yourself
- Something made by someone else
- Written notes on your work
- Looking closely at something real
Choose how to record
Make the recording decisions a strong candidate would make.
- To record the exact texture of tree bark, the best approach is...
- Your teacher asks you to "reflect critically". You should...
- Recording from a real object you can see in front of you uses a...
Recording frame
AO3 is about _____ ideas, observations and insights. Drawing what you see is called _____ drawing. A _____ source is one you record yourself, and you should _____ critically on what you find.
Plan a recording
Choose an everyday object and explain how you would record it for AO3. Name the method, say what you would capture, and how it would shape your work.
- Name a recording method (drawing, photography, annotation or sampling)
- Say what detail you would capture from the object
- Explain how this recording would inform your work