In Unit 4 AoS 1, students must demonstrate the ability to reflect on and evaluate the specific materials, techniques and processes they used to make their finished artwork(s). This is not merely a description of what was used — it is an analytical evaluation of how effectively those choices served the artwork’s intentions.
When reflecting on and evaluating materials, techniques and processes, structure your thinking around three questions:
Evaluate the inherent properties in relation to the work:
- Did the material’s properties (opacity, texture, drying time, malleability) serve the intended aesthetic quality?
- Were there properties that created problems? How were they managed?
Evaluate the material choice in conceptual terms:
- Does the material carry resonances or associations appropriate to the subject matter and ideas?
- Would a different material have communicated the same ideas more effectively?
Example evaluation:
“The use of graphite as the primary medium was effective for conveying the delicacy and impermanence I sought to communicate — its erasability became a conceptual as well as technical attribute. However, the medium’s limited tonal range constrained the depth of shadow I needed to create spatial recession; in future, combining graphite with ink washes would address this limitation.”
Evaluate technical execution:
- Was the technique applied skillfully and consistently?
- Did technique variation (intentional or accidental) affect the work’s coherence?
Evaluate the technique’s aesthetic effect:
- Did the technique produce the aesthetic quality intended?
- Were there unintended effects — positive or negative?
Evaluate the process sequence:
- Was the order of operations appropriate?
- Were there stages that created problems that could be avoided by reordering?
Evaluate efficiency and control:
- Were there aspects of the process that were difficult to control?
- How were problems during the process managed?
The journal should contain:
- Post-making evaluative entries for each significant material/technique decision
- Notes written during making when problems were encountered and resolved
- Final evaluative statement for the completed artwork summarising key technical learning
APPLICATION: “After completing the etching, I evaluated that the acid bath time was too extended for the fine lines, resulting in line widths wider than intended. While the resulting texture had an unexpected expressive quality that I incorporated into the work, in future I would test bite times more precisely before committing the final image.”
KEY TAKEAWAY: Reflecting on and evaluating materials, techniques and processes is not self-criticism for its own sake — it is the primary mechanism through which artistic practice develops. Students who can accurately evaluate their own technical choices will make better decisions in subsequent works.
EXAM TIP: VCAA questions asking you to “reflect on and evaluate the materials, techniques and processes” expect both success and limitation to be acknowledged. A response that only reports successes lacks the genuine evaluative depth VCAA rewards.
