The Art course for Leaving Cert is about developing the student’s ability in a range of artistic fields and disciplines. The syllabus permits a huge number of media, from the fine arts such as sculpture, drawing, and painting, to puppet-making, embroidery, calligraphy, metalwork, and pottery. In St. Patrick’s Secondary School we offer Art in partnership with Presentation Secondary School. Here students get to study Art in a mixed classroom setting. 

Students are expected to spend the duration of the course practicing and developing their skills in several of these areas.

Why Study Art

If you want to study more in an artistic area, you can continue in Fine Art and specialise in painting, sculpting or printmaking. Alternatively, you could go into the design area and specialise in areas such as fashion, graphic, interior or furniture design. Studying art, as the title suggests, allows students to be creative and explore their desire for self-expression and develop an appreciation for artistic work of others, including the work of famous artists and the history of art.

What kind of Student would Art suit?

• Students who have shown an aptitude for art, such as by getting high grades in Junior Cert Art.
• Anyone considering a career in a creative discipline such as Architecture, Marketing, Film and Entertainment, Web Design, Fashion, Game Design, or Advertising.
• Students who are weak in other areas, such as languages or mathematics, may find it easier to achieve points in Art.
• Students who enjoy expressing themselves through art and like to sketch and doodle. 
• Students who are prepared to work hard at developing their artistic talent.
• Students who are looking for a break from intensive memory-work in their other subjects, or to reduce pressure on themselves in June by having a subject with exams in April/May.

Course Content

All students, both ordinary and higher level, follow a common course. The practical work can include Life Sketching, Still Life, Imaginative Composition, Design and Craftwork.

The History of Art and Appreciation is a broad course covering Irish and European Art, and also Art Appreciation. It requires looking at artworks through the use of reproductions, slides and art galleries, reading books and writing essays on different subjects.

Career Possibilities

Art is useful for careers in animation, art teaching, computer design, architecture, fashion design, interior design, graphic design, painting and decorating, photography and art therapy.

For more detailed information on the Leaving Certificate Music syllabus click the link below.   

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Senior-Cycle/Senior-Cycle-Subjects/Art/