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Personal Investigations – Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design (0400) 2026

Purpose of this Section

This guide summarises the core skills, knowledge and conceptual understanding that learners need to plan, develop and evaluate a personal investigation for the Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design examination. The workflow is the same for all five Areas of Study – Painting & Related Media, Graphic Communication, 3‑D Design, Textiles & Fashion, and Photography – but the visual language, materials and technical requirements differ.

Generic Skills & Understanding (Common to All Strands)

Key Skills

• Research and visual analysis of a wide range of sources (books, online archives, museum collections, personal photographs).
• Idea generation through sketching, mind‑mapping, mood‑boarding and collage.
• Technical proficiency in the chosen media (drawing, painting, printmaking, digital, etc.).
• Critical reflection and self‑evaluation throughout the investigation.
• Record‑keeping: labelled sketches, dated journal entries and photographs of every stage.
• Organisation of information: store research and process material coherently (e.g., labelled folders, digital boards, chronological binders) to satisfy the syllabus requirement to “select, give context to and organise the information”.

Knowledge Corner (What Learners Must Know)

• Material properties & sustainability: absorbent vs. non‑absorbent surfaces, archival qualities, eco‑friendly alternatives.
• Historical and contemporary influences: key artists, movements, genres and styles relevant to each strand (e.g., Impressionism, Bauhaus, Studio Ceramics, haute couture, documentary photography).
• Social and cultural context: audience, cultural heritage and current issues that shape visual communication.
• Genre, purpose and conventions: expressive, narrative, functional, experimental works and the specific conventions of each medium.
• Technical language: correct terminology for colour theory, composition, texture, scale, perspective, digital workflow, etc.

Strand‑Specific Skill Checklists

Contextualising Personal Investigations – Example Prompts per Strand

• Painting & Related Media: “Memory of place” – layered acrylic washes, collage, and tonal drawing to explore personal recollection of a landscape.
• Graphic Communication: “Identity in the digital age” – typographic experiments, screen‑prints and a series of posters that address online self‑presentation.
• 3‑D Design: “Function vs. form” – modular furniture concepts modelled in CAD, prototyped with laser‑cut plywood, investigating structural integrity and aesthetic appeal.
• Textiles & Fashion: “Cultural narratives in fabric” – capsule collection that incorporates traditional dyeing techniques and contemporary trend research.
• Photography: “Urban solitude” – visual diary of long‑exposure street shots combined with mixed‑media printed photographs, reflecting on isolation in city life.

Steps to Create a Personal Investigation

1. Define a personal question or theme – Choose a subject with personal meaning that can be explored visually.
2. Research & gather visual references – Use books, online archives, museum collections and personal photographs; record sources.
3. Develop a mood board – Assemble colour palettes, textures, inspirational images and brief descriptive notes to set the tone.
4. Sketch & experiment – Produce rapid sketches, colour studies, scale drawings and small‑scale media experiments.
5. Plan the investigation – Outline the sequence of works, media, materials, time‑frames and intended visual outcomes.
6. Create the main works – Execute the pieces, documenting each stage with photographs, dated sketches and journal entries (labelled and organised).
7. Reflect & evaluate – Write a critical commentary linking initial intention, process decisions and final results; note successes, challenges and future directions.
8. Prepare the portfolio – Arrange research, process documentation, finished works and reflective commentary in the order required by the exam board.

Assessment Criteria Overview (2026 Syllabus)

Suggested Classroom Activities

• Group critique sessions focused on how personal meaning is communicated through visual choices.
• Media workshops to explore unfamiliar techniques (e.g., monoprint, digital collage, laser‑cutting, sustainable dyeing).
• Time‑limited sketch challenges to develop rapid visual thinking and decision‑making.
• Reflective journaling prompts such as “What does this image reveal about my experience of …?”
• Cross‑strand mini‑projects where students adapt the same personal question to two different media, comparing process and outcome.

Resources for Learners

• Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design syllabus (official PDF, 2026 edition).
• Online image libraries – Europeana, Artstor, Google Arts & Culture (observe copyright).
• Local museum collections, artist talks and maker‑spaces.
• Sketchbooks, colour swatch cards, mixed‑media kits, CAD software trials, sustainable fabric swatches.
• Reference books on material properties, sustainable practice and contemporary art movements.

Key Take‑aways for Learners

1. Start with a question that matters to you; it sustains motivation throughout the investigation.
2. Document every step – labelled sketches, dated photos and reflective journal entries are essential.
3. Organise your research and process material coherently (folders, digital boards, chronological binders).
4. Balance technical skill with personal expression; both are assessed.
5. Use reflection not only to meet assessment criteria but to deepen your artistic practice.
6. The investigative workflow is adaptable to any of the five Areas of Study – tailor the techniques to your chosen strand.