International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) Syllabus

Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) in International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Theoretical Practice

   3 topics

   • Art-Making Practices and Theories
     • Visual arts in context
     • Cultural and historical frameworks
   • Critical Analysis of Artworks
     • Formal qualities and elements
     • Meaning, function, and interpretation
   • Comparative Study of Artists and Movements
2. 2

   Art-Making Practice

   3 topics

   • Visual Arts Media and Techniques
     • Two-dimensional forms (drawing, painting, printmaking)
     • Three-dimensional forms (sculpture, ceramics)
     • Lens-based, electronic, and digital forms
   • Experimentation and Skill Development
   • Conceptual Development of Ideas
3. 3

   Curatorial Practice

   3 topics

   • Selection and Presentation of Resolved Works
   • Curatorial Rationale and Cohesion
   • Exhibition Text and Audience Engagement
4. 4

   Assessment Components

   3 topics

   • Comparative Study
     • Analysis of artworks from different cultures
     • Connections to own practice (HL)
   • Process Portfolio
     • Experimentation across media
     • Reflection and refinement
   • The Exhibition
     • Resolved artworks
     • Curatorial rationale and exhibition text

Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) flashcards for International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

20 of 51 cards from the Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In IB Visual Arts, what are the three core assessment components and their weightings at Higher Level (HL)?

   Comparative Study (20%), Process Portfolio (40%), and the Exhibition (40%). At SL the weightings are Comparative Study 20%, Process Portfolio 40%, Exhibition 40% as well, but the required quantities of work differ.

2. How many screens does the Comparative Study require at Standard Level (SL) versus Higher Level (HL)?

   SL: 10–15 screens analyzing at least 3 artworks by at least 2 different artists. HL: 10–15 screens for the same, PLUS 3–5 additional screens analyzing the extent to which the student's own work was influenced by the studied art/artists.

3. How many screens does the Process Portfolio require for SL and HL, and across how many art-making forms?

   SL: 9–18 screens from at least 2 different art-making forms. HL: 13–25 screens from at least 3 different art-making forms (each chosen from separate columns of the art-making forms table).

4. In the IB Visual Arts Exhibition, how many resolved artworks must SL and HL students present, and what is the curatorial rationale word limit?

   SL: 4–7 resolved artworks. HL: 8–11 resolved artworks. The curatorial rationale must not exceed 400 words (SL) / 700 words (HL).

5. What is a 'curatorial rationale' in the IB Visual Arts Exhibition?

   A written statement that justifies the selection and arrangement of artworks, explaining the conceptual links, intentions, and how the works communicate to an audience as a cohesive body of work.

6. What are the three columns of the IB 'art-making forms' table used to ensure variety of media?

   Two-dimensional forms (e.g., drawing, painting, printmaking, photography); Three-dimensional forms (e.g., sculpture, ceramics, installation); and Lens-based, electronic and screen-based forms (e.g., film, video, digital media, animation).

7. Define 'medium' versus 'media' in the context of visual arts.

   A medium is the specific material or means an artist uses (e.g., oil paint, charcoal, clay). 'Media' is the plural, referring to multiple such materials or to broad categories of art-making.

8. What is the difference between formal analysis and contextual analysis of an artwork?

   Formal analysis examines the visual elements and principles (line, color, composition, etc.) and how they create meaning. Contextual analysis examines the cultural, historical, social, political, and biographical circumstances surrounding the work's creation and reception.

9. Name the seven commonly cited formal elements of art.

   Line, shape, form, space, color, value (tone), and texture.

10. Name the principles of design used to organize the elements of art.

    Balance, contrast, emphasis (focal point), movement, rhythm, pattern/repetition, proportion/scale, unity, and variety.

11. What is the difference between symmetrical (formal) balance and asymmetrical (informal) balance?

    Symmetrical balance distributes visual weight equally and mirror-like around a central axis. Asymmetrical balance achieves equilibrium using differing elements of unequal visual weight arranged so they still feel balanced.

12. Define 'iconography' as a method of art analysis.

    Iconography is the study and interpretation of the subject matter, symbols, and imagery in artworks to uncover their conventional or deeper meanings within a cultural tradition.

13. What is 'composition' in visual art?

    The arrangement and organization of visual elements within the picture plane or space, including placement, balance, and relationships between parts to create a unified whole.

14. What does the 'rule of thirds' describe in composition?

    A guideline dividing the image into a 3x3 grid; placing key subjects or lines along the grid lines or at their intersections tends to create more dynamic, balanced compositions than centering.

15. Distinguish between 'representational', 'abstract', and 'non-objective' art.

    Representational art depicts recognizable subjects realistically. Abstract art simplifies or distorts recognizable subjects. Non-objective (non-representational) art has no reference to recognizable reality, using only form, color, and line.

16. What is the difference between linear (one/two-point) perspective and atmospheric (aerial) perspective?

    Linear perspective creates depth using converging lines toward vanishing points on a horizon. Atmospheric perspective creates depth by lightening color, reducing contrast, and blurring detail for distant objects.

17. Define 'chiaroscuro' and name an artist associated with it.

    Chiaroscuro is the strong use of light and shadow to model three-dimensional form and create dramatic contrast. Caravaggio (and his tenebrism) and Rembrandt are strongly associated with it.

18. What is the color theory distinction between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors?

    Primary colors (red, yellow, blue) cannot be mixed from others. Secondary colors (orange, green, violet) are made by mixing two primaries. Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary with an adjacent secondary (e.g., red-orange).

19. What are complementary colors and what effect do they produce?

    Colors opposite each other on the color wheel (e.g., red/green, blue/orange, yellow/violet). Placed together they create maximum contrast and visual vibrancy; mixed together they neutralize (gray) each other.

20. Define 'hue', 'value', and 'saturation' (chroma).

    Hue is the name of the color (red, blue, etc.). Value is its lightness or darkness. Saturation (chroma/intensity) is the purity or vividness of the color.

See more Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) flashcards →

Planning Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) for International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) (International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)) FAQ