IB Visual Arts HL study plan

Audit every sketchbook, test piece, photograph and abandoned work to inventory evidence that can legitimately feed Process Portfolio screens.

Map a 20-screen portfolio architecture across the HL screen allowance, assigning each screen to media experimentation, sustained investigation or reflection.

Select a provisional exhibition theme and list six to eight works that could credibly resolve it rather than merely sit together.

Set up one documentation workflow (lighting, scale reference, file naming, backup) for both process shots and resolved works.

Run three controlled material experiments in different media, recording ratios, tools, timing and the exact point where each attempt failed or succeeded.

Build four portfolio screens that show experiment, decision and refinement rather than only finished images.

Resolve two exhibition works that extend the strongest experiment instead of starting a new idea.

Write annotations linking each experiment to a named artist or tradition that shaped the choice.

Complete four further portfolio screens documenting a sustained investigation across at least two media.

Compare your working methods against two artists from different cultural contexts to test whether your choices are deliberate.

Resolve two more works and check each against the provisional theme, discarding any that weaken the set.

Draft a curatorial rationale outline with three argued claims about intent, influence and audience experience.

Photograph and label every work to date under identical conditions.

Shortlist at least three works by at least two artists from different cultural contexts, verifying dates, media and access to high-quality reproductions.

Write a first comparative analysis of form, function and cultural context across the shortlisted works.

Produce two portfolio screens placing your own work in explicit dialogue with the shortlisted artists.

Resolve two works to bring the exhibition count to six and re-sequence the set for coherence.

Draft the opening comparative study screens with close visual analysis, contextual evidence and cited sources.

Integrate your own work comparison into at least two comparative study screens with honest, specific points of difference.

Push one unfamiliar medium in a time-boxed experiment and document the outcome even if it fails.

Extend the portfolio to sixteen screens with reflective commentary that explains revision, not just intention.

Complete the comparative study within the required screen limit, using consistent formatting and a full source list.

Resolve three final works, checking scale, surface finish and coherence with the exhibition theme.

Draft the curatorial rationale arguing intent, influences and the experience intended for the viewer.

Write short exhibition texts for each resolved work within the character limit, avoiding description that repeats the rationale.

Finalize the portfolio at twenty to twenty-two screens, removing weak evidence and tightening every caption.

Resolve the last two works and re-photograph the entire exhibition under identical conditions.

Test a mock hang or digital layout ordered by viewer experience, then revise the sequence where attention drops.

Edit the curatorial rationale to the HL word limit and verify every claim matches a work actually shown.

Proofread all three components for consistency of artist names, dates, media and citation style.

Check the comparative study and process portfolio against screen limits and export final files.

Rehearse a five-minute spoken walkthrough of the exhibition to test whether the rationale describes the work on the wall.

Submit a final checklist confirming all files, labels and texts are upload-ready.