City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Picture Conservation

The City & Guilds 7716 Certificates in Design & Craft schemes have been designed for those who wish to develop and enhance their creativity and skills in this area and at the same time obtain a formal, recognised qualification.

Level 3 aims to develop learners’ skills to a professional level. For the Certificate, learners will be expected to make more demanding items, as well as develop their skills in observation, recording and research. They will have the opportunity to explore new techniques and progress innovative ideas. A design unit plus a craft unit must be completed.

Level 3 forms a natural progression from the 7716 Level 2 Certificate in Picture & Frame Conservation and takes students on to a higher level.

Creative Studies (7716) Level 3

Unit 1 Overview

Unit rationale

Note: All items presented for assessment must be original work, designed and produced by the candidate.

Aims
The aim of this unit is to produce a design reference for development into craft.

The unit will assess the candidate’s ability to use a range of materials and mediums, based on a personal approach, in order to understand and develop the visual implications of the design process.

Candidates will evaluate the completed work, processes and techniques used, to inform future work.

Outcomes
There are seven outcomes for this unit. The candidate will be able to:

1. research and select sources of inspiration and develop design ideas
2. research and use contextual studies – contemporary, historical and cultural
3. use a range of materials, mediums and techniques
4. use a range of styles and sizes of presentation methods
5. produce and present exploratory and finished design projects
6. operate tools and equipment safely and effectively
7. appreciate the application of general design development studies to the craft.

Assessment
The seven outcomes for this unit will be assessed using evidence from practical activities, which take the form of:

• practical exercises, using a range of materials, designed to assess the skills of the candidate in producing five sets of design development work
• a workbook, that will demonstrate underpinning knowledge in support of the practical exercises, which may include samples, sketches, notes, ideas etc.

Unit 1 Design for Craft

Keywords
Candidates will prepare a portfolio of design work based on each of the following design elements. Each body of work will consist of exploratory studies and one resolved piece. Throughout this work, candidates will use the design principles – balance, rhythm, contrast and dominance, harmony, scale and proportion.

Colour

• develop colour mixing techniques
• explore the properties of colour – hot, cold,…
• investigate colour association and colour symbolism, the cultural use of colour, use of colour in the work of an artist, craftsman or historical period
• experiment with effects of colour application – transparency, translucency, opacity, washes, impasto
• match colours and produce colour schemes.

Texture

• consider texture in the context of the natural and manmade environments
• use a range of methods and techniques to create surface texture – visual and actual.

Line

• develop mark-making exercises exploring the quality of line – thick, thin, broken… and the varieties of line – straight, curved, angular…
• develop lines into linear patterns – spirals, contours, stripes…

Shape

• explore shape – positive and negative, repeated pattern, interlocking and overlapping, random and organised, geometric, symmetrical and asymmetrical.

Form

• explore hard edged, soft edged, solid, hollow, pierced, low relief and 3D structures using a variety of methods – assemblages of paper, card constructions, collage, montage, paper manipulation…

Unit 2 Overview

Picture and frame conservation

Unit rationale

Note: All items presented for assessment must be original work, designed and produced by the candidate and involve no commercially produced pattern, template or maquette

Aims

The aim of this unit is to provide the opportunity for candidates to explore, at some depth, a specific craft in which they will use inspirational source material to design items. They will develop innovative ideas or practice traditional techniques and acquire complex practical skills, supported by a thorough knowledge of range of materials, processes and techniques involved.

Workbooks will record supporting knowledge – visual and written notes, diagrams and technical specifications on the development of design briefs, sources of inspiration, materials, and processes and techniques.

The unit utilises the principles of Unit 1 throughout the outcomes – planning, preparing, making, completing and presenting the items.

Candidates will evaluate the completed work, processes and techniques used, to inform future work.

Outcomes
There are six outcomes for this unit. The candidate will be able to:

1. apply innovative and complex design ideas to planning and making for the craft
2. plan, prepare and manage the making of complex craft items to a design brief
3. operate tools and equipment carefully, safely and effectively for complex techniques applicable to this craft
4. make complex craft items to a high standard of craftsmanship, to a design brief
5. appreciate the contextual influences relating to the craft at this level
6. use effective presentation skills to display completed items.

Assessment
Candidates will design, prepare and make the items detailed below and produce supporting notes and evidence.

These items will provide the evidence required for the six outcomes in this unit.

• A panel painting with a warped/damaged panel or substantial damaged area for conservation.
• A painting on canvas which requires relining.
• A painting on canvas which requires conservation.
• A painting on canvas with substantial missing or damaged area for conservation.

At least one item from above should include the conservation of a gilt frame.
For at least one item candidates will be expected to outline the historical context of the painting and detail the research carried out concerning the painting.

The course
During the course you will:

• prepare a detailed conservation plan
• carry out photographic documentation (including UV, infrared and X-ray if appropriate)
• carry out analysis and test clean of painting
• carry out consolidation of the painting
• describe the cleaning of the painting and learn the techniques involved
• outline and learn the techniques of: patching or relining as appropriate, finish cleaning, fill and repair as appropriate, retouch using appropriate techniques, interim varnish, final retouching, final varnish
• observe safe practices
• finish the item to client/user satisfaction.

For a full handbook for this course please click here