One of the most unique and expressive subjects within the IB is Visual Arts.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about IB Visual Arts—its structure, core components, assessments, and what makes it such a transformative subject.
Course Structure: IB Visual Arts
The IB Visual Arts course is a creative, practice-based subject that encourages students to think and work like artists. Across the two-year programme, students engage in art-making as a form of inquiry, integrating creative experimentation with critical reflection and personal expression.
The course is structured around three core areas:
- Create – the development of artistic ideas and visual language
- Connect – the investigation of artworks in context and exploration of cultural significance
- Communicate – the presentation and curation of artworks to express meaning and engage audiences
These areas are not taught in isolation but are often interwoven throughout the course to reflect the holistic nature of artistic practice. Students are encouraged to pursue personal lines of inquiry and develop a coherent body of work, supported by their teachers in a studio-style learning environment.
The course is offered at two levels:
- Standard Level (SL): 150 teaching hours
- Higher Level (HL): 240 teaching hours
Here’s a breakdown of how the course hours are distributed across the key components:
Through this structure, students gradually build independence and confidence as visual artists, preparing for the final assessment tasks at the end of the course.
Create
The Create component is all about engaging students in the practical, hands-on side of visual arts. In this area, students explore a wide range of art-making forms and creative strategies. The goal is to help them:
- Generate artistic ideas through investigation, observation, and experimentation
- Develop technical skills by working with various media and techniques
- Understand how to pursue a line of inquiry—taking an initial concept and developing it into a resolved artwork
- Build their own visual language, which includes both aesthetic choices and conceptual depth
This part of the course reflects real studio practice. Students are encouraged to take risks, explore new possibilities, and reflect critically on the processes they use. The emphasis is not only on producing final artworks, but also on the creative journey—how an idea evolves through sketching, trial and error, feedback, and reflection.
This area lays the groundwork for students to become more independent, intentional, and expressive in their art-making.
Connect
The Connect component focuses on helping students understand and explore the relationships between art, context, and meaning. Here, students investigate artworks from a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and artistic practices, including both traditional and contemporary works.
Through this exploration, students learn to:
- Analyse how **context—cultural, historical, social, political—**influences the creation and interpretation of artworks
- Reflect on the role of the artist, the audience, and the artwork itself within different contexts
- Situate their own art-making in relation to existing works and broader artistic movements
- Examine how meaning is shaped through visual and conceptual choices
This area of the course encourages students to go beyond technique and ask deeper questions about why art is made, who it is for, and what it communicates within its setting.
By connecting their work to that of other artists, students gain insight into artistic intent, develop their curatorial thinking, and learn to locate their creative voice within a larger artistic conversation.
💡Check out these five key habits and evidence-based strategies of high-achieving students in the IB.
Communicate
The Communicate component focuses on how students present and share their artistic work with others. This part of the course develops students’ ability to curate and articulate their artistic ideas through both visual and written formats.
In this area, students learn to:
- Present their artwork effectively using both digital and physical methods
- Engage in dialogue and critique, responding thoughtfully to feedback and participating in discussions about art
- Write clearly about their artistic intentions, creative decisions, and processes
- Use presentation techniques that reinforce the message and meaning of their artwork
- Consider how their work interacts with and is perceived by different audiences
Teachers introduce students to curatorial practices and methods for digitally documenting and showcasing their work, including photographing, video documentation, and layout design.
By the end of this component, students are expected not only to have produced a body of work but also to have developed the skills to communicate its conceptual significance and visual impact with coherence and professionalism.
Integration of Create, Connect, Communicate
This component forms the core foundation of the IB Visual Arts course and represents the majority of teaching hours. Rather than functioning as a separate unit, this area brings together the skills and understandings developed through Create, Connect, and Communicate into a cohesive, practice-based experience.
In this integrated approach, students are encouraged to:
- Pursue personal lines of inquiry that draw on all three core areas
- Develop and refine artistic intentions and creative processes
- Make meaningful connections with the work of other artists and artistic traditions
- Create artworks that are informed by context and communicate clearly with their audience
- Reflect on their journey through experimentation, critique, and self-evaluation
This is where the course truly becomes student-led, with each learner developing a unique body of resolved artworks. Teachers guide students in setting goals, meeting deadlines, and preparing for the three final assessment components.
By integrating these three dimensions, students build a holistic understanding of what it means to be a practicing visual artist, ready to present their work with insight, purpose, and clarity.
Skills and Techniques Developed in IB Visual Arts
Throughout the IB Visual Arts course, students are guided through a dynamic and comprehensive learning experience that mirrors the working practices of professional artists. The course equips them with a wide range of conceptual, practical, and reflective skills, empowering them to express ideas with both technical skill and creative intention.
Art-Making and Technical Skills
Students are introduced to a variety of art-making forms and creative strategies, which may include traditional techniques like painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and photography, as well as contemporary practices such as digital media, installation, mixed media, and performance art. As they work through their personal lines of inquiry, they learn to:
- Experiment with and refine techniques in different media
- Generate and develop ideas through observation, research, and exploration
- Follow processes from concept to realisation, adjusting and improving their work through feedback and reflection
- Resolve artworks that demonstrate both technical competence and clarity of intention
Conceptual and Critical Thinking Skills
Beyond technical execution, the course places strong emphasis on developing conceptual depth. Students are encouraged to think like artists by:
- Creating and refining artistic intentions
- Engaging with inquiry-based learning, where questioning and exploration drive artistic development
- Analysing the meaning and significance of their own and others' artworks
- Making connections between concepts, materials, and visual outcomes
- Exploring how cultural, historical, and social contexts influence both the creation and interpretation of art
Curatorial and Reflective Skills
Students also learn how to effectively present and situate their artworks. This involves:
- Developing a personal visual language to communicate ideas clearly
- Writing artist statements and curatorial rationales that explain their choices and intentions
- Critically reflecting on their own process through journals, annotations, and critiques
- Learning how to document and curate their work for audiences in both digital and physical formats
Collaborative and Communicative Skills
Although much of the course is individually driven, students also build soft skills that are essential for artistic growth:
- Engaging in peer critique and group discussions
- Responding to feedback constructively
- Participating in dialogue about art with their teachers, peers, and wider communities
In essence, IB Visual Arts helps students evolve into independent, informed, and expressive artists. They leave the course not only with a portfolio of work but with a refined ability to think creatively, communicate ideas effectively, and approach problems with curiosity and innovation—skills that extend far beyond the visual arts classroom.
💡Find out why you may want to consider a qualified IB teacher as your tutor.
Internal Assessment: IB Visual Arts
The Internal Assessment in IB Visual Arts is an essential part of the course, contributing 40% of the final grade for both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL). It is assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB.
What is Involved?
The IA focuses on the student’s ability to create a coherent body of resolved artworks that communicate their artistic intentions effectively. This is the culmination of their two-year creative journey.
Students are required to submit:
For Both SL and HL:
- Five resolved artworks, selected to reflect the student’s best work
- Each artwork must include:
- A title
- Details about the medium and dimensions
- Up to two supporting images (optional) to show details or alternate views
Additional Submissions:
- A rationale explaining the artistic intentions behind the selected artworks and the decisions made during the creative process
- Additional commentary or documentation, depending on the level (details below)
SL vs HL Requirements
What is Being Assessed?
The IA is assessed against specific criteria that evaluate how well students:
- Curate a coherent body of work that reflects their artistic intentions
- Demonstrate technical skill and effective use of materials and techniques
- Synthesize concept and form, showing how ideas are communicated visually
- Situate their work in a broader artistic and cultural context (especially for HL)
- Reflect critically on their process and the development of their ideas
Each criterion has detailed descriptors and is scored out of a maximum of 32 marks for SL and 40 marks for HL.
Purpose and Skills Assessed
The Internal Assessment allows students to:
- Demonstrate independence as artists
- Showcase the depth and coherence of their personal artistic vision
- Reflect on how artistic choices align with conceptual goals
- Develop professional-level documentation and presentation of artwork
The IA encourages students to bring everything they’ve learned into a final showcase of who they are as artists—technically, conceptually, and curatorially.
💡Learn how each part of the IB grading system impacts your final diploma score.
External Assessment: IB Visual Arts
The External Assessment in IB Visual Arts accounts for 60% of the final grade and involves the digital submission of curated materials rather than a written exam. These submissions are assessed externally by the IB.
What is Involved?
Students at both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) must complete two externally assessed tasks, with the format and focus varying slightly by level.
Standard Level (SL)
Higher Level (HL)
What Is Being Assessed?
Across both SL and HL, the external assessments are designed to evaluate how well students have developed as visual arts practitioners. The tasks are aligned with the seven assessment objectives, which include:
- Curating visual and written materials to communicate artistic inquiry
- Investigating art forms, creative strategies, and cultural significance
- Generating artistic intentions and artworks through inquiry
- Refining work via investigation, dialogue, and reflection
- Resolving artworks to convey meaning and purpose
- Situating artworks within relevant contexts, audiences, and practices
- Synthesising concept and form to connect with audiences effectively
These objectives ensure that students are being assessed not just on finished products, but also on their process, context-awareness, and ability to communicate meaning through visual language.
Additional Notes
- There are no written exams in IB Visual Arts—everything is assessed via curated digital submissions.
- The format allows students to demonstrate a wide range of skills, including analysis, reflection, creativity, and presentation.
- Students are encouraged to use a variety of media, strategies, and influences, reinforcing the flexibility and inclusivity of the course.
- Effective time management and documentation throughout the two years is crucial to ensuring strong submissions for external assessment.
How to Succeed in IB Visual Arts
We have spoken to our tutors and summarised their advice about how to succeed in IB Visual Arts. Whether you're just starting out or preparing for your final submissions, these strategies will help you stay focused, creative, and confident throughout the course:
- Start with curiosity and stay open to discovery: Let your interests guide your lines of inquiry. Don’t worry about having a ‘perfect idea’—many strong artworks grow from experimentation and evolving intentions.
- Keep a well-organised visual arts journal: Document your process consistently. Use it to collect research, record your thoughts, sketch ideas, evaluate techniques, and track progress. This becomes a key resource when preparing your final assessments.
- Balance concept and technique: Successful students learn to communicate meaningful ideas and demonstrate strong technical execution. Don’t focus too much on one at the expense of the other—work to develop both in tandem.
- Use the assessment objectives as your compass: Familiarise yourself with what the IB is looking for. The seven assessment objectives should guide how you plan, create, and present your work across both internal and external assessments.
- Curate your portfolio carefully: When it’s time to submit, choose artworks and reflections that best show your development, intention, and ability to connect with audiences. Quality is more important than quantity.
- Practise presenting your work visually and verbally: You’ll need to explain your artistic intentions and contextual influences clearly. Work on articulating your ideas in writing and through your presentation layout.
💡Practice papers are key for success! Find out why past papers are the ultimate tool for IB Exam preparation.
Common Mistakes IB Visual Arts Students Make
Even the most creative students can fall into a few common traps in IB Visual Arts. Here are some pitfalls to watch out for:
- Focusing too much on technique and neglecting concept: strong execution is important, but without clear artistic intention and meaning, work can lack depth.
- Leaving documentation too late: incomplete or rushed visual arts journals make it difficult to reflect the full creative process in assessments.
- Ignoring the assessment objectives: students sometimes create beautiful work but miss out on marks because they don’t address the key criteria used by the IB.
- Poor time management: underestimating how long it takes to develop, refine, and curate work can lead to rushed submissions and missed opportunities for growth.
- Weak connections in the external tasks: failing to explore or explain the cultural and contextual relevance of their own or others’ work can result in underdeveloped portfolios and studies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What do you actually study in IB Visual Arts?
IB Visual Arts focuses on creating, connecting, and communicating through art. Students explore a range of media, develop personal lines of inquiry, investigate other artists, and curate resolved artworks for assessment.
Is IB Visual Arts more practical or academic?
It’s both. While there’s a strong practical component (making art), students are also expected to research, reflect, write analytically, and explore the cultural significance of art.
Do I need to be good at drawing or painting to do well?
Not necessarily. The course values creativity, intention, and development over technical perfection. You can work with various media, including digital, sculptural, photographic, or mixed media forms.
What’s the difference between SL and HL in Visual Arts?
HL students complete additional tasks (such as the Artist Project) and have more teaching hours. Their assessments require greater depth and breadth compared to SL.
Is getting a 7 in IB Visual Arts hard?
Like any IB subject, getting a 7 is challenging but achievable. It requires consistent effort, creativity, thoughtful reflection, and strong alignment with the assessment criteria.
Can Visual Arts help with university applications?
Yes! IB Visual Arts builds critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills. It’s highly valued for creative degrees like design, architecture, and fine arts—but also supports broader pathways by showcasing independent inquiry and project management.
Conclusion
IB Visual Arts is more than just an art course—it's a journey of creative discovery, personal expression, and intellectual growth. Whether you're experimenting with new media, exploring global artistic traditions, or refining your own visual language, the subject offers endless opportunities to challenge yourself and grow as an artist.
With thoughtful planning, consistent documentation, and a clear understanding of what’s expected, students can succeed in both the practical and reflective elements of the course. Most importantly, IB Visual Arts nurtures lifelong skills—creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking—that extend far beyond the classroom.
