Unlocking Creative Pathways: A New Resource for IB Visual Arts Students

Ms. Mila Vasconcelos
Nov 20
3 min read

Unlocking Creative Pathways: A New Resource for IB Visual Arts Students

By Ms. Mila Vasconcelos - Exploring the New IBDP Visual Arts Syllabus

Creativity doesn’t follow one path: it branches, loops back, evolves, and surprises us. As educators and art‐makers, our biggest challenge is often guiding students to choose a direction that feels genuine, layered, and sustainable. That’s why I’m so excited to share a new resource for your studio work and research: “Exploring Three Research Paths in Artmaking.”

What’s in the Resource?

This six‐page PDF lays out three clear starting points for artistic inquiry:

Starting with an Artist – Choose an artist’s work, research their themes,
style, and context, then generate and resolve your own piece in response.
Starting with a Material – Investigate the properties of a medium (clay, ink, textile, etc.), experiment and refine, then resolve a piece that uses the material meaningfully.
Starting with a Concept – Begin with an idea, explore its symbolism and implications, sketch, refine, and resolve into an artwork with personal voice.

Each path is broken down into four phases — Investigate, Generate, Refine, Resolve — so students can track their process, make decisions, and connect their creative actions with reflection and growth.

You can download it here.

The Changes in the New IB Visual Arts Curriculum

The new IB Visual Arts programme places huge value on process, researcher mindset, and personal voice. Whether you’re preparing for the Connections Study or shaping your Artists Project, you need a research framework. That’s where this resource steps in. It helps you:

Choose a meaningful starting point that aligns with your interests and context.

Understand how research, experimentation, and reflection build toward artistic depth.

Structure your work so every decision links to your practice, not just a nice final piece.

Track your journey visually and in writing—perfect for your Process Portfolio.

How to Use It in Your Studio (and How I Use It in My Class)

Step 1: Choose Your Path - In a fresh sketchbook spread, write the title: “Exploring Three Research Paths in Artmaking”. Then choose one path that resonates this week.

Step 2: Set Up Your Investigate Phase

If you’re using the Artist path: select an artist, study their context, work, and why you’re drawn to them.
For the Material path: pick a medium you want to push—maybe something you’ve only touched lightly.
For the Concept path: jot down the theme or idea that keeps coming back to you.

Step 3: Generate, Experiment & Sketch: Create quick visual experiments, test techniques, jump mediums, mess around. Don’t worry about perfect—focus on discovery.

Step 4: Refine and Resolve: Pull together your strongest experiments and make decisions. Which ones reflect you? Which one might become a final artwork?

Step 5: Reflect in Writing: Use the prompt in the resource: What did you learn about yourself through this piece? Write it in your sketchbook alongside the visual work.

Bonus: Classroom Adaptation

In my 11th-grade classes, I share this PDF in Week 1 of a new unit. Students pick a path, and it becomes their weekly sketchbook focus. I model my own iteration in class, sharing sketches, thinking aloud, showing unresolved pages, and how I choose materials or concepts. It’s also fantastic for supporting students who might struggle to choose a direction. They can pick a path that feels safe, then branch out.

This resource ties beautifully into our lessons on inquiry questions, generative statements, and working with iteration. It gives students a scaffold but also encourages freedom, just the way I believe art should be taught.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever felt stuck choosing your focus or wondered how to make your process visible and meaningful, I hope this resource gives you a launchpad. You can start investigating an artist you admire, material you’re curious about, or a concept you can’t stop thinking about. This framework supports your artistic growth. Because at the end of the day, your art isn’t just about “making something nice.” It’s about discovering your voice, growing your thinking, and creating something that resonates with who you are and where you come from.

Ready to start? Download the PDF, open your sketchbook this week, and pick your path. I can’t wait to see what you discover next.

Ms. Mila Vasconcelos

Unlocking Creative Pathways: A New Resource for IB Visual Arts Students

Unlocking Creative Pathways: A New Resource for IB Visual Arts Students

By Ms. Mila Vasconcelos - Exploring the New IBDP Visual Arts Syllabus

What’s in the Resource?

This six‐page PDF lays out three clear starting points for artistic inquiry:

Starting with an Artist – Choose an artist’s work, research their themes,

style, and context, then generate and resolve your own piece in response.

Starting with a Material – Investigate the properties of a medium (clay, ink, textile, etc.), experiment and refine, then resolve a piece that uses the material meaningfully.

Starting with a Concept – Begin with an idea, explore its symbolism and implications, sketch, refine, and resolve into an artwork with personal voice.

Each path is broken down into four phases — Investigate, Generate, Refine, Resolve — so students can track their process, make decisions, and connect their creative actions with reflection and growth.

You can download it here.

The Changes in the New IB Visual Arts Curriculum

The new IB Visual Arts programme places huge value on process, researcher mindset, and personal voice. Whether you’re preparing for the Connections Study or shaping your Artists Project, you need a research framework. That’s where this resource steps in. It helps you:

How to Use It in Your Studio (and How I Use It in My Class)

Step 1: Choose Your Path - In a fresh sketchbook spread, write the title: “Exploring Three Research Paths in Artmaking”. Then choose one path that resonates this week.

Step 2: Set Up Your Investigate Phase

If you’re using the Artist path: select an artist, study their context, work, and why you’re drawn to them.

For the Material path: pick a medium you want to push—maybe something you’ve only touched lightly.

For the Concept path: jot down the theme or idea that keeps coming back to you.

Step 3: Generate, Experiment & Sketch: Create quick visual experiments, test techniques, jump mediums, mess around. Don’t worry about perfect—focus on discovery.

Step 4: Refine and Resolve: Pull together your strongest experiments and make decisions. Which ones reflect you? Which one might become a final artwork?

Step 5: Reflect in Writing: Use the prompt in the resource: What did you learn about yourself through this piece? Write it in your sketchbook alongside the visual work.

Bonus: Classroom Adaptation

This resource ties beautifully into our lessons on inquiry questions, generative statements, and working with iteration. It gives students a scaffold but also encourages freedom, just the way I believe art should be taught.

Final Thoughts

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Unlocking Creative Pathways: A New Resource for IB Visual Arts Students

By Ms. Mila Vasconcelos - Exploring the New IBDP Visual Arts Syllabus

What’s in the Resource?

This six‐page PDF lays out three clear starting points for artistic inquiry:

Starting with an Artist – Choose an artist’s work, research their themes,

style, and context, then generate and resolve your own piece in response.

Starting with a Material – Investigate the properties of a medium (clay, ink, textile, etc.), experiment and refine, then resolve a piece that uses the material meaningfully.

Starting with a Concept – Begin with an idea, explore its symbolism and implications, sketch, refine, and resolve into an artwork with personal voice.

Each path is broken down into four phases — Investigate, Generate, Refine, Resolve — so students can track their process, make decisions, and connect their creative actions with reflection and growth.

You can download it here.

The Changes in the New IB Visual Arts Curriculum

The new IB Visual Arts programme places huge value on process, researcher mindset, and personal voice. Whether you’re preparing for the Connections Study or shaping your Artists Project, you need a research framework. That’s where this resource steps in. It helps you:

How to Use It in Your Studio (and How I Use It in My Class)

Step 1: Choose Your Path - In a fresh sketchbook spread, write the title: “Exploring Three Research Paths in Artmaking”. Then choose one path that resonates this week.

Step 2: Set Up Your Investigate Phase

If you’re using the Artist path: select an artist, study their context, work, and why you’re drawn to them.

For the Material path: pick a medium you want to push—maybe something you’ve only touched lightly.

For the Concept path: jot down the theme or idea that keeps coming back to you.

Step 3: Generate, Experiment & Sketch: Create quick visual experiments, test techniques, jump mediums, mess around. Don’t worry about perfect—focus on discovery.

Step 4: Refine and Resolve: Pull together your strongest experiments and make decisions. Which ones reflect you? Which one might become a final artwork?

Step 5: Reflect in Writing: Use the prompt in the resource: What did you learn about yourself through this piece? Write it in your sketchbook alongside the visual work.

Bonus: Classroom Adaptation

This resource ties beautifully into our lessons on inquiry questions, generative statements, and working with iteration. It gives students a scaffold but also encourages freedom, just the way I believe art should be taught.

Final Thoughts

Comments

Step 1: Choose Your Path - In a fresh sketchbook spread, write the title: “Exploring Three Research Paths in Artmaking”. Then choose one path that resonates this week.