Introduction

Welcome to the ultimate prompt guide for IB Visual Arts. This resource is designed to help educators and students harness the power of generative AI to enrich the IB Visual Arts experience. The prompts are directly aligned with the latest curriculum, focusing on the three core components: the Comparative Study, the Process Portfolio, and the Exhibition.

How to Use This Guide:

Simply copy and paste a prompt into your preferred AI tool (like Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude). For best results, adapt the prompts by adding specific details like artist names, themes, or art-making media you are exploring. Prompts marked with (HL) are tailored for Higher Level requirements, but can often be adapted for Standard Level.

Section 1 – Educator Prompts (50)

Group 1: Planning & Curriculum Design

1. Syllabus Outline: “Generate a two-year syllabus outline for an IB Visual Arts SL class. Structure it by term, suggesting key themes, artists to study, and a timeline for completing the Comparative Study, Process Portfolio, and Exhibition.”
2. Unit Plan – Theme: “Design a 6-week unit plan on the theme of ‘Identity.’ Include weekly learning objectives, suggested artists (e.g., Frida Kahlo, Kehinde Wiley, Cindy Sherman), studio activities, and formative assessment tasks.”
3. Lesson Plan – Formal Analysis: “Create a 90-minute lesson plan on teaching formal analysis. Include a starter activity, key vocabulary (line, color, composition, etc.), a guided analysis of a specific artwork [e.g., ‘The Starry Night’ by Van Gogh], and a plenary activity.”
4. Connecting Themes: “Generate a list of 10 potential themes for an IB Visual Arts course that allow for diverse cultural and historical explorations. For each theme, suggest 3 contrasting artists.”
5. HL vs. SL Comparison: “Create a comparison table for parents and students that clearly outlines the differences in requirements between IB Visual Arts SL and HL, focusing on the Comparative Study, Process Portfolio, and Exhibition components.”
6. Interdisciplinary Link: “Suggest 5 project ideas that connect IB Visual Arts with IB History, focusing on how historical events influenced specific art movements.”
7. Material Exploration Plan: “Design a semester-long plan for introducing students to a range of art-making media, including digital art, printmaking, and sculpture, with safety guidelines for each.”
8. Artist of the Week: “Generate a template for an ‘Artist of the Week’ presentation. The template should include sections for biography, key artworks, artistic style, and contextual influences.”
9. Comparative Study Scaffolding: “Create a step-by-step timeline and checklist for students to follow when completing their Comparative Study, breaking the task down into manageable monthly goals.”
10. Process Portfolio Guide: “Develop a student-friendly guide explaining the purpose and requirements of the Process Portfolio. Use analogies to explain the importance of documenting failures and experiments.”
11. Exhibition Curation Intro: “Draft an introductory presentation on the principles of exhibition curation. Cover concepts like flow, grouping, lighting, and the importance of a curatorial rationale.”
12. Cultural Contexts: “Generate a list of non-Western art forms and artists that can be integrated into the curriculum to broaden students’ cultural understanding.”
13. TOK Connections: “Create a list of 5 discussion prompts that link IB Visual Arts with Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Focus on questions about the nature of art, interpretation, and the role of the artist.”
14. Vocabulary Tiers: “Organize a list of 30 essential IB Visual Arts vocabulary terms into three tiers: Foundational (e.g., color, line), Developing (e.g., juxtaposition, chiaroscuro), and Advanced (e.g., semiotics, postmodernism).”
15. **(HL) Independent Study: “Design a framework for HL students to develop an independent line of inquiry that connects their Comparative Study and Exhibition.”

Group 2: Instruction & Delivery

1. Worksheet – Elements of Art: “Generate a worksheet to help students identify the elements of art (line, shape, form, space, texture, value, color) in three different artworks.”
2. Critique Facilitation: “Create a script with guiding questions to facilitate a constructive classroom critique session, using the ‘I like, I wonder, What if?’ feedback model.”
3. Art Movement Summary: “Provide a concise summary of the key characteristics, artists, and historical context of the Surrealist movement, suitable for a 15-minute lecture.”
4. Technical Skill Demo: “Write a step-by-step guide for a classroom demonstration on the ‘linocut’ printmaking technique, from transferring the design to pulling the print.”
5. Artist Comparison: “Generate a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the artistic intentions and techniques of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.”
6. Gallery Visit Prep: “Create a pre-visit worksheet for a trip to a local art gallery. Include tasks like sketching from observation and finding examples of specific art principles.”
7. Digital Art Tools: “List and briefly describe 5 free or low-cost digital art applications suitable for students working on their Process Portfolio, highlighting the key features of each.”
8. Guest Speaker Questions: “Generate a list of 10 insightful questions for students to ask a visiting local artist about their creative process and career.”
9. Analyzing Text: “Take this artist’s statement [insert text here] and simplify it into key bullet points that a 10th-grade student can easily understand.”
10. Differentiated Instruction: “Provide three differentiated versions of a studio task based on creating a self-portrait. One for beginners, one for intermediate students, and one for advanced students seeking a challenge.”
11. Video Resource List: “Compile a list of 5 high-quality YouTube channels or documentaries that explain complex art history topics in an engaging way.”
12. Mind Map Starter: “Create a mind map template to help students brainstorm ideas for their new art project, with central branches for ‘Theme,’ ‘Artists,’ ‘Media,’ and ‘Composition.'”
13. Process over Product: “Draft a short speech for the beginning of the year emphasizing the importance of the ‘process’ in the Process Portfolio over the ‘final product.'”
14. Curatorial Rationale Exemplar: “Write a short, fictional curatorial rationale (approx. 200 words) for an exhibition titled ‘Urban Decay,’ explaining the theme and the relationship between the artworks.”
15. **(HL) Deconstructing Theory: “Explain the concept of ‘Postmodernism’ in art using a simple analogy. Then, provide 3 examples of postmodern artworks and explain how they fit the definition.”

Group 3: Assessment & Feedback

1. Rubric Creator: “Generate a single-point rubric for a sketchbook check, based on the IB Process Portfolio criteria: Skills, Techniques, and Processes.”
2. Quiz Generator: “Create a 10-question multiple-choice quiz on the key differences between the Renaissance and Baroque art periods.”
3. Feedback Comments: “Generate a bank of constructive feedback comments for the Comparative Study, focusing on Criterion B: Analysis and Understanding. Include comments for high-, mid-, and low-scoring work.”
4. Mock Exam Question: “Act as an IB examiner. Create a mock Comparative Study prompt asking students to compare and contrast two artworks from different cultures based on their use of symbolism.”
5. Self-Assessment Checklist: “Create a self-assessment checklist for students to use before submitting their final Exhibition photos. The checklist should align with the official assessment criteria.”
6. Process Portfolio Check-in: “Generate 5 guiding questions for a one-on-one conference with a student about their Process Portfolio progress.”
7. Marking Practice: “Here is a student’s analysis of an artwork [insert student text]. Using the IB Comparative Study rubric (Criterion B), provide a score and a justification for the mark.”
8. Exhibition Title Feedback: “A student has proposed three titles for their exhibition: ‘My World,’ ‘Feelings,’ and ‘Liminal Spaces.’ Provide feedback on each, explaining which is strongest and why.”
9. Curatorial Rationale Review: “Review this draft of a curatorial rationale [insert text]. Provide 3 specific suggestions for improvement based on clarity, coherence, and connection to the artworks.”
10. Peer Assessment Form: “Design a peer assessment form for students to use during an in-progress studio work critique. The form should prompt them to offer feedback on concept, composition, and technique.”
11. **(HL) Exhibition Interview Prep: “Generate 5 potential interview questions an examiner might ask an HL student about the connection between their artworks and their curatorial rationale.”
12. Common Mistakes: “List the 5 most common mistakes students make in the Comparative Study and suggest how to avoid them.”
13. Formative Task: “Design a quick, formative assessment task where students have to match key art terms with their definitions.”
14. Reporting Language: “Provide a set of professional, parent-friendly phrases for report cards to describe a student’s progress in IB Visual Arts.”
15. **(HL) Synthesis Feedback: “Provide feedback on how an HL student can better synthesize their findings in the Comparative Study, moving beyond simple comparison to a more integrated analysis.”

Group 4: Enrichment & Differentiation

1. Extension Activities: “Generate a list of 5 extension activities for gifted students who finish their studio work early. The activities should challenge them conceptually or technically.”
2. Supporting Struggling Students: “Provide 3 strategies to support a student who is struggling with the written components of the course, such as the Comparative Study analysis.”
3. Art & Activism: “Design a mini-project on ‘Art as Activism,’ where students research an artist like Ai Weiwei or the Guerrilla Girls and create a response piece.”
4. Virtual Museum Tour: “Create a guided virtual tour plan using Google Arts & Culture. Select 5 artworks from 5 different museums that all relate to the theme of ‘Conflict.'”
5. Career Connections: “Generate a list of 10 careers related to a degree in visual arts, beyond being a studio artist (e.g., curator, art therapist, graphic designer, art historian).”

Section 2 – Student Prompts (50)

Group 1: Understanding Concepts

1. Explain a Term: “Explain the ‘Rule of Thirds’ in composition as if you were explaining it to a 10-year-old. Provide a visual example.”
2. Art Movement in 100 Words: “Summarize the Impressionist movement in under 100 words.”
3. Compare Concepts: “What is the difference between ‘appropriation’ and ‘inspiration’ in art? Provide an example for each.”
4. Artist’s Intention: “Analyze the possible intentions behind Pablo Picasso’s ‘Guernica.’ What message was he trying to convey?”
5. Formal Analysis: “Provide a formal analysis of Johannes Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ focusing on his use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro).”
6. Context is Key: “How did the social and political context of the Harlem Renaissance influence the work of artists like Aaron Douglas?”
7. Art Theory: “Explain the theory of ‘Formalism’ in art criticism. What do formalist critics look for in an artwork?”
8. Media Properties: “Compare the properties and effects of using oil paint versus acrylic paint.”
9. Unpacking a Quote: “An artist said, ‘Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.’ What does this mean? Name an artist whose work does this.”
10. Symbolism: “Identify and explain three common symbols used in Renaissance painting.”

Group 2: Developing Practice (Process Portfolio & Comparative Study)

1. Brainstorming Themes: “I’m interested in nature and technology. Generate 5 potential themes for my IB Art exhibition that combine these two ideas.”
2. Finding Artists: “I am exploring the theme of ‘Memory and Loss.’ Suggest 3 contemporary artists and 1 historical artist whose work relates to this theme.”
3. Comparative Study Structure: “Provide a clear, bullet-point structure for a 15-screen Comparative Study. Show what should go on each screen.”
4. Analyzing an Artwork: “Act as an art historian. Write a 300-word analysis of Frida Kahlo’s ‘The Two Fridas,’ focusing on its cultural and personal symbolism.”
5. Connecting Artworks: “Find 3 points of connection (thematic, formal, or conceptual) between ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ by Hokusai and a contemporary digital artwork.”
6. Process Portfolio Screen: “I just experimented with a new printmaking technique and it failed. Write a reflective annotation for my Process Portfolio screen that explains what I learned from the failure.”
7. Refining Ideas: “My current idea is ‘portraits of my friends.’ How can I make this concept more sophisticated and suitable for an IB level project?”
8. Material Experiments: “I want to work with mixed media. Suggest 5 interesting combinations of materials I could experiment with for a piece about urban environments.”
9. Writing Annotations: “Here is a photo of my work-in-progress [describe the work]. Write a 50-word annotation for it, explaining my artistic intention and next steps.”
10. Compare and Contrast: “Create a table comparing the use of color in a Fauvist painting by Henri Matisse and a Post-Impressionist painting by Vincent van Gogh.”
11. Source Evaluation: “Is a personal blog a reliable source for my Comparative Study research? Explain the pros and cons.”
12. Developing Vocabulary: “I used the word ‘good’ to describe an artwork. Give me 10 more sophisticated alternatives to use in my analysis.”
13. Studio Work Plan: “Create a step-by-step plan for me to create a large-scale charcoal drawing, from initial sketches to the final fixative spray.”
14. Overcoming Creative Block: “I’m feeling uninspired. Suggest 5 creative exercises to help me overcome my artist’s block.”
15. **(HL) Connecting Practices: “How can I create a clear link between the artists I’m analyzing in my Comparative Study and the work I’m creating for my Exhibition?”
16. Drafting a CS Screen: “Draft the text for a Comparative Study screen that introduces the two artworks I’ve chosen and provides their cultural contexts.”
17. Critique Preparation: “I have a class critique tomorrow. Generate 3 questions I can ask my peers to get specific, helpful feedback on my latest piece.”
18. Photographing Artwork: “Provide a simple guide on how to photograph my 2D and 3D artwork effectively using just a smartphone and natural light.”
19. Ethical Considerations: “I want to use a photograph I found online as a reference for my painting. What are the ethical considerations (copyright, appropriation) I need to think about?”
20. **(HL) Writing the Rationale: “Help me structure the written rationale for my HL Process Portfolio. What are the key points I must include to justify my selection of work?”

Group 3: Revising & Preparing for Exhibition

1. Artist Statement: “Act as my creative partner. I’ve created a series of paintings about my experience moving to a new city. Help me draft a 150-word artist statement that sounds authentic and professional.”
2. Curatorial Rationale: “My exhibition pieces are three sculptures and five paintings that explore the theme of ‘Growth and Decay.’ Write a draft for my curatorial rationale (approx. 400 words for SL).”
3. Exhibition Titles: “Brainstorm 10 potential titles for my final exhibition. The theme is ‘Human Connection in a Digital Age.'”
4. Exhibition Text: “Write a short (50-word) exhibition label for a specific artwork: a mixed-media collage that includes old family photos and city maps.”
5. Arranging Artworks: “I have 7 artworks of different sizes. Suggest two different ways I could arrange them in my exhibition space to create a cohesive flow.”
6. Preparing for Critique: “My teacher is doing a final review of my exhibition body of work. What are the 5 most important things I should be prepared to talk about?”
7. Refining a Piece: “I feel like one of my paintings is unresolved. Generate a list of questions I can ask myself to figure out what it needs to be considered ‘finished.'”
8. Cohesion Check: “Look at this list of my artworks [list titles and media]. What is the common thread or theme that connects them all? Help me articulate the overall concept of my show.”
9. **(HL) Curatorial Rationale: “Help me expand my SL curatorial rationale to meet the HL requirements (max 700 words). What additional depth or reflection should I include?”
10. Documenting the Show: “What are the best practices for photographing my final, installed exhibition for submission to the IB?”

Group 4: Exam & Final Assessment Prep

1. Flashcard Creator: “Create a set of 10 digital flashcards. On one side, put a key IB Art term (e.g., ‘Curatorial Practice,’ ‘Formal Qualities,’ ‘Contextual Analysis’). On the other, put its definition.”
2. Self-Assessment: “Create a ‘Red, Amber, Green’ checklist for me to assess my readiness for the final submission. Categories should include: Comparative Study, Process Portfolio, and Exhibition.”
3. Practice Question: “Generate a practice analysis question. ‘Analyze how the artist [insert artist name] has used composition to create a sense of unease in the artwork [insert artwork title].'”
4. Revision Plan: “Create a one-week revision plan for me to review all my written work before the final deadline.”
5. Checklist: “Act as an IB examiner. What are the top 5 things you look for in a high-scoring Process Portfolio?”
6. Time Management: “I have one month left. Create a weekly schedule that balances finishing my last artwork with finalizing all my written components.”
7. Clarify Criteria: “In the exhibition rubric, what is the difference between ‘Technical Resolution’ (Criterion B) and ‘Conceptual Qualities’ (Criterion A)?”
8. Final Proofread: “Please proofread this paragraph from my Comparative Study for clarity, grammar, and spelling errors [insert text].”
9. Confidence Booster: “Remind me of the purpose of the IB Visual Arts course. What skills have I developed over the past two years?”
10. What If?: “What if my main idea for my exhibition doesn’t work out in the final piece? How do I address this in my written reflections?”

Section 3 – Bonus Universal Prompt (1)

1. The AI as Artist/Curator: “Act as an artist-curator. You have been tasked with creating a virtual exhibition that brings together three historical artworks and one newly generated AI artwork. The theme is ‘The Future of Humanity.’

• Name the exhibition.
• Select three historical artworks from different time periods and cultures that fit the theme.
• Generate a concept and a detailed visual description for a new AI artwork that will be the centerpiece of the show.
• Write a 500-word curatorial rationale explaining the theme, why you chose these four pieces, and how they create a dialogue with one another.”