Pupils who are talented in art and design are likely to:

think and express themselves in creative, original ways
they want to follow a different plan to the other pupils, challenge the tasks given, or extend the brief in seemingly unrelated or fantastic directions

have a strong desire to create in a visual form
they are driven by ideas, imagination, flights of fancy, humanitarian concerns, humour or personal experience; they persevere until they have completed a task successfully, with little or no intervention from the teacher

push the boundaries of normal processes
they test ideas and solve problems relating to concepts and issues; they explore ways to depict ideas, emotions, feelings and meanings; they take risks without knowing what the outcome will be; they change ideas to take into account new influences or outcomes

show a passionate interest in the world of art and design
they are often interested in a specific culture (possibly relating to their own cultural background or sense of identity), particular art forms, contemporary culture or youth culture

use materials, tools and techniques skilfully and learn new approaches easily
they are keen to extend their technical abilities and sometimes get frustrated when other skills do not develop at the same time

initiate ideas and define problems
they explore ideas, problems and sources on their own and collaboratively, with a sense of purpose and meaning

critically evaluate visual work and other information
they make unusual connections between their own and others' work; they apply ideas to their own work in innovative ways

exploit the characteristics of materials and processes
they use materials and processes in creative, practical and inventive ways; they explore alternatives and respond to new possibilities and meanings

understand that ideas and meanings in their own and others' work can be interpreted in different ways
they use their knowledge and understanding to extend their own thinking and realise their intentions; they communicate original ideas, insights and views