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Survey of Visual Arts
EMERGENT: Find out what you love to create in the Survey of Visual Arts class. In this course, students will have the opportunity to sample what the RHS visual arts program offers including: drawing, painting, digital illustration, photography, sculpture, and clay projects. Each unit will last approximately 2 weeks, covering beginning level techniques in each medium. This course is recommended for new and emergent art students, who want to have a basic understanding of what is involved with creating in various media. No prerequisites. Open to all grades.
Art and Social Change
HISTORY: Art and Social Change is an entry-level course covering various aspects of how art influences humanity, art as a communication tool, and finding your voice through the making of art. This class is recommended for both beginner and experienced students. Students will work with both 3D and 2D art materials, study major historical art movements, and participate in a student-driven community capstone project. Emphasis is placed on student expression and voice. No prerequisites. Open to grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Digital Illustration 1
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
No Prerequisite
BEGINNER: Introduces students to a variety of creative projects using professional imaging software with a focus on Photoshop and Sketchbook. Projects will include a combination of digital drawing, converting handmade illustrations into electronic graphics, and photo editing. Drawing exercises will be included to help develop traditional drawing skills used for digital imagery.
Digital Illustration 2
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Digital Art 1
INTERMEDIATE: Digital Art 2 gives students the opportunity to further develop the software skills and tools learned in Digital Illustration I through the use of design as a communication tool through deeper levels of digital illustration, and gif animation using software including Adobe Photoshop and Blender.
Digital Illustration 3 Studio
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisites: Successful completion of Digital Art 1 and Digital Art 2
ADVANCED: Digital Art 3 gives students the opportunity to further develop the software skills and tools learned in Digital Illustration II, and to independently explore online tools and programs. Students will individually conceptualize and execute projects of their own design using software to create a digital website portfolio. Career exploration through professional interviews, networking, research, and portfolio building.
Drawing 1
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
No Prerequisite
BEGINNER: Students will continue to explore the basic techniques and materials of observational, mechanical, and imaginative drawings as prepped in their middle school art courses. Materials that will be used are graphite pencils, pastels, charcoal, ink, markers, and color pencils. Students will learn methods and exercises to enhance their drawing skills in black and white, grayscale.
Drawing 2
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Drawing 1
INTERMEDIATE: This level II advanced course is an extension of Drawing I. Students will independently explore advanced techniques and materials of abstract, representational, observational, imaginative, and mechanical drawing. Materials used include graphite, chalk, oil pastels, charcoal, ink, alcohol-based markers, crayons, colored pencils, and scratchboard. Essential learning includes: measurement for correct proportion, drawing the human face and figure, gesture and contour drawing, one and two-point perspective, architectural rendering, and creating animals with textures using scratchboard techniques. Emphasis will be placed on development of a personal drawing style, and the context of a student’s artistic voice.
Drawing 3 Studio
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisites: Successful completion of Drawing 1 and 2
ADVANCED: This level III advanced course is an extension of Drawing II. Students will independently explore to further develop a personal style in drawing and understanding of the ideas behind their illustration style, resulting in a refined artist’s statement and gallery show. Emphasis will be placed on the context of a student’s artistic voice and art career exploration through professional interviews, networking, research, and portfolio building.
Painting 1
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
No Prerequisite
BEGINNER: Painting techniques, materials, and history of watercolor and acrylics will be studied in this course. Color theory, mixing and paint application will be taught. Emphasis will be on composition, developing painting skills and understanding painting styles. Students will learn about the history of art. Portraits, landscapes, animal art, and still life studies will be covered.
Painting 2
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Painting 1
INTERMEDIATE: This level II course is an extension of Painting I. Students will explore the history and techniques involved in acrylic, additive media, and oil paints. Units on how to apply color theory to create mood, spatial relationships, and depth will be explored through observational studies of master painters in acrylics and oils,expressive landscapes, and exploration in oil techniques. Emphasis will be placed on development of a personal painting style, and the context of a student’s artistic voice.
Painting 3 Studio
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisites: Successful completion of Painting 1 and Painting 2
ADVANCED: This level III advanced course is an extension of Painting II. Students will independently explore to further develop a personal style in painting and understanding of the ideas behind their painting style, resulting in a refined artist’s statement and gallery show. Emphasis will be placed on the context of a student’s artistic voice and art career exploration through professional interviews, networking, research, and portfolio building.
Beginning Digital Photography 1
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
No prerequisites
Students will use their own digital cameras or will have one checked out to them to use for this course. Digital camera functions and Photoshop will be used together to create creative and professional looking digital images and prepare them for upload and online sharing. Students will have the opportunity to choose their own photo enhancements and manipulations, and will learn the language of digital images and files.
Intermediate Digital Photography 2
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Digital Photography 1
Students will produce their own images in this course. Emphasis is placed on camera functions and composition to create artistic photographs. Students will learn the physics of photography, upload files and use advanced Photoshop techniques to create black and white photographs. Note: Successful completion of this course satisfies the 1 credit Arts requirement.
Advanced Photography Studio 3
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Digital Photography 1 and Photography 2
Digital processes will be used in this course. Students will have the opportunity to design their own projects that explore their individual voice and interests and will build a portfolio of images that covers many aspects of photography and shows off the students' individual style. Advanced digital photographic processes will be explored.
Sculpture 1
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
No prerequisites
BEGINNER: Students will continue to explore techniques and materials, used during middle school art classes, in making three-dimensional forms and constructions. Materials that may be used are wood, wax, paper, metal, clay and plaster. Processes that may be covered include casting, molding, carving, and construction such as welding or soldering. Art appreciation of past and present sculptors will be taught as it pertains to project activities.
Sculpture 2
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Sculpture 1
INTERMEDIATE: This level II advanced course is an extension of Sculpture I. Students will independently explore advanced techniques and materials in at least three processes. Focus will be on developing skills. Media used are paper, clay, plaster, wood, and plastics. Projects may include a classical Greek or Roman styled mythical moment, and earthenware clay studies in bas relief, thematic fragile wood and paper fan formations, interlocked balloon abstractions, painted plaster portrayal of physical movement, and carved wood figurine. Emphasis will be placed on development of a personal sculptural style, and the context of a student’s artistic voice.
Sculpture 3 Studio
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Sculpture 1 and Sculpture 2
ADVANCED: Sculpture III advanced course is an extension of Sculpture II. Students will be independently developing their own artwork as well as their own personal style. This class will culminate in a gallery show and a finished professional portfolio to use in the next step of their artistic career. Networking and building relationships with art practitioners will also be encouraged.
Ceramics 1
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
No prerequisites
Students will continue to explore basic hand-building techniques and skills, learned in middle school art classes, in the construction of functional and decorative hand-built and wheel-thrown pottery. Students will create a collection of their own glazed, finished pottery over the course of the trimester.
Ceramics 2
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Ceramics 1
This level II advanced course is an extension of Ceramics 1. Students will work independently on hand-built and wheel-thrown clay forms that are both functional and decorative. Focus will be on developing skills in creating ceramic items as well as in learning about clays, glazing and firing pottery. Emphasis will be placed on development of a personal ceramic style, and the context of a student's artistic voice.
Ceramics 3 Studio
Open to 9, 10, 11, and 12
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Ceramics 1 and Ceramics 2
Ceramics III advanced course is an extension of Ceramics II. Students will be independently developing their own artwork as well as their own personal style. This class will culminate in a gallery show and a finished professional portfolio to use in the next step of their artistic career. Networking and building relationships with art practitioners will also be encouraged.
Studio Art / Advanced Placement Portfolio (college preparatory) Courses offered to students in grade 10, 11, 12
0161 Advanced Placement Studio Art: 2D Design A
0162 Advanced Placement Studio Art: 2D Design B
0163 Advanced Placement Studio Art: 2D Design C
Prerequisite: Visual Arts Teacher Permission
Students enrolled in AP Studio Art 2D will establish their own studio space in the Art Department and create a college-level portfolio of individual two-dimensional or 3-dimensional artworks over the course of two trimesters. In the third trimester students will dive into the meaning behind their work, and write about their process, learning, and complete/upload their AP portfolio to the College Board website for evaluation and possible college credit.*
Students will work individually with the instructor to design projects that reflect the students' unique skills, voice and interests. Instructor approval is the prerequisite for this class. It is strongly recommended that students enrolled in this course have completed all 3 levels of an art course, at an B+ level or higher for each level, and have had a teacher recommendation. The more art classes in the student's background, the more successful they can be in this course.
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