COMPREHENSIVE ART I (Intro to Art) COURSE DESCRIPTION: *(Required prerequisite course to all other art courses. Must receive strong passing grade to be enrolled in a higher level art class.)
Comprehensive Art is a foundation course offering the beginning art student exposure to the basic elements and principles of art and design, aesthetics, and art criticism. A variety of media in art production is explored to help students communicate the language and purpose of art. Students also examine how historical and contemporary artists use imagery as a communication tool. This course must be successfully completed before taking any other visual art course. This course is a prerequisite course that must be passed with a high enough score to be able to enroll in advanced art classes.
DRAWING AND PAINTING I AND II COURSE DESCRIPTION: *(COURSES MUST BE COMPLETED WITH PASSING GRADES IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE NEXT LEVEL).
In the Drawing and Painting courses, students will develop their observation and accuracy skills as they progress through a variety of classroom assignments such as still life drawings, perspective drawings, portraiture, figure drawing, and landscape paintings. A wide range of drawing and painting media may be explored such as graphite, charcoal, pastels, oil pastels, colored pencils, watercolor, acrylic, and tempera paint. Students will continue to develop compositional understanding by applying the elements and principles of design to their sketches, drawings and paintings. A variety of artists will be studied as students discover how they are relevant in art history and to the individual student’s work.
CERAMICS I, II, AND III COURSE DESCRIPTION: *(COURSES MUST BE COMPLETED WITH PASSING GRADES IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE NEXT LEVEL).
Ceramics I is an introductory course in ceramics covering the three basic methods of hand building. Students will produce ceramic art work using pinch, slab, and coil techniques. Students will learn the basic vocabulary of ceramics as well as methods of surface treatment, firing, and other related aspects. Art history, aesthetics and art criticism will be incorporated throughout the course.
Ceramics II enhances level-one skills and provides opportunities to apply design techniques in clay through handbuilding and/or throwing on the potter’s wheel, surface decorations, and glaze applications. Art history, aesthetics and art criticism will be incorporated throughout the course.
Ceramics III - Enhances level-two skills and provides opportunities to apply design techniques in clay through hand building and/or wheel throwing techniques while developing personal artistic voice. Presents ceramic/pottery forms as art and craft in historical context. Explores ideas and questions about purposes and functions of ceramic forms, past and present.