Course Description

Students will be immersed in the 21st Century tools and skills necessary to create portraits, landscapes, and other traditional genres of art for the modern world. Students will be introduced to the Elements and Principles of Design and focus on digital media, with opportunities to explore mixed media to further enhance their work. Students will engage in experiences that encompass art history, art criticism, aesthetics, and production. Students will participate in discussions and critiques, produce original artwork and write reflective papers about their work.

Grading and Evaluation

Portfolios containing all class work will be due at the end of the course. Grading will be based on the following criteria: execution and technique, improvement, effort, composition and design, creativity, personal expression, and assignments.

Course work will be graded as follows:

-Participation

-Projects

-Alternative Assessments

Attendance

Students are expected to be in class on time. A student is considered late if he/she is not in class ready to learn when the bell rings. In the event of chronic tardiness to class, a corrective action plan in consultation with the student’s parent/guardian and designed to address patterns of excessive tardies will be created.

The consequences of being late are shown in the list below:

1st Tardy: Teacher Warning

2nd Tardy: Teacher Calls Parent/Guardian — Teacher Detention

3rd Tardy: Teacher Contacts Administration — Lunch Detention

4th Tardy and more: Corrective Action Plan — Additional Administrative Action

Units

1. Tools of the Trade

Students discover the digital art-making tools available to them in a 21st Century Artist Studio. Students will practice traditional art techniques through digital means, and develop their drawing and painting skills using digital art-making software.

2. Concepts & Techniques

Students use the Elements and Principles of Design to further explore the fundamentals of art creation while gaining proficiency in their digital art tools. Concepts such as Cubism are applied to traditional art genres such as portraiture, landscapes, and still life.

3. Art is All Around Us

Students will utilize the skills and concepts they have learned in units one and two and apply them to create projects based on observation. The practice of creating art through observation requires eye-hand coordination, critical analysis and fosters a deeper understanding of the Elements and Principles of Design.

RULES

-Be mindful of what you say.

-Pay attention, don’t interrupt, and don’t force others to raise their voice to be heard.

-Seating is chosen for you.

-Respect school and student property.

-Be in your seat by the bell, and stay in your seats until the bell.

-The room needs to be clean before you’re dismissed.

-Push in your chairs before you leave.

-Grades are not based on the quality of the work, but the quality of your effort…

Remember: it’s not the ink, it’s the think!