Digital and Visual Arts

DIGITAL ARTS I  

Grade: 9 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: None 

This Digital Arts course develops principles of graphic design through digital applications. Students will engage in the process of creative expression and critical response through demonstration, project-work, and critique. Students will use Adobe Photoshop and/or Illustrator, WYSIWYG website building software, and any current software applications to create and share their projects. Topics include, lettering, branding, concept design, website building, elements of art and principles of design along with the basics of Photoshop and/or Illustrator. 

DIGITAL ARTS II 

Grade: 10 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Digital Arts I

Digital Arts II will build upon the skills and knowledge taught in Digital Arts I but will require students to be more independent workers, exploring various topics that will require increased creativity and problem solving.   Students will explore more complex elements of digital design including animation.  Students will develop the aesthetic and practical principles of animated digital entertainment.  Students will engage in the process of creative expression and critical response through demonstration project work and critique.  Students will use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, iMovie, and current video software applications to create digitally animated projects. Topics discussed in class include storyboarding, script development, shot composition, concept design, techniques for digital animation, and methods for sharing their work.  The final project can include the creation of an animated movie trailers, short film, or other independent style animated works.   Students will have the option to work more independently on projects of interest in the field of digital arts.    

DIGITAL ARTS III 

Grade: 11 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Digital Arts II 

The 21st century has seen an explosion of new technologies and new forms of social interaction that change the way we view the world and communicate. Visual images permeate the social landscape and are a predominant means to convey information. Most necessary to meet the demands of this century is the ability to observe, envision, innovate, and reflect. The arts develop these skills through the creative process, promoting critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to persist in refining one’s craft.  The goal of this course is to expose students to the fundamentals of visual art through digital illustration, thereby instilling the skills and habits required for this digital age and beyond. The course begins with a basic foundation of art and illustration, history, criticism and aesthetics, and continues throughout the course with character design, visual storytelling, and graphic design using digital applications. Students will learn computer illustration techniques, image manipulation, photography, publishing and the elements & principles of design.

The course will continually provide students with the opportunity to learn new information and apply their knowledge to small and large project-based assignments. Most assignments will be completed via computers and various types of software applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. This course requires students to solve problems creatively by using the technological tools that are at their disposal.  

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Grade: 10 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Digital Arts I

This course provides students with the fundamentals of both traditional film and digital photography using both formats to enhance their creative photographic skills and techniques.  Students will spend the year learning how to properly use film cameras, develop film and print images using the darkroom facility. Students will also learn how to use Photoshop techniques, such as how to crop, enhance and edit images. Emphasis on composition using the elements and principles of design will occur throughout the course. Students will develop techniques and methods to use photography as a means of visual communication and self-expression. Throughout the course, students will develop a cumulative portfolio of their work.  

VISUAL ARTS I 

Grade: 9 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: None 

Visual Arts I is a full-year, introductory course designed to provide an array of creative outlets for expression.  Students will be exposed to a full spectrum of the elements of art including the history of certain techniques and materials, the foundations of drawing, painting, and ceramics.   Students will be introduced to the basics of drawing and painting by examining line, shape, form, space, color, and texture and will further utilize color theory, and the art of sculpting. This course is an excellent choice for those students interested in a course providing the basics for a brief time or for those seeking to explore art as a possible career.  

VISUAL ARTS II

Grade: 10 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Visual Arts II

Visual Arts II will expand upon the concepts and knowledge introduced to students in Visual Arts I and provide students with an opportunity to further explore areas of interest, whether in drawing, painting, or sculpture.  This course will emphasize greater creativity, problem-solving, art history, and critique on the part of the student.

VISUAL ARTS III  

Grade: 11 -12

Credits: 5

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Visual Arts II 

Visual Arts III is a continuation of the Visual Arts program.  This course is designed for the more serious art student seeking to explore more complex techniques, principles of design, and creativity, while at the same time reinforcing the skills, knowledge, and techniques taught in Visual Arts I & II.  Students will be required to work more independently on projects of his/her own preference.  Students will compile a portfolio of demonstrated progress over time that represents their body of work.