Art

Art is a universal language that allows us to express ideas, emotions, and stories through visual forms. These concepts are the foundation for making any piece of art, whether it’s a drawing, painting, pottery,  sculpture, photography or a digital masterpiece. By recognizing how to use the elements of art, you can create art with deeper meanings and hidden connections! Whether you are an art expert or, “can’t even draw a stick figure,” this is the class for you!

Drawing explores the ability to put down on paper what is in your mind and in front of your eyes.  Students will learn different techniques in drawing (sighting, perspective, and the grid method). Students will use a variety of drawing mediums such as pencil, charcoal and conté. This course is recommended for Painting 1 and Painting 2.

Drawing 2 will continue their development of observational drawing skills as well as creative drawing techniques. Students will have the opportunity to use the fundamental skills they learned in Drawing 1 to create artworks with greater choice and self-direction. Drawing 2 will focus on the use of specific techniques with various drawing media including pencil, charcoal, conté, marker, and pastels. Underlaying structures including proportion, perspective, and compositional rules will also be emphasized.

In Painting 1 students learn how to paint; you don’t have to know how to paint at all to start. Students will learn a variety of techniques, from abstract to realism. Students are able to choose what they would like to paint and learn how to make it look like they planned it. Students will learn the basics of painting with watercolor and acrylic paints, the skill of mixing paints, brush control, and how to apply color theory. This class is a prerequisite to Painting 2.

In Painting 2 students will turn their own creative ideas into full color paintings. Students in this class will build on the basics they learned in Painting 1. Emphasis will be put on experimentation with color mixing, learning new techniques and discovering new artists. Students will be assigned advanced projects and also be expected to develop independent project ideas.

Unleash your creativity and capture the world around you with the power of your smartphone! This course is designed for students who want to explore the art of photography and video editing using their cell phones. You'll learn how to master your phone's camera features, from adjusting focus and exposure to experimenting with modes and filters. Dive into the essentials of lighting, composition, and storytelling to create stunning photographs and videos. We'll explore free, easy-to-download apps to enhance and edit your images and videos, including CapCut for video editing. Beyond creating beautiful visuals, you'll get hands-on with fun, creative projects, turning your photos into unique keepsakes like keychains, water slide decals, and photo gel transfers. Whether you're snapping selfies, capturing landscapes, or making mini-movies, this course will inspire you to see the world in a whole new way.

Photography 1 is an introductory course designed to teach students the essential skills needed to capture and edit stunning images. Students will learn how to control key settings on digital cameras, such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, to achieve proper exposure and creative effects. The course emphasizes the fundamentals of composition and explores techniques for creating impactful photographs. In addition to mastering camera operations, students will gain hands-on experience with professional editing software, including Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop, to enhance and refine their images.  Students will have access to school digital DSLR cameras for in-class use but are welcome to use their own digital cameras if preferred. This class is perfect for anyone ready to explore the art and science of photography and develop their creative voice.

Photography 2 builds on the skills developed in Photography 1, offering students an opportunity to further refine their photography and editing techniques. This advanced course introduces the use of artificial lighting to enhance images and provides an exploration of career paths in photography, including portrait and commercial photography. Students will continue to develop their expertise in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, mastering advanced editing techniques to elevate their work. Students will have access to school digital DSLR cameras for in-class use but may also choose to work with their own equipment. This course is ideal for students ready to deepen their understanding of photography and prepare for creative or professional opportunities in the field.

In this advanced photography course, students will continue to refine their technical skills while exploring personal subjects of interest. They will gain hands-on experience in shooting, processing, and printing black-and-white film, as well as learning how to mat their work for presentation. Throughout the course, students will engage in real-world photography projects, developing a business plan, collaborating with clients, and completing assignments from start to finish—whether with actual clients or mock scenarios. Students will explore how to establish an efficient workflow and market their work effectively in a professional context. Instead of traditional group critiques, students will create mock social media posts and design a personal website to showcase their work. School cameras are available for use, but students may also choose to work with their own equipment. 

This course can be taken multiple times, allowing students to either explore new photography skill sets or refine their current knowledge and techniques.

In this hands-on course, students will explore the exciting world of graphic design using industry-standard tools: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. As digital design continues to shape how we communicate visually, mastering these powerful software is all the more important. Throughout the course, students will complete a variety of projects that reflect real-world design challenges. Whether you're looking to pursue a career, develop a skill set, or trying to check off those art credits this class has  you covered!

Students will dive deeper into the world of Photoshop and take the skills they learned in Graphic Design 1 to a new level. Students will build on skills and design concepts to create designs for real-world applications. Graphic Design 2 students will help structure the class into a fully functioning design studio. Students will create designs for clients that will potentially be used in a variety of applications.

This course will offer a variety of experiences in 3-dimensional art. Students will work in many mediums such as clay, wood, found objects, wire and more. The emphasis of this class is to take the elements and principles learned in Introduction to Art and use this knowledge to create artwork in the round. Students will learn about environmental works, installations, functional and non-functional works of art. 

This course is designed for students with an interest in working with clay. Half of the course will focus on learning how to use the pottery wheels to create functional pottery; the other half of the course will be spent learning a variety of hand-building techniques. Students will be using stoneware clay, professional glazes, and have access to one of the best pottery studios in the area. 

This course provides further exploration working with clay. Students will create both functional and sculptural pottery utilizing a variety of advanced wheel techniques. Students will also experiment with new glazing methods and techniques to decorate their pottery surfaces. In addition to the assigned projects, students will also be expected to work independently developing ideas for choice projects that they’ll create.  

This course can be taken multiple times, allowing students to either explore new skill sets or refine their current knowledge and techniques.

AP Studio is the pinnacle of the art experience at Prior Lake High School. Students will need to choose a concentrated focus in a medium of their choice: Drawing, painting, graphic design, photography or pottery. Students can choose to submit a portfolio of artwork to the College Board for potential college credit. Portfolios will be in the student’s choice of Drawing (which focuses on mark making and technique), 2-D Design (Which focuses on composition and design in a variety of media including graphics and photography), and 3-D Design (anything sculptural including pottery and all other 3-dimensional artwork.) Students will work on guided projects as well as conceptualizing their own ideas. Students will develop accomplished artwork that demonstrates a breadth of understanding and skill as well as a concentrated body of work developed around the artists’ own ideas and interest. 

This course can be taken multiple times, allowing students to either explore new skill sets or refine their current knowledge and techniques.

This course is weighted.