Visual Arts and Fashion Design Program

The Visual Arts and Fashion Design Program at Mount Diablo High School offers two structured course pathways that help students progress from foundational learning to advanced, independent creative practice. Through hands-on projects, technical instruction, creative exploration, portfolio development, critiques, and exhibitions, students build confidence and prepare for college, careers, and continued study in the visual arts and fashion industries.

Visual Arts Pathway

The Visual Arts pathway is a three-level sequence designed to help students grow from beginning artists into skilled, independent, and advanced creative thinkers.

Art 1: Foundations of Visual Art
Art 1 is an introductory studio course that helps students build a strong foundation in drawing, painting, color theory, sculpture, printmaking, and visual composition. Through hands-on projects, students explore the elements of art and principles of design while developing skills in line, value, form, perspective, proportion, and creative problem-solving. The course culminates in a capstone painting and digital portfolio, preparing students to continue into Art 2.

Art 2: Intermediate Studio Practice
Art 2 is an intermediate studio course that builds upon the foundational knowledge and skills developed in Art 1. Students explore advanced drawing and shading, two-point perspective, painting techniques such as glazing and impasto, portraiture, figure drawing, sculpture, clay construction, mixed media, and art criticism. The course encourages greater technical control, conceptual thinking, and personal expression. It culminates in a professional digital portfolio and classroom exhibition, preparing students to continue into AP Art and Design.

AP Art and Design: Sustained Investigation Portfolio
AP Art and Design is the highest level of the Visual Arts pathway and is intended for highly motivated students who are serious about pursuing art at an advanced level. In this portfolio-based course, students develop a personal Sustained Investigation guided by an original inquiry question. They experiment with materials, techniques, processes, and ideas while creating a connected body of professional-quality artwork that demonstrates growth, revision, synthesis, and technical skill. Students also curate Selected Works, prepare written evidence, photograph and format their artwork, participate in critiques using College Board rubrics, and complete an AP portfolio submission and public gallery exhibition.

Together, these three courses provide students with a comprehensive visual arts education that supports creativity, artistic growth, independent thinking, and college or career readiness in the arts.

Fashion Design Pathway

The Fashion Design pathway is a two-level sequence that introduces students to the creative, technical, and professional aspects of fashion design and prepares them for further education, entrepreneurship, and careers in the fashion, textile, and apparel industries.

Fashion Design Studio I: Foundations of Fashion Design
Fashion Design Studio I is an introductory, hands-on course that guides students through the fashion design process from initial concept to finished product. Students develop skills in fashion illustration, color and surface design, textile identification, sewing-machine operation, hand sewing, beginning construction, accessory design, and sustainable upcycling. Through sketching, sampling, constructing, documenting, and presenting original work, students build the creative and technical foundation needed to continue into Fashion Design Studio II.

Fashion Design Studio II: Advanced Fashion Design and Industry Practice
Fashion Design Studio II is an advanced course for students who have completed Fashion Design Studio I or have equivalent experience. Students develop a personal design identity while studying advanced illustration, technical flats, body measurement, flat-pattern drafting, dart manipulation, draping, garment construction, professional finishing, fashion history, cultural dress, branding, merchandising, and digital portfolio development. The course culminates in an original capstone mini-collection or advanced portfolio, preparing students for post-secondary study, creative entrepreneurship, and careers in the fashion and apparel industry.

For more information, please contact Ms. Chehrehsa at chehrehsap@mdusd.org.

Thank you!