Art

Seventy-five percent of one’s day is spent making visual decisions.  Learning how to make those decisions is important. Therefore, take a course in the art and logic of making the right decisions.  Learn how to observe, appreciate, and create a better, richer, and more intelligent approach to all you see and do.  This is the art we teach – the art of living.

 

The prime concern of the Art Department is to enrich and reward the lives of students by teaching them to see. Our program is designed to develop critical and creative thinking in many areas of two and three – dimensional design.  Our intent is to have students become more comfortable with increasingly more sophisticated projects incorporating the elements and principles of design. Courses are designed to be sequential by continuing and enriching skills acquired in previous courses.

 

This course is designed to meet the needs of the motivated art student through the lens of still life, found object, anatomical studies, and others.  Emphasis will be on skill development in drawing and painting from life using a wide variety of mediums and art materials. (Semester course, open to grades 9, 10, 11, 12)

 

Sculpture 1 is an introductory class to 3D and relief artmaking utilizing ceramic clay and mixed media material. Students will explore studio investigation through research, drafting, creating works and responding to artworks. (Semester course, open to grades 9, 10, 11, 12)

 

Sculpture II is a studio course designed for students interested in expanding on the skills learned in Sculpture I.  Students will use sculpture to depict a personal experience, collaborate with others and explore various materials to produce meaningful personal work and group installations.  

Prerequisite: Students must have a grade of 60% or higher in Sculpture I, or teacher recommendation and department approval.  (Semester course, open to grades 9, 10, 11, 12) 

 

This course examines the major stages of visual art from the cave paintings of Lascaux to the insurgence of modern street art. Students will be exposed to major works of art through image analysis, class discussion and research. Art which has reflected both cultural and social significance will be analyzed alongside its use as visual language. (Semester course, open to grade 9)

 

Comic Creation focuses on experimentation and innovation through an understanding of art in comics, the history of the comic strip and its role as a social and political commentary in American culture.  Emphasis is placed on drawing, character development and narrative skills. (Semester course, open to grade 9, 10, 11, 12)

 

Students explore black and white photography, along with developing the skills and studio technique of using a 35 mm SLR manual film camera, including capturing images using the exposure triangle, developing film, and printing in the darkroom.  A strong emphasis is placed on proper student camera skills with composition, studio technique, and safety with developing film and photo prints while having a connection to past and present photography, and photographers.

Prerequisite: Students must have a manually adjustable 35 mm SLR manual film camera.  There is a $40 fee for this course for photo paper and darkroom chemicals which does not include film. (Semester course, open to grades 9, 10, 11, 12) 

 

Students continue their exploration of black and white photography, using their 35mm SLR manual film camera to strengthen their camera skills and composition through various photography styles.  Students continue to build studio techniques and knowledge of developing film and printing in the darkroom.  A Strong emphasis is placed on proper student camera skills with composition, studio technique, and safety with developing film and photo prints while having connections to past and present photography, and photographers.

Prerequisite:  Students must have a grade of 60% or higher in 35mm Film Photography I, or teacher recommendation and department approval.  Must have a manually adjustable 35mm SLR manual film camera.   There is a $40 fee for this course for photo paper and darkroom chemicals which does not include film. (Semester course, open to grades   9, 10, 11, 12)

 

Students explore digital photography using digital cameras.  Students develop their skills and studio technique using a digital camera, including capturing images using the exposure triangle, editing with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Bridge, and printing on a large format printer.  A strong emphasis is placed on proper camera skills with exposure triangle, composition, studio technique, editing through the workflow process to print while having a connection to past and present photography and photographers.

Prerequisite: Students must have a digital camera. There is a $30 fee for this course for the cost of photo paper and digital printer ink. (Semester course, open to grades 9, 10, 11, 12) 

 

Students will continue to explore the exciting world of digital photography. They will learn advanced techniques of Adobe Photoshop to edit images, and continue to build photography of work, all while working in the Art Mac Lab. 

Prerequisite: Students must have a digital camera and  must have a grade of 60% or higher in Digital Photography I, or teacher recommendation and department approval. There is a $30 fee for this course for the cost of photo paper and digital printer ink. (Semester course open to grades 9, 10, 11, 12) 

 

22161/22160 DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY III - College Prep/Honors (.5 credit)   

Students will continue to explore the exciting career of digital photography in an independent way by refining their individual photographic styles and techniques. They will research on their own with teacher guidance to learn more advanced techniques of Adobe Photoshop all while continuing to create a refined photography portfolio while working in the Art Mac Lab

Prerequisite:   Students must have a grade of 60% or higher in Digital Photography II, or teacher recommendation and department approval. Students must have a digital camera. 

Honors: Students must have a grade of 85% or higher in Digital Photography II CP, or teacher recommendation and department approval.There is a $30 fee for this course for the cost of photo paper and digital printer ink.) (Semester course, open to grade 10, 11, 12) 

 

This is the first course in the advanced art series (Art I, Art II, and AP Studio), and is designed as a studio course for the serious art student. The primary focus of Art 1 is to develop the foundation level skills necessary for successful creative expression and visual communications. These skills are imperative and necessary for all future art courses. Areas of concentration include: observational drawing, color theory, and sculptural exploration. Art history and the development of creative and critical thinking skills are also explored in this course. This course is appropriate for all students particularly those who wish to pursue a career in the arts. (Full year course, open to grades 9, 10, 11, 12)

 

Art II is the second course in the advanced art series (Art I, Art II and AP Studio) and is designed as a studio course for the advanced art student. It expands on the skills developed in Art I with emphasis on advanced drawing, painting, and sculptural techniques.

Prerequisite:  Students must have a grade of 60% or higher in Art I, or teacher recommendation and department approval. Full year course, open to grades 10, 11, 12)

 

The content of this course is based on the curriculum of the College Board for the AP Studio Art course.  It is a rigorous course for the highly motivated art student and it has been designed to help students prepare for the AP Studio art portfolio.  Topics include an advanced study of color analysis, and advanced portfolio concentration.  Students will complete a thorough portfolio which will include College Board requirements of 12 breadth, 5 quality, and 12 concentration artworks for a total of 29 artworks
Prerequisite:  Students must have a grade of 90% or higher in CP Art II, or teacher recommendation and department approval.  This course may require summer work.  In order to earn AP credit in this course, the student must take the AP Exam. (Full year course, open to grade 11,12)

 

This course introduces the materials and techniques used in the ceramic arts. Students will develop an understanding of 3-dimensional design while creating sculptural stoneware and functional pottery. Fundamentals of glazing and aesthetic ceramics will also be explored.  (Semester course, open grades 9, 10, 11, 12)

 

Ceramics II is a studio course designed for students interested in expanding on the skills learned in Ceramics I. Emphasis will be on figurative sculptures, advanced glazing techniques, kiln loading and unloading, and wheel thrown pottery. Mold making and commercial casting will also be explored. Enrollment is limited to 15 due to the number of wheels and space in the kiln.  This course runs in the first semester only.

Prerequisite: Students must have a grade of 60% or higher in Ceramics I, or teacher recommendation and department approval. (Semester course, open to grades 10, 11, 12) 

 

This course combines wheel throwing and hand building to create functional and sculptural pottery.  The course is designed for students with a strong interest in clay and hope to develop a more cohesive body of work.  Students will create a series throughout the course of the semester accompanied by an artist statement which will evolve over the course.  The final projects, process, statement, and reflections will be housed on a website created by each student. 

Prerequisite: Students must have a grade of 60% or higher in Ceramics II, or teacher recommendation and department approval. 

 

This course is designed to provide the necessary skills and training in the field of yearbook production The class will focus on page planning, photo editing, and final completion of the yearbook. While extensive computer knowledge is not required, it is important to be familiar with the Mac computer and usage of the internet. (3rd quarter course only, open to grades 10, 11, and 12)

 

This course will cover all aspects of the creation of a school annual, including Adobe Photoshop, and Digital Imaging. Students will write and edit text for the yearbook; take, select, crop, and position graphic images; sell advertising; and participate in the marketing of the end product. After-school projects will be required. The final grade, which will be calculated in the GPA and class rank, will be a letter grade.

Prerequisite:  Previous yearbook experience preferred (First Semester course open to grade 11, 12)