Color theory, perspective, and composition techniques using diverse media like charcoal, watercolor, and acrylics. Develops foundational sketching skills and advanced painting methods.
A graduate-level studio sequence focused on the transition from technical exercises to a cohesive, professional body of work. Students develop a thematic series, tackle the challenges of large-scale execution, engage in rigorous formal critiques, and curate a final presentation.
A graduate-level exploration of the intersection between medium and meaning. Students innovate with traditional materials, exploring chemical interactions, substrate manipulation, and mixed-media synthesis to develop a unique 'mark-making' vocabulary where physical texture contributes to conceptual depth.
This advanced sequence for graduate students explores the deconstruction of classical composition through dynamic symmetry, edge tension, non-Euclidean perspective, and visual hierarchy. Students will move from rigid geometric analysis to 'anti-compositional' strategies to create contemporary, tension-filled imagery.
An intensive graduate-level investigation into the physics, psychology, and application of color in fine art, focusing on relativity, semiotics, and narrative.
Students investigate how costumes and properties (props) function as tools for character development and storytelling. The sequence guides students through the process of distinguishing between prop types, exploring costume psychology, fabricating safe props, and mastering backstage organization.
This hands-on sequence introduces 4th graders to the visual and engineering side of theater. Students analyze scripts to design environments, draft scale floor plans, build 3D scenic models, and fabricate props, emphasizing spatial reasoning and storytelling through physical space.
Students step into the shoes of a set designer to transform a written script into a physical world through script analysis, floor planning, mood boards, and 3D model construction. The sequence emphasizes how visual choices in color, texture, and space support the storytelling.
A comprehensive 12th-grade unit on intaglio drypoint printing, covering historical context, plate preparation, incising techniques, inking/wiping, press operation, and chine-collé integration. Students move from raw plate preparation to pulling professional-grade prints.
A comprehensive 11th-grade unit on the mechanics of intaglio printmaking, focusing on drypoint techniques, plate preparation, the chemistry of wiping, and chine-coll\u00e9 integration. Students master the relationship between physical pressure and visual atmosphere.
A 5-lesson sequence exploring the experimental nature of monoprinting. Students investigate ink properties, transparency, and layering through additive/subtractive methods, found object textures, masking, and ghost printing, culminating in a curated portfolio.
A 4th-grade printmaking unit where students transform found textures into complex printing plates. Through inquiry and experimentation, students explore collography by building, sealing, inking, and pressing tactile 'matrices'.
An inquiry-based art sequence where 4th graders explore multi-layer stencil printing, focusing on color theory, registration, and visual deconstruction. Students move from analyzing professional prints to creating their own multi-layered color compositions.
In this culminating critique, students present a major work executed in a monochromatic or analogous scheme that conveys a complex narrative usually reserved for full-color spectrums. Peers critique the work based on how effectively value and saturation were used to replace hue as the primary storytelling device.
Focusing on complementary contrasts and simultaneous contrast, students create a composition designed to produce visual vibration or 'shimmer.' The lesson explores the boundary between aesthetic harmony and physiological visual discomfort, pushing the limits of what is comfortable for the viewer to observe.
Students restrict their materials to the 'Zorn Palette' (Yellow Ochre, Vermilion, Ivory Black, and White) to master temperature control without relying on high-chroma pigments. By removing the crutch of convenient tube colors, students must demonstrate sophisticated mixing skills to achieve lifelike flesh tones and atmospheric depth.
This seminar-style lesson examines the psychological impact of color and its cultural specificities through a global lens. Students analyze case studies of contemporary artists who leverage color for political or emotional manipulation, then draft a proposal for a piece that utilizes color to subvert traditional cultural associations.
Students curate their series for final review, sequencing work to control narrative flow and drafting a professional artist statement.
Students master the integration of subject and background through glazing, scumbling, and edge manipulation to create a unified spatial reality.
Students refine their successful experimental techniques into polished, gallery-ready pieces. They produce a technical artist statement explaining how their material handling supports their conceptual intent.
A formal critique simulation utilizing the Critical Response Process to provide actionable feedback and drive iterative refinement of works-in-progress.
Students abandon traditional canvas to paint on found objects and raw materials. They analyze how the history and texture of a surface change the narrative and conceptual impact of the work.
Students address the physical and perceptual challenges of large-scale work by transferring small studies to large formats, focusing on brush economy and viewing distance.
Students brainstorm and propose a thematic series of 3-5 works, defending their choice of subject matter and medium while analyzing contemporary thematic consistency.
Students combine incompatible media and incorporate collage to disrupt the picture plane. The focus is on the 'edge' where materials meet, using resistance techniques and heavy gels to create sculptural topography.
A structured peer critique protocol for graduate students to evaluate monochromatic narrative paintings, focusing on semiotic intent, value hierarchy, and narrative resonance.
An exhibition layout planner for students to select and sequence their works, including wall elevations and lighting considerations.
A strategy worksheet for graduate students to plan their final monochromatic painting, mapping narrative beats to specific value and saturation ranges within a single-hue palette.
A facilitator guide for Lesson 5, focusing on teaching all-over compositions, rhythmic repetition, and final portfolio critique strategies for graduate-level art.
An assessment rubric for evaluating graduate students' final portfolio presentations, focusing on thematic unity, spatial integration, curation, and professional articulation.
Instructional presentation for Lesson 5 on monochromatic narrative. Covers value as a storytelling tool, saturation control, and the final synthesis project brief.
A reflection and critique sheet for graduate students to evaluate all-over compositions, focusing on rhythmic repetition and the successful removal of traditional focal points.
A professional slide deck addressing the principles of curation, sequencing, and artist statement writing for a final portfolio review.
A slide deck for graduate students focusing on all-over compositions, rhythmic repetition, and maintaining cohesion without a traditional focal point.
A technical reference sheet for achieving maximum optical vibration in painting, detailing mandates for edge precision, equiluminance, and high-frequency patterns.
A structured spatial analysis workshop for students to evaluate and plan the integration of subject and background in their own paintings.
A technical planning worksheet for graduate students to design an Op Art composition, including sections for complementary pair selection, equiluminance calibration, and rhythmic strategy.
