NYS: VA:Cr2.3 • VA:Re7.2
Skills: Eye-level horizon lines; drawing cubes floating above & below eye level.
Studio: D1 1-point horizon grid; D2 Open boxes; D3-4 Tunnels; D5 Speed drill.
Sketchbook: 1-point perspective drawing of a straight road or hallway.
Horizon, Vanishing point. Check: 1-point ruler test
W07 2-Point Perspective: Corner Blocks & Angled Buildings
NYS: VA:Cr2.3 • VA:Cr3.1
Skills: Left and right vanishing points; corner vantage points; roof slopes.
Studio: D1 2-point setup; D2 Corner blocks; D3-4 Windows/doors; D5 Crit.
Sketchbook: 2-point perspective drawing of a cereal box or shoebox corner.
Orthogonal, Corner angle. Check: 2-point convergence
W08 Tilted Ovals: Drawing Cylinders & Cups in Space
NYS: VA:Cr2.3 • VA:Cr1.2
Skills: Turning flat circles into 3D ellipses; round rims of cups, cans, and pipes.
Studio: D1 Ellipse axes; D2 Stacking soda cans; D3-4 Varied cups; D5 Drill.
Sketchbook: Draw 3 round mugs/glasses at, above, and below your eye level.
Ellipse, Major/minor axis. Check: Round ellipse test
W09 The 3D City: Stacking & Intersecting Shapes
NYS: VA:Cr3.1 • VA:Cn11.1
Skills: Building imaginary skyscrapers, bridges, and archways on 18x24 bristol.
Studio: D1 Thumbnail plan; D2-3 Roughing major city blocks; D4-5 Details.
Sketchbook: 2 architectural fantasy sketches in sketchbook (sci-fi or historic).
Architectural mass, Scale. Check: Desk block-in crit
W10 3D City Project & Semester 1 Portfolio Review
★ SEMESTER 1 PORTFOLIO
Skills: Polishing inking lines; erasing guidelines; curating first 10-week portfolio.
Studio: D1-2 Final inking on City; D3 Mounting; D4-5 Portfolio conferences.
Homework: Semester 1 self-reflection sheet + upload clean phone photos of work.
Semester 1 Grade: Units 1 & 2 scored + sketchbook + portfolio check.
Studio Rhythm Pacing Guide • Semester 1 (Weeks 1–10 of 40) Page 1 of 4
Semester 2 Weeks 11–20 • Shading, Reflections & The Master Still Life NYS: Creating & Presenting
Midyear Milestone
Weeks 11–20 of 40
W11 Shading Secrets: The 5 Zones of Light
NYS: VA:Cr1.2 • VA:Cr2.1
Skills: Highlight, midtone, core shadow, reflected light, and cast shadow.
Studio: D1 Light demo; D2 Shading 3D sphere; D3-4 Cones/cylinders; D5 Matching.
Sketchbook: Shade a white chicken egg resting on a crumpled paper napkin.
Core shadow, Reflected. Check: Sphere 5-zone check
W12 The 9-Step Value Scale: From White to Jet Black
NYS: VA:Cr2.1 • VA:Cr2.3
Skills: Calibrating 9 even gray steps in pencil, vine charcoal, and cross-hatching.
Studio: D1 9-step strip calibration; D2 Charcoal testing; D3-4 Hatching; D5 Quiz.
Sketchbook: 3 completed 9-step value strips in graphite, ink pen, and charcoal.
Tonal value, Contrast. Check: 9-step value test
W13 Drawing with Erasers: Toned Charcoal Reduction
NYS: VA:Cr2.1 • VA:Re7.2
Skills: Spreading smooth charcoal dust and using kneaded erasers to carve light out.
Studio: D1 Laying grounds; D2 Kneaded eraser; D3-4 Plaster cast; D5 Conté.
Sketchbook: Subtractive charcoal study of an apple carved out of a dark tone.
Subtractive, Kneaded eraser. Check: Charcoal ground test
W14 Draped Fabric: Carving Soft Folds & Shadows
NYS: VA:Cr2.1 • VA:Cr3.1
Skills: Shading cloth folds (pipe, diaper, drop folds); soft edges vs sharp creases.
Studio: D1 Fold anatomy; D2-3 18x24 hanging fabric under spot; D4-5 White chalk.
Sketchbook: Charcoal drawing of a hooded sweatshirt hung over a chair.
Soft edge, Lost edge. Check: Fabric shadow check
W15 Draped Cloth Project & 5-Week Progress Report Check
★ 5-WEEK PROGRESS CHECK
Skills: Full-value subtractive rendering; contrast fidelity; mid-semester review.
Studio: D1-3 "Draped Cloth" project; D4 Spray fixative; D5 1-on-1 progress checks.
Sketchbook: Sketchbook check: 10 new finished practice drawings logged.
Week 15 Submission: Drapery score + 9-step test + student alert notices.
W16 Shiny Things: Reflections on Metal Pots & Kettles
NYS: VA:Cr2.3 • VA:Re7.1
Skills: Specular highlights (pure white sparkle); dark reflections warping on metal.
Studio: D1 Metal demo; D2-3 Teapot & cans on gray paper; D4-5 White sparkles.
Sketchbook: Draw a stainless steel soup spoon reflecting your own face.
Specular, Warped reflect. Check: Metal highlight test
W17 Glass & Water: Drawing Translucency and Refraction
NYS: VA:Cr2.3 • VA:Re7.2
Skills: Water bending light (refraction); glass rim highlights and shadow lines.
Studio: D1 Water beaker demo; D2-3 Glass bottles on toned paper; D4-5 Review.
Sketchbook: Draw a clear drinking glass filled halfway with tap water and ice.
Refraction, Translucent. Check: Glass rim accuracy
W18 Master Still Life: Layout Thumbnails & Rule of Thirds
NYS: VA:Cr3.1 • VA:Cn10.1
Skills: Rule of Thirds layout; overlapping depth; thumbnail planning on 22x30.
Studio: D1 Staging still life; D2 Three 3x4" test sketches; D3-5 Outlining big sheet.
Homework: 1-paragraph note explaining why you picked your favorite view.
Rule of Thirds, Armature. Check: Layout thumbnail approval
W19 Master Still Life: Full-Sheet Shading & Textures
NYS: VA:Cr3.1 • VA:Pr5.1
Skills: Balancing glass, metal, cloth, and fruit textures into one drawing.
Studio: D1-2 Dark shadow massing; D3-4 Midtone shading & highlights; D5 Desk check.
Homework: Practice blending cloth against metal texture in sketchbook.
Local tone, Unity, Gamut. Check: 80% completion check
W20 Master Still Life Show & Midyear Juried Portfolio Review
★ MIDYEAR JURY EXAM
Skills: Archival fixative spray; mounting; oral defense of top 4 Fall drawings.
Studio: D1 Final polish; D2 Mounting; D3-4 5-min portfolio conferences; D5 Wrap.
Homework: Midyear self-reflection rubric & photograph Fall drawings.
Midyear Grade: Still life score + 4-piece portfolio jury defense.
Studio Rhythm Pacing Guide • Semester 2 (Weeks 11–20 of 40) Page 2 of 4
Semester 3 Weeks 21–30 • Digital Art Week, Deep Space & Nature Textures NYS: Creating & Connecting
Spring Quarter 3
Starts Late January
W21 Digital Art Week: Stylus, Layers & Digital Value Studies
★ DIGITAL ART WEEK (LATE JAN)
Skills: Tablet/stylus pressure curves, digital brush dynamics, raster layers, digital value scale.
Studio: D1 Tablet setup & stylus calibration; D2 9-step digital value strip; D3-4 Digital 3D form shading; D5 Export.
Sketchbook: 2 digital observational sketches on tablet/app exploring pressure & layer blending.
Stylus pressure, Layers. Check: Digital value study export
W22 Deep Distance: Atmospheric Ink Washes & Dilutions
NYS: VA:Cr2.1 • VA:Re7.2
Skills: Diluting black ink with water (10%, 25%, 50%, 100%) to match digital layer opacity.
Studio: D1 5 wash cups; D2 Wet vs dry paper; D3-4 3-layer mountain; D5 Ink pen.
Sketchbook: 2 landscape sketches using diluted ink or leftover tea/coffee.
Atmospheric wash. Check: 4-step ink wash test
W23 School Hallways: Sighting Real Architectural Lines
NYS: VA:Cr2.3 • VA:Cn11.1
Skills: Standing in hallways to sight true vanishing points; doorway heights.
Studio: D1 In-situ setup; D2-3 Sighting locker lines & wall edges; D4-5 Check.
Sketchbook: 2-point sketch of your home hallway or staircase corner.
In-situ sighting. Check: Hallway angle check
W24 Floor Tile Grids & Deep Stairwell Recession
NYS: VA:Cr2.3 • VA:Cr3.1
Skills: Diagonal method for drawing tiled floor squares that shrink backwards.
Studio: D1 Diagonal demo; D2-3 Staircase treads/handrails; D4-5 Lights.
Homework: Draw a tiled kitchen floor or brick patio in 2-point perspective.
Tile diagonal, Tread. Check: Floor grid spacing test
W25 The Hallway Project & 5-Week Progress Report Check
★ 5-WEEK PROGRESS CHECK
Skills: Combining pen lines with moody ink washes on 18x24 watercolor paper.
Studio: D1-3 "Hallway Scene" drawing; D4 Brick/wood textures; D5 Progress check.
Sketchbook: 10 new practice sketches numbered and organized in sketchbook.
Week 25 Submission: Digital art + hallway score + wash test.
W26 Nature's Lines: Drawing Real Animal Skulls & Bones
NYS: VA:Cr1.2 • VA:Cr2.1
Skills: Organic curves vs geometric lines; eye socket shadows; bone seam lines.
Studio: D1 Skull anatomy; D2-3 Sanguine conté skulls; D4-5 Chalk highlights.
Homework: Draw a clean chicken bone or seashell using delicate curved lines.
Organic curve, Suture. Check: Bone contour accuracy
W27 Close-Up Botany: Pinecones, Seed Pods & Leaves
NYS: VA:Cr1.2 • VA:Re7.1
Skills: Spiral growth patterns (Fibonacci spirals in pinecones); leaf veins.
Studio: D1 Spiral demo; D2-3 Pinecone studies; D4-5 Macro leaf vein drawings.
Homework: Collect 2 dried leaves or acorns and draw them 3 times actual size.
Botanical, Macro. Check: Pinecone spiral accuracy
W28 Stippling & Hatching: Pen Techniques for Rough Bark
NYS: VA:Cr2.1 • VA:Cr2.3
Skills: Shading using tiny dots (stippling) and criss-cross lines (cross-hatching).
Studio: D1 Stipple scale; D2 Tree bark swatch; D3-4 Shell plate; D5 Review.
Homework: 4 texture swatches in sketchbook: rough bark, slick shell, rock, feather.
Stippling, Cross-hatch. Check: Pen mark density test
W29 Nature Specimen: Microscopic Surfaces on Large Paper
NYS: VA:Cr3.1 • VA:Re8.1
Skills: Scaling up a tiny natural object to a dramatic 18x24 drawing with conté.
Studio: D1 Picking specimen; D2-3 Large layout; D4-5 Rendering textures.
Homework: Write 3 ideas for your final Semester 4 self-portrait / capstone.
Tactile fidelity, Scale. Check: Specimen layout check
W30 Nature Specimen & Semester 3 Portfolio Review
★ SEMESTER 3 PORTFOLIO
Skills: Finishing detailed textures; mounting; preparing final project proposal.
Studio: D1-2 Final texture polish; D3 Mounting; D4-5 Portfolio conferences.
Homework: Complete Semester 3 reflection sheet and photograph new drawings.
Semester 3 Grade: Units 5 & 6 scored + digital art + portfolio check.
Studio Rhythm Pacing Guide • Semester 3 (Weeks 21–30 of 40) Page 3 of 4
Semester 4 Weeks 31–40 • Portraits, Masterpiece & Public Exhibition NYS: Presenting & Connecting
College Credit Award
Weeks 31–40 of 40
W31 Ideas & Stories: Choosing Symbols That Represent You
NYS: VA:Cr1.1 • VA:Cn10.1
Skills: Brainstorming personal symbols, memories, and identity for portrait.
Studio: D1 Symbol mind map; D2 Phone photo shoots; D3-5 Thumbnail plans.
Sketchbook: 2 sketchbook pages combining personal symbols, lyrics, and sketches.
Visual metaphor. Check: Symbol concept pitch
W32 Stained Backgrounds: Tea, Paint Washes & Collage
NYS: VA:Cr2.1 • VA:Cr1.2
Skills: Preparing textured mixed-media paper grounds using tea and collage.
Studio: D1 Tea/ink stains on paper; D2 Collage fragments; D3-5 Test marks.
Homework: Collect 3 meaningful printed scraps (old maps, book pages, ticket stubs).
Mixed media, Collage. Check: Paper ground prep
W33 Face Proportions: Where Eyes, Nose & Lips Belong
NYS: VA:Cr2.1 • VA:Re7.1
Skills: Eyes are halfway down head; nose bottom; lip line; 5 eye-widths across.
Studio: D1 Proportion canon; D2 Mirror eye/nose sketches; D3-5 Block-in.
Homework: Draw a family member's eyes and nose from life in your sketchbook.
Facial canon, Midline. Check: Face proportion check
W34 Symbolic Self-Portrait: Blending Likeness & Meaning
NYS: VA:Cr3.1 • VA:Re8.1
Skills: Charcoal shading over mixed grounds; weaving symbolic items into hair.
Studio: D1-2 Facial shading; D3-4 Personal symbols; D5 Group critique.
Homework: 1-paragraph explanation of your portrait's hidden symbols.
Self-portrait, Likeness. Check: Mid-portrait critique
W35 Self-Portrait Project & 5-Week Progress Report Check
★ 5-WEEK PROGRESS CHECK
Skills: Submitting self-portrait project; finalizing proposal for final masterpiece.
Studio: D1-3 Portrait details; D4 Masterpiece plan pitch; D5 Progress check.
Homework: Final Masterpiece Plan: 3 thumbnails + list of materials needed.
Week 35 Submission: Portrait score + masterpiece proposal approval.
W36 Studio Production: Starting Your Big Final Masterpiece
NYS: VA:Cr3.1 • VA:Cr2.3
Skills: Independent studio work on your large 22x30 capstone drawing; workflow.
Studio: D1 Large sheet prep; D2-3 Structural outline; D4-5 Shadow blocking.
Homework: Sketchbook: write draft artist statement (250 words) for gallery.
Sustained vision, Scale. Check: Full-size block-in check
W37 Studio Production: 1-on-1 Teacher Feedback & Polish
NYS: VA:Cr3.1 • VA:Pr5.1
Skills: Pushing extreme values, refining textures, and troubleshooting drawing issues.
Studio: D1-4 Studio work with daily teacher tips; D5 Peer problem-solve circle.
Homework: Curate your top 6 works from the year (titles, mediums, dimensions).
Desk critique, Polish. Check: 80% completion audit
W38 Cutting Mats: Safe Mat-Cutter Borders for Display
NYS: VA:Pr4.1 • VA:Pr5.1
Skills: Cutting 45-degree cardboard window mats; archival linen tape hinging.
Studio: D1 Mat safety demo; D2-3 Cutting mats for top 3 pieces; D4-5 Hinging.
Homework: Type and print your final 1-page artist statement and gallery placards.
Bevel cut, Mat board, Archival. Check: Matted works inspection
W39 Photographing Art & Gallery Wall Hanging
NYS: VA:Pr5.1 • VA:Pr6.1
Skills: Glare-free photography; hanging work level on walls; placing labels.
Studio: D1-2 DSLR photo booth; D3-4 Gallery layout & hanging; D5 Lighting.
Homework: Assemble your final digital portfolio slide deck for college submission.
Cross-polar, Wall placard. Check: Gallery installation check
W40 The Art Show: Final Exhibition & College Credit Award
★ COLLEGE CREDIT AWARD
Skills: Talking comfortably about your growth to visitors; 5-minute exit chat.
Studio: D1 Final touches; D2 Community Art Show Night!; D3-4 Exit chats; D5 Wrap.
Homework: Course reflection & checking your college transcript forms!
Full Credit Awarded: 3.0 SUNY/CUNY ART 110 credits + NYSED Arts Pathway.
Studio Rhythm Pacing Guide • Semester 4 (Weeks 31–40 of 40) Page 4 of 4
