Fundamental techniques for drawing, painting, sculpture, and photography alongside modern digital design principles. Analyzes historical artistic movements while building skills in printmaking and graphic media.
In this culminating lesson, students learn how to properly light and photograph their 3D work for a digital portfolio. The sequence concludes with a formal critique focusing on how light and shadow interact with the subtractive forms they created.
Focusing on the final aesthetic, students apply sanding and texturing techniques to create visual contrast. They will make deliberate choices about which areas to polish to a high sheen and which to leave raw or textured to guide the viewer's eye.
Students progress to finer tools to smooth the transitions between primary planes, creating organic curves or sharp, intentional geometric edges. They will constantly rotate the work to ensure the sculpture maintains visual interest and balance from all viewing angles.
Using rasps, chisels, and saws, students transfer their maquette dimensions to the block material and begin the 'roughing out' process. The focus is on blocking out the major geometric masses and removing significant negative space without focusing on detail.
Students translate 2D concepts into 3D clay maquettes to visualize their final subtractive forms. This lesson emphasizes the importance of 360-degree planning and volumetric analysis before making permanent cuts in the final medium.
Students present their final photo essays to the class, explaining their intent and narrative choices. The class engages in a formal critique session, offering feedback on technical execution and emotional resonance.
Students print small versions of their photos and physically arrange them to find the strongest flow. They practice 'killing their darlings'—removing good individual photos that don't serve the larger story.
The sequence culminates in a professional-style gallery presentation. Students showcase their final photo essays, defend their artistic choices, and reflect on their growth as visual storytellers.
The focus shifts to the editorial process, where students select and sequence their best work. They will engage in peer critique to refine their narratives and learn the art of 'killing their darlings' for the sake of the story.
Students master the 'Five Shot Method' to ensure visual variety in their work. This technical workshop focuses on capturing wide, medium, tight, detail, and unconventional angles to build a rich narrative palette.
Shifting from luck to intention, students learn to plan their narrative projects through artist statements, mood boards, and storyboards. This lesson emphasizes the intellectual preparation required for high-level visual storytelling.
Students explore the history and structure of the photo essay, identifying the essential visual 'scripts' that drive a narrative. They will analyze classic examples to understand how image sequencing creates meaning.
The final lesson tackles advanced retouching techniques alongside a critical discussion on media ethics. Students weigh the technical ability to 'perfect' an image against the ethical responsibility of truth in representation.
Exploring the psychology and aesthetics of color, students learn to grade their images for mood and narrative. This lesson covers HSL adjustments, split toning, and the creation of custom presets for a consistent portfolio look.
Students move beyond global changes to selective editing using masking tools. They learn the traditional darkroom techniques of dodging and burning applied to the digital world to guide viewer attention and create depth.
Students push the boundaries of lighting with color gels and long exposures to create stylized, narrative-driven images.
Focusing on the global development panel, students learn to balance exposure and tone. They master reading the histogram to prevent data loss (clipping) and produce high-quality, neutral base images for further creative work.
A masterclass in classical portrait lighting patterns, connecting historical art techniques with modern photographic practice.
An introduction to the professional studio environment, covering the fundamental three-point lighting setup and light ratio management.
Students master the 'first half' of the digital darkroom: organizing, rating, and protecting their creative assets. This lesson establishes a professional foundation for non-destructive workflow through file naming conventions, metadata application, and culling techniques.
Students present their comprehensive campaigns to a mock panel and practice high-stakes elevator pitches.
Students design visual advocacy materials, focusing on branding and media literacy to capture public attention.
Students learn to blend emotional appeals and factual evidence to craft a compelling persuasive narrative for their arts cause.
Learners map out stakeholders and use empathy mapping to understand the values and priorities of different audience groups.
Students analyze hypothetical scenarios where arts programs face budget cuts or closure to identify root causes and specific advocacy needs.
Students participate in a print exchange, write artist bios, and explore the valuation of their work.
Students compile their hybrid prints into a Zine format, focusing on pagination and basic bookbinding.
Students experiment with printing analog elements onto digitally prepared backgrounds and managing registration.
Students explore methods to transfer digital designs onto physical surfaces like woodblocks or screen stencils.
Students design high-contrast imagery and learn about layer separation, halftones, and bitmap conversions for analog output.
The culmination of the unit where students assemble their final Zines and participate in a classroom 'Zine Fair' for critique and exchange.
Students learn the technical side of print production, focusing on page imposition for an 8-page booklet. Includes a physical mock-up workshop to master the 'one-sheet zine' fold.
Students transition to design software, learning to manipulate vector shapes and treat text as a visual object. Includes a creative challenge to build a portrait using type.
Students curate their work and write professional artist statements to reflect on their hybrid workflow.
A technical workshop on overprinting digital typography onto analog monotypes, focusing on alignment and legibility.
Students disrupt digital perfection by integrating hand-applied media like paint and collage into their transferred prints.
An inquiry-based exploration of moving digital toner onto physical surfaces using chemical and heat-based transfer methods.
Students master vector graphic creation using shape-building tools and explore the conceptual differences between scalable vectors and fixed rasters for print.
Focuses on visual hierarchy, the rule of thirds, and the use of invisible grids to organize complex layouts. Includes a physical 'cut-and-paste' workshop.
Students explore the technical parts of letters and the emotional impact of font choice through case studies and pairing exercises.
Focus on studio responsibility through screen reclamation and the synthesis of work through artist statements and portfolio assembly.
Mastering the physical mechanics of the squeegee pull, focus on angle, pressure, and consistency across a limited edition print run.
Instruction on ink modification using transparent bases and CMYK process simulation to achieve complex color palettes.
A technical exploration of photo-emulsion chemistry, screen coating techniques, and exposure calculations for creating high-fidelity stencils.
Students analyze the fundamentals of typography in poster design, focusing on visual hierarchy and the technical constraints of screen printing.
Students complete their models by adding furniture pieces, architectural details, and applying color or texture. The sequence concludes with a gallery walk where students critique how well the designs serve the script.
Students begin the hands-on construction of their scale model using cardstock, foam core, or shoeboxes. They build the perimeter walls and floor based on their earlier floor plans.
Focusing on the artistic atmosphere, students select color palettes, textures, and reference images that evoke the emotion of the scene. They compile these into a mood board that serves as the aesthetic guide for their final model.
Students learn to translate their scene breakdown into a bird's-eye view floor plan, focusing on placement of furniture and walls to ensure actors have room to move and sightlines remain clear.
Students read a short scene to identify specific scenic needs, such as entrances, exits, furniture, and time period clues. They create a 'scene breakdown' list that categorizes these necessary elements versus artistic possibilities.
Students incorporate Chine-collé to add color and texture to their black and white line work, reinterpreting imagery through mixed media.
Students manage the mechanics of the etching press, including soaking paper and setting pressure to pull their first proofs.
Students learn the nuanced process of inking and wiping with tarlatan, discovering how plate tone adds atmosphere to the final image.
Using etching needles, students incise imagery into plates, focusing on creating value through cross-hatching, stippling, and burr control.
Students differentiate between relief and intaglio processes through historical examples and prepare their plates by filing edges to a bevel to prevent paper tearing.
Students review their final prints and explore the historical role of posters in social movements. They conclude the sequence by writing an artist statement reflecting on their design choices.
Working in pairs, students learn the physical mechanics of screen printing, including the squeegee pull, ink management, and troubleshooting common printing issues.
Students transfer their designs to stencil paper and learn the technical requirements of stenciling, specifically focusing on the 'island' problem and precision cutting techniques.
Students focus on composition by sketching multiple thumbnail layouts that integrate text and imagery. They refine their designs by simplifying them into shapes suitable for the stenciling process.
Students investigate how font choice and placement impact the meaning of a message by analyzing movie posters and advertisements. They learn to identify hierarchy of information and select a short phrase for their own project.
Students explore the history and impact of art in social movements, then brainstorm and plan their own activist artwork focused on contemporary issues.
Focusing on the construction of the Florence Cathedral dome, students explore the engineering challenges and civic pride associated with Renaissance architecture. The lesson concludes with a comparative look at Gothic vs. Renaissance structures.
Students analyze the Medici family's financial records and commissions to understand art as political propaganda. They evaluate how patronage legitimized wealth and power in Republican Florence.
Students engage in an iconography workshop, decoding the pagan symbols in Botticelli’s 'Primavera' and 'Birth of Venus'. They interpret how Neoplatonism allowed Christian patrons to embrace pagan mythology without heresy.
Examining the notebooks of Da Vinci and the sculptures of Michelangelo, students explore the intersection of dissection, observation, and art. They analyze how the accurate depiction of the human body celebrated the physical world.
Students repeat the carve-ink-print cycle for subsequent darker colors, effectively destroying the previous image states. The lesson culminates in curating a consistent edition, signing prints according to convention, and a critique of the technical execution.
Students print their first light color layer, focusing on consistent ink slab preparation (the 'hiss' sound) and using registration pins or jigs. They troubleshoot common issues like over-inking or paper shifting.
Students begin the irreversible carving process, removing areas intended to remain the color of the paper. Instruction focuses on tool handling safety, varying line weights, and textural mark-making to create dynamic negative space.
This technical workshop guides students through prepping linoleum blocks, including sanding and toning, before transferring their reversed designs. Students learn to secure their registration systems to ensure alignment for multiple print layers.
Students analyze the social and political power of relief prints and learn the strategic logic of reduction planning through color separation maps.
Students learn the geometric principles of linear perspective rediscovered by Brunelleschi and codified by Alberti. They apply these concepts by deconstructing the vanishing points in Masaccio’s 'The Holy Trinity' to understand how art rationalized space.
Students act as Renaissance apprentices to create a final perspective drawing that incorporates humanistic elements. They complete the project by writing an artist statement that reflects on their use of Renaissance techniques.
A deep-dive analysis of Raphael's 'The School of Athens'. Students identify key Greek philosophers, observe the application of perspective, and decode the symbolic revival of classical antiquity.
Students explore how the study of human anatomy influenced artistic realism, focusing on the work of Michelangelo and Da Vinci. They conduct a measurement lab to test the proportions defined in the Vitruvian Man.
A technical workshop where students learn the geometric rules of one-point linear perspective rediscovered by Brunelleschi. Students practice using vanishing points and orthogonal lines to create the illusion of 3D space.
Students install their mobiles and observe interactions with ambient airflow. The final critique evaluates both static composition and quality of movement.
The technical phase where students assemble the mobile from the bottom up. They bend wire arms and attach shapes, troubleshooting by adjusting fulcrums or adding counterweights.
Students design and cut lightweight shapes for their mobile, considering how surface area catches air currents. The focus is on aesthetics and weight management.
A hands-on lab where students experiment with finding the balance point of irregular shapes. They learn about fulcrums, levers, and center of gravity to understand the physics needed for their sculpture.
Students study the history of kinetic art, focusing on Alexander Calder and the shift from static sculpture to moving forms. They analyze how components interact and discuss the 'fourth dimension' (time) in art.
Final analysis of the interaction between light, shadow, and planes. Students prepare their work for display and participate in a formal critique of aesthetic balance.
Students scale up their designs to create a final cardboard sculpture. The focus is on maintaining structural integrity and troubleshooting engineering challenges in larger forms.
Introduction to prototyping and scale. Students build small-scale maquettes to test their designs and analyze spatial relationships before committing to a larger final piece.
Focuses on adhesive-free joinery through slotting and interlocking. Students participate in a 'house of cards' style competition to understand friction fits and structural dependency.
Students transition from 2D shapes to 3D planes by learning precision cutting, scoring, and folding techniques. They explore the structural potential of a folded plane through a paper strength challenge.
