Art 15S: This half credit course will emphasize foundation skills such as observational drawing, colour theory, basic painting, and linear perspective. These skills will be explored in a variety of media such as pencil, ink, watercolour, tempera and pastel. All students from novice to experienced artists are welcome and can expect to develop skills required for higher level art courses. This class stresses that all skills necessary for upper-level courses are highly teachable, including drawing. You don't have to know how to draw; you just have to be willing to learn.
ART20S (1 credit)
This course builds on technical skills developed in 15S. If you have no formal art education this course is still available to you. We build on a basic understanding of colour theory and any prior drawing/painting experience. Students should expect to spend some of each class learning observational drawing, basic painting using a water-based media such as acylic and watercolour and exploring a wider variety of art media through a series of optional projects. All students will be expected to keep an art journal and will begin to learn about the history of art.
ART 30S (1 credit) This course builds on the foundation established in 20S. Art 30S will challenge students who want to be full-time artists as well as those pursuing other careers in areas such as design, communications, the fashion industry, film, the gaming industry and graphic design as well as any area in which drawing and observation skills would be an advantage like medicine and dentistry. Your drawing and painting skills will develop as you participate in daily observational drawing exercises and there will be greater technical demands through the introduction of a variety of media. You will develop your own artistic voice and there is more emphasis on creative problem solving. Your personal journal should reflect your understanding of the elements and principles of design and you should explore a wider range of art media. We build creative thinking skills and your art vocabulary. In this class you should expect to spend time discussing contemporary art and to learn more about using art as a visual language. Expect to begin to use a wider variety of media in your large projects including, but not limited to, photography, video, and sculpture as you explore solutions creative problems and artistic expression in your large projects. If you are thinking of post-secondary studies in art, you should begin portfolio preparations this year.
ART 40S (1 credit) This is for students who are serious about careers in design, architecture, film, graphics, advertising, fashion, and the visual arts or for those who want to make visual art a part of their lives in other ways. This course places emphasis on artistic and creative expression and on the development of your personal artistic voice. Projects are larger and you may expect to invest more of your time in the studio. Projects will be chosen according to the various areas and media you need to explore in order to enhance your artistic skill set. Daily drawing exercises continue, but you will be asked to push yourself to try unfamiliar media in both your sketches and journal entries. Both of these are acceptable portfolio submissions when applying to many Art Schools. There will be more opportunities for creative problem solving and a greater emphasis on the understanding and discussion of challenging contemporary art. You will be able to devote time to portfolio preparation if you are applying for post-secondary studies in the visual arts. For the final project, all students will be expected to be able to discuss their work and communicate their artistic intent with their classmates and the teacher.
