Art+1+Syllabus


 * Art 1 **

The focus of Art I is to study the principles and elements of design in conjunction with a variety of mediums including: cut paper, clay, painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, and sculpture.

Art I will look at the relationship between self and the world around you in the process of art making.

We will explore the question “What is Art?” through a 1 page opinion paper - written at the beginning of the semester and followed by a digital portfolio of your own work (done as an enhanced Podcast, I-Movie, or Presentation), due at the end of the semester, answering the same question. This project will count as a final exam grade which will count **10% of your final grade.**

In Art I - participation is as much a part of the making as having a “perfect” hand. You will each find you have strengths somewhere and in different media. Therefore participation (which includes staying on task, cleaning up, using materials correctly and with care, being respectful of other’s creative process, joining in classroom critiques and discussions) will count for **30% of your grade**. Sleeping, being off-task, not following computer acceptable use policies or classroom procedures are all part of your participation grade. Each day you start with 20 points, for a total of 100 over a week's time - if your absence is unexcused you will not receive points for that day - however, you may negotiate a make-up either through extra work or clean-up duties. Sleeping, unacceptable computer use, or using art as a study hall will automatically result in a 20 point deduction for that day, no make-ups.

In Art 1 - we will build a sketchbook. This sketchbook will be used for simple drawing exercises, definitions, notes, and idea gathering. These will be given a weekly grade, though are not necessarily graded every week (depending on the work done inside) - we will also use these to explore the illustration possibilities on the Friday Illustrations blog, (illustrationfriday.com/index.php) and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain exercises as well as work around theme and color. Sketchbooks will count for **20% of your grade**

In Art 1 - Projects are a large part of what we do in art class. Each project will have specific parameters with room for artistic choice within them. Students will self-assess projects - if the rubric is followed correctly student's self-grades typically line up with my own. If I think you've been too hard on yourself, I'll mark it up. If I feel you've been unrealistic, I will mark it down and include an explanation of why. Grades will be based on following the parameters, creative use of materials, artistic thought process, execution, dilligence, and technical awareness. You an view the self-assessment rubric HERE. Artistic talent will be recognized but it is just one portion of overall project grades. Projects will count for **40% of the overall grade** - project images will be kept in a computer file to be used later in your portfolio.

First 5 weeks (Drawing) - LINE, VALUE, CONTRAST, SPACE We will cover the basics of contour line, shading, grid mapping, 2 point perspective, and portraiture. Second 5 weeks (Sculpture) - TEXTURE, FORM, SPACE, SHAPE, PATTERN Using clay, wire, wood, and found objects, we will create 3-dimensional forms to study the above elements and principles.