Projects follow the “Basics” taking the new medium, technique or concept and applying it to a finished work of art assessing the new skill acquired through Basics.  Projects ALSO build on previous skills.  Choosing to not participate or practice a skill will have a snowball effect.  Later Projects AND Classes will continue to add new skill, mediums, and concepts but will continue to build on ALL previous skill learned. 

The beginning and ending stages of growth look different from student to student.  Growth can only be accomplished by practice.  Practice happens when each assignment is done in the spirit of which it was assigned and not as busy work to appease your parent, teacher or anyone else.  The habits, practices and expectations that demonstrate effort are taught in class. 

It's all about me, Showcase!!!

Sketchbook!!! 

Quarter 1

High Contrast Graphite Drawing
~graphite basics are done in Art I

Students on an AP track are encouraged to use their own photographs and composition.  ​

We revisit skills learned in ART I; shading and drawing.  

VALUE: The two extreme tones or values are black (very dark) and white (very light). Recognizing the tone or value of a color, rather than the hue, is important to a painter because successful paintings have tonal contrast in them, or a range of values.  A painting with only mid-tones risks being flat and dull.  Value or tonal contrast creates visual interest or excitement in a painting.  A high-key painting is one in which the contrasts in value or tone are extreme, from black right through the range of mid-tones down to white. A low-key painting is one in which the tonal range is narrower.

For the purposes of this assignment students are asked to use 40% light value, 40 % dark value and 20% mid values.  

RENDERING:  In visual art and technical drawing rendering means the process of formulating, adding color, shading, and texturing of an image.  When used as a means of expression, it is synonymous with illustrating.  However, it may be used for mere visualization of existing data regardless of any preconceived message or ideas to express.  Rendering is also a technique that can be used while designing packaging and branding.

A degree in fine art may is a general degree that can help propel almost anyone into an exciting art career.  These general art degrees will usually help aspiring artists learn the basics of all sorts of different forms of art.  Degrees in architecture, illustration and graphic design can also be helpful for those interested in pursuing careers that use rendering skills.

Logo
~no basics required (hatching and stipple are covered in Art I)

Students on an AP track are encouraged to use their own photographs and composition.  

​Students draw the first Image from a photo and trace the next 5, artisticly rendering them 6 different ways.  
1.  Pencil rendering
2. Hatching or Stipple
3. Two value graphic
4. Negative of #3
5. Three value graphic
6. Contour Line 

Artistic rendering is the application of visual art styles to rendering. For photo-realistic rendering styles, the emphasis is on accurate reproduction of light-and-shadow and the surface properties of the depicted objects, composition, or other more generic qualities. When the emphasis is on unique interpretive rendering styles, visual information is interpreted by the artist and displayed accordingly using the chosen art medium and level of abstraction in abstract art. In computer graphics, interpretive rendering styles are known as non-photo-realistic rendering styles, but may be used to simplify technical illustrations. Rendering styles that combine photo-realism with non-photo-realism are known as hyper-realistic rendering styles
​
A degree in fine art may is a general degree that can help propel almost anyone into an exciting art career.  These general art degrees will usually help aspiring artists learn the basics of all sorts of different forms of art.  Degrees in architecture, illustration and graphic design can also be helpful for those interested in pursuing careers that use rendering skills.

Quarter 2

Ceramic Bust Sculpture on Armature (this can be any of the 4 types listed below I've done all at some point, but have settled on this being the most beneficial and practical)

A sculptor is a highly creative fine artist who develops ideas for sculptures or statues, and makes them come to life in three-dimensional form by joining or molding materials together.  Sculptors typically work with hard materials like stone, marble, glass, metal, wood or ice.  They can also use clay, plaster, gold, wire, plastic, rubber, fabric or even paper. 

This art form is found all over the world and some sculptures and statues date all the way back to 10,000 BC. Modern sculptors can be hired to create a sculpture for a park, or a lobby of an office building.  A museum may hire a sculptor to create a special piece for a collection or an exhibition.  Private collectors will often commission work and ask for a particular piece.

What does a Sculptor do?
A sculptor creates three-dimensional sculptures or statues for display.  Sculptors sometimes make a maquette first, which is a small scale model or a rough draft of the sculpture.  The maquette is used to test shapes and ideas and to also visualize without much cost and effort. 

A sculpture can be made with many materials, though they are most often made with materials like marble, metal, glass, wood, stone, clay, ice, or sand. More modern sculptures can even be made out of lights, motion, and sound.  The sculptor’s job is to shape these materials into a particular form usually for display in a public place like a museum, gallery, or park. 

The harder materials are generally carved with chisels, though it varies depending on the medium.  A sculptor may work with a mass of marble or rock and carve away at it until it begins to resemble the structure they are trying to create.  A sculptor might also assemble pieces or mold materials to make a larger structure.  When working with rigid materials like marble or granite, the sculptor must be very careful as one wrong chip or carve can ruin the entire piece. Sculptors must exercise a lot of patience to make sure their work comes out the way they imagined it. 
There are four basic types of sculpture: 
In-the-round -
This is the type of of structure most people envision when they think of sculpture in the traditional sense. This is any type of sculpture that can be seen from any angle from around a pedestal. This is also known as a “free-standing” sculpture. 
Relief -
This type of sculpture projects from a two dimensional background from varying angles.
Assemblage -
This is a more modern form of sculpture. It is pieced together from found or scavenged items with little relationship to each other. Picasso created a famous assemblage structure by using an old bike seat and handle to construct a bull's head.
Kinetic -
This is a free-standing sculpture that moves through mechanical power by either wind or water.

Quarter 3

White Charcoal 

White Charcoal basics are done before starting this project.
​
​Students on an AP track are encouraged to use their own photographs and composition.  ​

Students need to work in reverse of what they normally do.  They will be "highlighting" instead of "shading".  This requires reprogramming our way of thinking.   

VALUE: The two extreme tones or values are black (very dark) and white (very light). Recognizing the tone or value of a color, rather than the hue, is important to a painter because successful paintings have tonal contrast in them, or a range of values.  A painting with only mid-tones risks being flat and dull.  Value or tonal contrast creates visual interest or excitement in a painting.  A high-key painting is one in which the contrasts in value or tone are extreme, from black right through the range of mid-tones down to white. A low-key painting is one in which the tonal range is narrower.

Scratchboard

Scratch board basics are done before starting this project. 
​
Students on an AP track are encouraged to use their own photographs and composition.  ​

Students need to work in reverse of what they normally do.  They will be "highlighting" instead of "shading".  This requires reprogramming our way of thinking.   White charcoal is more forgiving and will be done first. 

VALUE: The two extreme tones or values are black (very dark) and white (very light). Recognizing the tone or value of a color, rather than the hue, is important to a painter because successful paintings have tonal contrast in them, or a range of values.  A painting with only mid-tones risks being flat and dull.  Value or tonal contrast creates visual interest or excitement in a painting.  A high-key painting is one in which the contrasts in value or tone are extreme, from black right through the range of mid-tones down to white. A low-key painting is one in which the tonal range is narrower.

Figure Drawing

Gesture Drawing:
The key to gesture drawing is action not consistent line.  In gesture drawing, you start with the whole form and work to define the parts.  Gesture drawings are sketched or scribbled with speed and bravado and you must approach the process with abandonment. You are not drawing details; you are capturing the model's balance, weight distribution and action.  Your line should be thin and thick to very broad strokes.

​The idea of a gesture drawing is to capture the models essential gesture, movement, volume, weight, and energy in the drawing.  The drawing should be bold and quickly drawn.  To achieve this you must draw from the shoulder and use your whole body.  This physical and energetic approach to drawing creates beautiful expressive drawings with elegant lines and gestures.

​Contour Drawing:
You will discover that this type of drawing is the complete opposite of gesture drawing.  A continuous line drawing is produced without ever lifting the drawing instrument from the page. This means that, in addition to outlines and internal shapes, the pencil must move back and forth across the surface of the paper, with lines doubling back on each other, so that the drawing is one free-flowing, unbroken line. To avoid the temptation to erase lines, it can be helpful to complete a continuous line drawing with an ink pen, varying the line weight, as needed, to indicate perspective and areas of light and shadow. Like the drawing methods described above, this drawing method develops confidence and drawing speed, and encourages your eyes and hand and brain to work together. Continuous line drawings work best with in-depth observation of your subject, without interference from your thinking mind.
​Blind Contour: 
Feeling your way around the form
​Draw the subject without looking at the drawing paper - you must resist the temptation to "peek" at your paper, if you look once, you will not be able to continue without looking again and again. This type of drawing takes a great deal of concentration and focus. A good way to describe the blind contour drawing process is that you are learning to see through your sense of touch. If you imagine that the point of your pencil is on the edge of the subject you are drawing, the same position where your eyes are on the subject, then moving your eyes very slowly along the contours of the subject and allow your pencil on the paper to feel all of the details that your eyes see.

Use a continuous line - do not take your pencil off the paper.
Proceed carefully. Concentrate, focus, and draw the object as if you are tracing or feeling your way around the contours of the form.

Keep the line "fluid" but do not scribble. Move your pencil in a slow and steady pace much like tracing.

Quarter 4

Oil Painting 

Students build, stretch and gesso their own canvas.

​Students on an AP track are encouraged to use their own photographs and composition.  

VALUE: The two extreme tones or values are black (very dark) and white (very light). Recognizing the tone or value of a color, rather than the hue, is important to a painter because successful paintings have tonal contrast in them, or a range of values.  A painting with only mid-tones risks being flat and dull.  Value or tonal contrast creates visual interest or excitement in a painting.  A high-key painting is one in which the contrasts in value or tone are extreme, from black right through the range of mid-tones down to white. A low-key painting is one in which the tonal range is narrower.

​Phoenix HS Annual Spring Art Show!!!