Course Expectations
My Teaching Pages:
http://burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/
Burlington High School Art Department
2022-23 School Year
Teacher: G. Ratkevich
Course Title and Number: Studio Art Honors I (504)
Room: 215
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite – None
5 per/wk – 5 credits
Full year course
Period 4
I. Course Overview
For committed art students at any grade level, the Studio Art Honors (I, II, III, and IV) courses offer experiences with a wide range of 2D and 3D materials and both traditional and new processes. In all four years of the Studio Art Honors program, students will solve visual challenges in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, and design. Art appreciation and the study of art historical work is incorporated throughout each year-long curriculum. In Studio Art Honors I, you will first establish a strong foundation of skills and artistic understanding to build upon in the following years while also having the opportunity to discover new abilities and areas of interest. Studio Art Honors I js devoted to understanding the elements and principles of design, which are the basic "building blocks" and guidelines for creating strong art. Students will complete a variety of projects relating these elements and principles to self-expression and good composition. They will understand that art-making is a process of steps and stages. Students will explore many art techniques and approaches as ways of communicating their ideas. Projects will include drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, ceramics, sculpture, mixed-media, illustration techniques, graphic design, and creative thinking exercises. Homework assignments are given weekly and seek to reinforce each concept. Art historical topics play a role as inspiration and as examples of concepts important to successful learning in the visual arts. This class is designed to help you reach your creative potential. Participation in the full year, honors-level work of the Studio Art Honors courses is an opportunity for students to gain additional experience, strengthen their skills at a more rapid rate, and build their portfolios.
Continuation in Studio Art Honors courses leads to Studio Art Honors IV: AP Studio Art, in which students are encouraged to take one of the AP Studio Art exams. Students in this class must be willing to put in the extra time and effort to produce the high quality work expected in an honors-level art course. Outside work for this honors-level course typically requires a commitment of 2 - 3 hours (and sometimes more) per week.
II. Successful Learning
III. 21st Century Learning Expectations
Consistent with the school’s mission and 21st Century Learning Skills, Art & Design students are engaged in modes of artistic and creative expression and critical thinking every day. They are presented with extensive opportunities for growth in creating, presenting, responding, and connecting. Students are encouraged to develop skills that teach them accountability, adaptability and tenacity in their academic, social, and civic interactions. Students will work both independently and collaboratively to solve artistic and conceptual problems, acquiring skills to generate their own questions and investigate independent topics of interest related to the concepts being taught. They will synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art, and they will convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Students will apply a variety of problem-solving strategies, which may involve generating and conceptualizing artistic ideas through writing or brainstorming; organizing and developing these ideas through drafting, revising, and refining for presentation; working spontaneously and experimentally; and processing feedback from peers.
Students will participate in a classroom environment where they are nurtured to act with integrity in all academic endeavors and to exhibit respect for themselves and empathy for others. They will learn to speak honestly and respectfully to classmates and respect their opinions in discussions and in group critiques of student work. They will interpret meaning and intent in artistic work, and they will use the vocabulary of art in a way that demonstrates informed, critical decision-making, applying criteria to evaluate artistic work. They will exhibit responsible citizenship by maintaining their tools and work space; assisting and serving as resources for classmates; and considering the relevance of art in a local, global and digital society. Students will relate their artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding, studying the work of famous artists and artwork from different cultures and eras.
As a student in this course, you will be expected to:
These expectations align with the school’s mission statement.
IV. Expected Outcomes
By the completion of the Studio Art Honors course, successful students will be able to:
V. Topics/ Content
Main Topics of Discussion and Skill-Building:
Essential Questions:
A typical year might include most of the following units (Not necessarily in this order):
Starting Out
Pre-Assessment - What do you already know about visual representation, design/composition, and craft?
Quality - What’s it look like?
The importance of keeping a sketchbook
Drawing from observation and imagination
Nature studies
The importance of:
“Good” Art: Aesthetics, Art History, Applied Arts, and the Relevance of Art Today
Process / Design-Thinking: From Thinking to Thumbnails to a “Finished” Piece of Art
How Pictures Work: Shapes, Color, and Visual Perception
Idea-Generation - Visual thinking exercises
How to See: The Basics of Observational Drawing
Contour
Measuring angles / directions
Measuring - Proportion and Scale
Positive and negative spaces
Drawing with Tonal Value
Combining Close Observation with Imagination
Basic Color Theory
Painting Techniques
Linear Perspective and Interior Drawing
A Study of the Human Head
Skeletal structure
Muscular anatomy
Proportion
Likeness
A Study of the Human Figure
Skeletal structure
Muscular anatomy
Action lines
Proportion
Gesture
“The Envelope”
Elements and Principles of Art
Light and Shadow
The Importance of the Picture Plane - Composition
A Study of Depth from 2D to 3D
Hand-building and Modeling with Clay
The Human Head in 3D
The Human Figure in 3D
Visual Movement, Sequence, and Visual Narrative
Printmaking
3D Structure
Creating Mood and Meaning through Subject, Color, and Stylistic Choices
Word & Image
An Introduction to Book and Editorial Illustration
“Selling” an Idea
An Introduction to Advertising Illustration and Graphic Design
Symbolism
Unlocking Creativity
Creative Challenges
Careers in the Visual Arts
The “Masters” -
Art History
Contemporary Artists
Applied Art - Illustrators, Graphic Designers, etc.
Landscape Drawing (and maybe Painting)
Final “Exam” - A project-based culmination of your learning - visual representation, design / composition, and craft
Media (Materials and Techniques) may include:
Communication and Reflection: Critiques and Your Journal
Critiques of in-class projects and homework are an important and regular part of the course. Every week or so, mid-process on longer projects and after every completed project, you will have the opportunity to look at and discuss your own artwork and the work of your peers during teacher-guided group critiques.
You will also be asked to write about your work and/or the work of your peers in your journals or Google Docs.
You will reflect on, share your thoughts on, and ask and answer questions about your own work and the work of your peers so that you will all create stronger and stronger work.
The instructor will also discuss your work individually with you and provide feedback at least every few days. Upon request, you may receive further individualized instruction and assessment during the instructor’s prep periods and after school.
BHS Essential Questions
This year’s school-wide essential question is: How do we build a culture of empathy?
Grade 9: What makes up my identity and how does my identity impact my role as a community member?
Grade 10: Why is it crucial to question our assumptions and seek multiple perspectives?
Grade 11: How can I identify and understand patterns and values in a community? Where did they originate and what is their impact?
Grade 12: How can I use my skills, resources, and knowledge to better myself and/or my community?
Whole School: How do we build a culture of empathy?
With these changes, we go from (9) thinking about who we/you are to (10) understanding others' experiences to (11) identifying what works well in a community or what problems exist in a community to (12) working to solve problems or further successes.
VI. Assessing Progress
Types of Assessment:
Your grade will be based primarily on the portfolio of work for the quarter (approx. 60-80%) (depending on duration and level of difficulty, each project may weigh from 5% to 25% of the term grade), and homework (typically 5% for each assignment).
Grading Criteria:
May include:
You generally will be graded on a combination of concept, design, technical quality, and personal investment/work habits.
These are the tools we use to measure your success:
VII. Classroom Expectations
Artistic Integrity and Plagiarism
As in all other courses in our school, no form of cheating or plagiarism will be tolerated. For any infraction of cheating or plagiarism (including the first), the student will receive a zero on the assignment or assessment, and parents/guardians will be notified, as per the student handbook. The definition of plagiarism is “to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own.” Please note that plagiarism includes all forms of stealing words or ideas, including copying from books, web sites, or each other.
So what does this look like in the art room?
The benefits and desirability of working from direct observation and direct personal experience will be stressed throughout the course, and many of our class projects will be focused on working “from life” to help build your skills and understanding in this area. Artwork is to be unique and original. Images produced by others (drawings, paintings, even photographs) are the property of those artists and cannot be claimed as your own.
There are however special circumstances that govern the use of “appropriated images”, and these we will discuss as issues present themselves, but before you turn in a project that includes them. Any work that makes use of (appropriates) photographs, published images, and/or the work of someone else must show substantial and significant development beyond duplication. This is demonstrated through manipulation of the materials, processes, and/or ideas of the source. The student’s individual vision should be clearly evident. It is unethical, constitutes plagiarism, and often violates copyright law simply to copy someone else’s work or imagery (even in another medium) and represent it as one’s own.
Our rule of thumb is: ask or discuss before you turn in work that uses images not created by your own hand. In general, use of these “pre-existing images” (such as a drawn copy of a professional photograph) would not be acceptable.
Artistic integrity is something we will discuss throughout the course. In discussions, in your journal entries, and in other regular documentation of your creative processes, you will have the opportunity to identify and describe your sources of inspiration, your influences, and how you have used them to make something truly your own. You are encouraged to keep a “scrapbook” section in your sketchbook, pasting in your influences and inspirations with notes.
References and Resources:
Students are encouraged to investigate a variety of creative art and design resources to enhance their aesthetic understanding and generate possibilities for investigation. You can do this by digging into the large collection of art reproductions in our classroom, through books and magazines, visits to museums, and online. Visiting the websites of particular artists and designers can provide an in-depth understanding of influences, inspiration, and process. We will often refer to, read from, and view and discuss artwork from Google Arts & Culture, where there is so much to see! Try the “Explore” button, where you can use the Art Camera to zoom into famous master paintings, experience culture in 360 degrees, and tour the world’s greatest museums and other landmarks using “Street View”. Or choose categories to discover the most well-known artists and masterworks in history.
In the art room, you can access a small but rich library of books on art history, contemporary art, illustration and other applied arts. Students will engage with a wide variety of potential sources of inspiration for portfolio development.
The course will also present regular in-class screenings of short videos on contemporary artists and designers from sources such as Art 21: Art in the 21st Century, TED.com: Visual Art, and PBS Learning Media: Visual Art, as well as the occasional longer documentary film.
For a longer and richer list of helpful online resources, visit the BHS Art & Design Resources Page at burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/resources.html
We will dig into many of these resources in class, but I encourage you to explore them on your own as well.
VIII. Homework/Make-up Policy
Homework and projects are graded down one letter grade (3 points) for each day they are late.
If you are absent on the day a project or other assignment is due, you are expected to turn in your work on your first day back to school.
Since homework assignments are generally projects that are given a week in advance, if you are absent on the day a homework project is assigned, you will be expected to turn the project in on its due date.
In the event of a long absence, you will be given time equivalent to the number of days absent to make up the work, unless you request an extension well before the due date, and it is approved by the instructor.
You will likely not be given extensions for work missed due to family vacations outside of the school calendar.
IX. Additional Information
I encourage students to seek extra help whenever they feel they are falling behind. I will always arrange a time to sit down with you if you ask.
Please feel free to contact me at school: 781.273.7024 (the art dept. office), 781.270.2941 (my classroom), or by e-mail at [email protected]
I almost always arrive at the school by 7:15 am. I can usually be found in Rooms 211, 213, or 215.
BHS Art website
These course expectations, other documents, and much more information important for your success in this course will be found on my Teacher Pages at the following link:
burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com
(Click on my name, then on “Studio Art Honors I”)
You will be expected to access these sites on a regular basis. On them you will find the current homework assignment, the current class project, links to online art resources, and answers to many of your questions.
What you will need:
http://burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/
Burlington High School Art Department
2022-23 School Year
Teacher: G. Ratkevich
Course Title and Number: Studio Art Honors I (504)
Room: 215
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite – None
5 per/wk – 5 credits
Full year course
Period 4
I. Course Overview
For committed art students at any grade level, the Studio Art Honors (I, II, III, and IV) courses offer experiences with a wide range of 2D and 3D materials and both traditional and new processes. In all four years of the Studio Art Honors program, students will solve visual challenges in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, and design. Art appreciation and the study of art historical work is incorporated throughout each year-long curriculum. In Studio Art Honors I, you will first establish a strong foundation of skills and artistic understanding to build upon in the following years while also having the opportunity to discover new abilities and areas of interest. Studio Art Honors I js devoted to understanding the elements and principles of design, which are the basic "building blocks" and guidelines for creating strong art. Students will complete a variety of projects relating these elements and principles to self-expression and good composition. They will understand that art-making is a process of steps and stages. Students will explore many art techniques and approaches as ways of communicating their ideas. Projects will include drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, ceramics, sculpture, mixed-media, illustration techniques, graphic design, and creative thinking exercises. Homework assignments are given weekly and seek to reinforce each concept. Art historical topics play a role as inspiration and as examples of concepts important to successful learning in the visual arts. This class is designed to help you reach your creative potential. Participation in the full year, honors-level work of the Studio Art Honors courses is an opportunity for students to gain additional experience, strengthen their skills at a more rapid rate, and build their portfolios.
Continuation in Studio Art Honors courses leads to Studio Art Honors IV: AP Studio Art, in which students are encouraged to take one of the AP Studio Art exams. Students in this class must be willing to put in the extra time and effort to produce the high quality work expected in an honors-level art course. Outside work for this honors-level course typically requires a commitment of 2 - 3 hours (and sometimes more) per week.
II. Successful Learning
- LOOK carefully at things. Understand the importance of observation and reflection.
- Appreciate and respect the process of art-making.
- Ask questions.
- Challenge yourself. – If there seems to be a simple solution, push yourself to find a more creative one.
- Experiment. Take risks with your art.
- Be open to suggestions.
- Be aware of how other artists solve similar problems.
- Make productive use of your time.
- Be willing to rework an assignment.
- Complete approximately one major artwork each week.
- Remember that you are working on unique, original solutions to visual problems.
- Complete the homework assignments as if they were major class projects (3 – 5 hours/week).
- Take advantage of your sketchbook and draw independently and often.
- Visit museums and galleries.
- Look at art in books and magazines.
III. 21st Century Learning Expectations
Consistent with the school’s mission and 21st Century Learning Skills, Art & Design students are engaged in modes of artistic and creative expression and critical thinking every day. They are presented with extensive opportunities for growth in creating, presenting, responding, and connecting. Students are encouraged to develop skills that teach them accountability, adaptability and tenacity in their academic, social, and civic interactions. Students will work both independently and collaboratively to solve artistic and conceptual problems, acquiring skills to generate their own questions and investigate independent topics of interest related to the concepts being taught. They will synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art, and they will convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Students will apply a variety of problem-solving strategies, which may involve generating and conceptualizing artistic ideas through writing or brainstorming; organizing and developing these ideas through drafting, revising, and refining for presentation; working spontaneously and experimentally; and processing feedback from peers.
Students will participate in a classroom environment where they are nurtured to act with integrity in all academic endeavors and to exhibit respect for themselves and empathy for others. They will learn to speak honestly and respectfully to classmates and respect their opinions in discussions and in group critiques of student work. They will interpret meaning and intent in artistic work, and they will use the vocabulary of art in a way that demonstrates informed, critical decision-making, applying criteria to evaluate artistic work. They will exhibit responsible citizenship by maintaining their tools and work space; assisting and serving as resources for classmates; and considering the relevance of art in a local, global and digital society. Students will relate their artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding, studying the work of famous artists and artwork from different cultures and eras.
As a student in this course, you will be expected to:
- Apply a variety of problem-solving strategies.
- Art requires much thought. You will be learning many ways to approach art-making. Some will involve writing your ideas; some will involve rough drafts; some will involve working spontaneously and experimentally; some will involve receiving and evaluating feedback from peers.
- Art requires much thought. You will be learning many ways to approach art-making. Some will involve writing your ideas; some will involve rough drafts; some will involve working spontaneously and experimentally; some will involve receiving and evaluating feedback from peers.
- Write effectively
- in your journal and in written critiques of artwork.
- in your journal and in written critiques of artwork.
- Communicate orally
- by sharing your ideas with the class and discussing the work of others. You will be expected to use the vocabulary of art (including reference to the elements and principles of art) in a way that demonstrates informed, critical decision-making.
- by sharing your ideas with the class and discussing the work of others. You will be expected to use the vocabulary of art (including reference to the elements and principles of art) in a way that demonstrates informed, critical decision-making.
- Read critically
- from magazine articles on famous artists, and when working on an art history research project.
- from magazine articles on famous artists, and when working on an art history research project.
- Demonstrate self-control and respect for all individuals.
- Speak honestly and respectfully to your classmates and respect their voice and their opinions in discussions and group critiques.
- Speak honestly and respectfully to your classmates and respect their voice and their opinions in discussions and group critiques.
- Pursue and participate in modes of artistic and creative expression EVERY DAY.
- Exhibit responsible citizenship.
- Be responsible for your tools and your workspace; assist your classmates when needed; consider how you can reach out to the rest of the school and your community with your art.
- Be responsible for your tools and your workspace; assist your classmates when needed; consider how you can reach out to the rest of the school and your community with your art.
These expectations align with the school’s mission statement.
IV. Expected Outcomes
By the completion of the Studio Art Honors course, successful students will be able to:
- Effectively use and discuss the basic elements and principles of art.
- Demonstrate an exploratory attitude and approach to art-making.
- Demonstrate skills with a wide range of art tools, materials, and techniques.
- Properly maintain art tools and materials.
- Take proper safety precautions.
- Analyze and discuss the works of important artists, periods and styles.
- Solve problems using critical and creative thinking.
- Exercise self-discipline, self-reliance and self-motivation.
- Communicate ideas and feelings through art.
- Communicate orally and in writing about your own artwork and the work of others.
- Help to foster a sense of community and collaboration.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the roles art can play in your life and in the world.
- Take advantage of the opportunities to participate in presentations by artists, art school representatives, and field trips.
- Prepare your work for display in an exhibit.
- Meet personal artistic goals.
V. Topics/ Content
Main Topics of Discussion and Skill-Building:
- The elements and principles of art
- Observation and imagination
- Skill with different methods and materials including those for drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, ceramics, sculpture, mixed-media, illustration techniques, graphic design, and creative thinking exercises
- Famous and important art and artists
- Creative thinking
- Making Meaning - Visual communication and personal expression
- Studio Habits of Mind
- Design-thinking - Visual problem-solving, planning, and process
- Reflection, analysis, and critique
Essential Questions:
- What makes good art good? What does “Quality” look like?
- What is art, anyway?
- How do I draw or paint what I see?
- How do I build a strong portfolio?
- From where can I draw inspiration as an artist?
- What are the options available to me as an artist?
- How can I prepare myself for a creative future?
- How do I create a successful exhibition of my best work?
- What informs why, how, and what artists and designers make?
- How do artists and designers make works of art and design?
- Why and how do artists and designers present their work to viewers?
A typical year might include most of the following units (Not necessarily in this order):
Starting Out
Pre-Assessment - What do you already know about visual representation, design/composition, and craft?
Quality - What’s it look like?
The importance of keeping a sketchbook
Drawing from observation and imagination
Nature studies
The importance of:
- Inquiry and Investigation
- Practice, Experimentation, and Revision
- Communication and Reflection
“Good” Art: Aesthetics, Art History, Applied Arts, and the Relevance of Art Today
Process / Design-Thinking: From Thinking to Thumbnails to a “Finished” Piece of Art
How Pictures Work: Shapes, Color, and Visual Perception
Idea-Generation - Visual thinking exercises
How to See: The Basics of Observational Drawing
Contour
Measuring angles / directions
Measuring - Proportion and Scale
Positive and negative spaces
Drawing with Tonal Value
Combining Close Observation with Imagination
Basic Color Theory
Painting Techniques
Linear Perspective and Interior Drawing
A Study of the Human Head
Skeletal structure
Muscular anatomy
Proportion
Likeness
A Study of the Human Figure
Skeletal structure
Muscular anatomy
Action lines
Proportion
Gesture
“The Envelope”
Elements and Principles of Art
Light and Shadow
The Importance of the Picture Plane - Composition
A Study of Depth from 2D to 3D
Hand-building and Modeling with Clay
The Human Head in 3D
The Human Figure in 3D
Visual Movement, Sequence, and Visual Narrative
Printmaking
3D Structure
Creating Mood and Meaning through Subject, Color, and Stylistic Choices
Word & Image
An Introduction to Book and Editorial Illustration
“Selling” an Idea
An Introduction to Advertising Illustration and Graphic Design
Symbolism
Unlocking Creativity
Creative Challenges
Careers in the Visual Arts
The “Masters” -
Art History
Contemporary Artists
Applied Art - Illustrators, Graphic Designers, etc.
Landscape Drawing (and maybe Painting)
Final “Exam” - A project-based culmination of your learning - visual representation, design / composition, and craft
Media (Materials and Techniques) may include:
- Pencil
- Charcoal
- Chalk
- Oil pastel
- Pastel
- Watercolor
- Acrylic Paint
- Pen and Ink
- Ink Washes (Brush and Ink)
- Scratchboard
- Collage
- Printmaking
- Mixed Media
- Digital Imaging
- Ceramics
- Plaster
- Construction
- Assemblage
- Carving
- Other sculpture techniques
Communication and Reflection: Critiques and Your Journal
Critiques of in-class projects and homework are an important and regular part of the course. Every week or so, mid-process on longer projects and after every completed project, you will have the opportunity to look at and discuss your own artwork and the work of your peers during teacher-guided group critiques.
You will also be asked to write about your work and/or the work of your peers in your journals or Google Docs.
You will reflect on, share your thoughts on, and ask and answer questions about your own work and the work of your peers so that you will all create stronger and stronger work.
The instructor will also discuss your work individually with you and provide feedback at least every few days. Upon request, you may receive further individualized instruction and assessment during the instructor’s prep periods and after school.
BHS Essential Questions
This year’s school-wide essential question is: How do we build a culture of empathy?
Grade 9: What makes up my identity and how does my identity impact my role as a community member?
Grade 10: Why is it crucial to question our assumptions and seek multiple perspectives?
Grade 11: How can I identify and understand patterns and values in a community? Where did they originate and what is their impact?
Grade 12: How can I use my skills, resources, and knowledge to better myself and/or my community?
Whole School: How do we build a culture of empathy?
With these changes, we go from (9) thinking about who we/you are to (10) understanding others' experiences to (11) identifying what works well in a community or what problems exist in a community to (12) working to solve problems or further successes.
VI. Assessing Progress
Types of Assessment:
- Exercises and projects
- Homework assignments
- Written assignments (such as written self-evaluations, written peer evaluations, and reports)
- Sketchbook/journal
- Participation in critiques and other discussions and group activities
- Presentations
- Participation in the art exhibition
- Midterm and Final Exams
Your grade will be based primarily on the portfolio of work for the quarter (approx. 60-80%) (depending on duration and level of difficulty, each project may weigh from 5% to 25% of the term grade), and homework (typically 5% for each assignment).
Grading Criteria:
May include:
- Research of ideas; concept development
- Strength and clarity of concept
- Strength of design
- Technical proficiency
- Presentation
- Understanding demonstrated in discussion and writing
- Class participation
- Specific criteria for each assignment
You generally will be graded on a combination of concept, design, technical quality, and personal investment/work habits.
These are the tools we use to measure your success:
VII. Classroom Expectations
- Be here -- Attendance is critical to success in this program. Studio time and group critique time cannot be replicated at home. Poor attendance will have a direct bearing on your grade.
- Get to class on time
- Use your time productively
- Take responsibility for the condition of your work area – clean up thoroughly at the end of each class
- ALWAYS get permission before leaving the classroom
- Hand in your work on time
- Use of cellphones is not allowed. Cell phones are to be turned OFF or turned IN when in class. The instructor will exercise his right to confiscate the cell phone if this rule isn’t respected.
- There is to be no texting, no facebook or other social media, and no video games.
- Clean up your work area at the end of each class.
- ** Art classes will use Google Classroom, Google Drive, and teacher websites that can be found on the BHS Art & Design homepage.
Artistic Integrity and Plagiarism
As in all other courses in our school, no form of cheating or plagiarism will be tolerated. For any infraction of cheating or plagiarism (including the first), the student will receive a zero on the assignment or assessment, and parents/guardians will be notified, as per the student handbook. The definition of plagiarism is “to steal and pass off the ideas or words of another as one's own.” Please note that plagiarism includes all forms of stealing words or ideas, including copying from books, web sites, or each other.
So what does this look like in the art room?
The benefits and desirability of working from direct observation and direct personal experience will be stressed throughout the course, and many of our class projects will be focused on working “from life” to help build your skills and understanding in this area. Artwork is to be unique and original. Images produced by others (drawings, paintings, even photographs) are the property of those artists and cannot be claimed as your own.
There are however special circumstances that govern the use of “appropriated images”, and these we will discuss as issues present themselves, but before you turn in a project that includes them. Any work that makes use of (appropriates) photographs, published images, and/or the work of someone else must show substantial and significant development beyond duplication. This is demonstrated through manipulation of the materials, processes, and/or ideas of the source. The student’s individual vision should be clearly evident. It is unethical, constitutes plagiarism, and often violates copyright law simply to copy someone else’s work or imagery (even in another medium) and represent it as one’s own.
Our rule of thumb is: ask or discuss before you turn in work that uses images not created by your own hand. In general, use of these “pre-existing images” (such as a drawn copy of a professional photograph) would not be acceptable.
Artistic integrity is something we will discuss throughout the course. In discussions, in your journal entries, and in other regular documentation of your creative processes, you will have the opportunity to identify and describe your sources of inspiration, your influences, and how you have used them to make something truly your own. You are encouraged to keep a “scrapbook” section in your sketchbook, pasting in your influences and inspirations with notes.
References and Resources:
Students are encouraged to investigate a variety of creative art and design resources to enhance their aesthetic understanding and generate possibilities for investigation. You can do this by digging into the large collection of art reproductions in our classroom, through books and magazines, visits to museums, and online. Visiting the websites of particular artists and designers can provide an in-depth understanding of influences, inspiration, and process. We will often refer to, read from, and view and discuss artwork from Google Arts & Culture, where there is so much to see! Try the “Explore” button, where you can use the Art Camera to zoom into famous master paintings, experience culture in 360 degrees, and tour the world’s greatest museums and other landmarks using “Street View”. Or choose categories to discover the most well-known artists and masterworks in history.
In the art room, you can access a small but rich library of books on art history, contemporary art, illustration and other applied arts. Students will engage with a wide variety of potential sources of inspiration for portfolio development.
The course will also present regular in-class screenings of short videos on contemporary artists and designers from sources such as Art 21: Art in the 21st Century, TED.com: Visual Art, and PBS Learning Media: Visual Art, as well as the occasional longer documentary film.
For a longer and richer list of helpful online resources, visit the BHS Art & Design Resources Page at burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com/resources.html
We will dig into many of these resources in class, but I encourage you to explore them on your own as well.
VIII. Homework/Make-up Policy
Homework and projects are graded down one letter grade (3 points) for each day they are late.
If you are absent on the day a project or other assignment is due, you are expected to turn in your work on your first day back to school.
Since homework assignments are generally projects that are given a week in advance, if you are absent on the day a homework project is assigned, you will be expected to turn the project in on its due date.
In the event of a long absence, you will be given time equivalent to the number of days absent to make up the work, unless you request an extension well before the due date, and it is approved by the instructor.
You will likely not be given extensions for work missed due to family vacations outside of the school calendar.
IX. Additional Information
I encourage students to seek extra help whenever they feel they are falling behind. I will always arrange a time to sit down with you if you ask.
Please feel free to contact me at school: 781.273.7024 (the art dept. office), 781.270.2941 (my classroom), or by e-mail at [email protected]
I almost always arrive at the school by 7:15 am. I can usually be found in Rooms 211, 213, or 215.
BHS Art website
These course expectations, other documents, and much more information important for your success in this course will be found on my Teacher Pages at the following link:
burlingtonhighschoolart.weebly.com
(Click on my name, then on “Studio Art Honors I”)
You will be expected to access these sites on a regular basis. On them you will find the current homework assignment, the current class project, links to online art resources, and answers to many of your questions.
What you will need:
- A sketchbook - 11" x 14", at least 60 lb. paper weight
- A set of drawing pencils (HB to 6B) and an eraser (pink, kneaded, or both) (for homework)
- A set of color drawing materials (color pencils, pastel, or markers) for homework.