Art Department Courses
AP Art History / Grade 10–12
AP Art History requires the high school student who has demonstrated college level ability to cover a full year college course from early cave paintings to 1950, and readies the student for the AP examination in the spring.
- Prerequisites:
- Teacher approval
- Required reading:
- AP text and outside reading
- Expected homework:
- Extensive reading
- Other aspects/requirements:
- Daily note taking, slide studies, museum visits
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Arts, state colleges and universities.
AP Studio Drawing: 2-Dimensional and 3 -Dimensional AB / Grade 10–12
Art Production AB / Grade 9–12
The course offers opportunities for school service through both individual and team efforts. Students will design posters or banners, organize display cases, prepare and arrange decorations for school events, and illustrate school publications. Topics include layout, design, and display techniques.
- Prerequisites:
- Art class or special talent in art. Teacher approval required.
- Required reading:
- Periodic
- Expected homework:
- None
- Other aspects/requirements:
- Responsibility, dependability, leadership
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Art.
Calligraphy AB / Grade 9–12
Topics for this course include history of letter forms and alphabets; contemporary letter forms, typefaces, and calligraphic alphabets; Chinese and Japanese Sumie and Calligraphic painting; and visual, concrete and Haiku poetry. Students will learn how to select and execute lettering styles that communicate an idea visually.
- Prerequisites:
- None
- Required reading:
- None
- Expected homework:
- Vocabulary definitions
- Other aspects/requirements:
- Weekly notebook
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Art, state colleges and universities.
Cartooning and Animation AB / Grade 10–12
This course explores the history and techniques of illustration, cartooning and animation in conjunction with learning about their aesthetic properties. Projects include freehand drawing and rendering, layout, and the use of basic drawing tools and multimedia for the reproduction of images.
- Prerequisites:
- Intro to Art, Drawing or Design
- Expected homework:
- Maintain a sketchbook
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Art, state colleges and universities.
Design Crafts, Semester Course / Grade 9–12
This course teaches students to analyze the visual environment and use diverse forms and medial to create two-dimensional designs, three-dimensional structural forms using traditional and nontraditional constructive techniques.
- Prerequisites:
- None
- Required reading:
- None
- Expected homework:
- Research on visual communication techniques, i.e. advertisements product design.
- Other aspects/requirements:
- None
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Arts, state colleges and universities.
Drawing AB / Grade 9–12
This course prepares students for advanced classes in art. Topics include history of drawing, art elements, contemporary drawing, and techniques such as contour drawing, gesture drawing, and portraiture.
- Prerequisites:
- None
- Required reading:
- None
- Expected homework:
- Weekly sketchbook
- Other aspects/requirements:
- Ability to demonstrate perspective, proportions, value scales, critiquing, use of ink, charcoal, pencils
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Arts, state colleges and universities
Introduction to Art, Semester Course / Grade 10–12
The course emphasizes understanding visual art concepts and techniques. Topics include art history, art career opportunities, the application of art career opportunities, the application of art elements and principles to two-and three-dimensional visual problems, and the evaluation of art work.
- Expected homework:
- Vocabulary definition, drawing, notebook, book reports; worksheets; report on artist with research on two works.
- Other aspects/requirements:
- Research notebook of design sources and production of an original art work. The color chart is emphasized.
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Arts, state colleges and universities.
Painting 1AB / Grade 10–12
This course will expand the student's knowledge of the visual arts through painting. Topics include painting and historical overview, color theory, media and techniques, composition, major painting styles, and the expression of ideas, emotions, and moods through painting.
- Prerequisites:
- Intro to Art or Design or Drawing
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Arts, state colleges and universities.
Photography 1AB / Grade 10–12
The focus of this course is on photography as a medium for visual communication. Students learn to develop film and make prints, document an event or convey a visual idea, use light to produce a mood or alter content, use and care for equipment, and mount photographs for display.
- Required reading:
- Articles from Black & White Photography, Basic Book of Photography
- Expected homework:
- American Photography Magazines, handouts from photography books
- Other aspects/requirements:
- Picture taking outside of the classroom
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Arts, state colleges and universities.
Photography 2AB / Grade 10–12
The student will work with advanced techniques in developing film and making prints.
- Prerequisites:
- Photography 1AB
- Required reading:
- Articles from Black and White Photography, Basic Book of Photography
- Expected homework:
- American Photography Magazine, handouts from photography books
- Other aspects/requirements:
- Picture taking outside of the classroom
- Meets requirements for:
- high school Visual/Performing Arts, state colleges and universities.
