- Delaware Valley High School
- Art Course Descriptions
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Students interested in any art-related career should schedule Foundations and Drawing 1 early so they have ample time to schedule any advanced art class and the Advanced Placement Studio Art course. Students need to develop a quality portfolio for most college admissions evaluations.GENERAL ART - 1 SEMESTER, 1⁄2 CREDIT, GRADES 9, 10, 11, 12This introductory studio course is a one semester elective that will prepare the student for further high school art experiences.The student will be introduced to skills and media that are utilized in the other art electives including: drawing, painting, ceramics, the elements and principles of design, color theory, the critical process, and keeping a sketchbook journal.
3-D DESIGN - 1 SEMESTER. 1/2 CREDIT, GRADES 11, 12
In this studio course, the elements and principles of 3-D design are studied and utilized to create art that exists in three dimensions. Various artists, art styles and genres will be explored. The sculptural processes of assemblage, reduction carving and modeling will be used to create artwork based on a theme or concept. The ability to generate original solutions to design problems will require basic drawing skills, creative thinking and artistic exploration of possible approaches. Weekly sketchbook assignments that require drawing, reflection and research are part of the curriculum. It is highly recommended that students take Intro to Drawing 1 and Ceramics 1 before taking this course.
INTRODUCTION TO DRAWING 1 – 1 SEMESTER; ½CREDIT; GRADES 9, 10, 11, 12
This studio course is a one semester elective offered to students who have a desire to learn the fundamental skills of drawing from reality; the course is highly recommended for the student who plans to take AP Studio Art, other art electives and those who plan to pursue any visual art pathway. Measuring with a ruler, estimating size and visualizing proportional relationships are necessary skills that will be built upon in this sequential, traditional course of study. Weekly sketchbook assignments are an important part of the course and independent practice and application of learned skills are recommended for success.
INTRODUCTION TO DRAWING 2 – 1 SEMESTER; ½CREDIT; GRADES 10, 11, 12
This studio course is a one semester elective offered to students in grades 10-12 who have successfully completed Drawing 1; it is highly recommended for the student who plans to take AP Studio Art. The course builds upon the basic skills acquired in Drawing 1. A variety of wet and dry drawing media are used to render complex subject matter. The Elements and Principles of Design are studied and applied to the creative process of planning and executing various drawing challenges; personal interpretation and design exploration are strongly encouraged. Students must maintain a Drawing Journal with twice-weekly entries of sketches, reflection and experimentation.
FOUNDATIONS IN ART - 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 9, 10, 11, 12
This course will follow a historical timeline that studies the progression and application of the visual arts from ancient era to present day. Course content will introduce and develop skills and knowledge in the areas of art history, art criticism, design concepts, art production, and art careers. A sketchbook journal requiring drawing, writing and idea development will be an integral part of this course.
PAINTING MEDIA 1 - 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 10, 11, 12
PAINTING MEDIA 2 - 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 10, 11, 12
This course is a continuation of Painting Media 1. It provides a deeper exploration into two- dimensional techniques and emphasis on the development of a student’s individual point of view. Using traditional and non-traditional materials, students develop inventive experimental approaches to a variety of pictorial media and examine how media, idea and composition relate. Students explore the boundaries between painting and sculpture when non-traditional materials are incorporated in collage. A sketchbook is required on a weekly basis.
CERAMICS 1- 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 10, 11, 12This elective will teach the fundamental methods of forming clay into a 3-dimensional art form. The basic techniques for hand building (pinch pot, slab construction, and coil construction) will be demonstrated. Emphasis will be placed on craftsmanship, creativity, and application of the elements and principles of design. Definitions of materials and ceramic processes will be presented and a sketchbook will be maintained for research and planning. It is highly recommended that students take another high school art elective such as General Art, Intro to Drawing or Foundations before enrolling in Ceramics.
CERAMICS 2- 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 10, 11, 12
This course follows and builds upon the skills learned in Ceramics I. Focus will be on the construction of more complex pieces through creativity and problem solving. This class will introduce the additional challenge of the fundamentals of wheel throwing. A sketchbook will be maintained for research and planning
COMPUTER ART 1 - 1 SEMESTER, 1⁄2 CREDIT, GRADES 9, 10, 11, 12The purpose of this course is to learn how to create art and original graphics using computer software and technological equipment. Time spent in this course will be divided among learning Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and concepts of digital photography. Projects are designed to integrate the use of scanners, digital drawing tablets, cameras and iPads while learning the elements and principles of design. Prior drawing experience is helpful.
COMPUTER ART 2 - 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 9, 10, 11, 12
This art course is an advanced application of the skills covered in Computer Art 1. Students will learn advanced digital art making methods in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, but will also be challenged to integrate these skills with traditional art media such as drawing, and collage. If time and interest exist, principles of computer animation in Adobe Animate will also be introduced.
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 9, 10, 11, 12
Students who have mastered the skills taught in Computer Art 1 have been most successful in this course. It is expected that photography be created both in and out of class for the greater possibility of both creative and original works. Therefore it is preferred that the student has his/her own digital SLR camera. Study of the art of photography will be approached through the following topics: technical camera operation, composition and design, lighting, photo criticism, visual culture, workflow, photo management, image editing, history of photography.GRAPHIC DESIGN 1 -1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 10, 11, 12
Students who have mastered the skills taught in Computer Art 1 have been most successful in this course. While utilizing the design process, students will learn the power of both word and image in communicating ideas and information. Students will be introduced to the fields of advertising, graphic design, and typography while using the Adobe Illustrator program.
GRAPHIC DESIGN 2 - 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 10, 11, 12
Students who have mastered the skills taught in Computer Art 1 have been most successful in this course. Students will continue to utilize the design process. Projects will simulate real world design problems such as page layout, magazine ads, book jacket designs and posters incorporating photographic imagery and photo manipulation. Students will exercise their ability to observe, think creatively, and generate good ideas
JEWELRY DESIGN - 1 SEMESTER, ½ CREDIT, GRADES 11, 12
Taking Introduction to Drawing 1 prior to this course is recommended. This course will enable students to gain skills of craftsmanship, design and technology. They will be exposed to a broad range of metalworking processes and techniques and develop fabrication and finishing skills in a 3-D form. They learn within a new format, to articulate their creative ideas and synthesize the concepts and processes historically and contextually.
AP ART HISTORY - FULL YEAR 1 CREDIT, GRADES 11, 12
The AP Art History course explores such topics as the nature of art, its uses, its meanings, art making, and responses to art. Through investigation of diverse artistic traditions of cultures from prehistory to the present, the course fosters in-depth and holistic understanding of the history of art from a global perspective. Students learn and apply skills of visual, contextual, and comparative analysis to engage with a variety of art forms, constructing understanding of individual works and interconnections of art-making processes and products throughout history. The course and exam are structured around ten content areas: Global Prehistory, Ancient Mediterranean, Early Europe and Colonial Americas, Later Europe and Americas, Indigenous Americas, Africa, West and Central Asia, South, East, and Southwest Asia, The Pacific, and Global Contemporary.AP STUDIO ART - FULL YEAR 1 CREDIT, GRADES 11,12
This is a rigorous college level studio course offered to highly motivated Juniors and Seniors who have taken Drawing 1 and at least two other courses such as Painting 1,2, Drawing 2, Photography, Graphic Design, OR, Ceramics 1,2, Jewelry, and 3-D Design. Coursework is designed to build mastery in technique, composition/design, research, experimentation, and creative problem solving. Critical thinking, objective analysis of artwork, and the ability to communicate in the language of art will be developed and used throughout the course. Developing meaningful peer relationships and self-motivation is necessary. Students must be willing to devote several hours per week of outside time to art production, research, and self-improvement. Maintaining an active art journal/sketchbook is a critical course requirement. The “exam portfolio” requires at least 24 high quality artworks to be completed and submitted to the College Board in May; students will declare their choice of portfolio early in the year: 2-D, Drawing or 3-D, and work in and out of the classroom toward fulfilling the requirements. Summer work is assigned and must be completed in order to be successful in this course.