Sunday, February 5, 2017

Spring 161 Syllabus

Painting—Arts 161—Spring 2017
Tuesdays; 6:10 p.m. 9:50 p.m.; Studio 104, Building C
Professor Julia Healy
Jhealy@qcc.cuny.edu
    
Course Descriptions: Arts 161: Basic elements of oil or acrylic painting, designed for acquisition of skill and technique in the medium. Experiences in realism, abstraction and non-objectivity.

Introduction: This course will explore painting at the beginning level.  Students will receive basic instruction on learning "to see" and develop skills in using form, tone, color and composition. Subjects will include still life works and the landscape. Occasional presentations on historic and contemporary artists will supplement the topics covered. We will have ongoing individual critiques, as well as group critiques and written self-reflections and writing assignments over the course of the semester.

Course Objectives
At the end of the course, students will:
·      Employ techniques of mixing and blending color
·      Create the effects of three-dimensional forms with shadow and light
·      Observe and arrange still life objects into a strong
   composition of forms and shapes
·      Analyze personal work through critique and feedback from classmates and
   instructor
·      Examine works by other artists that relate to their process
·      Identify elements and principles of design in the world around them and translate
   these into paintings
·      Create five paintings
·      Develop our thinking and writing skills through personal reflections and aesthetic   
   inquiry

Attendance and LatenessAttendance is mandatory and essential to your performance.  There is no substitute for working and participating in class. Three absences are grounds for a failing grade.
    
Please be on time. Class begins promptly at 6:10 p.m. Two tardies can be counted as one absence.  If you will have an ongoing scheduling conflict, please discuss it with me at the beginning of the semester. Note that parking is always an issue, so allow time to find a space or take public transportation.

Make-Up Policy: As a student in this course, it is your responsibility to make certain you obtain information covered, should you miss a session. This syllabus and our blog have the information you need to know what we are working on and what it due. Previously-absent students must come to the following class with all of the appropriate work finished for that class.
    
GradingIndividual grades will be given for each of the four first paintings and averaged to make up 40% of your grade.  Class participation/attendance will count as 5% and your written assignments/reflections will count for another 15%. Your final project will count for 20% of your grade. Bringing in a self-portrait photo or landscape for the last project will count for 10%. Your exam will count 10%. Two unexcused absences will lower your grade by one letter grade. (From a B to a C, for, instance.)

Sample Rubrics for Fruit Still Life painting:

To receive a D, make a painting as assigned from observation

To receive a C, make a painting as assigned from observation and show that you can make it three-dimensional using light and dark colors

To receive a B, make a painting as assigned, from observation, show that you can create a three-dimensional effect using light and dark and show that you understand how to mix and blend colors for shading and use composition to good effect

To receive an A, make a painting as assigned from observation, show that you can create a three-dimensional effect using light and dark, show that you understand how to mix and blend color and show that you can create texture and surface qualities, understand and employ thoughtful composition, background, middle ground and foreground, while, at the same time, you are also developing your own style

Supplies: See below. Materials and supplies for this class are not inexpensive but if you take care of them, they will last a long time. We will discuss how to approach buying the materials the first class.  You must come prepared to work every week, with all the materials you need. Do not expect other students to lend you paint, brushes and canvases!!!

Writing Help: You may want to refer to a very helpful website operated by Purdue University: http://owl.english.edu 
The format to use is the MLA one and they have many resources available to help you make your writing better.


Sessions:
    
1/31         Introduction and Syllabus; Group Abstraction Project

2/7           Introduction to the Still Life and Nuts on Bolts on Clean-up. Tonal Still Life (Painting 1). Bring canvas or canvas board (12 x 16" or so), rags, black, white and burnt umber paint, turpenoid, brushes of different sizes  as below on supply sheet), at least one jar for turp, your palette, brush cleaner and lots of rags!    

2/14    Finish Tonal Still Life (Painting 1)Reflection/Writing sheet #1 due next week.

2/21    Introduction to Color. Begin Fruit Still Life (Painting 2).  Bring small canvas or canvas board no bigger than 12 x 16", palette, brushes, rags, turpenoid, brush cleaner and all your colors.

2/28    Fruit Still Life (Painting 2), continued and completed. Be prepared to work. Reflection/Writing sheet #2 due next week.

3/7      Critique on First Two Paintings (1 & 2) at 6:10 p.m. followed by
Introduction to Abstraction and Texture. Begin Abstraction (Painting 3). Bring canvas or canvas board no bigger than 12” x 16", palette, brushes, rags, turpenoid, brush cleaner and all your colors.

3/14    Continue and finish Abstraction (Painting 3).  Reflection/Writing sheet #3 due next week.

3/21    Introduction to Painting Surfaces and Creating Excellent Composition in your work. Unusual Still Life (Painting 4) begun. Bring in canvas or canvas board 14”x 18” or 16” x 20” and all supplies.

3/28    Continue work on your Unusual Still Life (Painting 4).       

4/4      Continue and finish working on Unusual Still Life (Painting 4). Reflection sheet #4 due next week.  Bring in as homework a photo of a landscape you took yourself and want to paint OR a self-portrait photo. They need to be printed out in color from a computer printer (not just on your phone). This homework assignment will be graded and count a full 10% of your grade. If you have an A average and don’t do this assignment, your grade will go down!!! Take this seriously. Bring in canvas 14 x 18 or 16 x 20 for last painting.

NO CLASSES FOR TWO WEEKS! QCC CLOSED.

4/25     Critique on Paintings 3 & 4. Introduction to Landscape Painting/Portrait Painting. Begin Landscape or Portrait (Painting 5). 

5/2      Continue working on Landscape/Portrait (Painting 5).

5/9      Landscape/Portrait (Painting #5).  Reflection Sheets handed out and due next week.

5/16    Final Critique on last painting (5) and exam.


"ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
 As stated in the current college catalog, any student who needs specific accommodations based on the impact of a disability should register with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) to be eligible for accommodations, which are determined on an individual basis. The SSD office is located in the Science Building, room S-132 (718-631-6257). Students should also contact their instructor privately to discuss their specific needs."

    
Supplies
I use Dick Blick or Utrecht (online). Michael’s is expensive, except for when canvases are on sale or there are special deals.

Apron or old shirt to use as smock. You will ruin your clothes otherwise!

Container for paints such as a large shoebox, tackle box or canvas tote.

A glass jar or two with a lid for turpenoid. Label with your name.

Soft pencil 4B and eraser (optional)

Scissors (optional)

RAGS: LOTS OF THEM! OLD COTTON BEDSHEETS RIPPED UP, OLD WHITE T-SHIRTS, ETC. NOTHING WITH A NAP, LIKE A TOWEL.

Turpenoid in the BLUE AND WHITE container (not the green one)

Master’s Brush Cleaner

Brushes: DON’T BUY CHEAP SETS…THEY ARE USUALLY A RIP-OFF. Get soft, sable or sableline, Wonder Whites (from Blick), not the stiff hogs-hair kind. Those are harder to control and clean. If you take care of your brushes, they will last a long time.

Minimum Brushes Needed:
BRIGHT SOFT (not bristly) BRUSHES: Choose at least 6 brushes (smalls (0, 1, 2, 4), mediums (6, 8, 10, 12), bigger ones (14, 16, 20, 24)
              
At least 1 ROUND brush smallish (0, 1, 2)
                  
Optional Brushes:  filberts, flats, a fan brush

Palette knife

Palette—Palette paper tear-off pads are fine (12” x 16”gives you enough mixing room)

Paint
Oil is preferable for beginners. If you have to use acrylic, see me. I use Gamblin Paints, but Windsor and Newton, Utrecht, and Grumbacher are also good. The best student grade oil paint is WINTON.

Basic Beginning Colors
37 ml tubes of:

Cadmium Red Medium
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Alizarin Crimson
Ultramarine Blue
Permanent Green Light
Viridian Green
Burnt Umber
Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre
Burnt Sienna
Ivory Black
Large 150ml tube of Titanium White



Optional Colors:
Cadmium Orange
Cerulean
Terra Verte Green or Hooker’s Green
Dioxazine Violet
Magenta
Raw Umber
Payne’s Gray

Supports—stretched canvases or canvas boards or a combination thereof to total 5-6 canvases in all:
3-12” x 16”
1 or 2-14” x 18”
1 or 2- 16” x 20”

Optional Fold-Up Table Easel (Black kind is best)

Earphones, ipod if you want to “zone out” while painting
























Checklist for Success—Prof. Healy-Painting 161

Name________________________________________________________________

Attendance and Lateness: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Prepared: Supplies Brought (Including RAGS!!!)
­___ Week 2
___ Week 3
___ Week 4
___ Week 5
___ Week 6
___ Week 7
___ Week 8
___ Week 9
___ Week 10
___ Week 11
___ Week 12
___ Week 13
___ Week 14

___ Tonal Painting #1
___ Reflection #1
___ Fruit Still Life Painting #2
___ Reflection #2
___ Abstraction Painting #3
___ Reflection #3
___ Unusual Still Life Painting #4
___ Reflection #4
___ Printout of Image for Painting #5 (10%) A or F
___ Landscape/Portrait Painting #5
___ Reflection #5
___ Exam (10%)


Participation Notes:





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