Painting—Arts
161—Spring 2018
Wednesdays:
2:10 p.m. 5:50 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 Lateness: Attendance 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 2:10 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 as to what we are working on and when it is due. Previously-absent
students must come to the following class with all of the appropriate work
finished for that class.
Grading: Individual grades will be given for
each of your paintings and averaged to make up 60% of your
grade. Class participation/attendance will count as 10%, preparation
counts as 5% and your written assignments/reflections will count for another
10%. The Museum Paper will count 15%. Two unexcused absences will lower your
grade by one letter grade. (From a B to a C, for, instance.)
Rubrics will be given for each assignment.
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.
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Sessions:
Week 1: 1/31—Introduction and Syllabus; Supply Tutorial, Group Abstraction Project
Week 2: 2/7—Introduction to the Still Life with Power Point and
Demo. Also Nuts on Bolts on Clean-up. Tonal Ball (Painting 1).
Bring a square canvas or canvas board (12 x 12" or so), rags,
black, white and raw 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! Reflection Sheet #1 due next
week.
Week 3: 2/14— Introduction
to Color Power Point and Demo. Begin Fruit
Still Life (Painting 2). Bring smallish canvas
or canvas board—11 x 14, or 12 x 16, palette, brushes, rags, turpenoid, brush
cleaner and all your colors.
Week 4: 2/21— Fruit Still Life (Painting 2), continued and
completed. Be prepared to work. Reflection/Writing sheet #2 due
next week.
Week 5: 2/28— Critique/Assessment on First Two
Paintings (1 & 2) at 2:10 p.m. followed by Introduction to Texture Power Point & Demo.
Begin Textured Abstraction or Still Life (Painting 3).
Bring canvas or canvas board no bigger than 12” x 16", palette, brushes,
rags, turpenoid, brush cleaner and all your colors.
Week 6: 3/7 – Snow Day--School Cancelled
Week 7: 3/14— Continue and finish Textured Abstraction or Still Life (Painting 3). Reflection Sheet #3 due next week.
Week 8: NO CLASS 3/21--COMP TIME FOR MUSEUM TRIP
Week 9: 3/28— Introduction to the Landscape Power Point & Demo. Begin Landscape, (Painting 4). Bring in canvas or canvas board, 14 x 18” or 16 x 20” and all supplied.Finish your Figure or Body Part (Painting
4). Bring landscape photo
or photos to the next class. Reflection #4 due next class.
SCHOOL CLOSED for Easter Break from 3/30—4/8; No Class on 4/4
April 11—Conversion Day—No Class—School is on a Friday Schedule
Week 10: 4/18—Landscape, Continued.
Week 11: 4/25—Landscape, Continued and/or Begin Free Choice Painting: Still Life/Figure/Landscape (Painting #5)
Week 12: 5/2—Finish Free Choice: Still Life/ Figure/Landscape, (Painting #5). Museum Assignment Due. Reflections # 4 &5 due next week.
Week 13: 5/9—Introduction to the Figure Power Point & Demo. Model Available. Begin Figure or Body Part (Painting 6). Bring in canvas or canvas board 14”x 18” or 16” x 20” and all supplies.
Week 14: 5/16—Model Available. Finish Painting #6. Critique last hour.
"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
Expectations: 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!!!)
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Week 2
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Week 3
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Week 4
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Week 5
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Week 6
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Week 7
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Week 8
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Week 9
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Week 10
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Week 11
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Week 14
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Tonal Painting #1
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Reflection #1
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Fruit Still Life Painting #2
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Reflection #2
___ Texture
Painting #3
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Reflection #3
___ Figure/Body
Painting #4
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Reflection #4
___ Landscape
Painting #5
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Reflection #5
___ Free Choice
___ Free Choice Reflection
Participation
Notes:
Reflection Sheet
Name____________________________________________________________
Painting Assignment________________________________________________
Briefly describe the experience of making this work:
Did
anything surprise you? Frustrate you? Discuss.
If you had to make this work over again, how would you change it?
What do you want to concentrate on learning in your next painting?
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