Mater Dei's Visual Arts Department

Course Length: Year 

Grade Level: 9-12

A-G Designation: “F” – Visual & Performing Arts
Prerequisites: None

This course will introduce the student to the composition of art in terms of the basic elements of art: Line, shape/form, value, texture, space, and color as well as the principles of design:  Unity, balance, rhythm and variation.  Emphasis will be placed on learning skills and techniques to develop the student’s creative ability as well as observational drawing skills and the use of technology in art production. The course is designed for students of all skill levels. Media used include pencil, ink, charcoal, oil pastels, colored pencils, acrylic paint and watercolors.  Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

Students will further explore their understanding of the elements and principles of art. The curriculum will include advanced media exploration, creative expression and problem solving.  Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

 

This course is designed for students who are committed to improving their skills in visual art and are planning to take AP Studio Art 2D or Drawing and/or pursue art in college and a career in art. Advanced Studio Art students will work at an advanced skill level using a variety of artistic mediums. The class will focus on the strengthening of independent thinking and creativity, the development of personal style and technique, as well as critical thinking skills through problem solving. Some studio work will be related to the study of historical art movements or artists and cultural studies. Students will participate in preparing and exhibiting their work in public. Students will do written analysis and critique of their own art and other artists, and review gallery and museum visits.

 

Materials and tools fee charged for this class.  AP test fee. 

This advanced art course will develop individual skills to meet Advanced Placement Portfolio requirements. For the 2-D portfolio, students will explore advanced techniques in graphic design, photography and/or digital art submitting art, images and writing to document their inquiry-guided investigation through practice, experimentation and revision.

The portfolio is divided into the following categories that the student must complete before the exam. 

SUSTAINED INVESTIGATION: (60% of exam score) A minimum of 15 digital images that include works of art, design and process. Typed responses to prompts, providing information about the questions that guided their investigation and how they practiced, experiments and revised their work accordingly.

SELECTED WORKS: (40% of exam score) Students will select five physical works that best demonstrate their highest level of accomplishment in drawing and painting in relation to their inquiry-guided investigation along with written responses on paper detailing the materials, processes and ideas used. 

 

Materials and tools fee charged for this class.  AP test fee. 

This advanced art course will develop individual skills to meet Advanced Placement Portfolio requirements. For the Drawing Portfolio, students will explore advanced drawing and painting techniques, submitting art, images and writing to document their inquiry-guided investigation through practice, experimentation and revision. The portfolio is divided into the following categories that the student must complete before the exam. 

SUSTAINED INVESTIGATION: (60% of exam score) A minimum of 15 digital images that include works of art, design and process. Typed responses to prompts, providing information about the questions that guided their investigation and how they practiced, experiments and revised their work accordingly.

SELECTED WORKS: (40% of exam score) Students will select five physical works that best demonstrate their highest level of accomplishment in drawing and painting in relation to their inquiry-guided investigation along with written responses on paper detailing the materials, processes and ideas used.

 

This course is a class in the basic elements and principles of design as they are applied to graphic design and digital media.  The course includes an introduction to the role of art movements in design and to the use of design in other cultures.  Students will learn two-dimensional applications of design concepts, critical thinking and problem-solving skills while providing training in the use of the computer programs Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

 

This is a year-long, advanced course in digital art and graphic design. Students will learn to apply the elements and principles of art in two-dimensional computer-generated imagery. Students will learn to integrate and organize text and computer graphics into design, edit and manipulate photography, and draw and paint digitally. Students will gain understanding of artists and art styles that have impacted commercial and fine art. This course provides continued training in the computer programs Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

 

Honors Graphic Design 3 is intended for highly motivated students who wish to continue their education in the Graphic Design and Digital Art fields.

This year long course will build upon the foundational elements and principles of visual communication introduced in prior classes. Students will learn to apply the elements and principles of art in two-dimensional computer-generated imagery. Students will learn to integrate and organize text and computer graphics into design, edit and manipulate photography, and draw and paint digitally. Students will gain understanding of artists and art styles that have impacted commercial and fine art. This course provides continued training in the computer programs Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Additionally, students will be required to analyze and write about their works of art and the artwork of others. Students will participate in formal written and oral class critiques. Students will create a portfolio of work that may be used as part of an AP Studio Art portfolio in Drawing or 2D Design, and/or used for an art supplement when applying to college. Materials and tools fee charged for this course.

 

This class is designed to introduce students to the history, skills and techniques of traditional animation. Emphasis will be placed on the elements and principle of art, design and communication and how these fundamentals connect with the narrative art of animation.  Topics of the class will also include gesture drawing, character design, storyboarding and the use of technology in art production. Materials and tools fee charged for this course.

This course develops the skills and techniques necessary for traditional animation. Honors Animation 2 emphasizes the history of animation, advanced animation techniques and the production cycle for animation, specifically: story, character design, environment design and storyboarding. Students will study art theory such as: composition, line, rhythm, movement and color and apply it to the work they create.  The course will culminate with a student made short feature and the preparation of a portfolio of their artwork and animations. Materials and tools fee charged for this course.   

 

This course is a class in the basic elements and principles of art as they are applied to digital photography. Students will learn the basic concepts of taking photographs and how to use a digital camera. The course includes an introduction to the history of photography and to noted photographers of the 19th century up to present day.  Students will learn photography terms and techniques, how to print and mat work, and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students will also be introduced to digital imagery manipulation through the use of Adobe Photoshop. Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

 

This is an advanced class in digital photography. Students will continue to study the elements and principles of art, refine and explore photographic techniques and develop skill in photo editing software to improve the appearance of their images. Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

 

This is an advanced class in digital photography designed for students planning to enroll in AP Studio Art the following year, or pursuing Photography as a course of study in college or as a career. Advanced students will further develop their photography skills through the practice of a variety of techniques and mediums. The class will also focus on strengthening the young artists’ independent thinking, creativity and personal style. Materials and Tools Fee charged for this course.

 

This college preparatory course is an introduction to ceramics that will cover basic hand building techniques; coil, pinch, slab, relief and subtractive sculpture methods.  Projects will emphasize problem solving and an introduction to the elements and principles of art as they relate to three-dimensional design.  The course will also focus on Ceramics as a form of expression that can be both utilitarian and sculptural.  In addition, the curriculum will include aesthetic perception through the design, creation and written evaluation of projects created.  Students will research various cultures and the pottery created by them, as well as contemporary ceramic artists and evaluate the aesthetics of their work.  Students will research, using in class materials, the school library and the internet to broaden their knowledge about each assignment.  The iPad will be used to photograph and self -assess each assignment with regards to design, execution, construction, and aesthetics. Each student is required to submit their best work to the all school art show in the spring. Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

 

This year long advanced course includes further exploration of hand building and finishing techniques to solve complex three-dimensional problems.  Problems will require both sculptural and utilitarian solutions, but the focus will be more on Ceramics as a sculptural mode of expression, with regard to interpreting three-dimensional spaces and sculpture as social commentary.  Students will be required to write about their intent and well as their experience with regards to the outcome of finished work.  Students will be required to research contemporary ceramic artists and to visit local art galleries that showcase three-dimensional art and share their experience with the class.  Each student is required to submit one or more of their best work from the year to the all school art show in the spring. Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

 

This course is designed to teach students both the theory and applications of Ceramics at a more advanced level than Ceramics II.  Students will research, design and submit written evaluations of their process, and execution for each project.    It is expected that each advanced student continue to visit local art galleries that showcase three-dimensional art and share their experience with the class.  Juniors in Ceramics III who plan on taking AP Studio Art 3D Design are creating a body of work aimed at fulfilling the breadth section of that portfolio. Materials and tools fee charged for this course. 

 

Materials and tools fee charged for this class.  AP test fee.

This advanced art course will develop individual skills to meet Advanced Placement Portfolio requirements. For the Three-dimensional Portfolio, students will explore advanced sculptural issues of form, space, volume, and mass using sculptural methods of subtraction, fabrication, and manipulation, submitting art, images and writing to document their inquiry-guided investigation through practice, experimentation and revision.

The portfolio is divided into the following categories that the student must complete before the exam. 

SUSTAINED INVESTIGATION: (60% of exam score) A minimum of 15 digital images that include works of art, design and process. Typed responses to prompts, providing information about the questions that guided their investigation and how they practiced, experiments and revised their work accordingly.

SELECTED WORKS: (40% of exam score) Students will select five physical works that best demonstrate their highest level of accomplishment in drawing and painting in relation to their inquiry-guided investigation along with written responses on paper detailing the materials, processes and ideas used.

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 forms, constructing understanding of individual works and interconnections of art-making processes and products throughout history. Fee charged for AP Test Exam.  All students are required to take the AP Exam.