Painting 

Division:  Upper School

Department: Fine and Performing Arts:  Visual Arts

Course Title/Code:  Painting   Art 421

Grades 9-12

Winter Trimester

Course Description: This course introduces students to the painting medium through the use of acrylic and oil paints. The emphasis is on color mixing and basic application techniques. Assignments are focused primarily on still-life set-ups and other representational subjects. Students are encouraged to research the work of other artists to learn about a variety of painting techniques. Towards the trimester’s end, projects will become more expressive and open-ended in format.

Goals: The goal of this class is for students to gain proficiency and  confidence with painting media. Students will have a strong foundation in color-mixing and application techniques. Students will also gain skills that will allow them to critique and analyze works of art.

Skills:

• Students will gain confidence and proficiency with acrylic and oil painting media.
• Students will learn how to mix colors (in paint) that they observe in the natural world.
• Students will maintain a sketchbook of exercises related to class projects.
• Students will develop the ability to express themselves creatively through the painting process.
• Students will develop their skills of creative problem solving.
• Students will learn to understand and appreciate paintings by various artists produced throughout art history.

Assessment Methods:

·         In class projects

·         Sketchbook assignments

·         Quizzes and handouts

·         Participation 

GRADING :

60%: In-Class projects

30%  Sketchbook assignments

10%  Class participation. You will be assigned a participation grade twice this trimester. Be on time, clean up well, be polite, try your best to get an “A”

Cleaning Brushes

Brushes are our friends and are generally quite expensive friends. They must be treated very carefully and gently or you will have bad brush karma and it will show up in your paintings.

1.       Brushes should be cleaned in tepid, not hot water. Cleaning brushes with hot water will eventually melt the adhesive that holds the bristles in the handle.

2.       To clean a brush, make a lather of soap in the palm of your hand and gently work the brush in the lather.

3.       Brushes should always be stored handle side down. This is very important! 

Acrylic Paint Usage Rules

1.       Acrylic paint is liquid plastic and will harden like a plastic when it dries. It generally does not come out of clothing. It “peels” off the skin rather than rubbing off.

2.       Wooden Popsicle sticks should be used as palette knives. Use the sticks to get acrylic paint out of large paint containers. Do not mix colors; For example, do not place a stick with blue paint into the white paint jar.

3.       Always dip the dry paintbrush in water before dipping it into paint.

4.       Put a modest amount of paint onto your palette at one time to avoid wasting paint.

5.       Continually spray your palette with water while working.

6.       Clean painting water when it becomes muddy.

7.       Avoid “scrubbing” the brush into the painting.

8.       Be sure to cover your palette adequately so that it does not dry out between classes.  

Vocabulary

Composition: The arrangements of objects/elements on the picture plane. 

Complementary colors: Colors that are opposites on the color wheel 

Analogous colors: Colors that are next to one another on the color wheel. 

Gesso: White acrylic paint used to prime canvas and wood to prevent rotting.

Gel Medium: A gloss or matte clear medium that can be mixed with acrylic paint to increase translucency 

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

Dominance / Focal Point: Stress laid upon any area, significance given to any part of a design. Emphasis is created by 1) contrast  2) isolation  3) placement  4) degree of emphasis /accent/ subordinate focal point                                  

Balance: The equilibrium of opposing or interacting forces in a pictorial composition.                                

Proportion: The comparison of elements of one to another in terms of their properties of size, quantity, and degree of emphasis. Proportion can be expressed in terms of a definite ratio, such as “twice as big,” or can be more loosely indicated in expressions as “darker than,’ or “more important than.”             

Variety: The use of opposing, contrasting, changing, elaborating, or diversifying elements in a composition to add individualism and interest.  

Unity: The degree of agreement existing among the elements in a design.                                            

Repetition/ Rhythm: The recurrence of elements at regular intervals. 

Contrast: Use of opposites in close proximity (light and dark, rough and smooth).  

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN           

Line: A visual element of length. It can be created by setting a point in motion. 

Shape: A visually perceived area created either by an enclosing line or by color and value changes defining the outer edges. 

Texture: The surface quality of an object that appeals to the tactile sense. Can be actual or implied.  

Value: A measure of relative lightness or darkness. COLOR HAS VALUE.

Space: Can be shallow, moderate, deep or infinite. Consider the foreground, middle ground, and background of the picture plane. 

A: Excellent/ Commendable Quality

- It shows obvious evidence of thinking and care.
- It may address fairly complex visual and/or conceptual ideas.
- It has some sense of inventiveness and/or imagination.
- Materials are used well. Craftsmanship is strong.
- There may be evidence of experimentation and/or risk-taking.
- Composition is purposeful.
- There is strong evidence of awareness of style and format - a sense of informed decision-making.  

B: Good quality

- It is fairly confident.
-The level of the work may be inconsistent, but the work is strong enough to offset its weaknesses.
- There is successful engagement with some aspects of technique and/or materials.
- Most technical aspects are successful; materials are generally handled well.
- Composition is generally purposeful.  

C: Moderate Quality

- Work shows a sense of real effort, but problems are not successfully resolved.
- Technique may be erratic, with little or no sense of challenge.
- In contrast to work that receives a D, there is at least some sense of artistic decision-making 

D: Poor Quality

- There is little, if any, evidence of thinking.
- Technique is very poor.
- Work shows a lack of awareness of tools/media.
- Solutions tend to be trite.
- Composition is very poor, or doesn't appear to have been considered. 

F: Incomplete/Missing

(rubric adapted from J. Begonia, Southern Regional H.S.)

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