Introduction to Drawing

Students in this course will gain the basic skills and insights necessary to create
drawings that are both accurate and expressive. Explorations of line, value and
form will engage the eye and the hand as well as the heart. Students will gain
confidence in their own vision and their ability to draw what they see.

Introduction to the Visual Arts

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the languages, concepts, and
practices of art through visual and art historical perspectives. Students will be
engaged in discussion about the elements of art, such as content, composition,
style, method and materials. Students will also be introduced to all of the visual
art practices, including drawing and painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography,
conceptual and installation art, video art, earthworks, and performance art, as
well as craft and graphic design.

Two-Dimensional Design
This course is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in two-
dimensional design and color theory. Students will learn the basic elements needed
to form visual patterns and proceed to explore a variety of approaches relating to
visual organization and pictorial composition. A section of the course will be
dedicated to the fundamentals of color theory, its function and application.

Three-Dimensional Design
This is a foundation course introducing the student to the technical and conceptual
elements for the organization and development of three-dimensional structures.
Beginning projects will address the basic elements needed to explore a variety of
approaches relating to form and space, then move to more complex issues involving
the relationships between form and function.

History of Modern Art

This course examines the origins and development of Modern Art from the French
Revolution in 1789 to the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Late 20th Century Art,
including Postmodernism, and trends in Contemporary Art are introduced. Emphasis is
placed on two-dimensional art, sculpture and architecture, and the creative
processes employed by modern artists. Students explore individual works of art
within their cultural and historical context.

Introduction to Oil Painting

An introduction to the basic techniques of oil painting, concentrating on the
principles of color and light. Using a variety of subject matter, students will
explore the problems of pictorial composition, color theory, oil-related mediums
and techniques.

Introduction to Watercolor
This course introduces the student to the basic watercolor techniques and use of
materials. It is a sequential program of study, applying the elements and
principles of Two-Dimensional design to the watercolor discipline. Students will
study still life, landscape, and the human form. Reference will be made to past and
contemporary masters of the watercolor medium. (Prerequisite: VRTS 101C with a
grade of �C� or higher.)

Introduction to Printmaking
This course introduces the student to the basic printmaking intaglio and relief
techniques and use of materials. It is a sequential program of study, applying the
elements and principles of two-dimensional design to the printmaking discipline.
The course is designed to give the student in-depth experimentation in creating
single and multi-plate prints while encouraging creative ideas and content.
Technical areas addressed include color registration, edition printing,
presentation and image development, ink and paper selection. Reference will be made
to past and contemporary masters of the printmaking medium (Prerequisite: VRTS 101C
with a grade of �C� or higher.)

Introduction to Photography
This introductory photography course is designed to familiarize students with basic
film photography and beginner darkroom techniques. Students are instructed in the
use and care of a 35mm manual film camera, film developing and darkroom printing
techniques. Assignments are designed to cover a variety of shooting situations and
the expectation is that students will apply the elements of composition, capture
expressive content and demonstrate proficient technical ability in the making of
photographs. Students should expect to provide their own 35mm film camera with full
manual controls. A $20 fee will be assessed for all students taking VRTS 130C to
cover the cost of chemicals used in this class and the disposal of these chemicals.

Digital Photography
This course addresses digital camera operation, a variety of file types, digital
photo editing and printing procedures. Digital camera capabilities will be learned
through a series of project-based assignments, lectures, demonstrations, and
critiques. Formal emphasis is placed on the creative use of camera controls,
composition, exposure, digital imaging software (including Lightroom and Adobe
Photoshop�) and an awareness of critical issues in contemporary photography.
Scanning and printing techniques will also be included. Students are required to
provide their own digital camera and media cards for storing image files. The
camera must be capable of full manual control and capturing RAW files. Although all
work can be accomplished on campus computers, a laptop computer suitable for
viewing/editing images and Adobe Photoshop software will facilitate additional work
outside of the scheduled lab time (but is not required).

Introduction to Photoshop
This course is structured to introduce students to the powerful tools of Photoshop
for manipulating digital images, photomontage and page layout applications. The
course topics cover Photoshop tools, photo corrections, working with selections,
and layer basics. The use of masks and channels, typographic design, and vector
drawing techniques are also covered. In addition, assignments will include advanced
compositing, basic video editing, digital painting and working with 3D images/text.
Textbook and portable media storage device required. (Prerequisite: working
knowledge of Microsoft Windows environment)

Introduction to Illustrator
This course is structured to introduce students to the powerful tools of Adobe
Illustrator (Ai) for manipulating images, building multimedia online graphics, and
creating page layout applications. Students learn skills and techniques for editing
images and creating effective digital graphics for a variety of online and print
applications. The course topics cover Illustrator tools, layers, typography,
digital painting, symbols/shapes, brushes, and graphic styles/effects.
(Prerequisite: Working knowledge of Microsoft Windows environment.)