Current Visual Art Course Offerings at Solon High School
Introduction to Art Survey: This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to Art and Art making. Students will be exposed to a variety of media and will be encouraged to explore new techniques and processes. Projects and media may include but will not be limited to oil pastels, graphite drawing, fabric dyeing, plaster sculpture and watercolor painting. Students will also begin to build an understanding of how to critique Artwork. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Drawing: This course will provide students with the opportunity to build knowledge of basic drawing and drafting techniques. Students will develop their understanding of line, value, composition, contour, and perspective. Class activities and projects are designed to encourage students to demonstrate different techniques to achieve desired appearance and aesthetic, as well as to express their creativity. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Ceramics: This course will assist students in building knowledge and understanding of basic hand building and throwing techniques that will enable them to create pottery with function and meaning. Hand-building techniques will include pinch, coil and slab, as well as various additive and subtractive sculptural techniques. Students will demonstrate different glazing techniques to achieve desired appearance aesthetic, as well as to express their creativity. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Painting: This course will provide students with the opportunity to build basic painting techniques and develop their understanding of color theory and properties. Students will experience painting from still life arrangements, photographs, and original imaginative compositions. Students will primarily use acrylic paint with possible introductions to watercolor and/or aerosol paints. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Digital Photography: This course will introduce students to producing imagery with a digital camera. Students will build knowledge of basic digital photography techniques that will enable them to produce work that exhibits technical, compositional, and conceptual skills. There will be a strong emphasis on understanding exposure manipulation through use of lens aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. Students will also be introduced to basic image manipulation and enhancement in Adobe Photoshop. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Advanced Drawing & Painting (Offered Once Per Year): This course will build upon the knowledge and skills gained in Drawing 1 & Painting 1. While a strong emphasis on the basic elements of drawing will remain, students will be expected to solve more complicated and advanced visual problems. Students will also be introduced to a wider variety of media that may include charcoal, pastel, watercolor, acrylics and oil paints. Exploration of drawing from multiple sources such as life, photograph, and the student’s imagination will be encouraged. Students will also be encouraged to search for their own individual creative identity as many of the projects will be self-directed and open-ended. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Advanced Ceramics (Offered Once Per Year): This course will build upon the knowledge and skills gained in Ceramics 1. Students will continue to develop their skills in hand building and wheel throwing. Class exercises and projects will demand that students explore solutions to more complicated and challenging visual problems. Students will demonstrate different glazing techniques to achieve desired appearance aesthetic, as well as to express their creativity. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Advanced Digital Photography & Imaging (Offered Once Per Year): This course will build upon the knowledge gained in Digital Photography 1. Students will continue to develop their knowledge of digital photography techniques that will enable them to produce work that exhibits technical, compositional, and conceptual skills. Students will be encouraged to explore unique and innovative techniques to manipulate exposure through use of lens aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. This course will emphasize the use of Adobe Photoshop for extensive digital enhancement and manipulation. Students will be encouraged to search for their own individual creative identity as many of the projects will be self-directed and open-ended. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Graphic Design (Offered Once Per Year): This course introduces students to Adobe Illustrator and its applications in graphic communication and design. Class activities include projects to explore the Adobe Illustrator tools as they apply to object (vector) based files, as well as Adobe Illustrator filters and layers. Students practice basic drawing and tracing techniques, create line art, logos and learn to simplify artwork through stylizing. Creative use of type is also explored. Students learn to save and manage files, and how files interact with page layout and paint (raster) programs. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Independent Art Studio (Prior Approval from Instructor is Required): This course is designed for students to develop and polish a particular and specific area of interest in the Visual Arts. Emphasis in this course is firmly placed on individual creative voice and expression. Although there will be frequent student-teacher critiques and discussions, students enrolled in this program are expected to be very independent and self-directed. Only students that have successfully completed at least one semester worth of Art courses will be considered for enrollment. Consent of the instructor prior to registration is required.
Drawing: This course will provide students with the opportunity to build knowledge of basic drawing and drafting techniques. Students will develop their understanding of line, value, composition, contour, and perspective. Class activities and projects are designed to encourage students to demonstrate different techniques to achieve desired appearance and aesthetic, as well as to express their creativity. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Ceramics: This course will assist students in building knowledge and understanding of basic hand building and throwing techniques that will enable them to create pottery with function and meaning. Hand-building techniques will include pinch, coil and slab, as well as various additive and subtractive sculptural techniques. Students will demonstrate different glazing techniques to achieve desired appearance aesthetic, as well as to express their creativity. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Painting: This course will provide students with the opportunity to build basic painting techniques and develop their understanding of color theory and properties. Students will experience painting from still life arrangements, photographs, and original imaginative compositions. Students will primarily use acrylic paint with possible introductions to watercolor and/or aerosol paints. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Digital Photography: This course will introduce students to producing imagery with a digital camera. Students will build knowledge of basic digital photography techniques that will enable them to produce work that exhibits technical, compositional, and conceptual skills. There will be a strong emphasis on understanding exposure manipulation through use of lens aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. Students will also be introduced to basic image manipulation and enhancement in Adobe Photoshop. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Advanced Drawing & Painting (Offered Once Per Year): This course will build upon the knowledge and skills gained in Drawing 1 & Painting 1. While a strong emphasis on the basic elements of drawing will remain, students will be expected to solve more complicated and advanced visual problems. Students will also be introduced to a wider variety of media that may include charcoal, pastel, watercolor, acrylics and oil paints. Exploration of drawing from multiple sources such as life, photograph, and the student’s imagination will be encouraged. Students will also be encouraged to search for their own individual creative identity as many of the projects will be self-directed and open-ended. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Advanced Ceramics (Offered Once Per Year): This course will build upon the knowledge and skills gained in Ceramics 1. Students will continue to develop their skills in hand building and wheel throwing. Class exercises and projects will demand that students explore solutions to more complicated and challenging visual problems. Students will demonstrate different glazing techniques to achieve desired appearance aesthetic, as well as to express their creativity. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Advanced Digital Photography & Imaging (Offered Once Per Year): This course will build upon the knowledge gained in Digital Photography 1. Students will continue to develop their knowledge of digital photography techniques that will enable them to produce work that exhibits technical, compositional, and conceptual skills. Students will be encouraged to explore unique and innovative techniques to manipulate exposure through use of lens aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. This course will emphasize the use of Adobe Photoshop for extensive digital enhancement and manipulation. Students will be encouraged to search for their own individual creative identity as many of the projects will be self-directed and open-ended. Weekly class critiques will be conducted. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Graphic Design (Offered Once Per Year): This course introduces students to Adobe Illustrator and its applications in graphic communication and design. Class activities include projects to explore the Adobe Illustrator tools as they apply to object (vector) based files, as well as Adobe Illustrator filters and layers. Students practice basic drawing and tracing techniques, create line art, logos and learn to simplify artwork through stylizing. Creative use of type is also explored. Students learn to save and manage files, and how files interact with page layout and paint (raster) programs. Art History will be discussed daily with an exam at finals.
Independent Art Studio (Prior Approval from Instructor is Required): This course is designed for students to develop and polish a particular and specific area of interest in the Visual Arts. Emphasis in this course is firmly placed on individual creative voice and expression. Although there will be frequent student-teacher critiques and discussions, students enrolled in this program are expected to be very independent and self-directed. Only students that have successfully completed at least one semester worth of Art courses will be considered for enrollment. Consent of the instructor prior to registration is required.