Variable Topics in Drawing

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Be receptive to working collaboratively as well as independently
• Develop an indexical understanding of mark through responses to: the observable world; to prompts; to non-visual senses such as touch, hearing, and smell and the registration of the passage of time
• Demonstrate a value of and investment in the classroom peer community of artists and learn to take themselves and each other’s artistic aspirations seriously, including budgeting time with a minimum of 6 hours per week of out of class worktime (homework)
• Generate momentum in practice through iterative approaches to observational drawing, identifying drawing rules and/or rules or constants for themselves that can be used to hypothesize invention, adaptation and change in the trajectory of an individually guided body of drawing work, including engaging with practices of indeterminacy, time-constraint and self-designated limitations
• Begin to develop an understanding of the principles that they use to characterize a language of abstraction arrived at through observational iterative drawing
• Build and work from a diorama and challenge the rules of visual scale, proportion and assumed physical governing laws of the world: gravity, directionality, time and speed
• Keep a detailed sketchbook and notebook of ideas and information as part of their visual practice and in response to lecture and critique
• Be comfortable using collage as a strategy and method in drawing
• Make serial investigations from the source as well as serial responses to their own drawings
• Demonstrate initiative and earnest, time-intensive engagement with all facets of studio drawing practice including ideation through writing and sketching; material acquisition; time investment outside of class (6 hours minimum); focused and thoughtful demonstration of readiness in critique and discussion; receptivity to critique and ability to respond in subsequent drawings to critique

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Artistic work ethic (attendance, preparation, willingness to take risks, response to criticism)	35%
Commitment to quality in all classwork and assignments (acceptance of criticism, presentation, advancement, engagement, investment in written and reading assignments)	50%
Presentation of final project and final portfolio	15%

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance is Mandatory; a large portion of your grade will be based on your participation in class and this time cannot be made-up for. You are allowed two absences during the semester; every third and subsequent absence will result in a full grade deduction from your final grade.

Tardiness will not be tolerated. You must be present and set-up when class time begins. The instructor will not take time out of class to explain missed information due to tardiness. Lectures at the beginning of class vary in time and may include slides or other visual materials which will not be posted on Canvas. Canvas is used to send class announcements and sometimes explain homework in more detail. Students are responsible for taking notes in class that will inform the requirements for homework assignments.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

• 18”x24” drawing paper (pad) for wet and dry media, nice weight paper, not thin or flimsy
• 18x24" pad of Newsprint
• A viewfinder (3”x4” with a window)
• A Sketchbook 9”x11” or 11”x14” (Strathmore mixed media weight paper)
• GRAPHITE Drawing Pencils 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, and 6B
• Charcoal Pencil HB, 2B, 4B, and 6B (hard, medium, soft and extra-soft)
• 1 Lithography Crayon (or China Marker)
• Masking Tape
• Vine charcoal (soft/ medium) several large packets
• One package (12 sticks) (Alpha color Char kole)
• Large Kneaded Eraser
• White Staedtler Eraser
• Workable Spray Fix
• Pencil Sharpener
• Several plastic cups (4) for water and ink (drinking water cups are fine)
• Sumi ink Brushes (bamboo handles / 3 sizes)
• Small tube of each: Mars or Ivory Black and Titanium White Acrylic Paint
• Black Waterproof India Ink
• Some sort of media that deals with color (pastels, watercolor or gouache, colored pencils, oil-sticks etc.)
• Craft Exacto Knife with extra blades
• Glue: PVA / acid free bookbinding glue
• Specialty Paper: Large roll of Lennox, 48”x24’ paper