Art and Design Explorations

Avon Lake City Schools 

Curriculum Framework

Art and Design Explorations

Course Overview:

This one semester studio course will explore fundamentals of visual art, the ‘creative process’ as an act of art- making, and develop problem-solving skills. Students will utilize traditional and non-traditional drawing, painting and other mark making mediums to create artworks. Students will learn to connect the creative process to other areas of study through self expression. There are no prerequisites for this course. This class meets one period daily for ½ unit of credit. 

Textbook (Title and Publishing Company): 

Online/Supplemental Materials:

Assessments: 

Guided project Rubrics

Student and class critiques

Content/Topics/Learning Goals

Subject to Pacing and Schedules

1st Quarter- 

Students will know/learn: 

  • Basic history of art

  • Intro to elements of art: Special Emphasis on Line

  • Intro in the ‘hierarchy’ of design:  Emphasis, Balance, Movement, Repetition

  • Into into pixel-based drawing:  Adobe Photoshop as drawing/painting tool

  • Use of sketchbook:  Contour LIne and Hatching for value

  • Digital Woodblock:  Monochrome design with Photoshop

  • Intro to Basic design principles:  Rule of thirds and Balance

  • Continue elements of art:  Shape, value, form, space, color, texture exercises

  • Color theory:  color wheel, color triads, RGB vs. RYB (additive/subtractive)

  • Chop project:  Basic personal graphics

  • Stencil design:  Creating Artisan Stickers - Variety and Unity of design

  • Semester Slides Student Portfolio:  Visual Journal of Student’s Work Pt. 1

  • Criticism of famous artworks (4 parts to an artwork: subject, content, context, form)

2nd Quarter- 

Students will know/learn:  

  • Critiquing student art

  • Still life:  Digital painting basics

  • Use of Sketchbook:  Importance of preliminary work

  • Principles of Design:  Movement, repetition, proportion, variety, and rhythm

  • Mixing color:  Opacity and blending

  • Portraiture in drawing and painting 

  • Final semester piece

  • Criticism of famous artworks (4 parts to an artwork: subject, content, context, form)

  • Semester Slides Student Portfolio:  Visual Journal of Student’s Work Pt. 2

  • Creating a final art portfolio and critique of a final/semester portfolio

3rd Quarter- 

  • Semester course….

4th Quarter -  

  • Semester course….

Last Updated:

September, 2023