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Art 3: Portfolio Development Honors/APRiver Hill High School Art Department

2011-2012

Course Syllabus

Course DescriptionsThe portfolio is a vehicle through which students synthesize knowledge they have gained of art

appreciation and media exploration. To that end, Art 3 students will create work of the highest possible

quality: work that documents a range of technical, formal, and expressive experiences, and work that

begins to focus on a particular interest or problem. Art 3 students are expected to work beyond

scheduled periods and to take the responsibility to leave the art room if the assignment requires.

Students will maintain a sketchbook/journal. Art 3 students who are registered for Advanced Placement

credit are expectedto take the A.P. exam in May. Bear in mind that these students will be required to

meet the National Advanced Placement Board requirements, which may require additional work

beyond the requirements of this course.It is exceedingly difficult for an Art 3 student enrolled for one-credit to pass the Advanced Placement Studio Exam. Students and parents are asked to carefully

consider the level that best suits the students academic and artistic goals. Students taking the AP

Studio Exam will be required to create a digital Portfolio via Flickr, to write an additional artist

statement, and willat all times throughout the yeardemonstrate exceptionalcommitment to

creating art for this course.

Course ObjectivesIn this course you will build a portfolio of work that can be used for college admission and for

advanced placement credit.

If you are in Art 3 you will develop your abilities to:

1. Develop creative responses to given art problems through research, discussion and

experimentation.

2. Maintain a sketchbook journal that demonstrates personal expression through the use of visual

images, collected materials and written commentary.

3. Engage in collaboration and continuing critical dialogue with artists, instructor and peer mentors.

4. Compose an artists statement that reflects aesthetic choices and a personal direction developed

over a period of time.

5. Identify and evaluate how artistic behaviors and problems solving skills are essential components

for success in a variety of career fields.

6. Recognize and apply technical approaches through the use of a variety of media to develop arepertoire of visual experiences with a sense of quality.

7. Analyze and apply ways contemporary and master artists and cultures use concepts and ideas in a

theme or series for the development of personal artwork.

8. Analyze and apply ways contemporary and master artists approach subject matter from direct

observation.

9. Maintain a sketchbook/journal that incorporates personal expression through visual, collected and

written commentary to employ as a reference and to generate future ideas.

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10. Demonstrate independent pursuit of art making based on guided instruction in the development of

a portfolio.

11. Maintain and refine digital portfolio of personal artworks for the purpose of participating in a

web-based community.

In addition Art 3 AP students will:

1. Establish criteria to be used in the development of personal artwork and defend artistic choices

using sophisticated vocabulary.2. Engage in periodic portfolio critiques to assess strengths/needs to develop criteria for further art

works.

3. Recognize, provide, and accept constructive criticism for personal artistic development and peer

mentoring.

4. Demonstrate independent pursuit of art making based on guided instruction in the development of

a portfolio.

5. Analyze, evaluate and prepare personal portfolios to meet specific criteria for further educational

and career goals, (AP, college entrance, work resume).

6. Select and apply materials and techniques to identify their potential in visual statements and

develop mastery in their use.7. Maintain aPersonal Portfolio Plan, which will be attached to the inside of your portfolio folder.

Your will be required to update the table of contents before submitting your work for a grade at

the end of a marking period.

Requirements for the PortfolioThere are three essentials to every portfolio:

1.The portfolio work will be of the highest possible quality.

2.The portfolio work will document a range of technical, formal, and expressive experiences.

3.The portfolio work will begin to focus on a particular interest, theme or problem.

In the building of the best possible portfolio, this course will focus on interpreting your own

experiences, primarily through observation and experimentation. At the end of the term, the work in

your portfolio should demonstrate your ability to do the following:

Think creatively.

Think critically.

Take risks.

Interpret the world around you.

Experiment with techniques and concepts in a visual journal.

Create a composition.

Work in diverse media.Depict light.

Depict space.

Handle color.

Draw/Paint what you see.

Respond to or reinterpret works of master artists and artists from other cultures.

Develop a series of thematically related works.

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HomeworkAs this is a Honors/Advanced Placement course, a minimum ofthree hours of outside work is

expected each week. Most often, for each marking period there will be three assignments, each taking

nine or more hours to complete. As the long-term homework assignment allows for the greatest

individual interpretation and creative problem solving, the expectation is substantial. Significantly,

these are also the works that colleges tend to be MOST interested in because the homework problems

have the greatest latitude for personal interpretation. Therefore these works areprimarily responsible

for getting you into the college-level art program of your choice. The homework is given more weight

than individual classwork assignments. Therefore, any student not submitting homeworkor

submitting hastily-prepared homeworkwill be unlikely to pass that marking period.

Thanksgiving break, Winter Break, and Spring Break are homework-free (AP students may

need to prepare for May exams during Spring Break). Homecoming weekend and Prom

weekend as well as 2 other weekends of the year will be homework-free. As assignments for

this class are often independently driven, ongoing, and involved, these homework-free times do

not preclude ongoing or long-term work. Students that need extra time may find working

during these breaks necessary.

Sketchbook RequirementsThroughout each quarter, you will be expected to continuously work in your sketchbook, in

addition to your other class and homework requirements. Suggested prompts will be provided

for you to explore in your sketchbook. Sketchbooks will be submitted at the close of each

quarter for grading.

Assessment and GradingWe will assess each art problem while it is in progress and/or when it is complete. This may take the

form of written reflections, individual critiques, peer commentary, or (most often) group critiques.

Intelligent, thoughtful, and open-minded participation in the assessment process is mandatory, and will

affect your marking period grade. Individual projects will not be assigned grades. However, if at any

time you would like additional feedback or are unsure of your progress, please see me at any time. At

the end of every marking period you will assess your own progress, reflecting on your finished works,

your processes, and your participation. After completing the grade assessment, you will submit your

entire portfolio, your visual journal, and your self-assessment to me for a letter grade. Submitted work

mustbe in pristine condition. Ensure that your work is not smeared, creased or torn; and is

chronological order.

Other important items that will affect your life:

Field TripsYou are expected to attend one field trip this yearone in the fall, the second in the spring. You will be

given 6 weeks advance notice to ensure that you can arrange to miss your classes that day. We usually

return to school by 2:00 p.m.I cannot emphasize enough the importance of seeing art beyond River

Hill High School. As a member of the Art 3/Art 4 class, you are declaring your passion for art, and

with that, you have a responsibility to educate yourself about art in the world. Therefore, you should

view these field trips as not merely a diversion, but rather a profound educational experience. Exhibits

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we see will directly relate to work we are undertaking in class. In the past these field trips have directly

(or indirectly) influenced students choices for their artworks, Independent Studies, and college majors.

Also, we always have a good bit of fun! Finally, for at least one of the field trips, I recommend

particular museums/exhibits/artworks foryou to seeeveryone in the class may have a different set of

recommendations. The fee for each trip could be between $5 and $10, plus the cost of lunch. Any

student unable to attend the field trip will be required to write a research paper analyzing a work of art.

Students enrolled in this class for double credit, should expect to do two research papers.

Art ExhibitionsThere are multiple opportunities for students to have their work exhibited both school and countywide

throughout each school year. Following various class units, artwork may be selected to hang in the

school lobby or various display cases. In March, Howard County will be displaying artwork for the

annual Youth Art Month exhibition, for which two pieces of artwork per school will be selected. Also

in March will be an exhibition titled PaperCraft, in which each teacher will select three pieces of

artwork to display at the Howard County Center for the Arts.

National Art Honor SocietyThe National Art Honor Society encourages and supports outstanding artistic scholarship, service tothe school and community, artistic endeavors, and good citizenship. Student members of this

organization exemplify these standards, and work to promote an awareness of art and to support the

education process at River Hill High School and in the community. Membership is open to all students

who have completed an art course with a 3.0 average. Past NAHS activities have included: mural

painting, gallery and painting trips, public sculpture projects, elementary art days, coffeehouses,

postcard exchanges, T-shirt printing, etc.. NAHS members are eligible for scholarships at many art

colleges and universities. The first meeting open to members will be in mid-September; an

announcement will be made in class.

Advanced PlacementStudents may apply in three areas: 2-DDesign, 2-D Drawing, 3-D Design. You are required to submit

24 digital images of your work and five original/actual pieces (no larger than 18 x 24-inches) by the

end of April or beginning of May. Specific dates will be given in class. If you plan to attend college

and to study art, advanced placement credit enables you to place out of introductory courses, and to go

directly into upper level studio courses. While I recommend that everyone take the AP exam, you must

be aware that if you do not give 100% in this course for the entire year, you are unlikely to earn a 4

on the examthe minimum score necessary to place out of college-level studio art courses. If you earn

an A average for theArt 3 and Art 4 courses, statistics show that you will likely earn a 4 or better on

your AP.

Digital ImagesStudents applying to the College Board, to college art programs, and to organizations offering art

scholarships will need to present reproductions of their artworkusually 24 works in digital form. The

instructors in the art department will be happy to set you up for shooting your work, but you will need

to provide digital storage or CDs, in addition to uploading them to your digital portfolio. This year,

you must make arrangements with me in advance to photograph your work during class time. Only on

rare occasions will you be able to photograph work after school. Therefore,plan ahead: Allow ample

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time for shooting. While I want everyone to succeed, I cannot be responsible for assisting you with

your photo documentation if you have waited until the last minute.

Letters of RecommendationIf you have an A-average in my classes, I am most happy to write letters of recommendation, provided

you have followed the protocol outlined by the guidance office. (If you have consistently turned in

work late, or of less than your best efforts, please do not ask me to write your letter if you do not want

me to mention allthe facts.) Make sure you ask me for a recommendation well in advance of yourapplication deadlines.

Scholarship OpportunitiesMany opportunities for scholarships come up during the school year. Make it your habit to check the

Art Announcements Board by the entrance, where I will post these competitions. You are encouraged

to take advantage of any opportunity that is presented. I will make all of the pertinent application

information available to you, but it is up to you to take the initiative to follow up on it. Any additional

slides, recommendations, or input you might need from me is, of course, available upon request, in the

timely manner mentioned above. I am always happy to help excellent students pursue their goals!

materialsAll materials are required, unless otherwise noted.

A hardbound sketchbook. (This is required immediately!!) Choose the size that feels right to you.You might purchase a blank sketchbookas sold in art supply stores and bookstores, or you might

wish to find or purchase a second hand book that you could re-create as your own.

A tackle box, ArtBin, or other box to store your materials, approximately 10-12 in length. You

will be able to store this in the art room.

During the first week you will be given an individual supply of pencils, eraser, charcoal, etc., that

you will be required to keep in your materials box. Should you lose your supply, you are responsible

for replenishing it. Materials that are simply used up in the process of making art will, of course, be

replenished by our art department supply.

You will have the opportunity to obtain a cardboard portfolio during class the first week. Always

know exactly where your portfolio is stored! This is your prize possession! Guard it as such! You

may want to purchase a more sturdy portfolio than what you are given in class. The cost of this will

be your responsibility, and should be a minimum size is 30 x 40-inches.

Watercolors, pastels, Prismacolors or other materials that you will need in large quantities, must also

be purchased by you. For instance, if your Independent Project will be almost exclusively oil pastel,

you should purchase your own setwhich you will, no doubt, need to replenish frequently.

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I provide paint for our first oil painting. At that time, if you wish to continue working in oil, students

must purchase Winsor & Newton Artisan Water-soluble Paints (OR other similar brand as

recommended by the instructor). A minimal, high-quality set is available for about $34. The colors

you are required to have are:

Cadmium Yellow

Cadmium Red

Permanent Alizarin CrimsonFrench Ultramarine

Viridian (Green)

Yellow Ochre

Titanium White (largest tube available)

The art department will provide you with one new 1-inch long-handled brush for your personal use,

but you are welcome to purchase you own, higher quality brushes. (There is also a plentiful class-

supply of used brushes of various sizesand various states of decay. These must be returned to the

sink storage, whereas your new 1-inch brush is your personal brush, and must be stored with your

materials.)

You will need to bring in a metal coffee can with lid, tall plastic jar with lid, or a glass jar (spaghetti

sauce jars work great!) with lid for paint solvent to be stored when we begin oil painting. This

should be labeled with your name.

The art department will provide paper, cardboard, and/or other painting supports. If you wish to

paint on more than one stretched canvas, see me! Ill point you in the right direction for purchasing

supplies.

On occasion you may be asked to collect found materials or to bring in objects. This should not incur

any additional funds. The art department will supply the rest of your materials for the year. It may,however, be the case that you wish to purchase your own materials for use at home. If so, take your

student I.D. (for 10%-20% discounts) and check out any of the following retailers for art supplies:

Utrecht Baltimore (www.utrecht.com)

1-800-223-9132

Chase Street (near MICA)

Pla-za Baltimore

410-625-2276

Cathedral Street (near MICA)Baltimore, MD

Maryland Institute College of Art Store

410-225-2276

1300 Mount Royal Avenue

Baltimore, MD

http://www.utrecht.com/http://www.utrecht.com/http://www.utrecht.com/