Drawing with Color (Spring)

The aim of this course is to start building students’ appreciation and understanding of color through dry media drawing tools. First, we will allow ourselves time to explore and delight in this complex, multifaceted element. We will examine the formal elements of color—how colors relate to each other—as well as its psychological effects. After experiencing some theories of color, students will begin learning to handle colored pencils and chalk pastels. Through demonstrations, personal instruction, and exercises, students will explore different subjects/compositions, textures, papers, and application techniques suitable for each unique medium.

Students will be encouraged to practice exercises taught in class and may need to work outside of class to complete projects.

Along with hands-on studio work, students will participate in regular class critiques, creating a forum for the group to constructively collaborate and discuss creative outcomes. Individual artist statements will be required with most finished pieces of work, giving students another opportunity to articulate their interpretive intent and their understanding of process and design concepts.

Students can also expect ongoing dialogues about art in history, the Christian imagination in relationship to faith and the arts, and the role of the arts in the Church. The hope of the instructor is that through engagement in the class, students will be brought to a deeper appreciation of the visual world and the creative love of its Maker.

Student Academic Expectation

Students will be encouraged to:

Explore formal color theory and the psychological/symbolic use of color
Experience and control a variety of dry color drawing media
Learn and practice safe and responsible use of art media, equipment, and studio space
Explore and develop personal concepts in creative expression
Create engaging compositions using art elements, including line, value, texture, space, shape, form, and depth
Develop and utilize specialized vocabulary in relationship to color, drawing, and visual art in general
Engage in a collaborative discussion that enhances understanding of their work as well as the work of others

Student Conduct Expectation

Students will be encouraged to:

Care for themselves, their peers, and their supplies as stewards of God’s creation (be and do the good)
Inquire into the discipline, asking questions in order to arrive at the truth (seek the truth)
Reflect upon and pursue excellence in order to make good use of their gifts (make the beautiful)

Student Evaluation/Grading

The instructor will be providing rich and robust feedback/critique constantly, but the class is ungraded and parents can make the final decision about what grade to assign to the course. To aid in that process, the following grades can be assigned to your student’s level of achievement: magna cum laude (with great praise), cum laude (with praise), satis (sufficient, satisfactory), and non satis (not sufficient).

Ideally, every average student working diligently should do praiseworthy work (cum laude). Those who excel beyond this expectation will be magna cum laude students. Students who do adequate but not praiseworthy work will be designated satis. Non satis means lacking sufficiency or adequacy.

Eligible Students

Rising 7th–12th graders: While it is not necessary, it is helpful for students to have experience in basic drawing techniques. Students with previous experience in drawing will be able to work at their levels of skill. A sense of wonder, creative courage, and perseverance are beneficial postures for flourishing in this course.

Syllabus

Ms. Silkwood’s Syllabus

For each skill instructors have determined whether it is a prerequisite skill or a skill to be developed throughout the course. For lower school, instructors indicate where parent support is expected.

With Parent Support: Skills that most lower school students will need help with.
Developing: Skills that the instructor will help develop and emphasize throughout the year.
Mastered: Prerequisite skills that the instructor is expecting students to possess.

Canvas

Mastered

Be able to manage Canvas assignments and submissions (view assignments, check for teacher messages, submit homework as pdf file, submit revisions if necessary, set Canvas notifications for the class, view class notifications when posted, etc.).
Be able to set notifications settings to alert the student of class announcements, homework assignments, due dates, instructor comments made on assignments, instructor comments made on individual student submissions, instructor comments made on graded items, etc.
Be able to review notifications ongoing throughout the year; notifications which include: class announcements, homework assignments, due dates, instructor comments made on assignments, instructor comments made on individual student submissions, instructor comments made on graded items, etc.
Be able to respectfully and wisely engage with other students and the instructor on Canvas discussion boards.
Be able to respectfully, wisely and formally engage with instructor through private Canvas messaging.
Be responsible for reviewing teacher feedback, suggestions and comments about student work and employing that feedback as necessary.

Writing

Developing

Be able to self-edit written submissions for grammar and spelling mistakes.
Be able to build well organized paragraphs which employ (among other skills) topic sentences, transition sentences, clear linear thinking throughout the essay.

Mastered

Be able to write sentences with basic sentence syntax (i.e. capitalization of first word in a sentence, punctuation at the end of each sentence, space between sentences, capitalization of proper nouns, each sentence having a subject and predicate, etc.).
Be able to spell at grade level and employ course vocabulary cumulatively throughout the course.
Be able to employ the feedback of the instructor into future edits and submissions of the assignment.

Typing

Mastered

Be able to type short answers in complete sentences.

In-Class

Developing

Follow class discussions and seminar conversations to record notes without the instructor identifying specifics.
Be prepared to generate thoughtful questions to enhance the class discussion, to identify areas needing clarification, and to make valuable connections with other course content.

Mastered

Be prepared to thoughtfully answer questions when called on in a group setting, during class.
Be prepared to volunteer thoughtful comments, answers and ideas in a group setting, during class.

Study

Developing

Understand the difference between assignments given by an instructor and the necessary and independently initiated need for private study of material.
Be able to schedule and manage multiple projects from multiple instructors and courses.
Be able to schedule time outside of class to complete independent review of materials.

Required Course Materials:

Teaching art online is a unique learning experience to navigate. If at all possible, buy the version of supply linked below. I can help students navigate obstacles more effectively when we are all using the same materials. If you have any questions regarding supplies, please feel free to email me.

Any kind of sketchbook (minimum size 8″x10″): We will use these for exercises and notes. If you already have one that you use, that will do!
Document camera (such as Ipevo), or equivalent*
11×14” drawing paper pad (link)
Toned pastel paper (link)
Kneaded Eraser
Pencil sharpener
Drawing board
Soft chalk pastels, 64 color set (link)
Set of colored pencils, 38 count at least. Prismacolor, Staedtler, or Arteza recommended.

*Required supplies not included in course purchase

Sara Silkwood holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Syracuse University. Sara has several years experience teaching in a variety of areas including college level, church-run camps, Classical schools and privately. She also serves as the fine arts teacher at Valor Preparatory Academy. Currently, Sara works out of her home studio in Waco, Texas where she lives with her great dane-lab mix, Oberon. She spends her free-time backpacking, reading and illustrating her own stories.

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:

Visit zoom.us/download.
Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
Open and run the installer on your computer.
In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.

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