Advanced Art with a Focus on Iconography | Year B

Rotation B of Advanced Art with a Focus on Iconography is the second year in a two year rotation with alternating curriculum. While it's recommended to complete Rotation A first, students have the option to take it out of order. This rotation will place a greater emphasis on painting, allowing students to explore icons, their colors, and variations in detail. Additionally, there will be an in-depth discussion of the saints featured, covering their life stories, historical context, and origins. 

The primary objective of the course is to encourage students who love art to better understand beautiful art and icons by learning how they are made. This course is a step up from the Fundamentals of Art for students. To be successful in this course students need a passion for icons and love for making art. They need to understand the color wheel and that lines can be curves or straight.  They will be expected to be good listeners who will follow directions during lessons.

Students will identify color names and how to mix shades of colors. Students will be able to identify basic elements that make up a piece of art and be able to reproduce them. They will be able to identify masterpieces in various styles of art and the name of the famous artist who made it. Students will expand their vocabulary for describing art and icons. Students will practice describing and observing masterpieces of art and reading icons. Students will practice drawing figures and forms from icons with lessons about saints.

• 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:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.