ART 227– Painting I
Prerequisite: Art majors. Recommended corequisite or preparatory: ART 140 (Beginning 2-D Design)
Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. – 1:45 p.m., Room AC 606
Victoria Reynolds - E-mail: ; phone: (818) 677-7914
Office Hours: Mon./Wed. 5:15 – 6:00 P.M., Room AC 600 or by appointment
Course Description
Emphasis on 2-dimensional pictorial structure. Application of design fundamentals to graphic space, organization and imagery. Use of various painting media. 6 hours per week. (Non-art majors consult department for prerequisites.)
Introductory course dealing with the fundamentals of painting. Basic painting techniques, composition, materials, and environmentally safe painting practices will be covered. Using both oil and acrylic paint, emphasis will be placed on the development of a variety of painting skills and concepts. The material covered will prepare students for study in upper division courses.Projects focus on painting technique and proficiency in the creation of individual works of art. Pictorial composition, basic color theory, simulated and tactile texture, and the illusion of spaceon the 2-dimensional picture plane will be explored.
Utilizing specific methods and techniques, up to five projects will be produced and presented for group critique. Attendance is mandatory for all critique days. Slide lectures will be given, and we will take field trips which count as class time. Vocabulary specific to painting will be introduced and applied. Up to 2 written quizzes will be on vocabulary, basic color theory, and painting materials and techniques. (Quiz dates and content will be announced in class one week in advance of quiz dates. Sorry – no retakes!) You will also view an art exhibition and awritten gallery report, applying specific vocabulary and addressing specific elements of the artworks, as described in the Gallery Report handout. In your gallery report, include a photograph you took of the exhibition.
Art Department Program Goals Addressed in This Course
Develop a foundation of art knowledge, theories, skills, craftspersonship and technologies, where ideas and concepts are
communicated in writing, speaking, and art making.
Apply processes of generating and solving problems in art, and analyze, interpret and question traditional methodologies
and preconceived notions of art and art making.
Broaden knowledge of ancient through contemporary art, and develop an understanding of the theoretical, cultural, and
historical contexts of art.
Develop a foundation of art skills and a high level of craftsmanship.
Analyze, interpret, and question traditional methodologies and preconceived notions of art and art making through the process
of generating and solving problems.
Develop an appreciation and tolerance of diverse perspectives dealing with art, culture, teaching and learning.
Develop career paths for various art professions or art-related fields, and an understanding of the demands and expectations
of those areas.
Student Learning Outcomes
Gain experience and competence in generating ideas into effective visual form.
Increase artistic proficiency through exploration and experimentation with techniques and media.
Develop effective use and mixing of color through demonstrating and applying knowledge of color theory.
Explore and utilize methods for visual problem-solving and acquire and demonstrate conceptual knowledge of a diversity of 2-D
forms, purposes, media, and functions of art while one analyzes, interprets, and critiques one’s own and others’ artworks.
Learn and apply vocabulary specific to painting and the visual arts to analyze works of art in class, art venues, and everyday
media.
Communicate ideas and concepts through artistic development and art making.
Examine paintings in a historical and contemporary context.
Apply the elements and principles of design, using value, color, structure, texture, and pictorial space for expressive and
communicative purposes.
Develop skills that lead to professional artistic practice through the refinement of technique.
Gain an increased understanding of art currently being exhibited.
Produce works of art that communicate individual, social, and/or cultural ideas.
Assessment and Evaluation (Grading) Policy
Grades will be in the form of points for projects, exercises, assignments, quizzes, and gallery report, and are combined with attendance, critique contribution, and participation for the final semester letter grade. For the final semester letter grade, the plus/minus grade system will be used with corresponding percentages of total possible points: A (92.55-100%), A– (89.55-92.54%), B+ (85.55-89.54), B (82.55-85.54), B– (79.55-82.54), C+ (75.55-79.54), C (72.55-75.54), C– (69.55-72.54), D+ (65.55-69.54), D (62.55-65.54), D– (60.-62.54), F: Failure.
Criteria for each project will be specified on each written project handout. Optimum points for projects occur from:
Following project guidelines: Your ideas—and their clear expression—should never be limited by lack of experience in methods or techniques, so each project requires specific criteria to be followed to receive an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade. Following these criteria gives you experience in varied techniques, methods, media, and concepts.
Project preparation and development: Come to class ready to paint with supplies and visual resource material. Outside class, take time to develop concepts worthy of your time and effort, since we’ll use several class sessions on each painting. When you design your projects, keep in mind that in addition to class time, at least 3 hours of work outside class is part of course load. (The painting room has open lab hours posted on whiteboard.) Since you receive university credit for this course, evaluation of projects is based on results and craftsmanship (rather than effort). (For example, a novice does not expect to get an ‘A’ in ballet.)
Presentation and proficiency with techniques, methods, and media (craftsmanship): ‘Presentation’ includes straight/square construction of stretcher and canvas properly stretched and gessoed. Regarding ‘proficiency’, university standardsrequire that projects which merit an ‘A’ or ‘A–’ grade be of superior craftsmanship.This includes accurate shape and contour description, color matching and mixing, convincing rendering of light/shadow on 3-D form, varied textural description of surfaces, use of full value range, and effective illusion of 3-D space. The paint layer should be properly applied (i.e., “fat over lean” when using oils) to maintain archival integrity.
On-time project completion, level of completion, artistic merit, and critique: Attendance for critiques is mandatory. If you or your project misses a critique for any reason, that project’s grade is docked 25% (approx. 2 letter grades). You will frequently need to finish projects outside class before critique/due date. Projects must be finished before critique so we can provide meaningful feedback. Critique is an intrinsic part of a project’s “lesson time” and learning process. Analysis and group feedback is vital for your development. If you or your work are late or absent from any part of a critique, that project receives partial (or no) critique credit. Unfinished work receives a reduced grade. Artistic merit includes visual and conceptual interest; cultural, social, or personal content; awareness of cultural context; and creativity and innovation with the concept and media.Note: Late paintings receive a 5% (approx. one-half letter grade) penalty for each class session they are late. Late quizzes receive a 15% late penalty for each class session taken late. Sorry – no retakes! (You can arrange to take a quiz early if you know you’ll be absent that day.) Late paintings, gallery reports, and exercises receive a 15% (approx. 1½ letter grade) penalty for each class session they are late (in addition to any 25% penalty for missing a critique). Late work and resubmitted work will be accepted up to two weeks after its due date, with the exception that no coursework will be accepted after our last critique. If you must miss class on a due date, finish and submit the work early or have a friend deliver it at the beginning of class.
Attendance and Participation: Since this is a studio/lab class, ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY and necessary for your development. Three (3) absences will drop your final grade for the course by one letter grade. Each additional absence drops your final grade another letter grade. (Four absences = final grade of C or C– IF your coursework has an A or A– average. Five absences = D or lower.) Three tardies, leaving early, or returning late from break, for any reason, equal one absence. Any student missing any 30 minutes of a class session (tardy, long break, leaving early, etc.) receives a minimum of ½ absenceor greater. There are no “excused” absences, whether for illness or the beach, since either way class time is missed. After excessive absences, it is the student’s responsibility to drop the course. There is no substitute for working in class with your peers and instructor, viewing slide lectures and demonstrations, discussing tips and techniques, and participating in critiques, so attendance and actively painting in class are required of every student with no exceptions. Lack of workingduring class reduces your progress, quality of work, and grade. Coming to class without supplies, visual resource material (photos, still life objects, etc.), or thumbnails/ideas due that day constitutes an absence. The class schedule is occasionally adjusted, so get partners to call about upcoming critiques, etc. Names and contact info:
______
______
______
Break time is the time to check messages or run errands—information or future assignments can be missed otherwise. Leaving the classroom at any other time is recorded as absence which reduces your grade. Turn cell phones off (or to “vibrate,” if, for instance, you’re a parent). No texting, phone calls, or headphones in class. (Exception: When we are well into a project, you can listen to music with earbuds.)
ATTENDANCE AND CONTRIBUTION IN CRITIQUES IS REQUIRED and is included in your final grade. Frequent and insightful contributions are conducive to a high final grade, while low attendance and limited critique participation reduce it. Consider fellow students a resource. Since we have a limited number of critiques, each missed critique drops your final course grade by approximately one letter.
Supplementary material on vocabulary and concepts is found in Launching the Imagination by Mary Stewart, Fifth Edition, and announced or distributed in class. This textbook is on reserve at the CSUN library.
Final course grades will be comprised of project points, attendance, critique contribution, quiz grades and written gallery report, and will be defined as follows:
A = Outstanding. Expansive investigation of concepts and criteria; excellent compositions and craft. Frequent and insightful contributions in all group critiques. All coursework completed on time and receiving 93% total possible points or higher. Gallery report submitted on time and adhering to the Gallery Report handout. Coursework goes substantially beyond minimum requirements.
B = Above average. Excellent craft and substantial investigation of concepts and criteria. Frequent and insightful contributions in all group critiques. All assignments completed and submitted on time, receiving 85% total possible points or higher.
C = Average. All assignments finished competently and submitted. Contribution in all critiques. May include 3 absences, tardies/leaving early, long breaks, lack of continuously painting in class, lack of bringing needed materials on time, or distracting or disruptive actions in class, etc. May include one late project or reduced critique credit.
D = Marginal work. Two or more late projects, limited investigation of ideas, poor craft, unresolved or incoherent compositions, or excessive absences. Limited contribution in critiques or lack of working in class, or coming to class late or leaving early.
F = Unsatisfactory work. Failure due to late, unfinished, or missing projects, poor craft, disjointed compositions, minimal idea development, lack of participation, or excessive absences.
Projects of greater duration in class receive greater weight and percentage in final grades. Coursework not turned in receives a ‘0’,which is averaged in with the rest for the final grade. Work must be completed and submitted, whether you were absent or not, for inclusion in your final grade. Make up missed projects applying their criteria. Working on another class’s projects in our class is not permitted. All work submitted for credit must be made by you exclusively for our class in this semester. Do not submit the same work to separate classes or copy/plagiarize ideas from the Internet or other sources. Coursework involving cheating as defined in the CSUN Student Conduct Code does not receive credit, cannot be made up, and results in substantial course grade reduction and action with the Student Affairs Office. Save all work until you receive a final course grade—the burden of proof for missing work rests on you.
Emails concerning the class will be sent to your CSUN email address. If I need to cancel a class, I will do my best to email you in advance. If it’s due to illness, I may only be able to let you know a within a few hours. You might want to check your CSUN email prior to coming to school if you have a significant commute.
If you have a condition that will affect your performance in class, if you let me know, it will be kept confidential.
Center on Disabilities: 818.677.2684, Bayramian Hall 110. The Center on Disabilities serves students with a wide range of visible and hidden disabilities, in a confidential environment. Students are encouraged to meet with the professional staff and explore the services available to support their academic, career and personal goals. Discover accommodations and strategies for help with disabilities in an academic setting.
University Counseling Services: 818.677.2366, Bayramian Hall 520. UCS provides resources and information to assist students in dealing with a variety of large and small psychological obstacles that may interfere with academic progress and/or relationship satisfaction. Services include individual, group and crisis counseling.
Tentative Schedule
August 25Intro to class and discussion of supplies and studio safety
August 27Lecture on Project 1 (Cropped Food Still Life)
Sept. 1Labor Day holiday – no CSUN classes
Sept. 3Bring photographs of food for Project 1. After discussion of your composition, grid itonto canvas. (Charcoal is
recommended.)
Sept. 8Workday (studio time) – Bring all supplies for painting and begin painting.
Sept. 10Workday
Sept. 15Workday
Sept. 17Workday
Sept. 22Workday
Sept. 24Critique Project 1
Sept. 29Lecture on Project 2 (Portrait with Background)
Oct. 1Bring photographs and visual resource material and 3 thumbnails. After discussion of your ideas and composition,
drawapproved composition onto canvas. (Charcoal is recommended.)
Oct. 6Begin painting on Project 2.
Oct. 8Workday
Oct. 13Workday
Oct. 15Workday
Oct. 20Workday
Oct. 22Lecture on Project 3 (Fantasy Landscape)
Oct. 27Bring visual resource material and 5 thumbnails. After discussion of your ideas, draw approved composition onto
canvas.
Oct. 29Begin painting on Project 3.
Nov. 3Workday
Nov. 5Workday
Nov. 10Workday
Nov. 12Gallery report due at beginning of class. Workday.
Nov. 17Glazing and texture exercise – bring 11” x 14” primed Masonite or Gessobord (on supply list)
Nov. 19Critique of Project 2 and Project 3
Nov. 24Lecture for Project 4
Nov. 26Begin Project 4
Dec. 1Workday
Dec. 3Workday
Dec. 8Workday
Dec. 1010:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Critique of Project 4 – Last day to submit any coursework in person or online. Take home
paintings, projects and paints and clear out lockers. (Any materials remaining in painting racks, lockers, and room
will be disposed of after December 17.)
Studio Safety
Always read product labels. The labeling standard for Chronic HealthHazards in Art materials (ASTM D-4236) has been codified into U.S. law as part of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act 15 USC S 1277. In cooperation with the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI), all art and creative products marketed in the U.S.A. include labeling that details any currently identified precautions that should be taken. So, if there’s a concern, you’ll see it on the label. Also, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has prepared standards for the safe use of artist’s materials. These have been published as a booklet, “ASTM Standards for the Performance, Quality, and Health Labeling of Artists’ Paints and Related Materials,” ISBN 0-8031-1838-4.
When working:
• Always make sure there’s plenty of fresh air and ventilation, particularly when working with solvents.
• If spray-applying any products, wear an approved mask. Use a spray booth, or better, an extraction system vented to the outside.
• If working with powdered pigment, the above provisions for ventilation are equally important.
• Always keep all materials, especially solvents, tightly sealed. This means keeping threads on lids and jars wiped clean to
ensure a better seal when closed.
• Art materials should never be exposed to heat sources or to naked flame.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke when working. You never know what may end up on your fingers, your food, or your cigarette and
then get swallowed inadvertently.
• Avoid skin contact, particularly with solvents. Don’t paint directly with your fingers.
• Whenever possible, use a low-aromatic solvent, such as Gamsol.
• Avoid turpentine whenever possible. Turpentine is a proven health hazard for many and can be absorbed directly through skin.
This means any pigment on your hands, if combined with turpentine, will be carried through your skin and into your system.
• Don’t wash or rinse brushes in the palm of your hand. Doing so, particularly with brushesladen with solvent, is an efficient
method for driving pigment into and through your skin.
• When washing brushes or palettes or other tools:
• First, wipe them free of color with a paper towel. If using stiff brushes with thick paint, an old toothbrush can help scrape free
excess paint. Allow the product on the towel to dry completely before disposal.
• Rinse brush or tool free of paint with a minimum amount of low-aromatic solvent. If working in watercolor or acrylic, rinse
with water.
•Wash the brush with a conditioning soap.
•Never store brushes in a container head (or tuft) down.
• Do not point your brushes in your mouth. Swirl the brush in a cup of water, or solvent, to check the point.
• If using solvent, pour out only as much as needed for your current painting session. Too much open solvent means too much
vapor in your immediate environment.
• SMALL AMOUNTS of LOW-AROMATIC solvent can be allowed to evaporate in a well-ventilated area rather than being