COURSE DESCRIPTION (Catalog): 414. SENIOR SEMINAR/ONE CREDIT

Major, Elective credit. Prerequisite: ART313. This course emphasizes drawing as a personal expression by encouraging a creative synthesis of aesthetic and manual skills. Explorations in contemporary forms and approaches to drawing. 

 

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Mastery of design elements and principles.

2. Continue in the development of drawing skills

3. Evaluate art critically

4. Establish a conceptual component in one’s work.

5. Identify a style, media and/ or technique that are personal

6. Identify artists that are relative to one owns work

7. To have knowledge of materials needed to properly execute one’s work

8. To develop a strong understanding of documentation of artwork and its purpose for fine artists.  

 

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Students will produce drawings that successfully use design element principles.

2. Students will orally present their conceptual component within their drawing and within an artist statement.

3. Students will produce a series of work that incorporates a specific style, media, and or technique that is personal to them as an artist.

4. Students will compile a list of influential artists, images, and styles within a sketchbook.

5. Students will digitally document class drawings.

 

Final Digital Portfolio:

All art and design students are required to establish a Digital Portfolio in which all artwork created during your time at Converse is digitally documented on a USB drive. Documentation technique will be covered in the class and students expected to document all drawings created in the course. 

 

Coursework to be graded:

• Source Project Presentation

• 8 Finished works (present two at each critique)

• 8 Preliminary works (present two at each critique with research on two contemporary artists)

• 2 Applications to exhibition opportunities.

• 1 Final statement for the body of work, to be completed at the end of the semester. 

• 1 Experimental Piece (choose from selection found in syllabus)

 

Project 1: Source Project Presentation. 

In this course students will work independently on a body of work. At the start of the semester, students will present their plan for the semester in the form of a “Source Project Presentation”. The presentation must be given in the first two weeks of class and will be presented to the other students in Drawing II and III. This is a great opportunity for the Drawing II students to see how an upper-level drawing student begins their independent work. It also gives the professor an opportunity to help them streamline their plan and provide feedback throughout the semester. Sometimes students are asked to make changes and present again at a later date. Because the work might change during the semester, a final statement is required at the last critique.

 

The presentation should include:

1. PowerPoint with images that inspire you.

2. Discission of a theme.  What are you making, how are you making it, and why are you making it? 

3. At least 5 artists that are working with a similar theme and/ or material, include this in PowerPoint and/or Sketchbook.

4. 5 sketches for your first project(s).

 

• Ex. Source Project Drawing IV Example 1

• Ex. Source Project Drawing IV Example 2

 

Exercise 1: 8 Preliminary Works

Students are required to make two preliminary works before creating their final more substantial works. These should be seen as an opportunity to experiment or practice, it should be backed by research, and it can be a great way to develop their unique methodologies. There is no size requirement.