Visual Arts Courses
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Course Length: 1 Semester
Credit per Semester: 3.0
Video Production is an introductory survey course that explores film history, and the mechanics of film, and traces the process of filmmaking through the pre-production, production, and post-production process. In this visual arts high school course, we will explore film through reading, writing, watching films, and learning by hands-on experience.
CERAMICS
Course Length: 1 or 2 Semesters
Credit per Semester: 3.0
Ceramics is a high school visual arts course designed to offer students introductory experiences in hand-building and various coil and other clay techniques. Attention will be given to developing awareness of the aesthetic and utilitarian roles of clay as a design material. The elements and principles of design will be emphasized in planning and creating ceramic forms that utilize the techniques, processes, and materials of ceramic design. The cultural and appreciative aspects of art are incorporated into the course through various instructional resources and art production.
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Course Length: 1 Semester
Credit per Semester: 3.0
With the invention of the camera phone, a world of photographers was born. But what is photography? What is its history? Why are there such diverse reactions to similar pictures? We will find the answers to these questions, and more, through an exploration of the history of photography, and hands-on learning opportunities provided in our visual arts high school course. High school students will work with a textbook and Adobe Photoshop to acquire the ability to create inspiring images.
DRAWING
Course Length: 1 or 2 Semesters
Credit per Semester 2.0
Drawing is a course designed to offer students opportunities to create images from both observed and imaginary forms. Students will learn the appropriate use of drawing tools and techniques to achieve the desired effects. Classroom activities will concentrate on contour, gesture, and perspective drawings from life as well as the imagination. The art appreciation and the cultural aspects of art are incorporated into the course through various instructional resources and art production experiences.
GENERAL ART
Course Length: 1 or 2 Semesters
Credit per Semester: 3.0
During each semester, students will explore the elements of design. Learning techniques and processes related to a particular medium such as drawing or painting will be emphasized in this high school visual arts course. That medium will be related to the particular element being investigated. Media used to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional work will include, but not be limited to, drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. The cultural and appreciative aspects of art will be incorporated into the course through various instructional resources and art production experiences. At CIVA Charter High School in Colorado Springs, art courses become more advanced as the student progresses through the series.
PAINTING
Course Length: 1 or 2 Semesters
Credit per Semester: 2.0
Painting explores various painting techniques, elements of composition, and color concepts. Materials used in this visual arts high school course for painting representational, expressive, or abstracted images include but are not limited to, tempera, watercolor, and acrylic. Fundamentals of composition, color, theory, and developmental skills will be emphasized. Art history will be incorporated into the course through aesthetics and criticism utilizing varied instructional media and resources.
SCULPTURE
Course Length: 1 or 2 Semesters
Credit per Semester: 3.0
In this entry-level course, the elements of art and principles of design are studied as they apply to 3D forms. Additive methods (modeling and construction) and subtractive methods (carving and chiseling) of sculpting will be explored using a variety of tools and materials.
ART HISTORY
Course Length: 1 or 2 Semesters
Credit per Semester: 2.0
(Humanities or Elective)
Art History 1 is a course designed to provide opportunities for the study of art history, its relationship to other disciplines, art criticism, & theory. The content is aimed at developing & understanding the value of art in relation to man’s existence, the aesthetic merits of artworks, & the historical significance of art forms & symbols from prehistoric to classical periods in art history.