This class will provide a strong foundation in the elements and principles of art. Emphasis is placed on drawings and composition.  Sketchbooks will be required.  Students will begin the planning process for projects with brain-storming and thumbnail sketches.  Color theory will be covered.  Students will work in graphite and colored pencil, pen and ink, acrylic painting, relief cut printmaking, sculptural work, and oil pastels.  Art history and art appreciation will be covered in conjunction with the appropriate studio projects.

Prerequisite:  Art 1.  More advanced skills in drawing and composition will be explored.  Sketchbooks will be required.  All reference photos will be taken by the students using digital cameras.  Camera Images will be enhanced and manipulated with the Adobe Photoshop program on the computer.  Planning Sheets for all major projects will be required.  Students will work in graphite and colored pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, oil painting, oil pastels, collagraph printmaking, sculptural work, and Photoshop.  Art history and art appreciation will be covered in conjunction with the appropriate studio projects.

Prerequisites:  Art 1, Art 2.  This is an advanced course with a strong emphasis on gaining proficiency in drawing media and expanding capabilities in a wide range of media including graphite, colored pencil, mixed media collage, scratchboard, oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, subtractive monoprinting, sculptural papermaking and art book forms, and hand tinting of photographs.  All reference pictures will be taken by students using digital cameras and the computer.  Students will be taught how to cut mats, frame artwork, and begin preparing a portfolio of artwork.  Art history and art appreciation will be covered in conjunction with the appropriate studio projects.

Prerequisite:  Art 1, Art 2, Art 3.  This is an advanced class for students with a serious interest in the visual arts.  Students should be highly motivated, have a strong foundation in drawing and painting, and have an interest in exploring a variety of creative avenues.  Students will use the digital camera to create innovative, personal compositions.  The Adobe Photoshop program will be used throughout the year.  Students will work in graphite, carbon pencils, colored-pencil, oil, acrylic and watercolor paint, pastels, etching and intaglio printmaking, abstract sculpture, and Claymation using the digital camera.  Sketchbooks will be required.  Art history and art appreciation will be covered throughout in conjunction with studio projects.  Students will continue to build their portfolios and will learn to write artist's statements.

This course will cover the four basic hand-building techniques of pinch, slab, coil, and draping with additional work in sculptural techniques.  Students who are interested will have the opportunity to work on the potter's wheel.  Students will learn a variety of surface glazing and decoration techniques including slip trailing and sgraffito.  Technical skills and creative solutions will be developed.  The raku firing process will be explored.  Students will plan projects using pottery-planning sheets.

Prerequisite:  proficient completion of Pottery 1.  Pottery 2 is offered to those students who have demonstrated a continuing interest in developing their clay skills beyond the level offered in Pottery 1.  Students will execute two major projects per quarter choosing projects from a list of options.  Students will help conduct a raku firing.  Students will write one paper per semester.  Students will be given the opportunity to develop their own creative pieces while exploring a variety of new techniques in addition to honing their existing clay skills.