Friday, August 20, 2010

Week One / Monday: ORIENTATION


ART 243-M01B   LEC 50917

Watercolor I (Lecture)
  M/W 9:00AM - 11:30AM   Academic A202      
Aug 23, 2010 - Dec 18, 2010
Professor Amie Oliver
Office Hours: M/W 11:30 – 12:30 Midlothian Campus A-215 by appointment: aoliver@jtcc.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Presents abstract and representational painting in watercolor with emphasis on design, color, composition, technique and value. Prerequisite ART 131, or divisional approval. Lecture 1-2 hours. Studio instruction 2-4 hours

Watercolor is an exciting transparent medium! It has unique challenges that you will be taught to control and balance a variety of techniques, learning to understand the three pigment groups, and realize when to leave your painting alone. If you enjoy color or a challenge and want to learn to express yourself with an immediate, spontanrous way, watercolor is a great medium! Each students will create a useful reference book (Watercolor Practice Resource Journal), as well as explore watercolor techniques by painting still life, landscapes, or nonobjective painting. The class includes color theory and mixing, related materials, surfaces, and combined media through a series of demonstrated skills and rearch topics.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the course, students will be able to do the following:
·      Demonstrate watercolor technique though class participation and solid studio practice
·      Demonstrate care and use of tools
·      Develop an understanding of purpose and variations of three pigment groups
·      Identify, mix, and match pigments, successfully utilize pigment properties
·      Comprehend basic color theory, terms and definitions
·      Demonstrate paper preparation and care of paper, watercolor tools and clean up in studio practice and classroom
·      Utilize good composition and design for paintings that demonstrate personal expression
·      Participate and articulate acquired visual skills by being present for demonstrations, studio practice and in class critiques
·      Demonstrate proper storage, presentation and record of creative work
•    Paint with increased skill and understanding of the materials, techniques, and concepts
      of basic watercolor
•    Demonstrate, recognize and utilitze an understanding of selected painting terminology as
      it pertains to watercolor painting
•    Apply the elements and principles of color theory, line, shape/form, texture
      space, value, motion, visual mass, plane, unity, balance, scale/proportion, emphasis
      and rhythm to watermcolor painting.
•     Demonstrate an understanding of selected artworks by identifying and analyzing styles of
       selected artworks and artists
•     Demonstrate understanding and practice of health safety issues in regards to painting  in 
       the studio environment
•     Demonstrate the ability to prepare, present and critique works for exhibition

DEMONSTRATION OF FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS
1. Line: The ability to express the outer contour edge of a form, A mark made by a pencil,
brush, tool, etc., forming a part of a design . What we see as a line is actually where two
objects meet.
2. Gesture: a drawing which conveys immediacy and captures the energy and movement of the subject.
3. Perspective: the illusion of depth in the flat pictorial plane through the use of lines that make your image appear to be three dimentional. The closer the image is to the viewer, the more detailed it
will appear, and the larger it will be.
4. Tone/Value" the ability to represent light and shadow indicating 3-dimensional form,
spatial depth and surface
5. Technique: the ability to manipulate a variety of drawing mediums (solid and aqueous) in a
controlled and purposeful manner
6. Composition: the ability to arrange imagery within the framework of the picture plane with
a rudimentary understanding of design concepts
7. Critique: The ability to discuss and evaluate artwork using the vocabulary of art as well as
the demonstration of an understanding of constructive criticism and self analysis.
8. Acquire through practice: techniques, use of medium and care / stretching of paper
9. Understand the use of the three w.c. pigment groups
10. Grasp practical application of color theory concepts and the value of colors
11. Ability to depict value and color in light and shadows; then utilize them as shapes to create  pleasing composition
12. Individual style and originality in designs when applicable
13. Apply critical thinking to assignments, including planning of a painting
14. Participation in class content, class objectives, and critique

Course Outline: Each class will outlined on the course blog. ALL assignments, examples and the criteria for each exercise will be presented online prior to each class meeting. This means there is no excuse for coming to class unprepared.

General outline for the semester:
First class:  Introduction, orientation and discussion of shared goals and objectives for the class. Look at Contemporary art with roots in tradition, watercolor as a mode of communication. Emphasis on materials and media

Week 2 and 3: Painting and seeing: Color Wheel, Value Studies, Contour Line and tone, positive and negative space. Materials: charcoal and graphite pencils, eraser, watercolor sketchbook, watercolor set, brushes

Week 3 through 7: Painting perspective with shapes and planes. Explore shapes of the picture plane, planar analysis of volumes and perspective. Study in washes; Flat wash, Graded wash, Wet in Wet wash, Streaky wash, and very dark washes.  Brush strokes, textures, and brush manipulation.  Special tools and effects, wet and dry techniques, etc

Week 8 and 9: Tone /Value /Texture Use value and tone to describe structure, weight, light, personal expression, reflective, refractive surfaces, etc

Week 10 through 12: Color and Composition: Paintings should use the techniques we have studied to pull relationships together between subject matter, content, design and technique

Week 12 through 15: Create a series of watercolors which combine the impact of a noted watercolorist we’ve studied in class with that of a personal muse

COURSE TEXT: WATERCOLOR AS MUSE      http://watercolorcurriculum.blogspot.com

Method of Evaluation:
Evaluation in order of importance: technique; drawing and composition; creativity, originality and expression; presentation and class participation.

Supplies:
Cost will vary from about $100. - $200. and up depending on where supplies are purchased and brand names. Know that supplies will last for years while only needing to purchase additional paper, and perhaps a brush. If you can not afford the supplies, contact the financial aide office for assistance because you may very well be eligible for resources.

SUPPLY LIST
•     Water Color Palette                         
•     Watercolor Brushes: beginner set of pointed and flat brushes
•     Water color tube set which includes the following colors:
Ultramarine Blue, Thalo Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red/Med, Burnt Sienna,
Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Thalo Green 
Arches Watercolor Block 140 CP 16" x 20" or similar size watercolor sketchbook
•     Additional Papers will be discussed in the first class meeting
•     drawing board with clips
•     sponges
•     salt
•     charcoal and graphite pencils
•     India ink
•     Blue painters tape or drafting tape
•     paper towels

Student Responsibilities:
1. Regular attendance. Students have the first 10 minutes to set up supplies for painting. Lectures or demonstrations will follow.
2. Be prepared! Read the class calendar weekly to prepare for class assignments. Bring all necessary materials for each assignment.
3. Active observation and note taking of all demonstrations or lectures
4.  Active participation during class critiques and discussions
5.  Keep a painting diary of all assignments (Watercolor Practice Resource Journal)
6.  Complete assigned work
7. Clean up your own work area after each class! This includes sponging off tables.


8. ATTENDANCE POLICY:  Regular class attendance is expected to participate fully in this course. Each student, by university policy, must attend 80% of all class meetings to receive credit for this course. This means that if you miss 25 percent of class meetings you will automatically fail the course, regardless of why you were absent.

Four (4) absences will result in your final grade being lowered by one letter grade, with each successive absence detracting from your final grade. Please note: three (3) tardies will be counted as an absence. Leaving class early will also be counted as an absence.

Course Withdrawal Policy:  Students who are experiencing academic difficulties may elect to withdraw themselves from class prior to the last day to withdraw without academic penalty (first 60% of the class).  Excessive absences prior to last day to withdraw will result in the instructor withdrawing a student from the course and the recording of a “W” grade. If the attendance policy is violated after last withdrawal date, the student will be awarded a grade of “F.”

Tyler Alert is one of the many notification tools that the College will use to alert students, faculty and staff of an emergency situation. Tyler Alert allows the College to send urgent text messages and e-mails to those who are registered in the system. This is a voluntary system, so if you would like to receive these messages, you must register. It is simple and easy to sign up, and you may register multiple devices – such as cell phones, Blackberrys, PDAs – as well as email addresses. There is no fee to register for Tyler Alert, but your carrier may charge fees for receiving messages on your wireless device. You may register for Tyler Alert by clicking the Tyler Alert link at www.jtcc.edu.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Grading Assignments will be assessed during a mid-term and final portfolio review. In order to excell in this course each student must agree to these requirements:

•     Regular attendance
•     Maintain a studio/exercise watercolor resource book of watercolor paper that should be
      used exclusively for this course, complete ALL exercises/homework for watercolor course
•     Demonstrate Effort and preparedness for each assignment
•     Participate in readings and commentary on course blog, read and review all curriculum
      resources made available on blog prior to each assigment
•     Bring to class and utilitze art materials required for each assignment
•     Demonstrate understanding of Concepts and Participate in class critiques
•     On-time completion of ALL assignments
•     Participate and oberve, review and respond to ALL Instructional Methods: Lectures,   
      demonstrations, instructional handouts, books, internet, slides, DVD or video
•     Participate in two portfolio reviews

Students are expected to be active participants in class discussions and critiques. Demonstrations or critiques that are missed because of student absence will not be repeated. Please review attendance policy and grading factors below:

Grading Assessment:
Midterm Exercise/Resources Review                         40 percent
Final Portfolio Review                                                 40 percent
Class Participation / Critiques                                     20 percent
(attendance, preparedness, parttcipation inblog commentary, readings, effort)

Final Exam (critique): Your Final Portfolio Review will be held on the scheduled exam date.

GRADING SCALE
 A  (100 – 90%)  Reflects very clear understanding and implementation of the objectives of the assignment; interesting and unexpected solutions; quality of work is superior.
B  (89 – 80%)  A good understanding and implementation of the objectives of the assignment;  solutions are thoughtful; quality of work is strong.
C  (79 – 70%)  A basic understanding and implementation of the objectives of the assignment; solutions are ordinary and predictable; quality of work is satisfactory.
D  (69 – 60%)  A poor understanding and implementation of all objectives; solutions are unimaginative; quality of work is low.
F  (Less than 60%)  A lack of understanding and implementation of all objectives; solutions are poor and thoughtless; quality of work is unacceptable.

Written Assignment Requirements:
•     Participate in Watercolor as Muse Blog by reviewing links and posts and creating comments which demonstrate your consideration of the work and concepts presented.
•     Research and Present the work of one watercolor artist relevant to this course whose work inspires you and will be the basis of your final project. Your research will result in a final series of watercolors and a blog which documents your research and effort.

Make-up Policy: Students who come to class unprepared without assignments or materials will receive a grade of 0 unless a written doctor’s excuse or evidence of family emergency is presented. (an obituary, written prescription or note from doctor, etc) All make up work should be presented in your midterm and final portfolio.

COURTESY IS REQUIRED IN THE STUDIO
* Maintenance of the room must be kept up to insure a clean environment in which to work. This is COMMON COURTESY in the care for the classroom.
* Supplies and items brought to your desk from drawers and shelves must be put back from where they were taken by the end of the class period.
* All desks should be cleaned, and arranged in an orderly fashion due to the fact that other classes need to utilize these same materials and space.
* Respect for other students, their artwork, and their possessions and materials. Do not come to class and expect to borrow everything you need for each assigment
* A lack of courtesy will have a negative effect on the STUDIO / PARTICIPATION grade.
As instructor, I aim to create a pleasant, non-threatening, and fun learning environment for students of all levels. To maintain that environment, I expect everyone to abide by the following classroom policies:
* Consideration, courtesy, and non-disruptive behavior towards everyone in class
* Completion of assignments for homework in accordance to class schedule
* Develop a consistent, responsible studio practice, (it’s better to be late than absent)
* If you’re having problems, please communicate these problems in the appropriate manner, after class or in an email or, if there is a matter of an urgent nature, raise your hand and askl to speak to me outside. Problems include issues of health, safety and respect for one another – not excuses.
* Maintain open communication via appropriate channels mentioned above regarding personal issues that may arise and affect your abilities to complete class / work, etc.
* Fully focus on instructional lectures & demos
* Please withhold questions to a Question & Answer Time after any lecture or demo.
* Do not leave the room during instructor demos or lectures, unless it’s an emergency. Short breaks may be taken any time during lab time. 
* Talking in class is limited to lab time
* No use of  cell phones in class or MP3 players, or other devices during lecture / demo’s
* No eating in the classroom
* Disruptive behavior is unacceptable. This includes lewd, profane, indecent, hostile, threatening or illegal solicitations. If such behavior occurs the student will be not be allowed to attend for the next two classes and will be reported to the College Administration. Students are encouraged to report personal incidents to the instructor.
*Cell phones should be turned off before entering classrooms. The use of cell phones also is prohibited in other areas at the institution. These areas are marked. The use of cell phones in classrooms and prohibited areas is a violation of the student conduct code.
* Academic Honesty:  At JTCC we expect the highest standards of academic honesty. Violations of academic honesty include the following:
·       Cheating: This includes seeking or giving unauthorized help on examinations, papers, and other academic assignments.
·       Plagiarism: This is defined as using another's words or ideas and representing them as one's own either knowingly or unknowingly. In other words, by not documenting ideas or putting quotations around exact phrasing and documenting the source, one is committing plagiarism. Information on the World Wide Web is not yours for the taking – please cite all quotations appropriately.
·       Turnitin:  Your professor has access to Turnitin plagiarism software which aids in detecting improperly cited materials. All of your written work may be submitted to Turnitin for analysis. Your instructor may ask you to upload your documents yourself. If you have concerns about your written work being stored in a database, you should address the issues at the beginning of the academic term.
Misconduct in the area of academic honesty is subject to disciplinary action which can include failure for the assignment, or even failure of the course. 

JTCC STUDENT CONDUCT POLICY
For College policy on Student Conduct see pages 12-13 of the current Student Handbook at http://www.jtcc.edu/downloads/current/StudentHandbook2009-2010.pdf. [Note the url and page numbers will change with each edition of the handbook.]  You may wish to elaborate further on student conduct.  The following example was provided by one of our long-time instructors:

Students are expected to behave like adults at all times and are expected to treat the instructor and their classmates with courtesy and respect, or they will be asked to leave class, and the removal will be treated as an absence. Continued behavioral problems (i.e., excessively chatting with classmates, cell phone use, disrespect towards instructor or classmates) may result in permanent removal from class.




Students with Disabilities: In keeping with the philosophy of providing educational opportunity for all individuals, JTCC has a professional counselor who will assist disabled persons by acting as the liaison between the students and the faculty/staff who will provide the support services needed. These services are provided with the intention of helping students with disabilities to achieve maximum independence and include such general services as assistance in course selection, note taking, mobility assistance, academic counseling, modified curriculum (major), and other services depending on individual needs and availability of resources. Students with disabilities are responsible for making the College aware of their needs. Call 796.4226 or 594-1562 for additional information.

Campus-Wide Emergency Procedures:
·       In emergencies where there is a threat to individuals or buildings of the Chester and Midlothian campuses and the Featherstone Professional Center, the fire alarm system in each building will be utilized to signal that evacuation is required.  The fire alarm system is an audible and visual system.  Do not ignore this warning.  Security officers and employees designated to assist with the evacuation have defined responsibilities and cannot search each building to determine if all have evacuated.
·       Instructional time is important.  Therefore, in all cases of evacuation it will be the intention of College authorities to determine the validity of the emergency and, if possible, resume instructional activities in the shortest possible time.  Such a decision will be made within 15 minutes of the evacuation order.
For classes of 50 to 90 minutes duration:
·       If an all clear is given, instructional activities should resume within 10 minutes of the all-clear announcement and continue to the normal class ending time.
For classes of 165 minutes or more duration:
·       If an all clear is given, instructional activities should resume within 10 minutes of the all-clear announcement and may continue up to 25 minutes after the designated class ending time with the concurrence of the instructor and students.
In inclement weather:
·       Evacuation plans and all-clear announcements become more complex when the weather is inclement.  Congregating in designated areas outdoors is not desirable.  In inclement weather, students should be directed to wait in their vehicles or  classmates’ vehicles until the validity of the emergency can be assessed and a decision made.

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