Visual Arts

Our visual arts program aims to build creative skills and critical thinking through lessons that teach the principles of art and artistic processes.  Experimentation, revision, focus, and critical assessment of one’s work are continually encouraged and modeled. Students are challenged to design, compose and reflect, using a variety of media, processes, and concepts.

Test

K1 and Kindergarten

  • Identify different types of lines in a picture book, and then create “scribble art zentangles”
  • Identify and use warm and cool colors
  • learn about texture and pattern and add these to works
  • Create art that conveys specific emotions
  • learn about and experiment with contrast and unity
  • learn about and use symmetry
  • learn about reductive art using crayons, paint and scratching tools

Grades 1st and 2nd

  • use lines and patterns to make realistic and/or imaginative animals
  • continue to learn about and experiment with contrast and unity
  • study the color wheel and how to create secondary and tertiary colors through mixing
  • continue to create art that describes particular emotions
  • observe and draw parts of the face from life and from printed images
  • create self portraits

Grades 3rd – 5th

  • learn about cartoon character design and create original cartoon characters.
  • use simplicity and exaggeration to create compelling images
  • learn techniques to convey characters’ emotions
  • how can text complement and enhance drawings
  • continue to learn and explore techniques using lines, shapes, pattern, color, and texture.
  • learn methods to prepare artwork for presentation.
  • learn about fundamentals of graphic design and create logos.

Grades 6th – 7th

  • experiment with a wide variety of watercolor techniques
  • learn about value and line art rendering techniques with pen
  • draw from observation – Learn how to really see and render what one is looking at
  • learn how to replicate an observed image by creating precise grids with a ruler
  • use chalk, charcoal and eraser on black paper to create exciting images inspired from observation
  • introduction to ink wash drawing/painting techniques
  • applying color theory to acrylic painting

Grade 8

  • learn about blind contour drawing techniques
  • use pattern and shading to make artworks look more compelling and “finished”
  • use pencil to create depth and volume in 2D artworks
  • learn and use more advanced color theories – tints, shades, complementary colors, reduced palettes
  • more watercolor explorations
  • conceptualize, design, and create a class mosaic