Intermediate/Advanced Art

Introduction In this unit, you will develop your colored pencil skills  by working on black paper . This process is different from drawing on white paper because you begin with the darkest value  and slowly build light, color, and detail  on top. This project focuses on creating strong contrast and emphasis  while exploring how artists choose specific materials to communicate ideas and emotion. Learning Goals During this unit, students will: Develop skill and control using co

(Approx. 2–3 Weeks) Introduction Animals have been an important subject in art throughout history. Artists have created paintings of animals to show emotion, personality, symbolism, and connection . There is even a specific genre called equine painting , which focuses on portraits of horses. In this project, you will create a close-up animal portrait  using monochromatic watercolor techniques , inspired by contemporary animal portrait artists. Learning Goals During this lesso

Introduction: Mandalas A mandala  is a spiritual and ritual symbol used in Hinduism and Buddhism  to represent the universe. Mandalas are typically constructed using circular and geometric shapes  and are designed with radial balance , meaning the design repeats evenly from a central point. In many spiritual traditions, mandalas are used to: Focus attention Establish sacred space Support meditation and reflection Teach spiritual concepts In this project, we will explore manda

Introduction “Zoomed-in” or close-up still lifes are a theme many artists explore as part of their creative process. Instead of drawing the entire arrangement, artists crop, zoom, and focus on details, allowing ordinary objects to take on new meaning — and sometimes even become abstract. By changing the viewpoint, artists can emphasize shape, color, texture, and movement in unexpected ways. Essential Question Can a zoomed-in viewpoint of a still life take on new meaning or be

Each day, you will have 30 minutes to complete a sketchbook activity from the following list. You get to choose which activity you want to work on. The prompts are organized by category; you are responsible for labeling each activity with the corresponding category and prompt number. You are accountable for finishing your sketchbook activities if you are absent or do not finish them in class.  Quick Drawing Prompts A grouping of seashells A single flower with all its leaves,

Materials Vine charcoal, compressed charcoal (if available), charcoal pencil, blending tools, kneaded eraser, and paper towel. Stage 1 — Practice (Skills Lab) A. 1-minute gestures (10 mins) 10 gesture drawings of faces or figures (loose, fast) B. Value scale (10 mins) 7-step scale using charcoal (practice pushing DARK) C. Subtractive drawing (20 mins) Tone the page with charcoal. Lift lights with a kneaded eraser. Add darks back in with compressed charcoal. D. Portrait featur

Big Idea Graphite is about control, value range, and realism . Your goal is to make your drawing look 3D  and intentional. Materials Graphite pencils (2H–6B if available), blending stump/tissue, kneaded eraser, regular eraser, ruler (optional), drawing paper. Stage 1 — Practice Assignment (Skills Lab) ✅ REQUIRED Title:  Graphite Control + Value Bootcamp Due:  Before thumbnails Step-by-step A. Value Scale (10–15 min) Draw a rectangle divided into 7–9 boxes . Box 1 = pure white

Find 1 artist in your new-to-you medium (or closest hybrid). Choose 1 specific artwork and bring 1 clear image + simple caption: Artist, Title, Year, Medium, Dimensions, Source link (museum/official site preferred). Write 5 quick notes: 3 visual features (layering, texture, color, scale, repetition), Meaning/context (whose past? what story?) Echo of the past (how time is made visible) Technique to adapt (name the process) Where it goes in your piece (which layer/area) Holmes

Use the following to research Artists to inspire your quarterly projects: National Gallery of Art (USA) — A vast online collection; over 60,000 works are freely downloadable under open‑access terms. National Gallery of Art+1 The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) — Provides nearly 500,000 public‑domain images from their collection, free for use. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Art Institute of Chicago — Over 50,000 images available under Creative Commons CC0 (public domain).

Find one artist working in your chosen medium (or the closest related). Include in your paper: Artist’s name, short bio (4–5 sentences) 1–2 images of their work Caption: Artist, Title, Year, Medium, Dimensions, Source link 5 written notes: Visual features (color, form, rhythm, scale, texture) How the work expresses reflection, rest, or renewal What techniques could you adapt or reinterpret Why their approach resonates with your theme Where or how you’ll show their influence i

Art can be a powerful way to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with a sense of calm. In this project, you will create a visual “Happy Place”  — a space that helps you feel relaxed, grounded, or secure. This does not  need to be a real place. It can be: A real location (a beach, a bedroom, a grandparent’s house) An imagined or fantasy space (a castle, forest, cloud world) A metaphor (sunset, ocean waves, floating shapes, a cozy room) There is no right or wrong happy place  — i