Intro to Art
It is highly recommended that students take this course before any of the Art History courses in order to gain an introductory understanding of the vocabulary surrounding artistic studies, as well as an introduction to the major movements and styles of art history.
CLASS DESCRIPTION
In this 4-week class, we will learn the fundamentals of art–the elements of art and the principles of design. We will also get into the major styles of art while we learn about some of the famous artists that were known for those styles. We will begin the first two weeks with the fundamentals, learning some vocabulary while we practice those concepts with some fun and quick drawing assignments. In weeks three and four we will learn about compositional drawing/painting/sculpting/etc. while studying styles of art throughout humanity. We will cover classical and ancient art as well as modern styles; for example, we will spend a little time exploring the work of Michelangelo and make our way into modern pop-art. Students will have the opportunity to explore these varied styles of art by recreating them for themselves.
There will be vocabulary, as well as many quick drawing assignments, scattered throughout the lessons so that the students may have hands on ways of learning the concepts covered. There will also be quizzes regarding the vocabulary and the main ideas of each lesson. The major projects will be very open to interpretation, and each artist will mostly get to chose the medium they would like to work with for these big projects. The main idea is to create; this class only requires that the student puts forward their best effort to understand the concepts of this class while being creative, they will find it is easy and fun!
My goal for this class is that each student may walk away with a firm grasp on the basic fundamentals of art, and that they may explore their own creativity to possibly unlock new talents they may have ever known they had. This course is intended to be fun, stress-free, and allow the creativity of these budding artists to flourish. I hope that any student who comes into this class thinking they are not a good artist will finish the course more confident in their new found skills, and develop a thirst to build upon that creative knowledge.
CLASS FORMAT
No live classes—view lessons on YOUR schedule. In general, expect 1.5-2.5 hours to work through the lesson plan each week, and an additional 2-5 hours working on assignments (it really depends what assignment your child chooses to do and how they manage their time). For classes with two levels, the material is the same for both—the depth of the assignments differs. Younger students should usually be placed in Level 1. Older students, or younger students who want more of a challenge, should be placed in Level 2.
Each lesson consists of a fully narrated PowerPoint presentation with images and videos to enhance the topics. Students will have access to our learning management system, Canvas, for viewing their lesson, printing worksheets, taking quizzes, viewing/submitting assignments, participating in discussions, and viewing grades/feedback. Read more details about class format.
WEEK 1: Fundamentals of Art
We will begin the course discussing what art is. What defines art? What makes something art? We will then dive right into learning about mediums of art, and finish the week learning all about color theory.
WEEK 2: Elements & Principles of art (fundamentals continued)
In week two we will cover the elements and principles of art. These range from concepts like line and shape to concepts of compositional harmony and understanding perspective. This week will include a lot of vocabulary that is necessary to use when analyzing and discussing art. These are the fundamentals that are essential to understanding art theory.
WEEK 3: Ancient Styles
In week three we will begin studying styles of art by going back to the beginning–cave paintings. We will work our way through humanity’s more ancient styles, touching on Ancient Egypt and indigenous peoples, then working our way through the Renaissance and towards more contemporary art styles like Realism and Impressionism. Within each style we will learn about artists that were known for utilizing those styles. For example, we will explore the works of Michelangelo and his sivsical art, and we will explore Impressionism through the works of Monet.
WEEK 4: Modern Styles
In the last week we will focus on modern styles of art, from Fauvism to Graffiti. We will learn how these styles of art have been influenced by their era, explore the lives and works of the styles’ most famous artists, and have the opportunity to recreate works in those fun styles. During this week we will learn about artists like Matisse, Dali, and Andy Warhol.
Required Materials:
Red, blue, and yellow paint of any kind
pencil
paper for drawing/painting
playdough or some kind of clay
Colored pencils/crayons/markers/Or some kind of coloring set that is not paint.
Suggested Materials:
Set of paints (watercolor or acrylic)
Set of pencils with different weights
drawing paper painting specialty paper or canvas
Next Level Homeschool is a firm believer that not all learning should happen from behind a screen! That's why we give students the freedom to submit their assignments in the way THEY want to! We don't want regurgitation learning here. By allowing students to use their own talents, skills, and passions to complete assignments, they become even more engaged and retain the information. Why? Because now it's literally in their hands! We receive thousands of projects every year from our students: written reports, videos, models, posters, Scratch, Minecraft, Roblox, songs, poems, skits, drawings, sculptures, crafts—we've seen it ALL! And WE LOVE IT!!
Click here to view just a few projects we've received from students who have taken this class and see what YOUR kid could be learning with Next Level Homeschool!
Course Features
- Schedule TBD
- Activities Visual Arts
- Lessons 4
- Suggested Ages 9-17 one level
- Time This class is currently closed for enrollments.
