Faculty Syllabus

Common Course Description:  

A foundation studio course exploring drawing with emphasis on descriptive, expressive, and conceptual approaches. Students will learn to see and interpret a variety of subjects while using diverse materials and techniques. Coursework will facilitate a dialogue in which students will engage in critical analysis and begin to develop their understanding of drawing as a discipline.

Prerequisites:  None.  

Course Rationale:  The purpose of Drawing I is to provide each student with specific drawing media experiences and to build basic perceptual skills in terms of drawing from studio set-ups. The student will also gain basic knowledge of the elements of art: line, value, shape/volume, texture, and color to lead to their deliberate manipulation for different types of spatial illusion, compositions, and expressive meaning.

Common Course Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: 

• Describe visual subjects through the use of accurate and sensitive observation.
• Generate drawings that demonstrate descriptive, expressive, and conceptual approaches.
• Utilize varied materials and techniques with informed aesthetic and conceptual strategies.
• Demonstrate an appropriate level of professional practice, including safety, craft, and presentation.
• Analyze and critique drawings verbally and/or in writing.
• Relate drawing to design, art history, and contemporary artistic production.

ACC-Specific Course Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: 

• Analyze visual information in terms of proportional relationships, spatial relationships, and basic geometric shapes in order to accurately depict objects and groupings of objects. 
• Use shading (continuous tones, cross contour, cross-hatching, and stippling) to create the illusion of volume, depth, and the natural way light describes form. 
• Describe texture and organic rhythms drawing from still-life objects and landscapes. 
• Execute one and two-point perspective drawings. 
• Discuss drawing using a commonly understood terminology. 
• Present their completed work in a professional manner.

Course Requirements:

• Produce drawings with a variety of dry and wet media
• Participate in group discussions of progress and development
• Present completed portfolios for grading (rolled-up, folded, scuffed, torn, or loose work without a portfolio will not be accepted)
• Keep, take care of, and sign all work for your portfolio. Write the date of completion in the bottom right corner on the BACK of your work. This will make organizing your portfolio in chronological order much easier
• Completion of any and all homework assignments, including sketchbook

COURSE POLICIES

Withdrawal: Students who quit the course must officially withdraw, or receive an "F" for the course. A student may withdraw through ACC’s Student Online Services or by going to any ACC Admissions and Records office and filling out a withdrawal slip. Professor’s signature is not required. Before withdrawing, please note the “Six-Withdrawal Limit” rules as outlined in the student handbook: http://www.austincc.edu/current/needtoknow/academic.php#dropping. State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities.

If you decide to quit the class, it is your responsibility to go to the Admissions and Records office and file a withdrawal slip, or you may receive an “F” for a final grade.

Incomplete: An incomplete will be granted only in very rare and extenuating circumstances. Generally, to receive an “I,” a student must have successfully completed most of the course work (2/3rds with 70% or higher). If, after the last date to withdraw, a student has a serious situation occurs which prevents course completion and the student produces a valid, documented excuse in writing, an Incomplete may be granted at the instructor’s discretion. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the date in the following semester as determined by the instructor. The final deadline to complete the coursework will be no later than the final withdrawal date in the subsequent semester. If the coursework is not completed, the grade becomes an “F.”

Email: Students must activate and use their ACC student email accounts.  Professors are required to communicate with students using student email accounts (it has to do with FERPA laws on student privacy). Emailed communication through Blackboard is automatically directed to ACC student email accounts. Students must check this email account regularly to keep current on important course information. Students may follow directions to forward their ACC email to another account, but it should be checked on a regular basis.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

Electronics: All personal electronic devices (laptops, phones, tablets, etc.) are to be turned off and put away for the duration of the class. I strive to create a learning environment in the classroom and these items are a distraction from the drawing exercises you are meant to be focused on while you’re here. Your phone must be on silent and put away for the duration of the class, not sitting out on your desk. Texting, emailing, or googling in class is extremely rude and disrespectful of the learning environment. If you are accessing your phone while in class, you may be marked absent for the day with or without warning. If you have an emergency and you need to use your phone, leave the classroom to do it, but this should not occur more than once or twice during the semester. Unless specific arrangements are necessary to accommodate a documented disability, electronic devices are not to be used. 

Class participation and involvement are mandatory and essential to your success in this class. Be physically and mentally prepared to engage with the material and the physical demands of the class...Drawing is a very active, physical, and mentally demanding pursuit.

ATTENDANCE

The class is impoverished by your absence and inconvenienced by your lateness - your timely arrival and participation enrich the whole experience for you and your classmates. You will need to be present in the classroom in order to participate in and keep up with the specific sequencing of the drawing projects. Attendance is required and shows that a student both values and takes their education seriously. Class business begins promptly at the beginning of class, and I expect every student to be in class on time and prepared to work/pay attention/participate. 

Please keep all of your materials well stocked; students who do not have the required materials or are not actively exploring the goals of a given design will be asked to leave and counted absent.

Attendance will be taken at the beginning and end of each class. You are allowed three absences without penalty. You do not need to email me with the reason you are missing class (but you certainly can), and you should use these absences to cover missing class due to colds, late enrollment, allergies, headaches, stomach aches, food poisoning, work schedule conflicts, childcare conflicts, car problems/accidents, weddings, funerals, doctor/dentist appointments, etc. After the allowed three absences, each successive absence will result in 2.5 points being deducted from your final grade. For example, 4 absences result in a 2.5 point deduction from your final grade, and 5 absences result in a 5 point deduction, or a half letter grade. 

If a student misses three classes in a row or has excessive absences they may be dropped from the course. It is important that you attend class - it is very hard to catch up if you fall behind, and perfect attendance will reflect positively on your final grade. It is up to the instructor to determine whether the student will be dropped, have their grade reduced, or be allowed to make up missed work. Students should not assume that non-attendance results in being dropped from the class. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate a withdrawal. After 5 absences or more, I reserve the right to drop you from the class if you are not making satisfactory progress.

Chronic tardiness/leaving early is rude and disruptive. Tardiness is defined as being more than five minutes late OR leaving before the class is over. Arriving more than 30 minutes late or leaving more than 30 minutes early is considered an absence, and not tardiness. You are allowed 2 tardies with no penalty. After that, every 2 times you are counted as tardy will count as an absence. You are required to sign-in and sign-out if you are late or leave early (on the day that it occurs). Otherwise, you will be recorded as absent! If you do miss a class, you are responsible for finding out what you missed and keeping up with assignments and due dates, so it’s a good idea to exchange contact information with a classmate.

Chronic in and out of the classroom is also rude and disruptive, disturbs the learning environment of other students, and breaks my focus on the students who are actively paying attention in class. We will take scheduled breaks, so please make sure you take care of all your physical needs before you arrive in class, and reserve exit and re-entry to the classroom only for actual emergencies.

The last 10 minutes are allotted for clean up. All scrap paper, wrappers, paper cups, and paper towels must be placed in the trash. You must clean up after yourself and take your work and personal items with you. 

TEXTBOOK

Handouts will be posted on Blackboard as needed. There is no required textbook for this course, but if you are the sort that likes to have a reference book, Drawing Essentials by Deborah Rockman, Drawing: A Contemporary Approach by Teel Sale and Claudia Betti, and A Guide to Drawing by David L. Faber and Daniel M. Mendelowitz are excellent.

COURSE SCHEDULE (subject to change)

ALL STUDENTS NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• Supply box, bag, container of some kind (tackle boxes work great and are cheaper than art boxes) for carrying supplies to and fro

• Portfolio that will hold your 18x24 pad and ruler (not required but makes it much easier to travel with your pads and ruler)

• Metal Ruler 24” with cork back (you need 24” to span the length of your Drawing pad and an 18” ruler won’t do that…no wooden yardsticks)

• Handheld pencil sharpener (triple hole sharpener to sharpen different parts of the pencil lead...look for blades Made in Germany)

• 2 large binder clips to clamp portfolio/pads

• Workable Fixative Spray (may not be used in the building and should never be used inside your living space)

• Roll of 1” Blue Painter’s Tape

• X-acto Knife or Box Cutter (you need a sharp blade, so get extra blades if necessary)

• White Plastic Eraser

• Large Kneaded Eraser

• Factis Mechanical Eraser (you can get a pack with Refill erasers if you prefer)

• 1 Piece White Mat Board (doesn’t have to be Acid-Free) 12 x 14” or larger (no smaller) for making Viewfinder (check Jerry’s Artarama Mat Board Scrap Bin)…avoid Foam Board because it's too thick

• Sakura Pigma Micron pens - set of three, various sizes (*optional)

• Bottle of Waterproof Black India Ink (NOT Sumi Ink!!) - Speedball Super Black or Higgins

• Small Bamboo Sumi Ink Brush or Size 4 Round nylon white brush (Silver Brush SilverWhite at Dick Blick)

• Glue Stick (Acid-Free)

• 2 Chamois Cloths (one for Graphite, one for Charcoal...one pack is fine...we cut it into 2 pieces)

• Willow Charcoal – Soft or Medium, various thicknesses (as needed, but at least one box to start) ***Willow stays more gray than black…great for layout***

• Vine Charcoal – Soft or Medium, various thicknesses (as needed, but at least one box to start) ***Vine is capable of darker blacks than Willow***

• 3 Sticks Alphacolor CharKole Black Soft Compressed Charcoal (despite what the package says, these are Not Black Pastels)

• Drawing Pencils- 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, 8B (Derwent, Staedtler, Koh-I-Noor, Faber-Castell, Mitsubishi Uno brand)

• Sandpaper Block

• Grayscale & Value Finder 4x6

• 6B Lyra Graphite Crayon (Water-Soluble is ok, but try for Non-Water-Soluble)

• Sketchbook - at least 9” x 12” (bigger is fine, but no smaller. Spiral-bound is easier to work with because it lies flat, but choose your own adventure here)

• 12 x 18”  Newsprint Pad (50-100 Sheets) (other brands ok…just make sure it’s 50-100 Sheets...get 18x24" if it's easier to find)

• 18 x 24” Drawing Pad (24-30 sheets) WHITE (Strathmore 300 Series OR Canson XL) Avoid cream-colored paper, and don’t get SKETCH paper…we want Drawing paper

• Portfolio for turning in 18 x 24” drawings (Midterm & Final Portfolio) - I can show you how to make these from cardboard or foam board and packing tape, but it needs to house 18 x 24” paper, so it must be slightly larger than those dimensions…H-E-B carries 22 x 28” foam board in the school supply section for a good price. We’ll discuss (this is separate from the Portfolio you may want for carrying pads, ruler, etc. to and from class each day)

*** Additional materials may be assigned during the course of the semester***

Austin Art Suppliers:

Jerry’s Artarama: 6010 N. IH-35 Austin, Texas 78752 (usually the cheapest/best bet and they offer a 20% student discount at beginning of semester)

Art Store at the Co-op: 2234 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705 (UT Co-op, offer a student discount, park in garage behind Co-op)

Michael’s: more expensive! Google for the location nearest you (better for just picking up an emergency item occasionally)

Hobby Lobby: more expensive and closed on Sundays! Google for the location nearest you (better for just picking up an emergency item occasionally)

Internet Suppliers: Dick Blick, Jerry’s Artarama, Amazon