Next semester, the art department is offering several different topics classes to hone your skills!
Life Sculpture (ART*470*01)
Life Sculpture will utilize the figure as a point of departure and convey the study of the figure on paper and in clay.
Tile Making (ART*470*02)
Tile making will explore the various possibilities of utilizing clay in low to high relief, including the use of color, drawing on clay and its potential in a decorative or expressive manner.
Plein Air Painting (ART*470*03)
This course will be an enjoyable and intense semester involving painting on-site in the PSU and Pittsburg Area. Both interior and exterior landscapes will be investigated on a smaller scale. Students will learn the advantages of plein air painting, as well as the various approaches to working on-site and how to efficiently compose and complete plein air paintings. Emphasis will be placed on how to effectively translate the often complex three dimensional landscape onto a two dimensional plane using thumbnail sketches, limited palettes and the thoughtful use of colors, values, shapes, edges and textures. Further emphasis will be placed on the creative process to make paintings that are more than strict representations of the landscape we see. Multiple demonstrations will be complemented by individual attention and group learning.
Students of all abilities are welcome, provided they have completed Art 277- Painting I. All students should have a basic familiarity with the oil painting medium.
Visual Storytelling (ART*470*04)
This course will serve as an introduction to drawing for narrative media, exploring illustration as a means of communicating ideas and stories. Students will develop their drafting skills as they learn to create characters and integrate them into environments, implementing narrative techniques in composition and overall design.
Editorial Illustration (ART*470*05)
Newspapers, magazines, and other publications often print illustrations alongside text to illuminate or elaborate on some concept for their readers. Students in this course will explore different ways to “draw ideas” and engage with texts to create illustrations appropriate for a variety of publications and platforms.
Automobile: Art & Design (ART*470*06)
Art in the Automotive is an opportunity to learn about the principles and elements of design as they are applied to the automotive industry. In the first half of the semester students will review, learn or deepen their drawing skills so they are able to design or draw cars, car parts, and additional objects. The second half of the semester will be spent creating a small model concept car, or an art car. The Art Car movement is part of a growing interest in cities such as Lawrence, KS or Houston, TX where creative people turn cars into art for large scale parades and other community events. Students may choose which type of car they will build.
The course is taught in conjunction with Nico Prelogar from the Department of Automotive Technology in the Kansas Technology Center.
Toy Design (ART*470*08)
Toy Design is an excellent class for any Sequential Art/Illustration students who would like bring their 2D characters into 3D form. Toy Design is a bustling, thriving career opportunity and exposure to the industry and entrepreneurial practices could be an additional direction for you.
Toy Design is an excellent class for 3D Fine Art Emphasis students to deepen their ability to problem-solve and create within an applied focus on manufacturing processes, mold-making, casting and 3D printing.
Toy Design is an excellent class for anyone interested in early childhood development theory, the psychology of play and the history of toys.
Toy Design is an excellent class for anyone who might like to write children’s books or build board games.
The course is taught in conjunction with Norm Philipp from the School of Construction in the Kansas Technology Center.
