糖心Vlog

Drawing I introduces students to the discipline of observational drawing and the elements and principles of design. Emphasis is placed on proportion, value structure, line quality, and balanced composition through direct study from life. Students work in graphite, charcoal, ink, pastel, and conté while exploring subjects such as still life, landscape, architecture, animal form, and the human figure.

Projects are structured to build confidence in measurement, simplify form, and achieve spatial clarity. Sketchbook practice and museum study reinforce careful looking and visual analysis. The course culminates in an independent drawing that demonstrates technical growth and thoughtful design. Students may exhibit work in student art shows and participate in a field trip at the National Gallery of Art.

This course focuses on the disciplined practice of drawing from sculpture, with particular emphasis on classical plaster casts. Students develop greater clarity and precision in their observation by studying stable subjects under controlled lighting conditions, strengthening their understanding of proportion, structure, light, and shadow. Working in graphite, charcoal, and conté crayon, they learn to translate three-dimensional form into convincing two-dimensional drawings through careful measurement, value relationships, and edge control.

As the course progresses, students move from shorter studies to more sustained drawings, learning how strong early structural decisions support fully developed work. Emphasis is placed on patience, clarity, and the thoughtful organization of light and form, while encouraging students to develop confidence and intentionality in their mark-making. By the end of the course, students will have strengthened their technical skills and gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between form, light, and space.

Enrolled students may exhibit their work in the Annual Spring Art Show and participate in a field trip to the National Gallery of Art.

Through projects based on still life, landscape, architecture, the human figure, and individual themes, students develop an understanding of how image and process work together. Emphasis is placed on careful planning, carving, and inking techniques, as well as thoughtful revision through multiple impressions.

As the course progresses, students move from guided exercises to more independent work, refining their ability to create strong, intentional compositions. The course culminates in the creation of custom screen-printed T-shirts based on each student’s strongest design.

A field trip to the National Gallery of Art provides opportunities to study historical and contemporary printmaking firsthand.

This one-trimester, studio course is designed for students interested in experimental approaches to painting and serves as an alternative to traditional models of “fine art.” Working primarily with acrylic media, students will investigate the development of personal visual language through sustained experimentation with surface, structure, and process. Projects incorporate projection as a compositional tool, painting on found and constructed objects, stretching and preparing custom canvases, and building layered or sculptural paint applications. Through these varied approaches, students are expected to question, expand, and at times deliberately disrupt the assumed boundaries between two-dimensional and three-dimensional art forms. Students will engage in critical dialogue, reflective writing, and group critiques to strengthen both conceptual clarity and technical fluency. By foregrounding experimentation and process, the course cultivates independence, visual literacy, and the ability to sustain a cohesive body of work suitable for advanced portfolio development.

Portrait and Figure Drawing serves as an intermediate course between Drawing II and Honors Studio Art, focusing on the human form as the most complex subject in observational drawing. Students will have regular opportunities to work from a live model while also studying master drawings, basic anatomy, and carefully selected photo references to strengthen their understanding of structure and proportion. Emphasis is placed on gesture, measurement, and organizing value to create convincing volume and space. Projects progress from short studies to sustained drawings that require planning, revision, and concentration. Students work in graphite, charcoal, ink, and conté, learning to choose materials intentionally for clarity and expression. Critiques and sketchbook work develop visual judgment and independent decision-making. The course establishes the discipline and observational confidence expected for success in Honors Studio Art.

This one-trimester course focuses on landscape painting through direct observation, using the natural beauty of 糖心Vlog’s 1,200-acre campus as its primary source of inspiration. Working outdoors as much as possible, students engage the land closely—studying light, atmosphere, and the changing conditions of the environment.

Through a series of structured projects, students develop their ability to organize space, simplify complex scenes, and translate what they see into clear and unified paintings. Emphasis is placed on composition, value structure, color relationships, and atmospheric perspective.

Instruction focuses on building paintings in stages—from thumbnail studies and quick plein air sketches to more sustained works—while strengthening technical control of materials. Students learn to respond directly to shifting light and weather, balancing careful observation with confident, expressive decision-making.

As the course progresses, students refine their ability to create depth, unity, and mood in their work while developing a personal connection to the landscape.

Students may exhibit their work in the Annual Spring Art Show and participate in a field trip to the National Gallery of Art.