UML Art Department

Art Concepts I will focus on learning the visual language of the creative process through an examination of the principles of two-dimensional visual organization. These fundamental basics form the underlying structure of all studio and communication arts. Through slide lecture, guest lecturers, field trips, and studio projects, students will begin to understand the many forms that visual expression takes. The course will develop creative problem solving skills and students will learn to respond to personal challenge. Students will also be instructed in the principles of professional execution and be introduced to diverse modes of thought, media, and aesthetic expression. Art majors only.

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Art Concepts II will focus on learning the visual language of the creative process through an examination of the principles of three-dimensional visual organization. These fundamental basics form the underlying structure of architecture, environmental graphic design, product design and sculpture. Through slide lecture, guest lecturers, field trips, and studio projects, students will begin to understand the many forms that three-dimensional expression takes. The course will develop creative problem solving skills and students will learn to respond to personal challenge. Students will also be instructed in the principles of professional execution and be introduced to diverse modes of thought, media, and aesthetic expression. Art majors only.

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This course explores the computer as a tool of the visual language. Topics included are raster and vector-based image making, art for the internet & mobile devices, and current image capture and output methods. This course will introduce Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and a basic programming with the aim of expanding the artist's toolkit. Lectures, readings, and discussions will provide an overview of history and contemporary ideas on the use of computers in art.

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This required foundation course focuses on the translation of the three-dimensional world to the two-dimensional surface. Through a variety of media, surfaces, and approaches, students will concentrate on developing visual literacy and visualization skills. A wide range of assignments will be given to develop graphic and conceptual forms of expression.

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Drawing II will ask the student to continue to develop their skills in observation and will emphasize giving form to contemporary ideas through building a strong sense of visual literary. Assignments include a wide range of color media, surface, and subject matter with the focus on the psychological and structural use of color, creative experimentation, and the development of personal style.

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Form and Content is considered the capstone course of the Art Foundations Requirement. Form and Content will continue to focus on learning the visual language of the creative process by exploring the possibilities of time-based and sequential media. Through a variety of studio assignments and individual projects students will explore the integration of humanities concepts related to contemporary art and culture. Art majors only.

This course will provide an introduction to typography, its history and its application in the design industry. Students will explore letterforms, typographic contrasts, hierarchy of information, type families and their unique characteristics, and legibility. Through assigned readings, projects, observations, and lettering, students will gain an awareness of the power of typography in graphic design

This course will be a continuation in the study of typography with an emphasis on exploring the relationship between images, words and text. Students will further their understanding of hierarchy typographic voice, style, legibility and rhythm. Projects will involve both two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. At the end of this course, students will regard the power and beauty of type and “visual” voice with a deeper understanding and appreciation.

The papermaking course is designed to explore paper, not just as a surface to receive an image, but also as a material capable of being an artistic expression in and of itself. The course will explore the processes and techniques of making images in handmade paper, making images on handmade paper, making visual designs out of handmade paper and casting handmade paper into three-dimensional sculptural forms.

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Photography I covers the basic camera and darkroom techniques as well as aesthetic principles. Emphasis will be on black and white film and paper emulsions. Students learn to develop and print their own photographs.

This course will cover the fundamentals of digital scanning, digital capture and image manipulation. Digital collage and other forms of digital imaging will be explored. Image preparation for other media will also be covered.

Computer Art I is an aesthetics and communications course using the computer as the primary tool for translating art ideas into digital form. The emphasis will be on practical usage of existing Macintosh software as a means of creation.

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The course Printmaking will be an introduction to basic printmaking processes

A course in the systematic study of color and color theory to sharpen visual acuity, stimulate creativity and develop a greater facility in the use of color.

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In this class students will develop the basic technical skills involved in making a painting. In addition students will explore the formal and conceptual issues that inform all painting. Building on previous experience in design and drawing, students will explore these aspects as well as color, materiality, abstraction, and meaning. Students will develop a growing understanding and greater fluency of the visual and material vocabulary of painting. Students will also develop an awareness of their own artistic and aesthetic leanings and develop their ability to critically evaluate and offer constructive criticism of a painting.

This course will cover the technical and creative uses of water based media as they apply to fine arts and graphic design. Assignments in acrylic, gouache, watercolor, and ink are designed to stimulate independent thinking.

Sculpture I will explore three-dimensional form through the use of plaster, wood, and metals. Assignments will include expressive problems based on human and non-objective form relationships. Contemporary attitudes in sculpture will be examined and students will be encouraged to search for their individual visual voice by maintaining an active journal throughout the semester.

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Ceramics I will introduce the student to basic hand building techniques, wheel throwing and ceramic sculpture. The course will also examine clay as a material, glaze techniques and firing processes.

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Graphic Design I is the first course in the sequence of the graphic design concentration. The course is an introduction to the basic design principles and skills as applied in the graphic design industry. The course presents the elements of type, image, color, contrast, and hierarchy and concept development in the context of the design process. The importance of professional attitudes and approaches to visual communication will be emphasized. Students will explore the use of signs, icons, logos and corporate identity systems, word and image integration as they learn the meaning of “good gestalt”.

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Study of studio problems in visual structures and organization with various media and techniques; contemporary practices and issues will be explored. Topics will vary. This course may be repeated.

Building on Ceramics I as an introductory course, Ceramics II will ask the student to explore functional and nonfunctional ceramic form. Students will be expected to challenge themselves with scale, advanced glaze methods and they will become familiar with kiln firings. Historical and contemporary issues in ceramics will be covered through lectures, slide presentations and critiques.

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Sonic Arts is an introductory course to hardware hacking for sculptural installation, audio composition and instrument invention. Assignments will include building piezo microphones, home-made speakers, exploring pickups used in performance and amplification of sculptural objects, manipulating tape head readers and building simple oscillation circuits for noise. Students will learn about electronics and soldering, including how to hack devices for audio and sculptural experiences and experiment with sound as an inspiration for sculpture and performance art.

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Sculpture II will explore advanced sculptural materials including bee’s wax, concrete and aluminum casting. Contemporary attitudes in sculpture will be emphasized and students will be encouraged to continue to define their individual visual voice by maintaining an active journal throughout the semester. Contemporary cultural content will be emphasized.

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Photography II is an advanced course in black and white photography that includes instruction in technique and vision. Emphasis will be on the development of a cohesive body of work in photography.

Computer Art II will continue to expose the student to advanced computer art methods that focus on design, layout, and digital imaging.

Monotypes will explore the one-of-a-kind “painter's print.” Emphasis will be on the development of personal expression through a variety of assignments and techniques. Three portfolios of prints are required, two with assigned topics, and one with a self-assigned theme.

Figure drawing is the study of the draped and undraped figure from life, stressing both sound observation and the creative use of human form as a vehicle for personal expression. A variety of assignments, graphic media, and approaches will be given in order to help explore both philosophical and aesthetic issues.

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Building on the student’s previous experience in Painting I they will continue to explore the formal and conceptual issues that inform all painting. Students will experiment with a variety of conceptual, material and formal approaches to broaden their sense of the possibilities in painting. Students will develop an ongoing awareness of their own artistic and aesthetic concerns. Students will also continue to develop their ability to critically evaluate and offer constructive criticism of a painting.

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This course will provide students with the fundamental understanding about the process and the concepts in animation for narrative and experimental expression. Preproduction including scripting and storyboarding will be especially emphasized. Hybrid techniques in both traditional and digital animations including hand-drawing, stop-motion, rotoscoping, pixilation as well as tweening will be introduced. Static and kinetic aesthetics of moving images will be explored through the review of historic and contemporary animations, and through the production. Students from this course will make a much smoother transition to 3D animation courses, Language of Video, Interactive media as well as Web Design/Art. The course will also introduce the student to historical and contemporary perspectives related to the discipline.

This is a professional level course in advertising product photography and studio portrait photography. Students will learn view camera techniques as well as principles of lighting using strobe equipment.

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Students will learn the fundamentals of computer generated 3D modeling and animation. The emphasis will be on narrative, story telling, sequential content.

This advanced-level course is designed for students who have completed 3D Modeling and Animation and are interested in further exploring the narrative possibilities of animation. Conceptual drawings and story boarding will be required. The course will cover advanced sequencing, motion paths, editing, audio, and virtual environments. Other course topics will include media preparation for output to film, video, and CD/DVD.

This course will introduce the student to the processes of game conceptualization and game prototyping. Immersive and interactive media will be explored. Interactive, engaging game design will be emphasized. Conceptual drawings, storyboarding, 3D modeling and multimedia authoring will be employed. Proficiency in 3D model building and familiarity with Mac OS and/or Windows platforms required.

This is the introductory level course in the area and covers the basics of web design, HTML, CSS, some JavaScript, file management, formats, and uses for the web for both designers and artists. Students must have completed their Foundations course work, GD I and/or Computer Art I are very helpful but not requirements.

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This advanced level course is designed for students who have completed Interactive Media I and are interested in continuing to develop their skills in interactive design media.

This will be an intermediate course focused on the best practices of the Web Design industry, and will give students a deeper footing in the professional practice of Web Design.

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This is an advanced course for students interested in streaming video, video blogging, and streaming media phenomena like youtube, vimeo, twitter, and facebook, and the implications of telepresence performance on interpersonal communication and global identity.

This course will introduce the student to the processes of game conceptualization and game prototyping. Immersive and interactive media will be explored. Interactive, engaging game design will be emphasized. Conceptual drawings, storyboarding, 3D modeling and multimedia authoring will be employed. Proficiency in 3D model building and familiarity with Mac OS and/or Windows platforms required.