Syllabus for: Intro to Art - College of the Redwoods

Syllabus for: Intro to Art 

Semester & Year: Spring 2013 

Course ID and Section Number: ART-2-E2018 

Number of Credits/Units: 3 

Day/Time: TTH 11:35AM -‐ 02:45PM, CA Room 135 

Location: 

Instructor’s Name: Garth Johnson 

Contact Information: Office location and hours: Creative Arts 130 M W 1:30-‐2:30 

Phone: 707-‐476-‐4549 

Email: garth-‐johnson@redwoods.edu 

Course Description (catalog description as described in course outline): An introductory 

course designed to provide students with studio and lecture experience in the visual arts. 

Concepts covered include line, value, composition, color, and both two-‐ and three-‐dimensional 

space. Media used include drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, and new media. 

Student Learning Outcomes (as described in course outline) : 

1. Critique the visual characteristics in images and original works presented in class using oral 

or written formats. 

2. Demonstrate familiarity with the elements of art and principles of design, such as line, 

shape, value, composition, and space. 

3. Demonstrate basic proficiency with a broad range of two-‐dimensional and three-dimensional 

processes such as drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture. 

4. Identify, analyze, and discuss the functions of art and the roles of artists in diverse cultures. 

Special accommodations: College of the Redwoods complies with the Americans with 

Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. 

Please present your written accommodation request at least one week before the first test so 

that necessary arrangements can be made. No last-‐minute arrangements or post-‐test 

adjustments will be made. If you have a disability or believe you might benefit from disability 

related services and may need accommodations, please see me or contact Disabled Students 

Programs and Services. Students may make requests for alternative media by contacting DSPS. 

Academic Misconduct: Cheating, plagiarism, collusion, abuse of resource materials, computer 

misuse, fabrication or falsification, multiple submissions, complicity in academic misconduct, 

and/ or bearing false witness will not be tolerated. Violations will be dealt with according to the 

procedures and sanctions proscribed by the College of the Redwoods. Students caught 

plagiarizing or cheating on exams will receive an “F” in the course. 

The student code of conduct is available on the College of the Redwoods website at: 

http://redwoods.edu/District/Board/New/Chapter5/AP%205500%20Conduct%20Code%20final 

%2002-‐07-‐2012.pdf 

Additional information about the rights and responsibilities of students, Board policies, and 

administrative procedures is located in the college catalog and on the College of the Redwoods 

Syllabus insert.doc

homepage. 

College of the Redwoods is committed to equal opportunity in employment, admission to the 

college, and in the conduct of all of its programs and activities. 

How do you define art This is a relatively recent dilemma. Until the Renaissance, art was just a fact of 

life-‐-‐painters and sculptors were just normal working stiffs who filled a certain need in society. Artists 

painted portraits, made religious art, commemorative art or were more akin to craftspeople who made 

functional objects for everyday (or ceremonial) use. Certain artists in Ancient Greece and other societies 

had wealth and status, but most toiled in obscurity. What was the big change during the renaissance 

Artists learned the fine art of public relations. Suddenly, artists were geniuses who were receiving 

divine inspiration. 

Fast forward to the present, 

where being an artist can mean 

everything from chainsaw 

sculptor to weekend painter to 

performance or multimedia 

artist. The amazing thing about 

art is its malleability-‐-‐art can be 

combined with just about 

anything to create potent and 

thought-‐provoking hybrids. This 

class will combine some old-school 

fundamentals (line, color, 

form, technique) with exploration 

of just what it means to be an 

artist in the 21st Century. If you 

have a vision of an artist as a poor 

Frenchman in a beret and striped 

shirt living in a romantic garret on 

the Left Bank, it’s time to put that 

image to rest. 

Art is more than technique. Art is a thought process. In this course, you will work with drawing, 

painting and other materials, but the end goal is to help you to think like an artist. Elephants and chimps 

love to paint and draw, but you have the added advantage of creative problem solving. 

Catalog Description: An introductory course designed to provide students with studio and lecture 

experience in the visual arts. Concepts covered include line, value, composition, color, and both two-‐ 


and three-‐dimensional space. Media used include drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, 

and new media. 

Textbook and Supplies: The good news: I’m not going to make you buy some $120 textbook. The bad 

news: You’ll need to stock up on a variety of papers, paints, brushes and other materials over the 

course of the semester. I don’t believe in ridiculously expensive materials, though, and I’ll try to give 

you as much warning as I can so you can shop around and find your supplies as inexpensively as 

possible. We’ll also work with a variety of recycled and free materials as well. For the time being, here’s 

your supply list: 

Small moleskine sketchbook 

Graphite pencils -‐ I suggest 2B, 6B, HB and 2H 

Erasers-‐ 

• Kneaded 

• White Plastic 

• Gum 

Pencil sharpener 

Assorted paintbrushes 

Other materials will be required over the course of the semester. Stay tuned. 

Attendance: I take attendance for this course very seriously. Learning about art takes time and effort. 

If you accrue three absences over the course of the semester, it will be impossible for you to get an “A”. 

Two lates will count as one absence. Please show up to class on time and don’t leave early. If 

necessary, I will take attendance at the end of class as well as the beginning. If you accumulate four or 

more unexcused absences, I consider this to be "excessive absence", and you will be automatically 

dropped from the class. 

The only excused absences are serious illness (with doctor's note), family illness/death or school-‐related 

event or trip. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what your assignments are. 

Attendance for class critiques is MANDATORY! Any missed critiques will have an especially negative 

impact on your participation grade. 

Bringing Supplies: You must bring the required supplies to each class as I will not be providing any 

materials. If you come to class empty-‐handed, you will be counted absent for that day. 

Grading: To get an “A” in this course, you must complete all in-‐class assignments and put a high level of 

thought and craftsmanship into each project. You must also participate in in-‐class discussions, “show 


and tell” and other projects and field trips. Your final grade doesn’t depends more on your engagement 

with the material than it does on my judgement of your work. The grading breakdown is as follows: 

• Course Projects: Timely and successful completion of all main projects -‐ 50% 

• Participation: Class involvement -‐ 20% 

• Final Portfolio: Quality of work, craftsmanship, final presentation 15% 

• Quizzes and Writing Assignments: 10% 

• Syllabus Quiz: 5% 

Participation: 20% of your grade is determined by your participation in the class. This means showing 

up on time (with all of your materials), completing all assignments and remaining engaged throughout 

the entire class period. There is never a reason for you to rush through a drawing or project and sit 

bored through the rest of the class period. I expect you to participate for the entire class period. Extra 

Credit: There will be opportunities to earn a few points outside of class by attending Arts Alive (and 

similar events in Arcata and McKinleyville). 

Make-‐Up Work: If you are missing any assignment, it must be made up outside of class time. Come see 

me if you need to make special arrangements. I will accept late work up to TWO WEEKS after the 

original due date. Late work will be marked down by 20%. 

Music: Except for a few longer projects toward the end of the semester, I don't allow students to wear 

headphones/earbuds in class. We will listen to music while we draw, but it will be playing on the 

speakers in the classroom. You may bring music to share with the class or suggest music that you'd like 

to hear. 

Cell Phones and Texting: Do I really have to spell this out Turn off your cell phones during my class (if 

you can even get reception in this building). If I catch you texting or talking on your cell phone during 

class, you will be asked to leave and marked absent for that day. 

Important Dates: 

Semester Begins -‐ 01/14/13 

Last Day to Drop and Receive a Refund -‐ 1/25/13 

Last Day to Drop Without a “W” -‐ 1/27/13 

Spring Break -‐ March 11-‐15 

Last Day for Student Initiated Drop -‐ 03/30/13 

Final Examinations -‐ 5/6-‐5/10 

Semester Ends -‐ 5/10/13 


Emergencies: If there are any emergencies in the classroom, security will be automatically called. 

Please familiarize yourself with the location of campus telephones -‐ the nearest phone is located in the 

breezeway of Creative Arts. The phone number for Security is x4111. 

Students With Disabilities: Academic accommodations are provided to students who have a verified 

disability. In order to have a mutual understanding between the instructor and the student of the 

determined accommodations, a DSPS Support Services Agreement (SSA) form is developed each 

semester between the student and the DSPS office. Each student who is eligible for accommodations in 

the classroom will provide a copy of the SSA form to his or her Instructor. For accommodations due to a 

disability, please see me within the first two weeks of class. 

Caveat: The schedule and procedures are scheduled to change in the event of extenuating 

circumstances. 

Student Code of Conduct: You are expected to adhere to the College of the Redwoods code of student 

conduct. Plagiarism and inappropriate behavior will be dealth with accordingly. You can find the 

student code of condut standards on the CR website at 

http://www.redwoods.edu/District/dsps/ResourceGuide/StudentCode.asp 

Art Blogs and Websites 

We Make Money Not Art -‐ www.we-‐make-‐money-‐not-‐art.com 

Escape to New York -‐ www.escapetonewyork.net 

C-‐Monster -‐ www.c-‐monster.net 

Drawn! -‐ www.drawn.ca 

Art News Blog -‐ www.artnewsblog.com 

Making a Mark -‐ Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. 

Up All Night Again -‐ www.kirstyhall.co.uk/blog 

Dear Ada -‐ www.dearada.typepad.com/dear_ada/ 

Cynthia Hooper -‐ www.cindyhooper.blogspot.com/ 

Machine Project -‐ www.machineproject.com// 

Art Supplies -‐ Eureka & Arcata 

Ellis Art and Engineering Supply 

401 5th St, Eureka 

(707) 445-‐9050 

Michael’s 

800 W Harris St, Eureka 

(707) 444-‐2383 


Art Center 

823 H St, Arcata 

Grade Scale 

A 94% and above Excellent 

A-‐ 90%-‐93% Excellent 

B+ 87%-‐89% Good 

B 84%-‐86% Good 

B-‐ 80%-‐83% Good 

C+ 77%-‐79% Satisfactory 

C 70%-‐76% Satisfactory 

D 60%-‐69% Poor 

F 59% and below Failing

Syllabus for: Intro to Art - College of the Redwoods

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