Syllabus for: Intro to Art - College of the Redwoods

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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-­‐
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