Syllabus - Abilene Christian University

ART 101: INTRODUCTION TO ART (ONLINE)
COURSE SYLLABUS
ACU MISSION STATEMENT
To educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
How do I define a work of art? It is… but a manʼs timid attempt to repeat the miracle that the
simplest peasant girl is capable of at any time, that of magically producing life out of nothing.
Oskar Kokoschka, painter, 1886-1980
And suddenly for the first time I saw a painting… it became entirely clear to me that art in general
is much more powerful than I had realized and that… painting can develop just as much power as
music possesses.
Wassily Kandinsky, painter, 1866-1944
WELCOME
Welcome to the online version of Introduction to Art! This class is designed to introduce nonartists,
beginning artists, or simply “interested travelers” to the magical, breathtaking, and
intriguing world of visual art! I am of the opinion that making and looking at art is a worthwhile
thing to do—that doing it makes us better people, that it makes us somehow more “human.” I
hope by the end of this journey together you will be enriched by what youʼve seen—that youʼll be
“more human,” love people more, and be inspired by the way that great art reflects the majesty,
benevolence, and creativity of our Maker.
THE BIG QUESTIONS FOR THIS CLASS
Throughout this online course, weʼll be exploring a few basic questions:
1. Art: what is it?
2. How can I talk about it and not sound like an idiot?
3. What great artworks do I need to know about before I die?
4. How and why did these artworks arise in a certain time and place?
5. Is there any hope for me as a draftsman (“draftsman” is a fancy word for a “draw-er”)?
COMPETENCIES FOR THIS CLASS
By the end of this class, here are the things you should able to do:
1. Formulate a working definition of art.
2. Be able to look at an artwork and discuss it in an intelligent way, using a specialized
vocabulary (what artists call “formal language”).
3. Be able to identify, on sight, great works of Western art, and relate some of the crazy and
interesting stories behind them.

4. Be able to visit an art museum with authority, and not be intimidated by difficult, weird, or
abstract art.
5. Be able to draw and render (or “shade”) some really simple three-dimensional objects.
NUDITY ALERT
You should know that some (certainly not all) of the artworks in this course contain what I call
“artistic nudity.” This means images (usually paintings and sculptures) of human figures without
clothing.
I personally think itʼs possible to be a committed Christian and look at images containing artistic
nudity. I believe that this type of image celebrates the beauty of what God has made (as opposed
to pornography, which degrades the body and turns it into an objectified tool to inspire lustful
behavior).
However, I also want to inspire chastity in my students (this is a rare enough virtue in todayʼs
world, a rarity that makes it all the more important). Different things might cause different people
to stumble. If you think that looking at artistic nudity will be spiritually problematic, this course
may not be for you. Remember that your soul is more important than some college class.
REQUIRED TEXT
Living with Art, 9 th Edition (you can purchase the e-book, hard copy or both)
REQUIRED SUPPLIES
1. #2 pencil or set of drawing pencils
2. Eraser
3. Blank paper to draw on (printer paper is fine)
4. Digital camera or scanner
GRADING COMPONENTS AND COURSE POLICIES
GRADE COMPOSITION
E-Sketchbook 40%
Conversation Café Posts 20%
Quizzes 40%
E-SKETCHBOOK
Intro to Art is a course where in-class doodling is not penalized! Cool! Actually, I will walk you
through several focused drawing assignments related to the subject matter for a given module.
These will be submitted in your e-sketchbook. While you are not required to be a talented artist,
you are expected to create work with your best effort that demonstrates that you “get” the
assignment. Your work should show lots of time and effort, even if youʼre not a talented or trained
artist. Donʼt worry if you canʼt draw a stick man—Iʼll help you, and itʼll be fun.
That said, if your drawing looks like you slopped through it or werenʼt careful, you will not get
credit for it. If the drawing you submitted is poorly photographed or your picture is blurry, you will
be asked to resubmit it.
Here is a general rubric for sketchbook grades:

A+ (100-95): Drawing or assignment not only meets all requirements, but exceeds expectations
for quality. An above-and-beyond drawing. There is evidence of large amounts of committed
time spent on the drawing.
A/A- (94-90): Drawing fulfills requirements of sketchbook assignment, with strong quality. All
goals of the assignment are met. It is evident that time and care were taken with the drawing,
even if all aspects are not aesthetically perfect.
B (89-80): Drawing fulfills most assignment requirements, but may have missed one or more
important goals or characteristics. Quality is pretty good, but student could have been a bit more
careful in execution.
C (79-70): Drawing meets many requirements in a general way, but obviously lacks a degree of
quality or time commitment.
D (69-60): Drawing has major flaws in meeting the assignment requirements and/or appears to
be hastily and carelessly executed.
F (59 and below): Drawing does not meet assignment requirements, or is so sloppy as to not
have earned a passing grade.
CONVERSATION CAFE
This is a gathering place for ideas, opinions, and reflections. Here you will submit written
responses to prompts that relate to the moduleʼs subject. You are expected to spell-check and
proofread your work, as well as to abide by the instructions for each prompt (length, relevance to
prompt, etc.). Work that is poorly written (bad grammar, spelling, incoherent, etc.) will not receive
credit.
QUIZZES
Most modules, or daily lessons, will conclude with a timed quiz. Be sure you have completed all
activities for a module before taking the quiz; the questions are based on a combination of the
podcast, reading, and sketchbook assignment. Note that due to the timed nature of the quiz, after
you have answered a question and submitted it, you cannot go back. Do not hit the “back” arrow
on your browser; it will lock up the quiz, and you will not get a grade!
Keep in mind that you are responsible for finishing in this allotted time! You will receive a onequestionʼs-worth
reduction from your grade for each minute or partial minute you exceed your
time limit. This means that even if you're a few seconds over the total time limit, you will receive a
grade reduction. Please take care!
DUE DATES
Each day of our class a new "course module" will be opened up. The official opening time for
each module is 12:01 a.m. of that day (so, for example, Tuesday's module would be made
available for you just after midnight on the night of Monday/Tuesday).
All assignments for a day's module (quiz, sketchbook, reading, etc.) will be due by 8 a.m. the
following day (going by Abilene time, not your local time if you're out of state!). This means that
the module assignments made available on, for example, Tuesday would be due on Wednesday
morning no later than 8 a.m.
LATE WORK
Late work will not be accepted, ever, at all, for any reason. A grade of zero will be given for
any assignment or activity that is not submitted in time. Note that itʼs not enough to have your

assignment finished by the deadline; you must also have it submitted to the appropriate place on
the Blackboard site in order to receive credit! I would recommend always double-checking to
ensure that your assignments were posted successfully.
Please note that technology problems (computer freezing, not having computer access
because youʼre on a trip or vacation, forgetting your computer charger while youʼre away
for the weekend) will not excuse you from assignment deadlines. It is your responsibility
to make sure that your hardware and software are working effectively. You will need to
make sure you have access to a working computer for the full duration of the course.
WHAT IF MY.ACU OR BLACKBOARD IS DOWN?
If, for some reason, you have technological trouble posting your assignment (if Blackboard is
having problems or your file size is too large), it is your responsibility to e-mail your work to the
instructor by the deadline—just send it as an attachment.
WHOSE CLOCK DO WE GO BY?
Assignment deadlines are dictated by the clock and calendar on the instructorʼs computer (U.S.
Central Time, or the local time for Abilene, TX). Therefore, you might consider turning
assignments in early to prevent misunderstandings or to avoid discrepancies between your clock
and mine!
ACADEMIC HONESTY
While the overwhelming majority of students are completely honest, some will occasionally make
poor ethical decisions. In this class, any form of cheating (submitting or copying someone elseʼs
work, getting unauthorized help on an assignment or quiz, submitting the same project for two
different classes, etc.) will result in an automatic 0 on the assignment and permanent-record
documentation with the university for all perpetrators. Note that plagiarism is not limited to simply
copying, verbatim, someone elseʼs work, but also includes copying someone elseʼs ideas.
Cheating is a sin against God and an academic crime—please donʼt do it!
For official university policy, see here:
http://www.acu.edu/campusoffices/campuslife/acad_integrity.html
BLACKBOARD
Grades for this class will be posted on Blackboard.