Courses

Students may enroll in one morning and one afternoon course from the options below.

Morning classes: Monday–Thursday, 9:30 am–12:30 pm
Afternoon classes: Monday–Thursday, 1:30 pm–4:30 pm

Courses listed as morning and afternoon are offered twice, and are not full-day classes.

Expressive Line and Life Drawing (morning + afternoon)

Working with a model, traditional and nontraditional still lifes, and on individual projects, students will address issues of composition, the use of light and dark, and mark-making. One of the goals of the class is to interpret what you see while avoiding a “perfect product” mentality, allowing your drawing
to reveal its history of “mistakes” and changes. Pencil, ink, ink wash, watercolor or gouache, and collage are all possible materials, but erasable media will be stressed in the planning stages.

Painting and Permutations (morning + afternoon)

Embracing risk-taking and experimentation, students will explore the limitless material and conceptual possibilities of painting. Using acrylic and oil paint, students will produce paintings that stress effective visual organization, orig-inality, and craftsmanship, and synthesize ideas into a completed body of work. Formal course critiques assist in developing strong skills both in the evaluation of your own artwork and in analyzing formal composition principles. Modern and postmodern movements will be introduced as a means for contextualizing studio work.

Black-and-White Photography (morning + afternoon)

Capture the magic of West Coast photography and the influence of artists such as Ansel Adams (who founded SFAI’s Photography Department), Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, Lewis Baltz, and many more. Photographic field trips, extensive darkroom work, gallery and museum visits, and class discussions will form a dynamic environment for creating new work with technical and historical understanding of the medium.

Prerequisite: Basic introductory course in photography. Students must provide their own 35mm SLR camera that allows manual control of shutter speed, aperture, and focusing.

Color Digital Photography (morning + afternoon)

This course will encourage you to explore, create, and experiment with the medium of photography. Using Adobe Photoshop CS5, students will learn how to correct photos as well as how to work with more complex adjustment features such as selections, layers, masks, and channels. Discussions and group critiques will provide insight into contemporary photography. By the end of the class students are expected to have a cohesive body of work and a working knowledge of color photography and color digital printing.

Prerequisite: Basic introductory course in photography. Students must provide their own digital SLR, or digital camera with manual settings.

Digital Animation (morning)

Digital animation is a fascinating blend of imagination, artistry, and technology. This course will introduce software such as Adobe Flash and After Effects as well as traditional animation fundamentals of illustration and motion. Students will first develop an understanding of digital animation tools through structured exercises and demonstrations, and move toward more complex concepts of storyboarding and interactivity. You will then apply all these techniques in the creation of a short animated movie.

Experimental Cinema (morning)

This hands-on course will demystify the mechanics of experimental filmmaking and introduce cinematic history and contemporary theory. Students will gain an understanding of super 8, 8mm, 16mm, and digital video camera operation and photographic principles, while also exploring techniques like hand coloring, scratching on film, and using found footage to create new meaning. Editing will be done using both analog and digital tools, including Final Cut Pro.

Installation Art (morning)

This course explores the poetic form and social history of conceptual and site-specific installation. Students will discover the importance of context, process, and time-based activities when working with materials and space, and also learn about project documentation. Studio projects will include work with architectural forms, performance, video, and lighting. Slide lectures will reveal the historical and political underpinnings of these forms and their contemporary manifestation worldwide.

Video Art (afternoon)

Learn the art of digital video and performance as experimental, complementary mediums, along with the history and context of the art forms. Using hand-held video cameras, advanced computer editing systems, and lighting, students will create short videos, video installations, and performances that consider issues of physical and visual space. You will also develop pro-fessional video shooting techniques and technical proficiency with editing software such as Final Cut Pro.

Students must provide their own video cameras.

Screenprinting (afternoon)

Explore the expressive and technical possibilities of screenprinting as you learn how to develop a stencil and convert drawings, photographs, and digital output into a genuine print—not only on paper, but also on a variety of surfaces such as fabric and plastic. Projects will introduce the photo-emulsion process, color registration, and water-based ink mixing.

Inventing the Figure in Ceramics (afternoon)

Focusing on the figure with attention to anatomy, this course will explore the boundaries of the human form and physical features, and address the processes, techniques, and concepts at play in contemporary figurative ceramics. Working with a range of direct construction methods, students will address materiality, three-dimensional design, and functionality. As the course progresses, low-fire surface treatments and glazing strategies will provide students with tools to complete their projects.