Middle School Beginning Drawing

Description

This live, year-long, online beginner visual arts course is suited for middle school students who need art credits or who wish to learn to draw. Art instructor Charles Baughman will use the patented Monart Drawing Method to guide beginner artists through foundational drawing skills, better preparing them for future art education courses. Students may take the full-year course or enroll in each semester separately by selecting the appropriate options when registering. MS Beginning Drawing 1st semester is not a prerequisite for MS Beginning Drawing 2nd semester.

There is a misconception that only people with natural artistic talents can draw well. However, drawing is actually a skill that can be taught as students learn to control and manipulate lines in the same way they learned to write letters. This step-by-step drawing series aims to help students see the world around them as forms created by lines and shapes, and to learn to draw in that way. This course is highly recommended for students who wish to learn the basics of both observation and imaginative drawing, whether for fun or to prepare for or improve their skills for further art education courses.

During class, students will draw along with the Instructor, receiving direct, step-by-step instruction. Students will learn to use a variety of lines and to break down subject matter into shapes to create both realistic and sometimes imaginative images. While there is little outside homework for these classes, students are encouraged to keep a sketchbook to practice their weekly skills. They must submit their completed drawings each week after class to receive a passing grade.

The themes and focus for this year are as follows:

• First Semester:
  • Theme: Realistic Drawing for the Beginner
  • Focus: Draw realistic creatures from the animal kingdom, find line and shape in nature, practice mark-making, and learn the value scale to render three-dimensional animals and environments.
  • All new lessons!
• Second Semester:
  • Theme: Drawing for the Beginner II
  • Focus: Faces, People, Perspective, and Landscape. Learn to draw cartoon and realistic faces, hair, and skin tones, and practice gestural drawing and proportions with a maquette. Learn one-point perspective and continue working with the value scale to create three-dimensional buildings and landscapes.
  • All new lessons!

Aside from simply learning foundational drawing skills, this course will also improve skills in the following areas:

• fine motor skills
• spatial reasoning
• objectivity
• visualization
• self-discipline
• creative problem-solving

My teaching style is lighthearted, relational, and tailored to each group of students in my class. I keep my classroom atmosphere positive and encouraging – a place where everyone feels welcome and valued, with a focus on the joy and wonder of creating and creation, and where all artworks discussed will be rated PG and family-friendly.

All critiques, whether given by a teacher or classmates using a rubric, will be crafted to produce insightful, helpful, and, wherever possible, positive statements meant to encourage and deepen the student artist’s understanding and success. Feedback to all students will be delivered in a positive, kind, and encouraging manner, with a focus on the art concepts being studied rather than on talent or skill level.

Course Structure

Live course meeting time: Live meetings will be held every week on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. ET via Zoom.

Regular attendance is highly encouraged for direct instruction, personal artistic guidance, class community, and to ensure understanding. However, meetings will be recorded for students who are unable to attend live lessons. The recorded version of this class will be posted on Canvas within a few days. This course emphasizes that art is for everyone and values the heart of homeschooling, with flexibility as a top priority.

Weekly in-class assignments may include:

• A weekly 60-minute live meeting
• Interactive discussion of concepts, artworks, artists, and art history
• Art journal/sketchbook prompts
• Preliminary sketches
• In-class practice of skills being learned and mastered
• Student involvement in the learning process
• Use of elements and principles of design related to composition
• Mastering the techniques of media and the use of tools

Who should enroll?

Any 6th-8th grade student who wishes to learn or refine beginning drawing skills is welcome to enroll in this class. No previous art requirements are necessary.

Technology Requirements

• High-speed, broadband Internet
• Sound card and working microphone (for live sessions)
• Streaming video capabilities to watch recorded lectures
• Digital camera (can be a phone with a camera), or other means to photograph, scan, and upload student artwork

Evaluation and Feedback

Completed artwork should be submitted weekly through our website on Canvas to receive a grade. I will provide detailed feedback/guidance/encouragement on all submitted artwork, focusing on understanding and demonstrating the concept rather than artistic skill/natural talent, with the goal of improving skills at the individual level. Students who submit their work receive all critiques well before the next live art class, allowing them to steadily develop and grow in their artistic abilities while improving their work and developing their own artistic style with each assignment.

Communication

I will confirm registration with parents and send a welcome email with clear details and video instructions for navigating this course. All parents are welcome to join us in Canvas as observers. I will respond to all parents’ and students’ questions within 24 hours via email or Canvas message. I prefer to communicate via Canvas on our course website.