Syllabus

2019 – 20

Life Drawing 1-2

New School for the Arts and Academics

Instructor: Matt Dickson -- mdickson@aznsa.com

Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 12:10 to
12:40pm and by appointment
Website: https://mattdicksondrawingclasses.weebly.com
Remind Code: Life 1- @hgcb4e
Life 2- @22a487e

Class Description:
Life Drawing 1-2 : Students will develop independently their own body of work with the intention of deepening
their understanding of drawing through the study of drawing history and theory. They will further explore the
creative process while implementing the following in their drawings: sense of space, organizing and developing
stronger composition, expanding their understanding of value and contrast, and exploring expression and
content.

Course Objectives: Please see attached sheet for specific Visual Art Department of Education Standards

Required Supplies: See supply list

Attendance:
Prompt daily attendance is expected. All students must be seated in the classroom and prepared to learn
when class begins. Each tardy or unprepared class will cost the student academic points and negatively
influence their grade. Additionally, if a student is aware of up-coming absences, it is their responsibility to
inform the teacher before the absence(s) and arrange make-up or alternative work. Any student who
accumulates three or more tardies or unexcused absences in the same class in one month will be
required to recover instructional minutes on the last Saturday of each month. Saturday attendance will
be from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Failure to attend Saturday recovery hours may result in a schedule
change.
Each student will receive class participation points. If a student is absent, excused or unexcused, they will not
receive participation points for that day. If an absence is excused a student can make up these points by
working outside of class time before, after school and/or they can take their painting home.

Evaluation: Each student will have at least one peer critique per quarter. Mrs. Maney will grade students for
each painting based on the grading criteria for the assignment. Each student will be given specific guidelines
and grading criteria with assignment introduction.
Class Projects & concepts

 Gesture
 Figure construction
 Anatomy
 3D Rendering
 Drawing Dexterity
 Light Logic
 Portraiture
 Features of the face
 Master Copies
 Narrative

Grading:
Daily Class work
Bring your sketchbook. Students will receive participation points for daily attendance, class preparation, on-
task class performance and end of the community class clean up.

Homework
Homework will be sketchbook assignments. Homework will be checked every Wednesday unless noted.

Website
I have a website for my classes and a specific page devoted to this class. Class topics, activities, homework,
and due dates will be listed. Make sure to check the webpage, especially if you are absent. You can check the
webpage by going to the teacher page of the school website or by going directly to:
http://mattdicksondrawingclasses.weebly.com/

Due Dates
Please submit all homework and projects on due dates assigned. Please turn in assignments by the end of
class on that day. Incomplete work will be graded on the due date given, if a student would like to improve their
grade they can discuss a due date to complete the work on their own time for more credit. It is the students’
responsibility to discuss new due date for more credit. In the case of an excused absence work may be turned
in on the returning day.

Written Assignments and Artist Statements

There will be written assignments in this class along with artist statement development. Students are expected
to write in a readable manner in complete, descriptive responses. The student’s ability to develop, organize
and deliver ideas is a critical component of a student’s grade.

Unit Exams and Class Critiques

Students will have unit exams over material taught in class along with walking in-progress critiques several
times a semester.

Semester Exams
A cumulative exam will be given at the end of the first semester in December and at the end of the second
semester in May. This exam will count as twenty percent of the semester grade.

Grading per quarter

Assignments: 20% 1-3 per quarter
Sketchbook 30 % note- sketch book will be resubmitted as part of your final
Participation 40% This means independently staying busy and using class time effectively
Quizzes 10%

Professionalism & Attendance grades will be factored into daily assignments including Due-Nows and Bell
Work, Class Activities, and Exit Tickets. There will at least one grade posted for every day the class meets. If
a student is absent (even if it is excused), they will lose points for that day until the work is made up. In some
instances, students may need to complete an alternate assignment to make up points. It is the students’
responsibility to contact me about making up missed points for absences or tardies.

Semester Grading
100% - 90% =A
89% - 80% =B
79% -70% =C
69%- 60% =D
59%- or less = no credit earned

Fundraisers: As a part of our artistic community, the school asks each student to be involved in our annual
fundraiser in the spring. Each student will contribute art made as a collaborative effort in class or maybe an
independent project that can be quickly done as a break from the class curriculum. All the money that is made
from these fundraisers will directly be used for art supplies and to support the performing arts department.

NSAA Gallery Art: Each student has the opportunity to be hung in gallery exhibitions in our student gallery;
artwork chosen for displays will be decided on by Kyllan Maney. Not every student will be hung in the gallery
each time artwork is displayed, each student will have an opportunity to have their work displayed throughout
the year.

Seniors: We will have several assemblies over the school year discussing college preparation, Portfolio Day,
professional artist panels, entrepreneurship panel, college tours, guest artists, senior exhibit and the
graduation slide show.

All seniors are required to participate in the Senior show in May. More details about this will be given
throughout the year. Along with this all seniors are required to go to Portfolio Day at Mesa Community
College on September 21 starting at 11am.

Remind
We will be using the Remind App for text messages in this class. Both parents and students will receive
reminders for homework, assignment due dates, and tests or quizzes. Students or parents who do not want to
participate must sign a waiver that they will not be participating in the Remind program. The Remind App is
free and only requires a cell phone number. The remind App will replace the weekly email reminders that we
have used in prior years.

Benchmark and AzMerit Testing

All Students will take Benchmark Tests in all NSAA courses: August 13-14, December 13 & 14, and May 16-
17 and the AZMerit Exam (with the exception of seniors) sometime in April 2019. Part of the Benchmark Exam
may be included in Semester Final Exams. Students must attend these days and will lose participation points
for any absences. Test data is instrumental in being able to refine course work and effectively plan for the
future. Take note: This test data is often used for college entrance and scholarships; students should take the
exams seriously and perform to their best ability.

NSAA Non-Discrimination Policy

NSAA provides an academic and social environment that is free from discrimination and harassment on the
basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any
other category protected by law. NSAA seeks to promote a safe environment in which community members
are free to express themselves without fear of recrimination.

Students with Accommodations and/or Modifications

To ensure and support the intellectual and artistic richness in our education community, NSAA is committed to
creating a diverse and inclusive learning environment by providing equal access to students with disabilities.
Accommodations pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and modifications to support
students who meet the requirements for Exceptional Student Services will be honored as directed by federal
and state law.

School Policies:

NSAA Cell Phone Policy (new for 2019-20)

NSAA will institute a school-wide cell phone policy for the 2019-20 school year. All cell phones will be
collected in a phone caddy or cell phone center at the beginning of each class. Students will have full
access to their phones before and after school, at lunch, and during class passing periods. Phones
will not be accessible during bathroom breaks. Limited cell phone usage in class will be allowed per
teacher discretion for instructional purposes. Teachers and administrators will have complete
discretion to deal with cell phone “emergencies” on a case by case basis.

Students must receive permission from Matt Dickson or Mrs. Cardenas to take photographs, videotape or
audio record during class time and anytime in the classroom.

All work created in class needs to fit the NSAA Code of Conduct. This means work should not make direct
references to sex, violence, drugs, racism, and or swear words or gestures.
If a student leaves the painting room or designated outdoor area without instructor permission, this student will
be considered absent. This absence will be recorded as unexcused. Leaving the designated patio painting
area is included.

When working with tools, students are required to follow all safety guidelines discussed in class. Each student
will wear proper eye and/or ear protection with specific tools. Failure to follow these guidelines could result in
personal injury, injury to a classmate or school property. If a student does not follow these guidelines they may
lose their privilege to work with certain materials and tools along with other disciplinary actions.

Respect and care of individual and peer work needs to exist at all times on NSAA campus. This includes in the
classrooms, hallways, exterior walls and the gallery. Please, do not work on another student’s work unless it is
a collaborative assignment.

Imagery created by a contemporary artist may not be used for creation purposes. Photos, clip-art and copyright
free illustrations are O.K. to use for photo transfers and references. These images do need to be combined in
new innovative methods with a concern for the overall content and gestalt of the work.

Drawing Department of Education Visual Art Standards

VA.CR.1.8a Document early stages of the creative process with images or words in traditional or new media (such as a
sketchbook/journal, digital recordkeeping, etc.).

VA.CR.1.HS2a Individually or collaboratively formulate new creative problems based on student’s existing artwork.

VA.CR.1.HS1b
Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using contemporary practices of art or design.

VA.CR.2.HS2a
Through experimentation, practice, and persistence, demonstrate acquisition of skills and knowledge in a chosen art form
using various approaches (such as using the using elements and principles of modern art, applying artistic norms of
diverse cultures, addressing social issues in contemporary art, etc.).

VA.CR.2.HS2b Use art media with skill, purpose, and craftsmanship; and demonstrate awareness of ethical implications
of making and distributing creative work.

VA.CR.3.HS2 Engage in constructive critique with peers, then reflect on, re-engage, revise, and refine works of art.

VA.PR.4.HS1 Analyze, select, and curate artifacts (such as pop culture items, heirlooms, personal collections, etc.)
and/or artworks for presentation (such as in spaces in the classroom, digital presentation, on school campus, local
businesses, public spaces, etc.).

VA.RE.7.HS1 Speculate about ways in which art impacts people's perception and understanding of human experiences
(such as the impact of Diego Rivera's political murals, Pablo Picasso's "Guernica," Jacob Lawrence's "Migration Series,"
etc.).
VA.CN.11.HS1 Describe how knowledge of culture, traditions, and history may influence personal responses to art (by
comparing initial response to an artwork at the beginning of the course and periodically throughout the course to identify
changes in perception after study of the context, for instance).