ART 330 B: Digital Techniques in Visual Art 

Course Description

3 credits. Survey of the most frequently used programs in the studio arts and equipment necessary for successful navigation on the digital arena. Course is a six hour lab.

Course Content & Goals

Art 330 is a studio art course and introduction to digital and experimental media based art. Art 330 concentrates on the basics of digital media including still, web, and time-based imagery as well as a historic context of experimental media in the arts. Students will be introduced to a digital media artistic process through lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on production of art works.

Art 330 will also explore the influence of digital media in historic and contemporary fine art developments. Student are encouraged to bring their knowledge and experience of traditional art practice into this course. Students in Art 330 will be given the opportunity to bridge a physical art practice with a digital process with the belief that each can be enhanced when merged. Assignments in Art 330 are given to engage students in the technical, conceptual, and aesthetic aspects of digital art production.

This course will be a survey of the Adobe Creative Suite. Along with several in class exercises, student will be asked to complete several projects and one research project.

You will spend a LOT of time working in this course both in and out of class. This class meets on Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30am-11:20am, and requires work outside of assigned class time (minimum of 3 hours per week). Any reading, library research, writing assignments or attendance at guest artist’s lecture will be included in this time.

Goals/Objectives

• Develop an understanding of the tools, techniques, and concepts used in digital and experimental media art practices.
• Develop a critical awareness of what constitutes quality work by participating in constructive peer critiques.
• Recognize, analyze, and discuss contemporary trends in art works.
• Understand how to prepare digital files for output for print, web, and video.
• Create a web based portfolio.
• Develop understanding of difference between fine art and applied art.

Proficiencies / Competencies

• Expand critical, analytical, and conceptual thinking abilities.
• Apply critical, analytical, and conceptual thinking skills to the creation of digital art.
• Develop an understanding of contemporary digital art trends, styles, and practices.
• Recognize, analyze, and discuss the historical, political, philosophical, economic, and social factors that contributed to the production of digital art.
• Build a knowledge and confidence with digital media to better inform individual art practice.

Process/Methodology

Learn by doing: Students will be introduced to digital techniques through in-class and online demonstrations and exercises designed to technically inform final unit projects.

Through the semester students will demonstrate technical and conceptual understanding of class instruction by completing several projects.

Research: Students are expected to research content of personal work. This research will include visual, historical, and theoretical concerns.

Equipment/Materials

• 250GB+ External Hard-Drive. Very important. The machines in the lab are wiped periodically, so get used to saving your work to a drive.
• Headphones (preferably professional grade, no earbuds)
• Digital Camera. You will be required to have access to a digital camera for some assignments. Cameras may be checked out at the Media Development Center, which is located in room 213 of Hale Library.
• Sketchbook
• Website, Sound Cloud, and Vimeo accounts. You will be creating a portfolio website that will be used to document your work throughout the class. Additionally you will need to create a Vimeo account for uploading video work.

*It is highly recommended that you wait until after the first class period before purchasing your materials to get further advice on what will work best for the course.

Assignments

Cultural Remix – 10%

Sound Walk – 5%

Storytime – 5%

Storyboards – 5%

Nursery Rhyme – 15%

Data Visualization – 10%

Research Presentation – 10%

Twittering Machine – 20%

Digital Journal – 10%

Class Participation and Attendance – 10%