Drawing studio from the track
Students in the Studio Art program take foundational courses in art history, and drawing and then choose from electives and upper-level courses in the visual arts to fulfill the required 11 courses related to the major. All students at Wooster are required to complete an Independent Study with a faculty mentor. Studio Art students get individual attention from instructors who teach no more than 20 students in a course.
Upper-level students are provided with individual studio space on the track above the classroom studios. Majors can choose an emphasis in drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, or ceramics. All students at Wooster complete an I.S. thesis with a faculty advisor.
Student Handbook
Review the Requirements for Senior IS in Studio Art. Additional writing assistance is available through the Writing Center.
A full listing of available courses and requirements for the major is in the Course Catalog.
This course introduces students to various media and methods of freehand drawing. To advance their understanding of the visual and verbal language of drawing, students engage in a series of topical exercises each combining a slide presentation and group discussion and a drawing assignment. Various approaches to representational drawing, which may include figure drawing, are explored. This course is recommended as the first course in studio art. There are six hours of weekly class time. Annually.
This course is designed to develop a more expressive visual vocabulary through the continued exploration of media, methods, and a wide range of subjects. The course includes an in-depth exploration of life drawing. Digital drawing is introduced. Additional study through field trips. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-15100 Annually.
This course introduces concepts, materials, and technical processes associated with making art in three-dimensions (sculpture). Students learn to explore the principles of three-dimensional design as they relate to natural and human-made form, structure, and spatial relationships. The class puts to practice these principles and concepts through a set of assignments designed to develop basic technical skills using a variety of traditional and non-traditional materials such as plaster, wood, metal, string, paper products, and found objects. There are six hours of weekly class time that includes lecture, technical demonstrations, image presentations, and in-class work time. Annually.
This course introduces concepts and methods for working with ceramics as a medium for creative expression. Students will explore various hand-building, surface development, and firing techniques to create both utilitarian and sculptural objects. Image presentation and discussions will introduce students to the contemporary and historical role of ceramics. Six hours of weekly class time that includes lecture, technical demonstrations, image presentations, group critique, and in-class work time. Annually.
This course is designed to examine the aesthetic and contemporary practices of digital media as an art form. As part of that process, students will come to understand the fundamentals of visual form and to develop technical skills with a variety of camera and computer editing programs. A special emphasis will be placed on understanding the practice of Adobe Creative Cloud, specifically Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom in order to generate, edit and manipulate still images and text. Assignments will direct students to develop personal studio art projects in a variety of subjects. Six hours of weekly class time that include lecture, digital demonstrations, digital slide presentations, critiques and in-class work time. Prerequisite(s): Any 100-level Studio Art (ARTS) course Annually. [AH]
A creative, individual program, organized within a classroom structure to integrate techniques and artistic concepts as a preparatory experience for the senior project. Students and professors meet weekly in a seminar to discuss problems and to critique projects. Prerequisite(s): 2 100-level Studio Art courses, 2 advanced level Studio Art courses, and 1 Art History course. Annually.
The first semester of the Senior Independent Study project, in which each student engages in the creation of a body of artwork and independent research guided by a faculty mentor. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-40100 Annually.
The second semester of the Senior Independent Study project, which culminates in a one-person exhibition, a written thesis, and an oral examination. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-45100 Annually.
SPECIAL TOPICS: FIGURE DRAWING A course for students who have taken at least one ARTs 200-level course in studio art. it provides faculty and students opportunities to study and to create in a medium not regularly taught, or to enable faculty and students to focus on an issue in creative art that is not adequately addressed in listed courses. Prerequisite(s): 1 200-level Studio Art course in the appropriate discipline, or permission of the instructor
VIDEO ART This course introduces students to the basic theory and practice of video as a fine art medium. Students will gain a comprehensive technical foundation through shooting their own footage using DSLR cameras and editing in Adobe Premiere Pro. Basic camera movements, splicing clips and creating transitions as well as green screen capture will be covered. This class will emphasize the production of video work that is rich in conceptual layering and students will view the work of contemporary video artists to establish a context and inspiration for projects. Prerequisite(s): 1 Studio Art course; or permission of instructor
Abstraction: Intermediate Painting Abstraction: Intermediate Painting is an intermediate hybrid studio art/seminar style class. As a class we will examine texts and other cultural artifacts producted around artists and their works, and students will consider the performative connotations of abstraction. Particular attention will be paid to the ways paint – a fluid and visceral substance – came to evoke the artist’s body and self in the wake of Abstract Expressionism. Students will respond to this research with studio projects throughout the semester, culminating in self-directed final project. Prerequisite(s): TAKE ARTS-15100 ARTS-15300 ARTH-22200 ARTH-36000 OR 1 200 LEVEL STUDIO ARTS COURSE
Advanced exercises in traditional drawing media as well as experimental techniques not covered in earlier classes. There will be structured assignments along with numerous independent projects. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-25100 Annually.
Advanced study in various painting media to include structured assignments and independent work. Continued investigation of contemporary issues in painting through field trips and readings of art criticism. Topics range from approaches to figure painting to open-ended conceptual problems. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-25300
In this course students will explore further conventional and experimental printmaking techniques. Students may concentrate on editioning, or they may develop a portfolio of individual prints. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-25500
This course is designed to develop an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of photography and digital imaging. A focus on advanced techniques will involve both structured projects with an emphasis on the development of an individual portfolio. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-25900 Annually.
This course will be comprised of both individually arranged and structured projects in advanced sculptural concepts and techniques. There will be an investigation of critical attitudes applicable to sculpture. Individual experimentation is encouraged. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-26300 Alternate Years.
Concentration on advanced problems in both functional and sculptural ceramic design and techniques. A portion of the course will focus on plaster mold-making and slip-casting. Continued instruction in glaze formulation. Individual experimentation is encouraged. Prerequisite(s): ARTS-26500
Abstraction: Advanced Painting is an advanced hybrid studio art/seminar style class. As a class we will examine texts and other cultural artifacts producted around artists and their works, and students will consider the performative connotations of abstraction. Particular attention will be paid to the ways paint – a fluid and visceral substance – came to evoke the artist’s body and self in the wake of Abstract Expressionism. Students will respond to this research with studio projects throughout the semester, culminating in self-directed final project. Prerequisite(s): TAKE ARTS-15100 ARTS-15300 ARTH-22200 ARTH-36000 OR 1 200 LEVEL STUDIO ARTS COURSE
Advanced work in an area in preparation for doing Independent Study. Permission must be obtained from the instructor offering an advanced course in the special area. The student must schedule the same instructor and class hours as the advanced course. May be repeated.
A structured, usually off-campus experience, in which a student extends classroom knowledge to a work position within a community, business, or governmental organization. Student interns work and learn under the joint guidance of a host organization supervisor and a College of Wooster mentor. The student must arrange the internship in advance through the appropriate department or program. No more than six internships, and a maximum of four Wooster course credits, will count toward graduation. The form for registering for an internship and the Internship Learning Plan are available in the office of the Registrar. May be repeated.
A structured learning activity in which students use their academic knowledge to engage in an experience that has real-world implications. Incorporates best practices in experiential learning. Typically includes an off-campus component. May be repeated. S/NC
Course offerings vary per semester.