Course Finder

This is an introductory course in the theory and application of the elements of 2-D design. Assignments will focus on the following design principles: line, value, form, scale, light, logic, space, depth, texture, pattern, composition and color theory. This course is required for all art majors.

This studio course focuses on research based design principles and their application in real world scenarios. Critical design thinking is considered in the context of the arts, mass media, social sciences, ecology, architecture, and interactive systems.

• Advisory: ART 10A.

This course is a continuation of the theory and application of the principles and elements of fine art and design on the computer. Introducing the basics of computer operation for digital imaging applications, scanner technologies, and learning how to apply visual design concepts with digital media. This course serves as preparation for further study in the computer arts by providing an overview of theoretical issues related to the use of computers in fine art disciplines. Studio projects focus on integrating visual design principles with digital imaging technology and personal expression.

C-ID: ARTS 101.

This course is an introduction to historical references, conceptual ideas, and hands on applications related to three-dimensional design. Students in this class will look at spatial composition, along with organizing principles and elements of design as they apply to space and form. Students are invited to experiment with new materials, cutting edge technology, and critical dialogues in order to develop their own visual vocabulary for creative expression. The class will have regular lectures, practices with work space organization for exhibitions, and a sense of play in the use of materials for non-representational three-dimensional studio projects. This course is spirited and experimental.

• Advisory: ART 10A.

This course covers calligraphy, including hand-written letter forms and type faces, styles, proportion, lay-out and spacing as applied in personal correspondence, advertising, layout and brochures.

• Advisory: ART 10A and ART 20A.

This course explores jewelry design and silversmithing as an art form and includes both fabricating and lost-wax casting techniques.

• Advisory: ART 17A.

This course is a continuation of jewelry fabrication and casting, emphasizing the expressive use of non-ferrous metal construction techniques including chain making, surface embellishments, alternative casting, and hollow container construction.

C-ID: ARTS 110.

This fundamental course is focused on representational drawing and composition using various black and white media. Introduction to principles, elements, and practices of drawing, employing a wide range of subject matter and drawing media. Focus on perceptually based drawing, observational skills, technical abilities, and creative responses to materials and subject matter.

• Advisory: ART 20A.

This course is a continuation of Art 20A with emphasis on color, the compositional aspects of drawing, advanced integration of basic drawing principles, and the development of individual expression. Exploration of artistic concepts, styles, and creative expression related to intermediate-level drawing, focusing on complex subject matter and concepts using a variety of drawing mediums, techniques, and methodologies. Students in this course will build on fundamental drawing skills to develop personalized approaches to content and materials in exercises covering multiple historical and contemporary approaches to drawing.

• Advisory: ART 10C.

This course is designed for students who are interested in broadening their range of drawing options by integrating traditional fine art drawing skills with digital technologies. Focus will be on exploration of the principles of drawing in their simplest form: marks, lines, shapes, light, perspective, proportion and spatial relationships. Using a combination of vector based and digital imaging software applications combined with traditional hands-on techniques, students will create drawing projects on the computer, as well as maintain a notebook of hands-on sketches. This course is a continuation of the compositional theories and skills developed in fundamental drawing classes, with an emphasis on preparing students to build upon their digital skills and fine art concepts and to develop personal directions in drawing.

C-ID: ARTS 200.

• Advisory: ART 20A.

This course focuses on study of the human figure through drawing utilizing observation, anatomy, and spatial structure. Beginning with proportions, volumes and gesture, drawing from the live model with class demonstrations the students will learn to identify the main landmarks of the body, the skeletal structure and the muscles of the human body. The lecture portion of the course will focus on Descriptive Anatomy directed toward artistic purposes and connected theoretical concepts, the studio portion of the course is focused toward the practical application of these notions and concepts making them directly relevant to the students that will start immediately applying them toward the practice of drawing the human figure. Various drawing techniques will also be practiced in the Studio portion of the course.

• Advisory: ART 21A.

Drawing from the human figure is an enjoyable and powerful exploration into the cultural context of one’s own world. This course provides intermediate instruction in drawing the human figure from the live model for students building a portfolio of figure drawings. This course builds on ART 21A, and focuses on more in depth study of the human figure through drawing. A broader range of materials will be introduced, including the use of color with continued emphasis on observation, anatomy, and spatial structure.

The figure continues to be one of the most important and enduring subjects for art. This course provides advanced instruction in drawing the human figure from the live model for students building a portfolio of figure drawings. This course focuses on in-depth study of the human figure through drawing. A broad range of materials will be utilized, including the use of color with continued emphasis on observation, anatomy, and spatial structure. In order to help students build a portfolio of figure drawings for transfer or to help find work in one of the many fields that require figure drawing, this course moves beyond observation and emphasizes creative, conceptual, & theoretical development.

This course provides advanced instruction in drawing the human figure from the live model as well of use of the figure in work that students create. Emphasis will be on developing self-directed student work. Course exercises will cover advanced surface musculature and skeletal anatomy, but will also develop students’ repertoire of medias and deepen exploration of the figure in drawing. Students will produce drawings in multiple medias and colored drawings.

• Advisory: ART 10A or ART 20A.

This is an introductory course to water media painting with emphasis on watercolor technique, composition, and formal theory. A spectrum of wash, glaze, and gouache techniques are explored using principles of color theory, composition, and space building concepts.

• Advisory: ART 10A or ART 20A or ART 30A.

In this advanced watercolor class students will further their knowledge and research about the principles, and practices of painting with watercolor. There is a focus on exploration of watercolor materials, perceptual skills and color theory, paint mixing and technique, as well as creative responses to materials and subject matter.

• Advisory: ART 10A and ART 20A.

This course will focus on the basics of drawing and painting with Acrylics and Mixed Media. Acrylics are a fast drying medium that is ideally suited for the beginning art student interested in Commercial Arts as well as Fine Arts. Students will develop skills in conceptual and observational painting through still life and assignments geared toward illustration. Assignments are based on typical areas of concentration found in the field, including conceptual, decorative, surreal, editorial, design, narrative, portrait, realistic and on the practical aspect of a career in illustration.

• Advisory: ART 10A and ART 20A.

This an introductory course in oil painting. This course will emphasize building a foundation for executing and understanding paintings with coursework focusing on the use and application of painting materials, composition, and theory.

• Advisory: ART 10A and ART 20A.

This course is an intermediate course in painting with a variety of types of subject matter. This course will emphasize the further use of oil paint or acrylic.

• Advisory: ART 21A and ART 32.

This course will focus on painting the live model from direct observation. Students may work in oil or acrylic paint for the course. The course will also focus on understanding and developing pictorial strategies through composition and analysis. Over the course of the semester, each student produces two major figurative paintings and at least five smaller works.

This course is an interdisciplinary studio course that explores art practices and issues underlying contemporary fine art activity with an emphasis on the influence of modern and postmodern perspectives. The nature, origins, methods, and implications of various art movements and genre are examined and the dissolution of traditional boundaries between media categories are explored including installation, appropriation, semiotics, performance art, art and technology, and digital and/or video art. Using traditional and/or alternative media, students develop a personal visual language for the creation of content-oriented art works. Portfolio development for transfer is emphasized.

• Advisory: ART 34A.

A studio course in which students further explore various options for postmodern art-making through studio practice, readings, and lecture/discussions. This course is structured to support each student in the development of a personal visual portfolio of artworks with an emphasis on the integration and application of formal visual concerns as well as content in their work. The nature, origins, methods and implications of various art methodologies and genres will be further examined and the dissolution of traditional boundaries between art media categories will be explored.

• Advisory: ART 10A or ART 20A.

This course introduces the use of the airbrush in fine art, design and illustration, including exercises in freehand air painting, masks, and stencils.

• Advisory: ART 10A or ART 20A.

This will be an introduction to the formal and spatial concepts, principles and techniques in sculpture. Various methods and mediums will be employed with attention to creative self-expression and historical context.

• Advisory: ART 40A.

Students will continue to explore sculptural materials and techniques and how different materials can be used for various art problems. Focus will be on individual growth and direction, emphasizing aesthetic and conceptual considerations.

• Advisory: ART 40B.

This course offers the advanced sculpture student the opportunity to further explore materials, tools, processes and techniques in conjunction with their individual conceptual and theoretical framework. Students will develop greater strength and abilities in articulating and investigating the significance of their own work and the work of other artists.

• Advisory: ART 21A or ART 40A.

Sculpting the human figure in clay is studied. Emphasis is on relief and full figure over an armature, using live models.

• Advisory: ART 41A.

This continuation of Art 41A utilizes problems in figure composition, individual interpretation of the figure, and exploration of various media.

• Advisory: ART 10A or ART 20A.

This course explores form and function utilizing free blown and poured glass, glass construction and glass in combination with other materials, emphasizing design, construction techniques, and proficiency in the art of off-hand glassblowing.

• Advisory: ART 43A.

This course further explores form based on techniques acquired in Art 43A. Advanced techniques such as slumping, fusing, molds, surface decoration, and coloring are covered.

• Advisory: ART 10A.

This course is designed to teach students basic ceramic design, materials, terminology, and construction methods, with an emphasis on building ceramic forms by hand with pinch, coil, and slab techniques. The course introduces students to the history of ceramics in a variety of cultural contexts, from ancient to contemporary. Students will have the opportunity to develop unique sculptural and functional ceramic objects with a wide variety of construction and decoration techniques.

• Advisory: ART 52A.

This is a ceramic design and construction course using basic hand building methods such as slab, coil, and molding combined with advanced building techniques. This course investigates traditional ways of hand building with contemporary concepts. Awareness of three-dimensional form, concept, and surface design are heightened by individual and group critiques. The students work towards a more individual statement by further experimentation with a variety of clay bodies, glazes, and firing techniques.

• Advisory: ART 52B.

This course emphasizes advanced concepts in wheel throwing and creating sculptural forms in a variety of methods. Students will gain increased knowledge of glaze and firing technology.

Students learn various forming techniques, with an emphasis on wheel throwing and the production of functional pottery forms. This course covers beginning problems of centering, throwing and shaping various functional and non-functional pottery. Students will be introduced to the process of glazing and basic firing techniques. Surface design techniques, such as stamping, carving, slip and oxide decoration, wax resist and glaze application methods are covered.

This course in ceramics focuses on surface treatment and enhancement. Student will learn extensive use of decorative slips, engobes and oxide washes. This course develops use of the potter’s wheel with lessons on plates, bottles, lidded vessels, and goblets. Student will gain extensive knowledge on glaze composition and materials.

• Advisory: ART 20A.

This is an introductory course in printmaking media and techniques including lino-cut, multi-block woodcut, and etching processes.

• Advisory: ART 20A.

An introduction to experimental digital print technologies through understanding the digital imaging process from color management to visual concept to final ink-on-paper. Advances the idea of innovative materials and techniques that explore combining both digital and traditional hands-on methods emphasizing individual creative problems. Class projects will be completed on Epson printers (1280, 2200, and 4000), including both dye-based and pigment-based inks with a variety of coated ink jet papers and uncoated fine art papers. Students working in all media are welcome to explore a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to working in a digital image-making environment. A special emphasis on fine art portfolio development for transfer as well as documentation of art works related to contemporary art practice will be encouraged. Projects, discussions and critiques will focus on issues of intention, process, experimentation, and producing quality digital fine art prints.

• Advisory: ART 20A and ART 60.

This course is an intensive study of etching techniques, using multicolor and black and white processes. Traditional methods of metal etching are also combined with computer generated images and non-toxic photographic techniques.

• Advisory: ART 61A.

This is an advanced course in creating multiple images in black and white and color. Traditional metal etching processes are combined with computer generated images, image transfers, and non-toxic photographic techniques. Emphasis is on multiple plate color images and book making.

• Advisory: ART 10A and ART 20A.

This is an introductory studio course in screen printing techniques, including hand cut and painted stencil application as well as an introduction to photo stencil techniques.

• Advisory: ART 10A, ART 20A and ART 60.

This course is a study of lithographic processes, past and current techniques, as well as black and white and multicolor processes.

This course provides an introduction to creative coding within the context of the visual arts. Students learn to read and write code for the development of visual, auditory, and interactive projects that employ computation as a medium for creative thinking. Lectures and readings survey the historical precedents and contemporary examples of programmatic approaches to art practice.

This course introduces fundamental concepts related to the design and fabrication of objects. Students utilize a combination of computational and mechanical tools to design, develop, refine, and construct physical forms. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands on lab work, students develop the skills, toolsets, and experimental approaches needed for further study in the fields of sculpture, architecture, industrial design, 3D modeling, and contemporary multimedia studio art practice. In addition to lectures and readings on the historical and contemporary intersections of art and technology, topics of instruction include the safe operation of power tools, digital input and output paths, laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC routing and milling, and a survey of relevant 3D modeling software.

This course will be an overview of the field of exhibitions and display including Fine Art Galleries, Museums, and Cultural Institutions. Focus will be on understanding the various roles of exhibitions & display in contemporary society as well as the many ways to create and implement them. Students will be given an overview of exhibition planning & implementation including the creation of didactic materials, learning guides, and workshops in conjunction with the exhibitions. This will be a hands-on course, directly connected to, and correlated with exhibition and display at the college.

This course introduces exhibition and display practices through hands-on experience in planning and installing exhibitions and display at Santa Monica College. This course will introduce the basic skills of exhibition production and display including: handling & preparing of art objects, planning and building out exhibition designs, and proper installation. The course will also introduce and explores jobs and careers in the field. Students will have the opportunity to directly participate in the creation of an exhibition and/or display at SMC.

This course offers an opportunity to utilize an existing exhibition and display at the college and how to activate it and connect it to the communities it can serve. Students will develop an understanding of and responsibility for exhibition planning, research, operation, and management of exhibition spaces and introduces the creation of educational materials. There will also be opportunities to plan events and coordinate activities around the exhibition/display along with appropriate web content that can be accessed remotely.

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

Please see “Internships” section.

Please see “Internships” section.

Please see “Internships” section.