Dear New IB Art Students,
I am happy to welcome you to the IB Studio Art Class. The class, although rigorous, will be a
rewarding and positive experience, and you will grow a lot as an artist. As you may have heard, the
class requires a strong work ethic, self direction and a commitment to overcoming obstacles. I run the
class like a college studio, so I expect a high level of maturity, and hard work. For the most part, you
will chose the mediums you want to work in, and the topics you want to pursue- I will teach you the
reading/writing and critiquing skills to expose your thinking and growth in preparation for the exam.
The summer assignment is designed (with the input of the previous year's students) to help you get a
head start on the class, learn to use the web as a source of tutorials, and begin to problem solve- please
do not come back and just tell me you could not do this assignment for some reason or other- figure out
a way to get it done, and ask for help (ask your parents, search the web, ask your friends, go to a
museum or the library) if you get stuck. I will be away this summer and will not have access to email,
so please use your resources to help you problem solve.
The 3 assignments below will be 75% of your first marking period grade, and are due on the first
Friday of class. Please come to class prepared, and do not wait until the last minute to complete the
assignments- for they will take longer than you may anticipate to do them well. Please type the essay
and hand it in as a hard copy.
There are 3 assignments that must be completed this summer, in this order:
1. We use email to communicate about deadlines, assignments and calendars- please send me an
email with your full name, email address, parent's name(s) and email address(es). You
may think I have your email, but please do this anyway. Also, include a few facts about
yourself so I can get to know you- what art experience you have had, what you hope to learn
about, what concerns or fears you may have going into IB Art. This class really depends on our
personal connection, so the more you tell me about yourself, the easier it is for me to help you
grow.
2. Please read about drawing techniques at the following websites:
http://www.portrait-artist.org/basics/techniques.html
http://drawsketch.about.com/cs/pencilgraphite/a/pencildrawing.htm
Then, read http://www.portrait-artist.org/face/index.html
(READ ALL THE LINKS!!!!- Drawing Lips | Drawing the Profile | Structure & Proportions |
Drawing the Nose | Drawing Eyes | Drawing Hair | Portrait Art Sketchbook | Don't do
that! )
Then, draw an 81/2 x 11 inch portrait of yourself or someone else using pencil (please do this
from real life, not from a photograph).
3. Go to http://www.humanitiesweb.org/human.php?s=g&p=g&a=d&ID=20
Examine each artwork and chose 1 you enjoy. Write a 500 word essay that formally analyses
the artwork you chose, paying particular attention to the artists' exploration of light and dark.
(talk about light source, color, composition, application of material, use of line, repetition,
shape, light and dark, sense of movement, application of paint, etc.) Pay particular attention to:
How does the artist break up the rectangle of the canvas?
How and where does the artist draw our eye?
How do they create drama or interest?
How are they applying the paint?
How do they create a sense of depth?
How is the canvas devised up into sections or areas?
Include a thoughtful analysis of how those formal artistic elements shape the meaning or
impact of the work.
It may help to read about how to write an art analysis essay at the following website:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/humanities/arthistory.shtml