Middle School Art
(offered every year, Mondays only)

Why take Middle School Art?

In New Hope’s art courses, students will learn to see and create art in new ways. They will encounter technique and style not as isolated concepts, but as windows into the masterpieces that have shaped art history. Through viewing, considering and critiquing great works, students will become part of a rich and well-informed creative community, and will make illustrations, paintings and sculptures with new depths of expertise. Students will also keep a weekly sketchbook to develop ideas and techniques, engage in self and peer critique, and complete creative independent projects. Join us, and learn to love art more than ever!  (MS Art is offered in a three-year curriculum cycle, allowing students to take the class all three years and at any time in their middle school education.)

Course Summary

In this studio art course, students will explore the elements of art and principles of design, and they will apply these concepts in their own visual compositions. They will learn techniques and styles in a variety of 2-D and 3-D media including pencil, charcoal, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, collage, and clay. Students will discuss and critique their own work as well as the works of artists throughout history. They will consider issues of aesthetic perception, creative expression, and aesthetic valuing to further develop their visual literacy.

Major topics covered

Art students will: 

• Learn the importance of expressive intent in their work.

• Practice the technical skills and techniques that they need to achieve their expressive goals.  

• Increase knowledge of the elements of art and principles of design; line, shape, value, color, form, space, texture, as well as unity, pattern, emphasis, movement, balance, contrast and rhythm.

• Gain art history knowledge in order to engage in artistic conversation with artists who are currently working as well as artists who have gone before.

• Gain experience in discussing one's own work and the work of others through art critiques.

 Major skills developed/Growth Markers

• Observational drawing

• Creating value and the illusion of depth and space in 2D works

• Color mixing

• Creating interesting, unified and balanced compositions

• Purposeful decision making in their own work

• Become adept at knowing and using the elements and principles of design

• Be inspired by the important artists and movements of art history

• Discover and practice new and exciting techniques — effectively using line, shape, value, color, form, space, texture, unity, pattern, emphasis, movement, balance, contrast and rhythm.

Supply list

Strathmore 500 Series Visual Mixed Media or Watercolor Journal, 5.5”x8” 
Additional supplies may be recommended by the instructor at the start of the year.

Additional information:

The goal of New Hope’s art courses is to expose students to the richness of art history, to teach them the elements and principles of design, to have them experiment with the many possibilities of visual expression, and to help them develop expressive intent in their work.

An art student at New Hope can expect to cover techniques of charcoal and pencil drawing, acrylic and watercolor painting, oil and chalk pastels, clay and other 2-D and 3-D mixed media in a variety of styles and with various forms of inspiration. Students will also be exposed to issues of aesthetic perception, creative expression, and aesthetic valuing to further develop their visual literacy.

Projects are taught to coincide with “anchor works” which tie assignments to an art movement and/or a master artist. Students will participate in self and group critiques, complete independent projects of their own choosing and keep a sketchbook for brainstorming, planning, sketching and inspiration. Projects and assignments will vary from year to year, so students may take art at any time in their middle school education.

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