Painting: Architecture in the Environment

This five-week course engages students in deconstructing architectural structures in relation to the environment by way of observational painting with acrylics. Through on location painting and studio sessions, students build creative capacities and develop critical thinking skills as we focus on the fundamentals of painting, discuss precedents from art and architectural history, and engage in constructive group critiques. Color theory, as it relates to value and applies to light on form and material, is examined and put into practice as students mix paint and explore a variety of techniques. Volume is a major component as we apply principles of proportion, perspective, and depth to convincingly articulate spatial relationships. Composition and design principles are investigated throughout the painting process, from preparatory graphite sketches through project completion. Active painting is enhanced by focused exercises, demonstrations, slide lectures, readings, and museum visits, all which facilitate a deeper understanding of architecture via painting. (Note: this course meets for only 5 weeks: Jan 8 - Feb 7, 2019)