NSA Visual Arts Department
NSA Visual Arts Department offers a wide range of visual arts classes designed to provide creative rigor through the sequential approaches to art, experimentation, and group practice leading to in-house exhibitions and presentations. Courses offered are Drawing and Painting 1, 2 and 3, Portfolio Development, Drawing fundamentals/Cartooning, Digital Photography, Digital Photography and Acrylic Painting. Graphic design and Fashion Design is offered through the digital media lab.
Group Visual Art Classes (16-week semester)
Story Book Artists
Ages 3 to 5
Inspired by the great books in children’s literature, In this class children will read stories and learn to turn the story into art by completing a variety of projects related to. the book. Children are introduced to the elements of art by learning about different shapes, recognizing colors, as well as mixing colors. Children will develop fine motor skills by painting, drawing, squeezing glue, stringing beads, peeling stickers, cutting, collaging, stamping, and using clay all while enhancing reading/comprehension skills and improving language development. Additional Suggested Class: Of Mules and Men (stories for young audiences)-drama dept.
Young Painters 1
Ages 5 to 8
Students will learn the basics of drawing and painting. Students concentrate on the various drawing techniques, using real life or observational drawing as much as possible. They also learn how to mix colors in watercolor or pastels and the basics components of composition.
Young Painters 2
Ages 9 to 13
Basic media techniques- Students will use a variety of materials, and learn techniques for applying different styles and art materials for their paintings and drawings. Projects will include rigorous exercises using mixed media; printmaking, drawing and painting to further hone artistic skills. Students will explore subject - matter such as, animals, still life, buildings, and portraits in this 17 - week course. The instructor will cite historical and stylistic periods to encourage students to develop visual vision and art terminology.
Art Workshop
Ages 13+
This workshop class is more exploratory, It gives the student the opportunity to learn different ways of creating with acrylic paint, collage, stenciling, using mixed media, and other ways to apply and remove paint. You will learn to create art that is expressive, and more contemporary, and personal. The class includes demos, exercises, and an environment to create share ideas with other artist. You’ll also have an opportunity to explore your own artistic process to understand how to move more deeply into your own creativity path. The workshop is open to participants with all levels of experience. Even if you’ve taken this class before.
Advanced Art Techniques and Portfolio Development
Ages 13+
In this advanced course, students will further develop a creative approach to their drawing and painting using a variety of styles and artistic exercises. It will also help the student build their portfolios using the four tiered process; observational art, personal art, critique, portfolio presentation/home exam. Students will use a range of media such as charcoal, clay sculpture, acrylic paint, collage, printmaking and fabric art. Projects will include, observational drawing, still life, collage, perspective, portraiture and figure drawing.
If the student is preparing for College or an Arts High School please inform the instructor know.
Comics and Manga Drawing Techniques
Ages 8+
Students will be able to master perceptual drawing and be able to render light and shadow with the use of a variety of mediums, including pencil, charcoal and ink. While the skills they learn will be fundamental for the Anime, Manga and Comic market, they can also be used for the 2D and 3D animation field as well as fine arts.
Painting with Watercolors for Adults
Ages 18+ (90min)
Working from still lives, landscape photos references and other inspirational sources. We will learn the basics of watercolor. This will evolve use of washes, mixing color, understanding the different types of brushes, and papers. Drawing and compositional approaches will be discussed, Demonstrations will be given period Various watercolor mediums the properties of paint will be examined. We will explore abstract painting, figurative painting and mixed media approaches.
Suggested material list will be given.
Styling & Artistic Design
Ages 8+
Students who love fashion and drawing will learn how to draw blank fashion figures and then create various fashion styles in step by step, interactive, and encouraging drawing lessons. Students will learn to analyze fashion design and be able to research a theme of their choice, which will be the base for their own future designs.
Abstraction & Mixed Media: Painting, Drawing, Collage, & Sculpture
Ages 8+
This class is perfect for the beginners up to advanced students in art looking to explore new styles, mediums and a broader use of materials! Together we will embrace individuality by creating non-traditional mixed media art works with cool textured, color combinations, and multiple layers to represent unique raw expression of self through art. This class will be fun, messy, relaxing, collaborative and self expressive for artists of all levels. This class will also foster a no judgment, nurturing, safe environment for students to create new forms of artistic masterpieces.
