Art 333: Materials and Techniques
Syllabus

Instructor: Kevin Muente
Office: FAC 413
Office hours: MW 12:00 p.m.-1:00p.m. and TR 12:05p.m.-1:40p.m. and by appointment.
Phone: 572-6012
Final Exam: Thursday, December 12 from 1:00- 3:00.

Required Text: The Painter's Handbook, Mark Gottsegen, Watson-Guptill, New York: 1993.

It is not enough for a painter to be a clever craftsman; he must love to "caress" his canvas too.
-Renoir

Course Objective

This course will examine the age old painter's craft. We will learn about our materials and learn new techniques. We will learn how to make paint from scratch, build frames for our paintings and paint in various media. Components of various paints, grounds, sizes, and paint mediums will be learned. Our understanding of the ingredients of our materials will also be examined.

This semester we will work with water-based and oil-based painting media. The water-based media will include egg tempera, watercolor, and acrylic. We will also work with encaustic, one of the oldest painting methods known, which is oil-based.

We will also broaden your art vocabulary terms so that we can learn to talk about what we are seeing. Several trips to the library and museum will be required. We will also be doing some writing. Writing, like painting, helps our thinking processes and the two compliment each other, so there will be occasional journal entries in our sketchbooks.

This semester we will work extensively with how to make our materials and techniques work better for us. By knowing your tools, techniques, and materials, you will better able yourself in the art of visual expression.

Class Policies

Attendance

You are allowed three absences during the semester. This includes both excused and unexcused, so save your absences until you really need to use them. Any beyond this will put a downward slant on your grade. No exceptions! Upon missing your fourth class your grade will drop one letter grade, five absences constitutes a drop of two letter grades, and if you miss six classes you automatically fail. If you do miss class it is still expected that you do the make-up work.

Attendance is Agrade neutral. For example, good attendance will not help your grade, however, poor attendance will harm it. Class starts at 1:40 p.m.(TR) so please be prompt. If you are late more than three times it will count as one absence, so don't be late! I also encourage you to call to find out what you missed, by talking to me or a fellow student. If you come to class severely unprepared it will count as an absence. Leaving early or cleaning up early will be counted as a late.

Grading

70% Work
25% Easy quizzes
5% Reviews of current shows

My evaluation of your work will be determined by the following criteria: Timely completion of homework assignments; the quality of your work; individual growth; class involvement; and class participation during critiques. If your homework is late, your grade for that assignment will drop one letter grade for each week it is late. Your homework will be graded on how well you meet the criteria and engage the concepts covered in class. I also allow you to rework homework after a critique to improve your grade. If significant improvement is seen the grade will be raised. Nothing is final until final portfolios are due. Another important aspect of this class is emphasis of craft. Knowing your materials and following their proper uses in a safe way is important.

We will have an individual mid-term review to meet and discuss your progress in the class. You will be required to turn in a final portfolio of all in-class and homework assignments.

My grading scale is as follows:

A: Great work! WOW! Superior. Student is enthusiastic and has an excellent grasp of the concepts covered in class. A serious effort is put forth, student engages homework with a degree of technical excellence. Scholarship is evident. Great craftsmanship. Marked improvement. Student shows considerable initiative. Student often does what is asked for exceedingly well. Great involvement in the class, student contributes a positive attitude which benefits the class. Student seeks out and looks at other artists constantly. Participates often during critiques.

B: Above average. Good. Student does a good job on homework. Assignments and in-class work are accurate. Student displays a level of marked improvement, understands what is asked of him or her and responds well to suggestions. Student shows up and is ready and wanting to paint on a constant basis. Student works hard and has a solid grasp of concepts and methodologies covered in class. Can see and correct errors well. Participates often in class critiques.

C: Mediocre. Work is acceptable, but average, sometimes doesn't fully comprehend all the concepts covered in class. Homework has errors. Student may work hard but barely meets assignments and requirements. Student may have some skills but initiative is uncertain. Some improvement is shown. May or may not see errors in their work but isn't very effective in resolving those problems. Student often can't or is unable to make required changes based on instructor's suggestions or instructions. Student may at times not be fully prepared for class. Issues of craftsmanship may be of concern.

D: Below average. Work is often late and/or of poor quality. Student has major problems with control of material and techniques. Little or no class participation, student may be late several times, or may have an attendance problem. Student shows little improvement. Can't fix and doesn't see errors in their work. Student doesn't follow directions or requirements of the instructor. Could have some skills however they lack proper motivation or initiative. Craftsmanship is a concern.

F: Failure. Work not turned in or unsatisfactory, excessive tardiness, poor attendance, attitude is a problem and often disrupts the learning process. Doesn't have good craft, and may exhibit unsafe studio practices. Missing 6 or more classes.

Schedule

Week 1: Overview and Introduction
Health and Safety
Materials and Equipment
Storage Cupboards
Supports, tools, sizes, grounds.
Cut panels

HW: Gather supplies and read Gottsegen, Chapters 1&2.

Week 2: Handling of materials,
Finishing cutting panels
Grinding pigments into paste, Pigments
Demonstration: Size and Gesso
Quiz
Size boards

HW: Gottsegen Chapters 3 & 4 and 7

Week 3: Gesso Boards and Pigments
Quiz

HW: Gottsegen Chapters 8 & 11

Weeks 4-5: Egg Tempera
Quiz
HW: Egg Tempera Painting

Weeks 6-7: Encaustic
Quiz
Gottsegen Chapter 12
HW: Encaustic Painting

Weeks 8-10: Watercolor
Quiz
Gottsegen Chapter10
Watercolor Demo by Eric Shanes Oct 22nd.
HW: Watercolor Painting

Week 11: Building Large Supports (Canvas)

Week 12-13: Acrylic Painting
HW: Acrylic Painting

Week 14-15: How to build your own Frame
HW: Building your own Frame

In addition to these assignments you will also be required to visit 2 galleries or art lectures, and write a summary of the shows or lectures. The NKU gallery doesn't count. I will give you a list of galleries in the area and will do my best to keep you posted of gallery openings and art lectures in the area.

The schedule in this course is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

Note: You may expect at least a solid three hours of homework a week, but you may need to put in more. I will always give you at least 1 week for the assignment so use your time wisely. On occasion you may have to come to the painting studio to do homework and paint from a class set-up.

Material List

Rubber Gloves (rubber or disposable)
Barrier cream
An extensive collection of small containers with lids. You will need a minimum of 12 2-oz. and 2 4-oz. Smaller containers would also be helpful. Think baby-food jars.
Larger clean, heatable containers( with lids if possible). Think coffee cans- metal or pyrex
Smaller aluminum cans. Tuna and cat food cans work well.
2 water containers
Apron or large smock
Muffin tin
Palette with shallow wells for water-based media. It should be at least 12" x 15".
2-3 small porcelain saucers. Think second hand store
Metal sifter
Metal spoon, serving spoon & tea spoon
Hot mitt
Bar soap and dish scrubby
Drawing board 18" x 24" Masking tape
Art supply box Bound sketchbook
3" flat brush
Cotton rags Pencils (6b,2b, HB)
Various round, flat and filbert brushes sable or sableine brushes rounds
Various round, flat and filbert Junky bristle brushes
1" wide flat synthetic for water-based media
Masonite, go in on this with a class mate and share a 4" x 4" piece $6.95 at Lowes
1 yard of canvas (unprimed)
Odorless Paint thinner
Artist grade Turpentine used for making mediums
Sil-a-coil brush cleaning kit
piece of plexi-glass for palette
Sil-o-coil can to hold thinner
Plastic Wrap T-pins
Wax paper
Cheesecloth
Used or New Electrical heating units griddles are best hot plates will also work, extension cord. If you have a used heating unit, bring it in!
3M respirator with a N95 rating these can cost from $1.50-$6.00 respirator numbers to look for 8560, 8240R95, 8210N95, 8240, 8653N95, 8654E5

Go to Suder's art store in Cincinnati for these Pigments:
They sell them in 2-oz. containers
Titanium White (get two containers), Zinc White (get two containers), Cad Yellow Light, Primrose, Yellow Ochre, Cad Red Med, Rose Madder Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Viridian, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Ivory Black
Hide Glue
1 Pound Beeswax
Calcium carbonate, Whiting or Marble dust
I've ordered Acrylic dispersion medium (around $7.00), Damar Crystals (around $7.00), and Gum Arabic powder around $3.00.
Ivory soap, staple gun, staples, 2-3 pallette knifes, razor scraper, A few pieces poplar 2 -8ft 1"x 3" poplar, sandpaper medium grit.
Many of the supplies can be purchased at Suder's, Prince's, Lance's, Wilson's, Michael's or by Mail order.

Class Responsibilities

The student is held responsible for all lectures, demonstrations, discussions, reading assignments, etc. throughout the course. If you miss anything, it is your responsibility to find out what it is and correct the situation.

Safety & Health

We will be working with some hazardous materials, and students are asked to follow guidelines regarding the handling of various materials. You will be asked to leave the studio if you are careless with your health or the health of others. A sure way to fail this course is to be unnecessarily sloppy and careless in the studio. If you are pregnant, please consider taking this course at another time.

When you are working with powdered pigments, you risk inhaling or ingesting the airbourne powder. Some pigments are toxic, and can cause serious health problems. Hazardous materials are only hazardous if you are over-exposed. Many commonly used paint materials would be considered "chronic health hazards". This means that over-exposure accumulates with time.

Studio Rules

1. Respirator and gloves must be used when pouring, or weighing powdered pigments.
2. Do not eat or drink when working with powdered pigments. Clean hands thoroughly before eating, etc.. At home keep your kitchen space separate from your studio.
3. Use gloves when cleaning up
4. Label all containers
5. Never leave heating wax unattended.
6. Avoid toxic fumes!
Do not heat waxes, pigments, etc., to a point where they begin to smoke.
Keep containers of solvents closed.
7. All used rags which have solvent pose a fire hazard and should be stored in the yellow fire-can.
8. Store solvents in "Solvent Cabinet".
9. This is a shared studio. Clean-up your work area, and store your supplies, before leaving the studio.

Disability

If you have any condition or impairment that hinders the full expression of your true ability, please meet with me to personally discuss this in regard to class requirements and performance.

Academic Honesty Policy

Since honesty in the course is required, cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the instructor and/or college constitutes a violation. Where applicable, a grade of zero may be assessed in the area that has been violated. This may affect your final grade. You may also want to examine the Student Honor Code at http://www.nku.edu/deanstudents/HonorCode.htm.

Dates to Keep in Mind

Trip to the Cincinnati Art Museum, Thursday, September 12
Last Friday of each month for gallery openings
Portfolio Review Oct. 21
Eric Shanes watercolor workshop Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 1:40 p.m.

Kevin J. Muente
Assistant Professor of Art
Northern Kentucky University