syllabus

MONDAY
Morning:
  - Introductions
  - Portfolio Presentation: botanical and nature illustration
  - Introduction to art materials: paper choices and dry drawing mediums
  - Medium sampler: practice and experimentation pages
  - Historical Visual Presentation: “Age of Discovery” Naturalists, Scientists
    and Artists:  
            Leonardo da Vinci
            Maria Sybilla Merian
            Charles Darwin and others
  -  Historical, informational handout pages for homework reading
  - Outdoor drawing demonstration focusing on visual concentration and
    continuous line drawing technique
  - Outdoor drawing practice on campus
Afternoon:
 - Demonstration: skills and tips on observing for drawing and capturing
   a quick likeness:  blocking, key points, positive/negative space,
   plumb lines, values etc.
 - On-campus exploration of botanical subjects: formal garden, wooded
    environment
  - Drawing a botanical subject using new skills as preparation for a finished
    monochromatic piece with historical inspiration     

TUESDAY
Morning:
 - Visual Slide Presentation: Design in Nature, Seeing Artistically: 
    Elements and Principles of Design
- Educational handouts on Elements and Principles of Design to inspire
  curriculum development
- On-campus “treasure hunt” for design in nature: line, shape, pattern
- Drawing samples of “found design” detail in natural objects
Afternoon:
- Demonstration: colored pencils used impressionistically with landscape
subjects
- Outdoor practice with “impressionistic essence” drawing style
- Field trip to Acadia National Park:  Woodland and Shoreline sites
              Practice capturing landscape “impressions”
              Look for and draw examples of design found in nature
              Draw botanical specimens

WEDNESDAY
Morning:
-Technique demonstration and visual samples:  Monochromatic drawings inspired
  by Leonardo da Vinci
-Complete monochromatic botanical drawings started on Monday
 Afternoon:
 -Seeing Texture and Design: Using magnifying glasses to find patterns and design in nature
 -Visit Natural History Museum on campus
-Drawing and Visual Skill Assignment: Create new pattern designs utilizing repetition,
  balance, positive/negative space, overlapping techniques

THURSDAY
Morning:
- Demonstration on value studies in pencil
-Demonstration on ink pen drawing
-Combining mediums: pencil, ink, colored pencil, pastel
- Field trip to Acadia National Park:  Drawing outdoors with pencil and pen
Afternoon:
-Drawing Assignment Choice # 1:  A drawing inspired by Leonardo daVinci’s
  monochromatic style
-Drawing Assignment Choice # 2:  A drawing inspired by the style of
  Maria Sybilla Merian

FRIDAY
Morning:
  -Class time to complete projects
Afternoon:
  -Group discussion and presentation time
  -Field trip on Osprey, research vessel to practice drawing live subjects in the field,
   inspired by Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle.

< back to summer course info page