Visual Arts Archives - Beaver Country Day School

Photo and New Media

Interests: Design, Media, Technology

Level up your photography, video making, and digital art skills and ideas in this dynamic new media course. Students will mesh DSLR cameras with Photoshop, Illustrator, Capcut, and iMovie. Look to elevate your visuals with large-format printing, digital projectors, and alternative processes that combine objects and the virtual world. Researching contemporary artists will support your self-directed process and help you explore how to exhibit your work.

Prerequisites: Intro to Photography, or Intro to 2D, or by recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Digital Art

Interests: Business, Design, Film, Media, Sports, Technology

Step into the world where creativity meets technology—where your imagination can run wild and your ideas come to life with the click of a button. Whether you're already comfortable behind the screen or new to digital media, you will learn a variety of digital tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Procreate while also experimenting with the capabilities of AI image generators. These tools will empower you to experiment, innovate, and express your artistic voice in ways that are only possible in the digital realm. Whether your focus is illustration, animation, or experimental techniques, this class offers the flexibility to explore a range of artistic expressions while mastering the digital tools of the future.

Prerequisites: Intro to Photography, or Intro to 2D, or by the recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

12th

Visual Arts

Advanced Studio Practice

Interests: Art, Film, Research, Storytelling

For Seniors who have built their skills and developed personal concepts for their artwork. How will you continue to build your creative voice after graduation? Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist when we grow up.” This course will explore creative strategies to keep art in your life after high school, including workshopping, refining your interests, and learning to seek out and enjoy seeing art in the world. Open to 12th graders who have taken at least one level 2 class and with permission from the Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Advanced Mixed Media

Interests: Art, Film

If you are committed to Mixed Media and ready to go deeper, this class is for you. Working with materials you already know and love, you will develop a portfolio of works about a particular theme. Research into how and why artists have used layering and alternative materials in their art will support your studio practice. Prerequisites: Mixed Media and recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Advanced Sculpture

Interests: Hands On, Storytelling

This course builds off your interests and success from Sculpture 1 and provides the opportunity to improve in technique. You will deepen your understanding of a chosen process through rigor and self-direction. Exhibiting completed artworks with intention and concept is required. Prerequisites: Sculpture and recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Advanced Drawing + Painting

Interests: Drawing, Hands On

If you are committed to drawing or painting and ready to go deeper and work more independently, this class is for you. You will develop a portfolio of works about a particular theme while practicing your technical skills. Researching the subject matter and techniques used by artists throughout history will support your studio practice. Prerequisites: Drawing + Painting and recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Advanced Ceramics

Interests: Hands On, Storytelling

This course builds off the foundational skills from Ceramics and provides the opportunity to expand on hand-building and wheel-throwing practices. You will explore your point of view as a ceramicist by creating a portfolio inspired by a theme or chosen process. Research into how and why artists have and continue to use clay as a method of expression and functionality will support your studio practice. Prerequisites: Ceramics and recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Advanced Digital Art

Interests: Art, Business, Design, Film, Media, Sports, Technology

This course builds off your technical skills and interests in Digital Art. You will enhance your understanding of digital art-making tools while developing your point of view as a digital artist. Researching contemporary digital practices will support your self-directed process and help you explore how to display your work on campus. Prerequisites: Digital Art and recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Ceramics

Interests: Art, Hands On

This course is dedicated to the exploration of how a ball of clay can lead us toward complex ideas and functional objects. Based on hand-building techniques and wheel throwing students will focus on form, structure, making mistakes, and idea development. By exploring the cultural connections of food and community and the rituals they were created for, students will build vessels and tableware for a social gathering. There will be time for students to design their paths as their skills and confidence grow to give them more control over the objects they envision. Prerequisites: Intro to 3D or by the recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

Visual Arts

Graphic Design

Interests: Architecture, Business, Design, Education, Film, Media, Psychology

How does design impact how we think, learn, and interact? In this course we will investigate these questions as we explore how graphic communication is woven into our daily lives. Students will gain insight into a range of graphic design applications such as branding and advertising, illustration, typography, information design, and editorial publication. Working primarily with Adobe Illustrator, students will develop their digital drawing and design skills while establishing a workflow between Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.

10th

9th

Visual Arts

Intro to Photography

Interests: Film, Media, Sports, Storytelling, Technology

This course spans photographic processes from the first camera to the darkroom, to the DSLR, to digital post-production Adobe Tools. As photographers, students will learn to observe light, color, and composition to better understand how to make a photograph. Reflecting, discussing, and thinking critically about the world of photography will lead to deeper ideas. Prerequisites: Intro to Visual Arts or by the recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.

10th

11th

12th

9th

Visual Arts

Mixed Media

Interests: Art, Film

Find. Cut. Glue. Spray. Transfer. Draw. Repeat. How do we create meaning through layering? Combining what we find and collect, we will develop innovative ways to build two-dimensional works of art. Rubber stamps, collage, fiber art, and wax are just some of the techniques and materials we will explore. We will also look at contemporary artists who create meaning by layering materials and techniques, discuss the results of our experiments with each other, and share ideas on a regular basis. Be prepared to play, to make a mess, and to produce a lot of work. Prerequisites: Intro to 2D or by the recommendation from the Visual Art Department Head.