The Hill School's visual arts program offers a variety of courses consistent with a traditional arts program and reflective of the School's commitment to technology. These are:
Studio Art 1: Through drawing, painting and sculpture, these three one-term courses encourage students to
experiment with different art materials and techniques. These include transparent and opaque media such
as watercolor, tempera, acrylics, and mixed media. With each assignment the instructor and fellow
classmates analyze the problems of composition, structure, space, perspective and color. (Fall, Winter,
Spring – students may enroll in one or all three terms.)
Studio Art 2: These three term courses are a continuation of Studio Art I that heighten the students’ ability
to observe and intensify their visual awareness and activates their imagination and inner vision. Each
student is supervised on an individual basis to fully develop his/her skills. The students are urged to
approach a given theme in an experimental and original way. Each assignment is continually critiqued
with regard to composition, form, space and color/value. (Fall, Winter, Spring – students may enroll in one
or all three terms.) Fourth Formers may enroll with permission from instructor.
Advanced Studio Art (Honors): Requires departmental approval. This full-year course is designed
for advanced Studio Art students. One of the main objectives for this course is portfolio preparation.
Early assessment of weaknesses and strengths of the portfolio forms a basis for the individual progression
by the student. Once a focus is established, the instructor sets up deadlines and requirements. Individual
and group critiques are vital to the learning process and for the growth and strength of the portfolio.
Concentration and breadth of the work are weighted heavily during the final assessment.
Studio Art 4 (AP): Requires departmental approval. This full-year, college-level course is designed for
advanced Studio Art students who have had at least three years of visual arts experience. This course gives
students the opportunity to build their portfolios from the Advanced Studio Art Honors experience.
Emphasis is placed on drawing from observation, the application of color and design techniques, the
development of a body of work that is of the student’s own choosing, and the application of the critique
process in written and oral form.
Art History (AP): Requires departmental approval. Prerequisite: Completion of History of Art and
Music and/or permission of the instructor. The Advanced Placement History of Art course is a full-year
course designed primarily to continue the student’s knowledge and appreciation of works of art as acquired
in History of Art and Music. With lectures, textbook assignments, research projects and at least one field
trip, the class will begin its study with prehistoric art and conclude with contemporary movements. This
course will provide a familiarity with the development of art, its major movements and figures, and the
relationship of works of art to the historical period within which they were created.
Photography: In the Fall Term, Photography will concentrate on black and white photographic medium,
with emphasis on camera operation, image-making and composition, lab processing and enlarging.
During the Winter and Spring terms, students would have the opportunity to continue to work in traditional
photography as well as expand into digital photography. Since photography today is an art form and
expressive medium that often combines technologies, both traditional and digital photographic techniques
will be taught, as well as image creation and editing using Adobe Photoshop. (Fall, Winter, Spring –
enrollment in the Fall or Winter term is a prerequisite for the Spring term course)
History of Art and Music: This course is designed as an introduction to the art and music of Western
Civilization from the medieval period to the modern. Students acquire a working vocabulary of the
elements of art and music as they learn to create a critical analysis of the art and music of each time period.
Students utilize laptops, textbook reading, note taking, music and art identification and library research as
preparation for quizzes, tests and exams. Ultimately, students are expected to be able to identify a variety
of paintings, sculptures, architecture and musical compositions by historical period. The social, economic,
political and religious events of each of the seven time periods studied are synthesized with the art and
music of each epoch. Required for all Third Formers.
Intro to Fine Woodworking: A term course that will run all three terms. The class is designed to orient
students to the woodshop. It will consist of basic shop safety, tool identification and care, basic joinery
and shop protocol. The 2011-2012 school year will see a new “open lab” format for the woodshop. This
new format allows the woodshop to be open all periods of the week. As a result students can be flexible
with their time in the woodshop, and come down when it is most convenient. This class will be graded
Pass/Fail with no lab fee, and will count for art credit. (Fall, Winter Spring—students may enroll in one or
all three terms.).
Fine Woodworking 2, 3, and 4: A full year of crafting and designing ones own creations. Anything from
Boats to Guitars, Lamps and Tables to Loudspeakers, can be built. Students will first produce a design
drawing, then build from their plans each part involved in their design. Prerequisite: Intro to Fine
Woodworking or departmental approval. . A shop fee will most likely be associated with the course.
Design Technology (CAD): This year long course in computer-aided drafting acquaints students with
three different types of software. Fall term; AutoCAD LT, a 2D wire form program, with which students
will learn the basics of computer drafting, including determining scale, layering and the standardized three
view part drawing needed to fully explain a 3-dimensional object. Winter term; Pro Desktop, a 3D solid
modeling program that builds images in 3D. Spring term; AutoDesk Inventor, the most powerful program
offered, is a perfect blend of the two used before. Inventor is capable of producing drawings and images
used professionally in fields such as: Architecture, Engineering, Product Design and aerospace.
Digital Arts: Three discrete term courses.
Photo Editing: This is a term course that introduces students to the techniques of editing photographs with
the use of a computer. Using Adobe Photoshop software, the course explores such topics as Layering,
Painting, Creating Masks, Retouching, Creating Special Effects, Printing and Preparing Photos for use in
Web Design. Students follow a series of seventeen lessons and create their own projects. Students will
also get experience working with flatbed scanners and digital cameras. (Fall)
Media Literacy: During the winter term, emphasis will be placed on providing foundations for developing
a literacy for television and the media. Students will learn script writing, media history, how to deconstruct
commercials and gain an understanding of the importance of ratings and sweep periods. By learning to
deconstruct media, students will also be learning their own constructions. They will be learning about
communications in the context of designing messages, writing persuasively, and creating a personal
communication style. They then will use these new cognitive skills to create media of their own during the
spring term. (Winter)
Video Editing: Prerequisite: Media Literacy This is a term course that introduces students to the
techniques of editing video with the aid of a computer. Using Adobe Premiere software, participants
explore such topics as Capturing Video, Basic Editing Techniques, Adding Transitions, Adding Audio,
Advanced Editing Techniques, Creating Titles, Superimposing, Adding Motion, and Applying Video and
Audio Effects. Students complete a series of twelve lessons and create their own video projects. During
the course students will plan, shoot, and edit two to three small videos of their own. (Spring)
Advanced Digital Arts (Honors): Requires Departmental Approval Three discrete term courses.
Animation (Honors): Students will have the opportunity to follow the history of animation through a
series of projects that echo the development of the moving image. Students will develop a traditional
hand-drawn animation by creating a flip book. They will then be guided through the steps necessary in
creating a storyboard. Using a digital camera, animation software and clay, students will create their very
own claymation short. Periodic deadlines and critiques, mimicking a commercial production schedule, will
guide students in setting timely and realistic goals for their projects. (Fall)
Photo Editing 2 (Honors): This course is designed to advance student knowledge of the capabilities of
Adobe Photoshop. Students will continue to add to their repertoire of tools and techniques while digitally
editing and augmenting their original photographs. Emphasis will be placed on advanced compositional
strategies and color harmony, as well as utilizing the elements and principles of design to create informed
and unified design. Students will be required to complete a series of assignments and will participate in
periodic class critique. (Winter)
Advanced Graphic Design (Honors): This term course teaches students advanced techniques of creating
digital designs with the aid of a computer. Using Adobe Illustrator software, the course explores such
topics as creating complex shapes, color theory, perspective drawing, and compositional techniques.
Students will complete a series of projects, culminating in a portfolio review before the conclusion of the
term. (Spring)