Art 222. Syllabus of Giulio Porta, expressively designed for Art 222. NVCC, Annandale Campus. Instructor contact information: Office CM 366, phone 703-3232135, email nvportg@nvcc.edu

Art 222 is intended for students that have successfully completed Art 121,122, 221, and interested in furthering their knowledge and production in the field of fine art drawing.
I would like offer students enrolled in this course two different directions or "plans" hoping that one of them will suit their artistic personality.

There is no order of importance in the labeling or the plans # 1 and # 2, they are just two different plans or equally important alternatives that you should seriously consider. After you have chosen the one that suits you, you'll be very much committed to it, there is no turning back or change of heart. If you have difficulties choosing a plan you need to consult with me within the first week of classes.
Plan # 1 Plan # 2
Some of you may have taken Drawing 1 and 2, or even Art 221 with another instructor or even at another campus. You may be used to do things in a manner contrary to what I would expect students to adopt in my classes. Because I don't want to turn this course into an exercise in frustration for both you and I, if you are the "I have been there and done that" type of student, and you are not going to be happy with projects that may not suit your current direction, here's what I want you to do:
  • You must email me a short and general outline of what you intend to do, and why. In other words what is there for you to learn from the approach you'll be using.
  • You must state in that outline how many drawings you intend to do. Their size and the media you'll be using.
  • You must tell me if you intend to work in class or at home, and when we can meet so I can provide you with input and evaluate your production.
  • Finally this plan, your plan, must meet my approval.

  • Keep in mind that if I don't approve of your plan is because I may find it weak or too vague. If that will be the case, I will bring those weaknesses to your attention.  Specifically what I will bring to your attention is the fact that you are not ready to work independently, at the college level.

 

 If you don't have strong and specifically detailed ideas concerning what you are planning to accomplish in this course. And you are looking for guidance, and close cooperation with your instructor (me) here's what I would like you to do:
  • your drawings should be directed toward the portrayal of the human figure.
  • The figures in your drawing should be monumental in size, meaning life size or over.
  • They should have the potential of being studies for sculpture, and of being translated into a media other then paper
  • They should include mixed media, anything other than user unfriendly, dusty, dirty, fixative-requiring media, such as charcoal and soft pastel.
  • the drawings could be pasted on board or foam core, and the shape of the figure cut out from the background, this can help you in composing the figures into a number of solutions which can be photographed, and become part of your portfolio. This approach can also help you in thinking of your drawing as a potential 3D object, as a sculpture.