Academic Catalogs

ART A030N: Painting for Lifelong Learning

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Eff Term Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 11/12/2025
Top Code 100210 - Painting and Drawing
Units 0 Total Units 
Hours 108 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 27; Lab Hours 81)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Total Student Learning Hours 108
Course Credit Status Noncredit (N)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable Yes; Repeat Limit 99
Open Entry/Open Exit No
Grading Policy P/NP/SP Non-Credit (D), 
  • Letter Non-Credit (L)

Course Description

This is a community education course that is an introduction to the basic craft of painting focusing on the examination of selected materials, perceptual skills, and techniques used to explore elemental and theoretical design practices while rendering landscape, still life, and figurative compositions; Prior experience is drawing is recommended; Admission is based on an instructor review of each student's portfolio and enrollment will be granted only to those who demonstrate sufficient preparation ADVISORY: ART A110 is not required but highly recommended that the student has had experience in foundational drawing; Students are advised to have some background in drawing; An appropriate level of understanding of foundational drawing will be assessed through a portfolio. Not Transferable.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Demonstrate and show evidence of skill development in the historical use of paint as both direct and indirect methods in approaching the painting problem.
  2. Demonstrate and show evidence of the application of different techniques that effectively investigate and utilize brush stroke, oil paint application, color usage, and compositional emphasis in traditional still, landscape, and figurative subjects.

Course Objectives

  • 1. Create paintings that evince a working knowledge of the physical properties of painting materials;
  • 2. Organize and apply the basic formal elements and principles of design in paintings;
  • 3. Apply the principles of perceptually and theoretically based color theory to painting projects;
  • 4. Construct and prepare painting surfaces and supports;
  • 5. Develop expressive content through manipulation of mark, color, value, and composition;
  • 6. Examine and describe historical and contemporary developments, trends, materials, and approaches in painting;
  • 7. Assess and critique paintings in group, individual, and written contexts using relevant critique formats, concepts and terminology;
  • 8. Safely handle and use studio painting materials and equipment.
  • 9. solve and demonstrate the relationships of color, form, space, and composition.
  • 10. create and practice basic craft, techniques, and pictorial problems as they relate to picture plane.
  • 11. contrast and analyze peer student work.
  • 12. examine and analyze original paintings in local museums/galleries.
  • 13. prepare their own canvasses, panels, papers, and other surfaces for painting.
  • 14. understand the basic differences in various painting mediums.
  • 15. practice good studio habits and care of materials.
  • 16. apply different approaches to the development of a painting.

Lecture Content

Introduction of Painting

  • Historical role of painting as fine art and applied art

  • Themes and purposes as motivation for painting

Painting Materials

  • Exploration of physical properties of painting materials

  • Historical beginnings: watercolor, encaustic, fresco, and oil

  • Health and safety issues

Studio, Equipment, and Material Use

  • Painting surfaces: construction and preparation of painting supports

    • Canvas

    • Wood panel

    • Paper

    • Surface preparation (gesso)

  • Pigment characteristics: oil, acrylic, and alkyd

  • Related mediums and solvents; formulas for painting mediums

  • Brush characteristics: rounds, flats, brights, filberts, and mops

    • Hard and soft hair

    • Natural (bristle & sable), synthetic, and mixed brushes

  • Useful equipment: palette, painting knives, easels

Painting Methodology

  • Use and application of materials and tools of painting

  • Traditional approaches to developing a painting

    • Under/over painting

    • Indirect painting (glazing)

    • Monochrome block-in (bouche)

    • Chiaroscuro (light and shadow)

    • Imprimatura (tonal grounds)

    • Grisaille (grays or limited color)

  • Contemporary approaches to developing a painting

    • Direct painting (alla prima)

    • Varied approaches to brushstroke

    • Textures

  • Historical and contemporary developments, critical trends, materials, and approaches in painting, including:

    • Representational

    • Expressive

    • Abstract

    • Non-objective

Composition

  • Organization and application of the basic formal elements and principles of design as they relate to painting

  • Sketches

  • Review of elements and principles of organization

  • Creating the illusion of space on a 2D plane: perspective, overlapping, rhythm, and scale

Color Usage

  • Organization and application of formal elements and principles of design as they relate to painting

  • Review of color mixing; limited palettes

  • Color dimension: value, bright/dull, warm/cool, opaque/transparent

  • Local, optical, and arbitrary uses of color

Creating Mood

  • Development of expressive content through manipulation of mark, color, value, and composition

  • Soft and hard edge brush effects

  • Symbolic use of color

  • Emphasis and de-emphasis of value, color, and brushstroke

  • Harmonic and complementary tensions of subject, elements, and principles

Painting Analysis

  • Verbal and written analysis of painting structure

  • Critical evaluation and critique of class projects using relevant terminology in oral or written formats

Lab Content

A. Demonstration of the Use and Application of Materials and Tools of Painting

Using oil, acrylic, or alkyd in traditional approaches to painting:

  1. Under/Over Painting

  2. Indirect Painting (Glazing)

  3. Monochrome Block-in (bouche)

  4. Chiaroscuro (Light and Shadow)

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Regular NC Lab (NC4)
  • Regular NC Lect (NC3)

Instructional Techniques

Visual references, videos, field trips to museums/galleries, lectures, demonstrations, individual and class critiques.

Reading Assignments

Various art-related readings that are provided by instructor

Writing Assignments

Written report on a museum or gallery visit

Out-of-class Assignments

Museum and gallery visit Library research for a painting

Methods of Student Evaluation

  • Midterm Exam
  • Final Exam
  • Short Quizzes
  • Written Assignments
  • Essay Examinations
  • Report
  • Projects (Individual/Group)
  • Problem Solving Exercises
  • Oral Presentations
  • Skills Demonstration

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Students must demonstrate the ability to conceptualize and complete projects.This work must be completeted on time and  in a manner outlined in the student assignment handouts or by the instructor

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Written assignments, which may include quizzes, essays, exams, or reports.

Eligible Disciplines

Art: Master's degree in fine arts, art, or art history OR bachelor's degree in any of the above AND master's degree in humanities OR the equivalent. Note: 'master's degree in fine arts' as used here refers to any master's degree in the subject matter of fine arts, which is defined to include visual studio arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, textiles, and metal and jewelry art; and also, art education and art therapy. It does not refer to the 'Master of Fine Arts' (MFA) degree when that degree is based on specialization in performing arts or dance, film, video, photography, creative writing, or other non-plastic arts. Master's degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Robertson, Jean and Craig McDaniel. Painting as a Language: Material, Technique, Form, and Content., latest ed. Harcourt College Publishers, 2010

Resources Subscreen

  • Other: . . ().

Eligible Discipline(s)

  • Art: Master’s degree in fine arts, art, or art history OR bachelor’s degree in any of the above AND master’s degree in humanities OR the equivalent. NOTE: “Master’s in fine arts” as used here refers to any master’s degree in the subject matter of fine arts, which is defined to include visual studio arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, textiles, and metal and jewelry art; and also, art education and art therapy. It does not refer to the “Master of Fine Arts” (MFA) degree when that degree is based on specialization in performing arts or dance, film, creative writing or other non plastic arts.