Visual Arts

Year Course: Grades 9-12

The AP 2-D Art and Design course consists of three different parts and AP Portfolio Exams. Students create a portfolio of work to demonstrate inquiry through art and design and development of materials, processes, and ideas over the course of a year. Portfolios include works of art and design, process documentation, and written information about the work presented. In May, students submit portfolios for evaluation based on specific criteria, which include skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas and sustained investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision, guided by questions. Students may choose to submit any or all of the AP Portfolio Exams.

Prerequisite: Completion of Discovering Art or evidence of valid equivalent, submission of an AP Application, submission of a portfolio, and teacher approval.

*Course meets UC/CSU eligibility

Semester Course: Grades 9-12

Various techniques of hand-built ceramic pottery and sculpture will be the emphasis of this one-semester class. The opportunity to learn wheel-thrown pottery can also be made available. Basic glazing and firing skills will be learned. Students will have at least two major hand-built ceramic assignments, with the opportunity to create and complete additional advanced ceramic assignments as time permits.

*Course pending UC Approval.

Year Course: Grades 9-12

This course is designed to teach students the basics of hard surface and organic modeling. They will build models using polygonal modeling techniques to create unique sculptures in 3D. Additional topics that will be covered are basic human and quadruped anatomy as well as texture painting. Background or interest in clay sculpting is recommended, but not required.

*Course meets UC/CSU eligibility

Year Course: Grades 9-12

This course will teach students graphic design using Adobe Creative Cloud, and introduce animation. Students will learn the principles of design and how to effectively use them to create various graphics in bitmap and vector art. Additionally, students will be introduced to basic user interface design, and learn to incorporate a Christ-focused perspective within the foundations of design, and promote creativity to produce engaging pieces of art. The second semester of the class will focus on drawing for animation and the art of animation. Traditional drawing skills recommended but not required. 

*Course meets UC/CSU eligibility

Semester Course: Grades 9-12

Learn digital photography! This hands-on course will introduce fundamental principles and techniques of single-lens reflex (SLR) photography in the digital format. Students will utilize elements of visual design and composition to develop an “eye” for evaluating and creating images. Students will use camera equipment to gain a working knowledge of manual technical exposure control techniques, ideally being able to use digital SLR cameras proficiently at the end of the course. In addition, students will become familiar with basic editing and management of photographic images utilizing editing programs such as Adobe Lightroom.  Students need to have access to a DSLR camera. Camera rental fees apply if necessary. 

Note: Course pending UC approval

Semester Course: Grades 6-8

Introductory concepts of design and composition will be integrated into each of the various art lessons and projects. The six abstract elements and five abstract principles of design will be the core unifying set of concepts for each semester. Major projects may include (but are not limited to) basic drawing skills (including the human figure and face, and linear perspective drawing), basic color theory and the color wheel, papier mâché sculpture, low relief stylized self-portrait sculptures, holiday-themed tissue paper "stained glass" windows, and basic hand built ceramic pottery techniques. 

Year Course: Grades 9-12

Introductory concepts of design and composition will be integrated into each of the various art lessons and projects. The six abstract elements and five abstract principles of design will be the core unifying concepts for each semester. Major projects may include (but are not limited to) basic drawing skills (including the human figure and face, and linear perspective drawing), basic color theory, introductory hand built ceramic pottery, holiday-themed decorative arts projects, and introductory painting skills (watercolor, acrylic). 

*Course meets UC/CSU eligibility

Year Course; Grades 11-12

This yearlong course will examine the art of film from five approaches: 1) historical growth and development; 2) genre approach; 3) artistic approach (in-depth study of filmmaking techniques); 4) trademark directors; 5) the Christian biblical worldview. The five approaches above will be interwoven so students will get a strong sense of the art and history of cinema from its inception in the 1890s to the present world. Students will become skilled in the art of film analysis through the consideration of a film’s literary, dramatic/theatrical, and cinematic elements.

*Course meets UC/CSU eligibility

Semester Course: Grades 7-8

In this course, students will learn the following digital painting methodologies and basics: applying traditional techniques to a digital process, concept painting, lighting, contrast, still life vs. photo studies, composition, and speed painting. In conjunction with this training, students will create works of art with the software Procreate for iPadOS. Students are recommended, but not required, to purchase a stylus to use with their iPads.

Semester Course: Grades 7-12

The drawing and painting techniques of perspective to create the illusion of deep space on a flat surface were developed and mastered during the Italian Renaissance. In this linear perspective drawing class, 1-point, 2-point, and 3-point linear perspective drawing techniques will be presented and then practiced by each student, resulting in the creation of accurate renderings of architectural subjects and their surrounding environments. The mastery of these drawing skills will have useful and practical applications for those students who desire to subsequently take computer-aided design (CAD) classes as well as college study in the fields of architecture and the visual arts. Note: Not a UC approved course.

Semester Course: Grades 7-12

In this course, students will learn how to create videos through pre-production, production, and post-production. Students will learn how to write scripts as well as develop organizational spreadsheets before filming. Students will be taught to manipulate and operate camera equipment and lighting technology. Additional topics include how to edit using Adobe’s Premier Pro and other effects programs, and how to create content for various media platforms such as YouTube. There will be separate classes for junior high and high school students. 
Note:  Not a UC approved course.

Year Course: Grades 10-12

Yearbook is a year-long course designed to have students understand the role of visual art and design, and its impact on society and culture, particularly in publication mediums. This course is responsible for the capturing events of the current school year with the culminating publication of The King’s Academy Yearbook. The course may be retaken each of the three years. The teacher serves as the advisor to the students who make up the Yearbook Staff. The course will focus on students understanding a designer's target audience and stimulating creativity through a variety of two-dimensional media. Then, students will apply this artistic process to create designs for the yearbook publication. Finally, they will maintain the integrity of design through the editing process, while collaborating and communicating with their colleagues on the yearbook staff. The assignments in the course will demonstrate a student's ability to apply the principles of design and effectively communicate their message. Assignments will also have students process, respond to, and judge design works using their knowledge of the elements of art and the principles of design. The yearbook is produced online using Jostens application, Yearbook Avenue.

Prerequisites: Completion of Digital Photography or evidence of valid equivalent, and submission of Yearbook Staff Application and acceptance by the current Advisor and Editor(s).

Note: Students must be willing to take photos at school events for use in the yearbook and other school-wide publications, including the website. If accepted to the Yearbook Staff, the student may only drop due to schedule conflicts.

*Course meets UC/CSU eligibility

Year Course: Grades 11-12

Honors Yearbook is a year-long course in which students are responsible for the production of The King’s Academy Yearbook. Additionally, as a student in Honors Yearbook 2, students provide leadership skills as an “editor” of at least one section of the publication. Editors will play a crucial role in developing and creating the following year’s theme and major design elements. They will also work with new yearbook students in a mentor role. They will critique previous books and present their thoughts on students' design, typography, theme, layout, and photography, giving new students a clear understanding of what makes a strong yearbook. In addition to the responsibility of their own pages, honors staff will edit pages completed by fellow staffers offering suggestions for improvements and checking for detail cohesion within the book as a whole. Continuing students enjoy both more responsibility for and more input toward not only the yearbook as a publication but also in the functioning and duties of the staff as well.

Prerequisites: Completion of Yearbook 1. Submission of Yearbook Editor Application and acceptance by the current Advisor.

Note: Students must be willing to take photos at school events for use in the yearbook and other school-wide publications, including the website. If accepted to the Yearbook Staff, the student may only drop due to schedule conflicts.

*Course meets UC/CSU eligibility