ARTS 3550 - Art Techniques and Invention in Italy

In this hands-on course, students will study how artists throughout time have used various technical practices and technologies to transfer the complex three-dimensional world around us onto flat surfaces. Students will research different methods and tools of translation, such as the perspectival grid, stencil making and the camera obscura. Excursions to museums will provide students the opportunity to view artworks in person and analyze how artworks were created. Additional techniques such as fresco, image gridding, and other means of projection will also be explored. This course seeks to provide a basic framework for dissecting the technical aspects of the artistic process so students will increase their understanding of strategies for composing and creating two-dimensional artworks. 3 credits.