Fall 2026 ART 103: Foundation Drawing and Painting (Units: 1.5)

Office Hours

Office Hours: by appointment 

Course Overview

This course offers a fast-paced introduction to dry and wet 2-dimensional media, with a focus on creative problem solving, experimentation and imaginative play. Active in class sessions introduce learners to the fundamentals of mark-making, materiality, colour, design, historical context and concept. Students progress through a series of projects that build skill acquisition along with an exposure to a diversity of contemporary painting and drawing practices. 

WORKLOAD 

We will be making art, talking about art, and looking at art every class, for the entire scheduled time (mostly).  You will have 4-6 hours of homework each week.  There is a lot of structure to support your learning. If you are present, and following the structure offered, you will succeed, regardless of your experience or abilities. It is fast, it is a lot, it will be fun.

WORKFLOW

A typical class will look like the following: We start the session by gathering and briefly look at what classmates did the previous week and have an informal discussion of insights and struggles. I offer a lecture to introduce the week’s work, I offer instructions for the day’s exercise and if needed, I do a material demonstration. Students then break off and work on the day’s project, and I move around giving active feedback throughout the process. The class ends with a check in on the ongoing collaborative project we are doing with the other class. Often there is a homework assignment that is tied to the activity in class, and students work on that over the week. Other sessions might involve presentations of completed work, or working on collaborative projects/having one-on-one meetings to discuss independent work.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Through guided exercises, play, independent project development, lectures, experimentation, critique and lots of practice students will be supported to:

1. Gain a fundamental understanding of the basics of two-dimensional art production by:

exploring observational and non-observational strategies and a range of content; exploring a variety of conventional and non-conventional media, tools and techniques; manipulating formal elements, such as mark-making, contrast, composition and the principles of visual perception; learning and implementing safe, healthy and sustainable studio practices.

2. Gain a fundamental understanding of the basics of colour theory by:

working through tests and practicing mixing in “low-stakes” exercises, with time-tested methods, predicting colour outcomes from mixing in additive and subtractive systems, and testing aspects of colour theory; demonstrating the formal, visual elements of colour and their function.

3. Develop conceptualization strategies by:

using life experience and social/cultural knowledge as a basis for exploring ideas; choosing appropriate processes for problem solving in response to assignments; formulating strategic questions in order to research ideas, materials, techniques and theory; following a plan of action for the purposes of time management; maintaining documentation of ideas and research.

4. Position their work critically in relation to historical and contemporary visual art by:

writing short critical statements as required; articulating a rationale for their work based on their own experience and researching painting practices both historical and contemporary; observing and analyzing the work of their peers through engaging in studio discussion and critiques.

Assignments

There are two main units: dry and wet media. Each of these two units has a set of guided exercises and an independent assignment. The exercises are designed to stretch critical thinking capacity and imaginative muscles at the same time as develop technical skill.  The independent assignments are either completely self-guided, or supported by an open ended prompt. Support will be offered to plan and conceptualize. All the details of the projects will be posted on Brightspace week by week. 

Critiques

Each class will involve some informal sharing of work in progress or work done at home, and students should bring their work in a format that is easily shareable. Additionally there will be two more formal "critiques".  In the Visual Arts a critiques is like an examination. Expectations and protocols around critique will be actively discussed in class. Attendance and participation in critique is mandatory.

Critique 1: Drawing Project -  October 15th

Critique 2: Painting Project  - Dec 1st

EVALUATION

Department of Visual Arts Attendance Standard

Experiential learning and engagement are directly tied to class attendance. In the Department of Visual Arts students are expected to attend all classes. To succeed in the course, students should not have more than 2 unexcused absences in a 12-week semester, which equates to 6 hours of instruction.

Any student, regardless of illness or accommodation will not be able to succeed in the course with absences over 30%, which equates to 12 hours in a twelve-week semester. If a student finds that they are not able to meet this requirement, the instructor will work with the student to apply for academic concession or exceptional circumstances accommodation.

This standard is in place to ensure that students in the program acquire artistic experience in conjunction with the skill and safety requirements needed to complete the coursework and continue in the program. We find that active communication between students and instructors is the best method for ensuring attendance requirements are met. If the attendance standard has not been met and there is no communication with the instructor, an incomplete or failing grade will be assigned.

DEALING WITH ILLNESS AND THE UNFORESEEN (missing class, being late, catching up)

On the first day of class, you will be assigned a “buddy”. If you are late or miss class, the first thing you need to do is check in with your buddy to ask what was covered. From there it will be your responsibility to either choose to let the material that you missed go, with the realization that it will affect your grade, or propose an alternative or make-up plan for the missed material. You can send proposals for make-up work to the instructors via email, and one or both of us will go over them with you the following class in person when the opportunity arises, or at a prearranged time outside of course hours. If you have a prolonged illness or an accommodation that compromises your attendance, advise your instructors as soon as you become aware of it, and we will try and develop a solution or alternative that you feel can accommodate your needs.  This may not be possible, given the experiential nature of art education. The way the course is organized into small, biteable chunks, if you miss a class/assignment it won’t be the end of the world.

AVAILABILITY OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME

In-person meetings

You can make an appointment with either instructor to meet to discuss the course. Before you ask a question over email please read the syllabus and look at the Brightspace to see if the answer is there, or talk to your buddy. 

Email

During the term, Instructors only respond to emails from students Monday to Thursday between 9 am 5pm excluding holidays, unless it is an emergency (distress or conflict). You can expect a response within 48 hours of your email, within this time frame.  So, if you email on Friday night, you may not get a response until the following Tuesday afternoon. 

Access needs:

We are moving through this class with the assumption that all of us—ourselves included—will not be able to sustain a constant degree of focus, bodily and psychic resources, and unshakable mental fortitude. Things sometimes get hard. For this reason, we really do want you to be honest with us about your access needs, as articulated by scholar/artist/activist Mimi Khúc:

“Everyone’s access needs matter, and I will try collectively to meet them as they arise. Access needs are needs that when met enable participation in the course to the fullest—therefore they are wide-ranging and can be met in wide-ranging, creative ways. I am committed to making participation as accessible as possible. Please let me know if anything comes up that makes participation feel hard. Perhaps you are unused to thinking about access needs—no worries, my hope is that this course will give you the space to start thinking more about them. We are taught not to have needs, that needs mean we are “weak”; resist this impulse. That is the biggest lesson I want you to take away from this class. Access, as Aimi Hamraie has taught me, is relational. This means that creating access and accessibility is something we do together, in relationship and community. It requires a shared commitment to each other’s wellbeing and participation in the community space, and requires communication and negotiation and flexibility. We learn each other’s needs and try to meet them as best we can, so that we can all participate as much as possible in this classroom space. Everyone has access needs, and these needs change over time. I will try to anticipate as much as possible but I cannot know everyone’s needs at all times. When you become aware of your access needs, please communicate them to me. I do not require any documentation or working with any university support services—I believe you, and will work with you to generate structures to meet your needs as much as possible. I repeat: I believe you."

Things you should expect to be able to do during class

1. Speak without being spoken over and take the time you need to fully articulate your ideas
2. Be a full person who asks questions and makes mistakes and learns alongside their peers without the fear of judgement
3. See and hear clearly. I will try to make all on-screen text easily legible and will summarize and/or repeat what each of you say in class discussion in case not everything is audible
4. Mask & take other health-related precautions
5. Move your body—if it’s easier for you to listen while standing, stimming, etc., do that in a space where you are able to, like the back or sides of the classroom
6. Go to the restroom, get water, take a quick break etc. without asking permission (in case this needs to be said)
7. Drink and eat as needed
8. Take notes on your computer, tablet, or phone –we definitely know what it looks like when y’all are scrolling, so please save us all the time & energy and don’t

We do still encourage you to contact CAL because other instructors might require your documented accommodations, and we want you to get your needs met. If you do wish to have your access needs registered with the university, you may contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL): calfrontdesk@uvic.ca or 250-472-4947

https://www.uvic.ca/accessible-learning/index.php

Academic Concession Link:

https://www.uvic.ca/students/academics/academic-concessions-accommodations/request-for-academic-concession/#ipn-request-a-withdrawal-or-aegrotat

Materials

The required materials list will be posted on Brightspace, and we will go over it in detail in class. If students have no existing supplies, the materials for this course can easily cost as much as $300. Students may consider sharing painting supplies and checking out free and recycling stores. If there are serious impediments to your participation because of finances, please come and discuss with me as soon as possible. The painting part only happens in week 7, so students have time to gather resources and make a plan. Students will need to have a basic set of acrylic paints of artist’s quality. Other types of paint can be used for the independent assignments and oil paint will be available for everyone to try.

Support

CAL Accommodations

Instructor Responsibilities:

• Access, review and acknowledge receipt of the accommodation letter https://al.uvic.ca/ClockWork/user/instructor/default.aspx
• Take the time to privately discuss the accommodation with your student; if you would like to understand the requested accommodation better, reach out to the CAL Advisor mentioned in the accommodation letter or communicate with both the student and their CAL Advisor. The goal is to learn if the accommodation pertains to studio-based classes, and if so, discuss best practices for moving forward with the accommodation request and achieving the learning outcomes of the course.
• Work with your student to meet their requirements for your specific class.
• Inform the student of their role in the accommodation process.
• Be mindful of the need to ensure confidentiality and protect the student’s privacy at all times.

Student Responsibilities:

• Register with the Centre for Accessible Learning by the posted deadlines https://www.uvic.ca/accessible-learning/students/how-to-register/index.php
• Take the time to discuss your accommodation with your instructor. Consider how your accommodation relates to a studio-based learning environment, and which, if any, aspects will pertain.
• A CAL accommodation does NOT exempt students from completing assignments or attending class.
• If you require additional time on an assignment or deadline, this must be discussed with your instructor in advance.
• If you require alternate methods for engagement (class discussion, working in the studio classroom, working in the shops), discuss this with your instructor at the beginning of the course.
• If you require alternate methods for lectures, film or image presentations, discuss this with your instructor at the beginning of the course.
• Keep your instructor up to date on accommodation needs throughout the term, especially if there are improvements or setbacks.

Health and Safety Policies for the Department of Visual Arts

 In order to protect the integrity of the Visual Arts building and guarantee the safety of students, staff and faculty, the following guidelines must be followed:

• There will be no alteration of the physical building (temporary or otherwise), without the written approval of the chair. All proposals for special projects should be first submitted to The Visual Arts Facilities and Production Manager for consideration.

• All temporary installations of art that may occur outside the regularly sanctioned locations (i.e., the gallery and classrooms) must be authorized.

• At no time will the use of hazardous materials either inside or outside the vicinity of the Visual Arts Building, be permitted without the department’s prior approval.

• There shall be no disposal of toxic materials down sinks: all solvents, acids and other substances used in the routine course of art making must be handled in a safe and acceptable manner. 

• Artworks that include an element of self-harm must be authorized in writing by the Chair and will include strict pre-determined conditions depending on the proposal. In most cases the artist/ student will be responsible for ensuring all safety precautions are taken regarding their safety and the safety of others. This includes having first aid equipment at the performance or during the creation of the work where the action takes place, and consider any health risks your actions may pose to others. At the discretion of the Department Chair, a first responder may be required to be present

• Art that includes elements of violence, self-harm, and or other subject matter that may be traumatic or pose a trigger risk should be clearly identified to students, faculty and staff, allowing them to choose if they want to witness your work, these types of warnings are typical if one were to do such a performance in a gallery or other public space.

• Art that includes excessive volume is dangerous to the hearing of students, faculty and staff. These artworks can also be disruptive to other classes and activities within the Visual Arts Building. Artworks and or actions that contain sound at or above 98dB need to be pre-approved by the Department and clearly labeled. During critique situations hearing protection should be made available anyone required to experience the piece. Free decibel metering apps are available for most smart phones determine the level or risk.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT SAFETY GUIDELINES MAY RESULT IN ACADEMIC PENALTIES, FINANCIAL CHARGES, AND/ OR, THE LOSS OF SHOP, LAB, STUDIO, AND EQUIPMENT USE PRIVILEGES.