Fall 2026 ART 300: Advanced Drawing (Units: 1.5)

Instructor(s), Contact Information, and Office Hours

Instructor: Kylie Fineday

Email: kfineday@uvic.ca

Office Hours

Office: TBD

Office Hours: By Appointment

Course Overview

This is an advanced studio class that explores the creative production of drawing within the context of contemporary art practices. Through assignments, in-class and take-home exercises and experiments, lectures and discussions around historical and contemporary concepts of drawing, project research and development, and considerations of display and documentation, this course will emphasize conceptual considerations and encourage experimental explorations of materials and techniques in support of creative development. Occasional readings or audio-visual media may be assigned to support in-class learning as well.

There will be in-class discussions/critiques for each major assignment. Please refer to the course schedule for project deadlines/critique dates.

A proposal will be required in the second term towards your final project, followed by a reflection.

There will be a full class exhibition in the Audain Gallery in the second term. Please refer to the course schedule for the gallery install/de-install dates as these will fall outside of our scheduled class time.

Estimated out-of-class work: Be prepared to set aside an average of 6 hours weekly outside of class time

Brightspace

This is the online gateway for the course and will be used to share announcements and as a submission portal for drawing exercises and documentation of assignments. Please note the submission deadlines for projects and exercises in the course schedule, and submit your work to the appropriate submission portal. Remember to check the Brightspace page regularly for any important updates or announcements.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have:

• an understanding of effective research methodologies around producing contemporary drawing
• a demonstrated ability to work independently toward contemporary drawing exhibition outcomes
• a broader awareness of how to contextualize and discuss their work and others’ work within the scope of contemporary drawing practices
• a demonstrated ability to work with multiple drawing mediums, substrates and techniques at an advanced level
• a wider knowledge-base of historical and contemporary practices relevant to the creation, criticism and dissemination of contemporary drawing

Critiques

Critiques are important opportunities to present your work and receive feedback from your peers, as well as to share your thoughts and provide feedback on others' work. These are overall great opportunities to practice talking about and engaging with art through critical discussion in a group setting.

There will be scheduled project critique sessions each term. All students are required to attend and participate in critiques. Missing a critique is like missing an exam. Unexcused absences of critiques will impact both participation and project grades.

It is generally advised to have your work effectively installed for the critique prior to the start of class, however, given the time of this class, there may be a brief grace period given at the beginning of each critique session to complete installations.

Please refer to the course schedule for critique dates.

Evaluation

Studio Work - 80%

• 6 Major Assignments (10% each)
• Drawing Exercises (10%)
• Final Project Proposal (5%)
• Final Project Reflection (5%)

Participation & Engagement - 20%

Course evaluation will be based on overall class engagement and critique participation, a proposal/reflection on the final project in the Spring term, and a total of six major drawing projects as well as the completion of drawing exercises in and out of class.

Please refer to the course schedule for the project deadlines/critique dates and for the gallery install/de-install dates.

Complete all assignments on time – a penalty will be assessed for any work submitted for grading without presentation in class for critiques.

Students are expected to be engaged with their studio production. For each studio session you should have supplies and some form of a sketchbook available, and a work plan or work-in-progress for work period days.

Project Evaluation:

Artistic voice is emphasized and projects are evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. creativity and insights, conceptual/intellectual considerations and ideas within the work
2. capacity/commitment, resourcefulness and ambition of the project, evidence of time and effort put into both the research and the physical completion of the work
3. project outcome, visual execution of the concept, risks taken/technical skills developed through the process, completion of the assignment parameters

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. (Instructors are free to add information on how they will manage communication around attendance and can specify ways that they will work with a student who is experiencing extenuating circumstances). If the attendance standard has not been met and there is no communication with the instructor, an incomplete or failing grade will be assigned.

Academic Concession Link:

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

Materials

• Sketchbook - this will be a space to work on your project concepts, complete drawing studies and accomplish your research. You will need to have this on hand for each class as I may request to see your project research and development. The style of sketchbook is up to you.
• Drawing kit - variety of drawing tools including pencils, pens, ink, charcoal, brushes, pastels, crayons, erasers, scissors, tape, bulldog clips, etc. You will be notified in advance if any specific materials are needed for a given class or assignment.
• Paper - a pad of newsprint, as well as sheets or rolls of any other papers or substrates you would like to use or experiment upon.

Resources

School Store (beside the wood shop)

- Open Hours: (subject to change - check your email for announcements regarding School Store hours)

Monday 11:30-12:20pm

Tuesday-Thursday 12:00-1:00pm

**The store sells some kinds of drawing papers (they do not supply drawing tools)

**Good quality drawing paper examples: Rising artist bristol(2ply, 20’’x30’’); Rising artist

stonehenge(245g,22x30’’);Velin cuve BFK(22x30’’)

**School store ONLY accepts the following payments: Cash, One Card and Cheque

Opus Art Supplies

- 512 Herald St, Victoria, BC V8W 1S6

- Open Hours: Mon-Sun 10am-6pm

Michaels

- 3501 Blanshard St Unit 111, Saanich Core, BC V8Z 0B9

- Open Hours: Mon - Sat 9am-9pm; Sun - 10am - 7pm

Staples

- 780 Tolmie Ave Bldg. No.3, Victoria, BC V8X 3W4

- Open Hours: Mon - Fri 9:00am-9:00pm; Sat 9am - 6pm; Sun 11am - 6pm

UVic Bookstore

- Open Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

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.