Instructor Name: Donald Bullock

Building/Office Number: Online

Office Hours: Virtual Office Hours Only

Virtual Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Office Telephone: 409-333-0884

Email Address: Donald.Bullock@lsco.edu

ARTS 1301 - Art Appreciation 3-3-0 A general introduction to the visual arts designed to create an appreciation of the vocabulary, media, techniques, and purposes of the creative process. Students will critically interpret and evaluate works of art within formal, cultural, and historical contexts. Course Identifier 50.0703 AC

Living with Art, 12th edition. Author: Mark Getlein. ISBN-13: 978-1259916755 and ISBN-10: 1259916758

Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

In class handouts.

None

Upon successful completion of this course, students will acquire the following course learning outcomes:

Demonstrate knowledge of art elements and principles of design.

Critically interpret and evaluate works of art.

Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of arts on culture.

Associated Course Activities/Assignments/Projects

Mid-Term Group Project:

The group will select a local (100-mile radius) work of art and collaboratively write a 3-page (600-word) paper examining how the artist used the visual elements in conjunction with the principles of design to create the work. In addition, the group must explain the significance of the work of art to the local community. This group paper must include the artist’s name, the title of the work, the date, and the medium. This paper must also include at least 3 visual elements and two principles of design.

Finally, this project has an individual element for each student. Each student must submit a 1-page (200-word) paper on why art is important to society.

Apply art terminology as it specifically relates to works of art.

Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication.

Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis,

evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions.

Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or

goal and consider different points of view.

Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging

effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities.

Unit One

1.    Describe art as means of visual expression using different media and forms.

2.    Define the terms representational, abstract, nonrepresentational, and iconography used to discuss art.

3.    Contrast the ritual, social, and public functions of art.

4.    Discuss the aesthetic and emotional appeal of art that gives pleasure.

5.    Describe the visual elements used in the production and analysis of art.

6.    Analyze the use of design principles to organize of a work of art.

7.    Combine factual, analytical, and evaluative information to write an essay about an artwork.

Unit Two

1.     Using art to change the world: in the past and in the present.

2.     Art about Nature: how artists have transformed our understanding of nature

3.     Art of the sacred realm: visions of and spaces for spiritual experience

4.     Preserving individual and cultural identity with visual stories and histories

5.     The Here and Now: Who are we and what are we doing here?

6.     Compositional journeys – how artists’ compositions lead the viewer’s eye.

7.     Defining space in on a flat plane – linear and atmospheric perspective

8.     The power of colors and their emotional and mental effects

9.     Balancing unity and variety in design

10.  Design conventions of the classical artists: the golden section, hierarchical scale, etc.

11.  Using scale and proportion to communicate ideas.

12.  Analyzing composition and compositional elements

13.  Guiding the eye through emphasis

Unit Three

1.     The history of paper

2.     The use of paper for non-traditional purposes

3.     The characteristics and appearances of various drawing materials

4.     Drawing throughout history

5.     The intimacy of the drawn line

6.     Drawing personal responses

7.     Drawing in preparation for works in other media

Unit Four

1.     Artists who prefer a single medium; artists who experiment with various media.

2.     How formal aspects of painting relate to and reinforce content.

3.     Qualities, characteristics, and limitations of various painting media

4.     Artists’ preferences for certain media to fulfill purposes of certain works.

5.     Painting: pre-history to post-modern

6.     Painting application techniques and style

7.     History and fresco painting

8.     Non-easel painting and how it challenges tradition.

9.     Recognizing and evaluating machine-printed versus “limited” artists’ prints

10.  Connections among printmaking, music, literature, politics, and advertising

11.  Historical backgrounds of printmaking techniques

12.  Characteristics, materials, and techniques of the four major printing methods

13.  Media, techniques, and purposes of prints

14.  How printmaking has been changed by computers and digital technology

15.  The history of photography

16.  Photography and the painter: friends or foes

17.  How photojournalism influences history

Major Assignment Schedule

Course outline: This week introduces a brief overview of the class, reviews the syllabus, helps the students get their books, assigns written homework assignment due next week, assigns reading for this week (syllabus and Chapters 1 and 2 in textbook), and explains to the students what is expected of them this semester.

Discussion Board Post

Students will write a 200-word post on what they think art is. They will then respond to at least two other posts.

Written Assignments 

Students should choose an image of an art object from their textbook that they like and another work that they do not like. They will then explain in a one-page paper why they think one is a “good” work of art and the other is a “bad” work of art. These images will be used again for other written assignments to measure their understanding of art terms and visual analysis learned later in the course. 

This week covers chapters 3, 4 and 5. This week explores the Visual elements, the vocabulary of art: line, direction and movement, shape and mass, light, color, texture and pattern, space, perspective, time and motion. This week also covers the Principles of Design: unity and variety, balance, emphasis and subordination, scale and proportion, and rhythm.

Quiz on covering assigned reading from weekend.

This week’s Written Assignment due.

Written Assignment

For this week’s assignment, you will reexamine the two works you wrote about last week and write a 2-page (400-word) paper on those two works of art. For each work you must include the artist’s name, the title of the work, the date, and the medium. You will pick three visual elements found in each work, describe them, and explain how the artist used the principles of design to incorporate these visual elements into the works of art. Finally, you will state whether your initial opinion from last week has changed for each work. This paper will be used to gauge how much the student has learned about engaging a work of art and how well they use their newfound vocabulary, concepts, and terms.

Quizzes: This week’s quizzes will cover the visual elements and the principles of design,

This week covers the different mediums of drawing, painting, print making, and photography in art and assigns the students to their presentation groups for the Group presentation given on Week 4.

Read Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Quizzes covering the reading.

Discussion Board Post

Students will write a 200-word post on what Media/Medium they like best and why. They will then respond to at least two other posts.

Group Presentations

Students will start to work with their group on their presentations.

Written Assignment

The student will look through copies of magazines or newspapers and find a graphic designs or illustrations that they believe is meant to convey a social message and another one that they feel is meant to sell a product. Explain the ways in which the elements of graphic design are used to achieve these differing goals. 1- 2 pages.

This week also covers the mediums of sculpture, installation, and Architecture.

Quizzes covering the reading.

Read Chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13

Group Presentation:

The group will select a local (100 mile radius) work of art and collaboratively write a 3-page (600-word) paper examining how the artist used the visual elements in conjunction with the principles of design to create the work. In addition, the group must explain the significance of the work of art to the local community. This group paper must include the artist’s name, the title of the work, the date, and the medium. This paper must also include at least 3 visual elements and two principles of design.

Finally, this project has an individual element for each student. Each student must submit a 1-page (200-word) paper on why art is important to society.

This week examines the Ancient World, the Classical and Medieval West, the Renaissance. And the Baroque periods in Europe.

Read Chapters 15, 16, and 17

Written Assignment

Find an examples of a contemporary work of art that relates in some way to ancient works. Explain the connections you observe. 1- 2 pages. This assignment encourages the student to begin looking at art in a historical context.

This week examines Modern and Contemporary art.

Read Chapters 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25

Assign final group project.

Work on final exam project

Final Exam Project:

This assignment will consist of THREE submissions: One piece of art (including four total process pics with a pic of final piece) and one artist statement and a link to the original art you are copying.

For this assignment, choose a piece of art from a museum on the internet and copy that artwork to paper or canvas. You must complete the artwork yourself, no tracing or digital tools allowed.

As with any art projects for this course, the piece must be original for this course (even though it is a copy of another's work), and you must submit process pics as you create the piece.

Use the same criteria from Project 2:

Drawing: must be minimum 11" x 14" paper. I suggest larger. No newsprint. Must use white heavyweight art paper, at least 90 lb. Pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, crayon, color pencil, or any sort of mix of those tools.

No Lined paper!!! No Notebook Paper!!

Painting: must be minimum 11" x 14" canvas or board only. Use as many colors as you think will be needed to recreate the piece. I recommend using acrylic (most affordable, available) but you may use any other paint (oil, etc.). Should be applied using brushes but may use other methods. Any subject matter is okay (you cannot shock or offend me) as long as it does not represent an attack on any person or group of people. No hate imagery allowed. Do not use lined notebook paper under any circumstances.

This art must be an attempt to copy another artist. Your individual skill level doesn't matter, so don't worry too much about accuracy, but I should be able to see similarities in composition, coloring, etc.

You will also submit at least four progress pics of your work being created. While helpful, pics of materials used do not count toward progress pics. Progress pics are pics of your actual artwork going through the developmental process.

You must also submit an artist statement.

An artist’s statement is simply you telling me why you created what you did. It should be a minimum of 200 words, MLA style, and include any thoughts on the process or problems encountered. What was your intent and were you satisfied with the final outcome? See criteria in grading rubric for more specifics.

To Recap:

You are to create a piece of art that you have attempted to copy from another artist's museum piece and submit pics of it, along with a brief artist statement explaining what you have done and why.

Submit at least four progress pics of your art, including final outcome. Only show materials used as they are relevant to the assignment. Showing materials does not count toward the progress pictures.

Must include a link to the original piece you are copying.

Artist statement- minimum 200 words MLA style in .doc or .docx.

Please contact me with any questions.

December 2nd 2026

A = 90 - 100%

B = 80 - 89

C = 70 - 79

D = 60 - 69

F = below 60

Classroom and Group Discussions - 10%

Group Presentations (2 total) - 20% (10% each)

Quizzes (10 total) - 10% (1% each)

Writing Assignments (10 total) - 20% (2% each)

Mid-Term Exam - 20%

Final Exam - 20%

Please be considerate of other classmates’ feelings, situations, and level of maturity. Students will be asked to leave the course if disruptive or inappropriate behavior is exhibited in any of the course requirements. If your instructor feels that you have not contributed appropriately to course requirements, your final course grade may be reduced accordingly.

The instructor reserves the right to manage a positive learning environment and will not tolerate inappropriate conduct in the course. Rude correspondence (discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way) or comments made to other class members, the instructor, or the office staff will not be tolerated.

Federal regulations require students who receive financial aid to have begun “attending” and participate substantially in each course for which they are enrolled on or before the official census reporting date outlined on the Lamar PA Academic Calendar. Students documented as “not attending” a course upon the census date are assumed (for financial aid purposes) to have not begun attendance for that course This negatively affects their financial aid eligibility and disbursement and requires the student to repay any financial aid funds that have already been disbursed.

Please contact instructor for any late work

Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.

Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.

No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.

This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.

As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.

LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.

For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.

If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.