When it comes time to apply for jobs in your chosen profession once you graduated from art school, it’s nice to have a competitive advantage. As a student at Academy of Art University, we provide you with a comprehensive foundational skill set that puts you a head above the competition. One way we do this is through our foundations courses. Foundations courses teach students core, fundamental skills in drawing, painting, color, and design. These are required for every student, regardless of skill level. Individual majors will require different foundations courses based on the needs of each program. The focus on teaching foundations has been part of Academy of Art University’s curriculum from its founding 90 years ago, and it remains an important element to this day
What We Teach
Foundations courses focus on the basics, improving the essential skills required for students to specialize in their chosen areas of focus. Courses cover such topics as:
Analysis of Form
You’ll learn to analyze light and shadow, utilizing the five-value system, and apply form/cast shadow edge distinctions to a model form using charcoal. You’ll focus on perspective, composition, and value pattern concepts.
Figure Drawing
You’ll learn the essential and basic principles of drawing the human figure with accuracy to develop an understanding of gesture, proportion, rhythm, balance, structure, and musculature.
Figure Modeling
You’ll explore human proportion, structure, geometry, balance, and anatomy working on projects designed to enhance your understanding of 3D form, volume, and space.
Perspective
You’ll learn the essential principles of perspective used to create artistic imagery. Plus, learn to integrate figures into scenes and plot light, shadows, and reflections to create believable environments.
Sketching for Communication
Discover how to draw objects, figures, and environments to scale and in perspective utilizing compositional strategies and camera angles within sequential imagery.
Color and Design
Master color with an in-depth study of color and design principles, including color harmony, muting and toning colors, color psychology, advancing/receding color, simultaneous contrast, color proportion, and the influence of light temperature on color, design unity, and visual emphasis.
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The Foundations Department helps students develop the following skills:
Visual Awareness
Ability to see visual elements in the world around us with a heightened sensitivity and understanding. Ability to recognize elements such as form, positive and negative space, spatial depth, value, and color as a unified, visual vocabulary.
Drawing Skills
Ability to draw objects and figures in interior and exterior environments demonstrating fundamental understanding of proportions, value structure, form/cast shadows, and perspective techniques to effect realism when drawing from life and imagination.
Rendering Skills
Ability to apply the 5-value system in drawings demonstrating fundamental achievement of three-dimensional form.
Composition
Ability to demonstrate design principles such as unity, contrast, balance, proportion, cropping, movement, and/or focal point in compositions.
Spatial Depth
Ability to use overlapping forms, varying line weights, diminishment of sizes, linear, or atmospheric perspective techniques to suggest spatial depth in imagery.
Perspective/Specific Techniques
Demonstrate fundamental ability in: isometric drawing techniques, 1, 2, 3-point, 2-point vertical, 4 and 5-point perspective techniques, plotting and rendering of light, shadow and reflections in perspective, combining of multiple sets of 2-point and 3-point perspective.
Visual Communication
Ability to communicate an intended effect in a visual image.
Communication of Mood/Emotion
Ability to use design elements such as color, value, and shape to suggest an emotional response in the viewer.
Color Harmony
Ability to demonstrate color harmony in designs through the selective use of color (color schemes), control of saturation, contrast, and color proportion. Ability to create and utilize a 12 and 24 step Color Wheel for color selection.
Color Effects
Ability to create effective figure-ground relationships demonstrating usage of advancing vs. receding colors, control of saturation, temperature, and value contrast.
Understanding the Effects of Light on Color
Ability to suggest objects in warm or cool environmental light demonstrating appropriate color, value, and temperature changes in light and shadow.
Color Indentification/Matching
Ability to demonstrate color harmony in designs through the selective use of color (color schemes), control of saturation, contrast, and color proportion. Ability to create and utilize a 12 and 24 step Color Wheel for color selection.
Communication Skills
Ability to discuss assignments or make oral presentations to the class. Ability to discuss work intelligently and critically using standard art vocabulary.
Problem Solving
Ability to understand an assignment and apply technical knowledge to generate solutions. Ability to deconstruct a concept or assignment into its component parts and make corrections based on understanding the individual factors which combine to make the piece.
Learning Attitude
The ability to be self-critical, make corrections, and learn from critiques. The ability to accept suggestions and ideas.
Organization and Management of Materials
Knowledge and use of appropriate materials.
Professional Presentation of Projects/Professional Attitude
Ability to submit work according to professional presentation standards. Ability to meet project-staged deadlines and deliver projects on time. Effort and attention to detail demonstrated.
I’ve often said that one of the best assets of the Academy is the emphasis on the foundations and understanding art in a broader sense before focusing on something specific. Comics is constantly throwing me into situations where I have to feel comfortable drawing anything. And attending the Academy was a great primer for that.
