Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Materials and Techniques (Face-to-Face)

ART 3540-01

Course: ART 3540-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ARTD
CRN: 33230

Course Description

An exploration of a variety of art tools, materials, and techniques to help students expand their media skillset and develop their personal style. Media include aqueous paint, paper sculpture, pen & ink, and other mixed-media combinations. Projects will target specific markets in the art licensing industry such as greeting cards, gift products, home decor, wall art, and apparel.

Required Texts

No Required Textbooks.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will develop creative capacities in visual art.
    • Effectively design, draw, and render aesthetically pleasing compositions.
  2. Students will develop skills, competencies, and points of view needed by professional artists.
    • Effectively replicate the media rendering techniques demonstrated.
    • Present final art cleanly and professionally in a variety of forms.
  3. Students will learn to apply course material to improve thinking and problem solving.
    • Identify and select appropriate tools and materials for desired rendering processes.
    • Identify and select appropriate rendering techniques for desired visual effects.
  4. Students will gain a broader understanding and appreciation of art styles and methods.
  5. Students will critically evaluate their own work according to professional examples.
    • Give appropriate constructive criticism to their classmates and openly receive appropriate constructive criticism of their own work.

Course Requirements

Projects and Grade Weight
  • 30% Media Skill-Building Exercises
  • 70% Media Sampler: 6 Images with a cohesive theme

*I reserve the right to modify or reduce the number or scope of assignments. In such cases, I will discuss my reasons with you well before the start of any assignment. In the event that a modification results in more work, the entire class in attendance will need to unanimously approve.

Grading Criteria for Media Sampler
  • 20% Draftsmanship: Quality and accuracy of the foundational drawing
  • 20% Craftsmanship: Proficient use of media and clean presentation
  • 20% Composition: Visually effective arrangement of space
  • 20% Communication: Clarity of concept or story
  • 20% Creativity: Originality and unique artistic voice

*Generally, each criterion will be weighted equally in the grading process. Occasionally however, criterion weight may change to suit the learning goals of a specific project. Any changes will be noted in the assignment instructions.

Grading Criteria for Media Exercises
  • A (90–100): Extra effort; meets and exceeds the requirements. Thorough and thoughtful exploration evident.
  • B (80–89): Satisfactory effort; meets but does not exceed requirements; basic exploration evident.
  • C (70–79): Some effort; some, but not all requirements met. Exploration appears shallow.
  • D (60–69): Minimal effort; majority of the project requirements not met; minimal exploration.
Grading System
  • A 100–94   |  A– <94–90
  • B+ <90–87  |  B <87–84  |  B– <84–80
  • C+ <80–77  |  C <77–74  |  C– <74–70
  • D+ <70–67  |  D <67–64  |  D– <64–61
  • F <61

Course Outline

Specific materials and techniques will be introduced, demonstrated, and applied weekly in the following order:
1. Paper Sculpture
2. Small Format Charcoal
3. Pen & Ink
4. Transparent Acrylic
5. Gelli Plate Printing
6. Opaque Acrylic
7. Stamp Cutting
8. 3D Sculpture and Fabric
9. Book Making
*One of the weeks will be a workshop with a guest artist.
**Some methods and processes will require 2 weeks.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Deadlines and Late Work

Timely completion of all assignments is mandatory. Your preparation for class will affect your grade.

  • Projects must be turned in on time.
  • Projects brought into class after the critique has begun are considered late and will not be included in the critique.
  • Projects turned in on time may be reworked to attempt to improve the grade (an improved grade is not guaranteed).
  • Late projects will lose one letter grade for each day that they are turned in late and may not be reworked.
Classroom Management & Maintenance
  • Clean up after yourself at the end of each class.
  • Keep phones on silent mode. Please take calls and texts outside of the classroom.
  • Off-topic movies and shows may not be watched during class.
  • Headphones may be used during work-in-class time, as long as you use only one ear-bud and/or low volume.

Attendance Policy

Participation in all class critiques and activities is critical and required. Three excused absences will be allowed for illness and other extenuating circumstances. After three excused absences, additional absences will reduce your final course grade. If you are employed—remember that work is NOT an excused absence. Absence penalties are a 1/2 letter grade reduction per absence.

  • 4 Absences — Highest Grade Attainable: A- (A final course grade of A would be reduced to an A-)
  • 5 Absences — Highest Grade Attainable: B+ (A final course grade of A would be reduced to a B+)

*Art majors that miss more than 25% of class sessions must repeat the class—regardless of other considerations. The Department Attendance Policy for studio classes can be found here: https://catalog.suu.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=26&ent_oid=1489&returnto=

Course Fees

Studio courses require $19.00 per credit hour.

Methods of Instruction

Methods of Instruction

Presentations, demonstrations, group activities, critiques, instructor-guided work time, and individual consultations.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.