Course Syllabus
Course: THEA 2510
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New MediaDepartment: Theater Arts
Title: Scene Painting
Semester Approved: Spring 2021
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2025
End Semester: Fall 2026
Catalog Description: This course provides a practical examination of the basic techniques of scene painting. It also serves as a unique opportunity for students to see their work on stage by participating in the production of the Snow College theatrical season.; The class is organized as a combination of lecture, demonstration, research, and studio work. This course is repeatable for credit. (Additional fee required)
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 2; Lab: 3
Repeatable: Yes.
Justification: This course fills a core requirement for technical theatre majors and similar courses are offered at other universities in the state. It responds to the unique need of the Snow College Theatre Department to provide competent help in producing each year's theatrical season.
Student Learning Outcomes:
An objective of this course is to provide students with a general understanding and practical application of scene painting as commonly used in live theatrical performances. Students will demonstrate their ability throughout the semester on various projects, written work and finals.
Students will be able to understand and perform to-scale transfers, stenciling, and the projecting processes. Through projects based on faux painting techniques such as woodwork, stonework, wallpaper, landscapes, marbling, brickwork, students will demonstrate their ability. These will assessed through projects and critiqued for areas of strength and improvement via self and class observation.
Students will be able to understand and perform faux painting techniques. Student will demonstrate this ability through such projects that utilize highlight, shadow, sfumato, and perspective in order to create basic trompe l'oeil like effects.
Students will be able to understand and execute three-dimensional illusion effects. Students will demonstrate this understand through texture projects focused on techniques such as wet blending, scumbling, spattering, sponging, stippling, rag-rolling, dry brushing, etc, and intermediate projects which involve layering multiple techniques to create faux textures.
Students will understand and perform various scene-painting techniques. Through quizzes and projects students will apply their knowledge in color theory. Examples of projects might include limiting the use to only the primary colors, black, and white to create all of the hues for their final project, color match to existing renderings, and/or demonstrate proficiency through examples of value, tint, and shade scales.
Students will learn and perform basic color mixing and color theory. A variety of paintbrushes, airbrushes, rags, feather dusters, sponges, and other various items are used as painting tools throughout the course over several different projects. Through these projects student will demonstrate their ability to use these tools for distinct purposes.
Students will be able to identify basic scene painting equipment. Students will be given project assignments in a scaffolding progression to train and hone their scene painting knowledge and abilities. Culminating in opportunities where students demonstrate their knowledge and skill through practical application by helping to paint and critique the painting textures of the main stage productions, providing introductory training for those wishing to go into scene painting as a profession.
Content:
This course will include, lectures, demonstrations, studio work, research and play reading. Students will be expected to work on assigned portions of each of the Snow College Theatre Department's main-stage theatrical productions. Topics taught in this class will include:• Basic equipment used in scene painting• Demonstration and exercises in basic color mixing• Demonstration and practical exercises in texture painting (focus and toning, graded wet-blend, scumbling, spattering, sponging, stippling, rag rolling, and dry brushing)• Demonstration and practical exercises in three dimensional illusion painting (highlights, lowlights, shadows and lining)• Demonstration and practical exercises in stonework painting (bricks, cut stones and rough stones)• Demonstration and practical exercises in faux woodwork painting (wash, opaque and dry-brush methods)• Demonstration and practical experience in stenciling and projection processes.Students will gain valuable experience, improve their artistic skills, and build a portfolio of work that will aid them in pursuing continued education or acquiring employment in scene painting or similar discipline, theatrical or otherwise. They will be assessed based on their portfolio, assignments and class discussions.Diversity and Inclusion:Discussions, active observation, artistic expression, and critical analysis are conduits for growth and learning. Each of these practices are utilized throughout this class and students are encouraged to critically and respectfully critique their own and others work in an environment where all voices and perspectives are welcome. Students will develop increased skills and abilities in working as a collaborative member of a creative team in an open atmosphere.
Key Performance Indicators:
Course outcomes will be assessed by the following means:
Students will be tested on their level of mastery for each individual painting technique and exercise listed above. 40 to 50%
Students will also be required to complete assigned painting tasks on Snow College Theatre Department productions. This includes attendance and participation and is based on initiative, attitude, dependability, and skill. 40 to 50%
Students will be required to write critiques on the Snow College Theatre productions produced during the semester, specifically noting the use of scene painting and their own work on the production. 10 to 20%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Theatrical Scene Painting. Pinnell William H. Southern Illinois University Press. Current edition.
Pedagogy Statement:
The pedagogy practices of this class are a hybrid of demonstration, lecture, and constructivism styles in a scaffolding format. Students are given introductory information through oral and visual presentation, demonstration, and open discussion of techniques and practices. Students are then asked to apply that knowledge by demonstrating their understanding of techniques and textures through high impact practices culminating in real world application in theatrical productions as a collaborative member of a creative team. This provides students with rich experiences while developing an artistic portfolio, and encourages them to develop their own best practices in style and format to reach an optimum aesthetic and educational outcome.This class should promote the sharing of diverse ideas, art, and self-expression and to discuss them in a way that is both respectful and empathetic. In this class, we acknowledge our differences and accept our diversity as a strength. We strive to foster equity and to maximize respect, fairness, self-expression and individual creativity.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab
Maximum Class Size: 15
Optimum Class Size: 12