Art Department course catalog

All 125 recorded UW–Madison courses in this department, including courses not offered this term. Open a course for prerequisites, historical grades and instructors.

• ART 100: Introduction to Art

  3 credits

  Seek answers to the fundamental question "What is art?" from multiple perspectives such as historical, theoretical, critical, conceptual, formal, and experiential. Develop visual literacy, sophisticated observational skills and a formal language to assist in the interpretation of objects and experiences in the context of art. Through both theory and practice, develop an understanding of the ways artists arrive at the ideas that inform their creative processes. Includes a survey of developments in art media and looks broadly at art movements, trends and styles throughout history and in varied world cultures.

• ART 102: 2d Foundations

  3 credits

  Application of 2D design principles for image creation and graphic arrangement, with both analog and digital skills. Provides skillsets for 2D-related content, such as photography, graphic design, drawing, painting, and printmaking.

• ART 104: 3d Foundations

  3 credits

  Uses hands-on problem solving to develop an informed understanding of the creation of objects in three dimensions. Provides foundational skillsets for sculpture, ceramics, wood, glass, and metals.

• ART 107: Introduction to Digital Forms

  3 credits

  An introduction to a range of digital media techniques for artists and designers, including digital imaging, vector graphics, web design and 3D digital modeling. Emphasis on creative development along with technical skill building.

• ART 108: Foundations of Contemporary Art

  3 credits

  Artists' formal, technical and expressive concerns; the principal ideas of movements which have significantly influenced the major tendencies in contemporary art.

• ART 112: Drawing for Non-art Majors

  3 credits

  Introduction to basic drawing. Core elements of drawing such as the use of line, shape, composition, space, perspective, value, and texture. Provides foundational skillsets for drawing.

• ART 176: Digital Photography for Non-art Majors

  4 credits

  Introduction to the tools, techniques and concepts of digital photography. An emphasis will be placed on the digital photography workflow beginning with composition and image capture, to digital manipulation and enhancement, to the end goal of print or online publication. Develop a robust fundamental skill set in digital photography.

• ART 208: Current Directions in Art

  Credits unavailable

  Examination of current artists' motivations, intentions, and processes and their relationship to general developments in contemporary art.

• ART 212: Drawing Foundations

  3 credits

  Apply the elements of drawing to more exploratory drawing methods and explore a wide variety of drawing concepts and applications in the context of Modern and Contemporary Art. Provides foundational skillsets for drawing and painting, printmaking and book art.

• ART 214: Sculpture I

  4 credits

  Introduction to techniques and basic sculpture concepts to provide a survey of sculpture studio practices.

• ART 222: Introduction to Painting

  3–4 credits

  Introduction to various technical processes and aspects of painting. Studio practice, lectures, discussions, and critiques.

• ART 224: Ceramics I

  4 credits

  Properties of clay and fundamentals of forming; hand-building, throwing, slip-casting, press molding; with emphasis on individual form concepts. Glazing, decorating, firing techniques including reduction, oxidation and primitive methods.

• ART 232: Life Drawing I

  4 credits

  Anatomical structure and intrinsic forms involved in drawing from different models. Development of technical control in a range of media.

• ART 236: Bascom Course

  3 credits

  Develop skills in critical reading, logical thinking, use of evidence, and use of library resources. Emphasis on writing in the conventions of specific fields.

• ART 242: Watercolor I

  3–4 credits

  Painting with watercolor and mixed media on paper. Experimental and traditional uses of the media will be explored, emphasizing drawing, composition, and imagination. Field trips.

• ART 244: Art Metal I

  3–4 credits

  Basic jewelry techniques; metal fabrication dealing with piercing, soldering, forming.

• ART 302: Color

  4 credits

  Color phenomena and visual perception as applied in art problems. Lectures, readings in theory, philosophy, and history of design.

• ART 306: Relief Printmaking

  3–4 credits

  Woodcut, collage print, linoleum cut, and wood engraving; color printing. Studio practice, lectures, discussion, critiques.

• ART 307: Making Comics 1

  4 credits

  An introduction to making comics as both a subject and means of academic inquiry. Learn a variety of ways of making pictures and stories using class materials.

• ART 309: Digital Art and Code

  Credits unavailable

  An introduction to the principles of computer coding in a visual context. Emphasizes the production of graphical and interactive output delivered on a screen.

• ART 312: Intermediate Drawing I

  3–4 credits

  The exploration of conceptual drawing in various media. Emphasis on conceptual/formal solutions.

• ART 314: Sculpture II

  4 credits

  Continued investigation in sculpture studio practices with an emphasis on developing concepts and technique.

• ART 316: Lithography

  4 credits

  Direct drawing on stone with crayon and tusche, transfer techniques, color processes; studio practice, lectures, discussions, and critiques.

• ART 318: Introduction to Video, Performance & Installation Art

  4 credits

  An introduction to time-based art forms including video, installation, and visual art performance.

• ART 322: Intermediate Painting I

  4 credits

  Development of technical processes, concepts, historical continuity. Study and application of various media of oils, acrylics, collage materials.

• ART 324: Ceramics II

  4 credits

  Continued investigation into forming; hand-building, throwing, slip-casting, press molding; with emphasis on individual form concepts. Glazing, decorating, firing techniques including reduction, oxidation and primitive methods.

• ART 326: Etching

  4 credits

  Introduction to intaglio printmaking techniques. Studio problems in platemaking and printing.

• ART 332: Life Drawing II

  4 credits

  Further investigation into anatomical structure and intrinsic forms involved in drawing from different models. Development of concepts and technique.

• ART 333: Intro to Responsive Web Design

  Credits unavailable

  Introduction to user-centered, responsive web design for mobile, tablet, and laptop. Write HTML, CSS, and Javascript directly to design and develop fully responsive websites.

• ART 334: Wood Working

  3–4 credits

  Exploration of wood as a medium for constructing creative and functional three-dimensional forms.

• ART 336: Serigraphy

  3–4 credits

  Materials and techniques of silk screen process; silk screen as a fine art form.

• ART 338: Service Learning in Art

  2 credits

  Students discuss community-based practices in the field, and will work with a community partner in an art-related capacity.

• ART 342: Watercolor II

  4 credits

  Continued investigations in watercolor and mixed media works on paper with goal of development of concepts and technical skill.

• ART 343: Metal Fabrication and Welding in Sculpture

  Credits unavailable

  Reviews common welding and metal fabrication techniques available to artists, including various welding processes, brazing techniques, torch work, cutting devices, bending methods, and finishing techniques. Mild steel will be the primary material of exploration.

• ART 346: Basic Graphic Design

  4 credits

  Introduces the basic principles of graphic design. Develop an initial understanding of formal, conceptual, and technical aspects of the field. Emphasis will be given to the importance of working process, presentation and craftsmanship.

• ART 348: Introduction to Digital Printmaking

  4 credits

  Provides students with fundamental skills in combining had printed and digital output. Hybrid print integrates laser plate, monoprint, collograph, stencil, stamping, and embossment with inkjet output. Focuses on enhancement of digital output through integration of hand printed elements.

• ART 354: Glassworking

  4 credits

  Glassworking toward a personal concept of material.

• ART 356: Coding for Graphic Design

  Credits unavailable

  Explore the aesthetic of computational graphic design and typography with physical interaction, sound, data, and digital fabrication.

• ART 376: Darkroom Photography

  3–4 credits

  Emphasizes the basic aesthetic grammar of photography while providing a historical and critical context for looking at and making photographs. Techniques, philosophies, and concepts in photography as an art form. Emphasis on personal expression and relationship to other media.

• ART 393: Internships in Art

  Credits unavailable

  Participation in external art-related internships, integrating professional work experience with academic learning.

• ART 409: Digital Fabrication Studio

  Credits unavailable

  Introduction to the practice and application of digital fabrication technologies in an artistic context with an emphasis on extending and integrating with traditional material approaches to art production. Includes theoretical readings devoted to the implications of digital and machine technologies on art practice.

• ART 414: Art Foundry

  Credits unavailable

  Traditional and nontraditional methods of fine art foundry.

• ART 428: Digital Imaging Studio

  4 credits

  Explore current and historical practices in the digital fine arts while refining conceptual and technical understanding of digital art forms as powerful tools for generating and communicating images and ideas. Students will create and manipulate both static and moving imagery, with implications for digital drawing, painting, print-making, video editing/post-production, and narrative or non-narrative 2D animation in a fine art context.

• ART 429: 3d Digital Studio I

  4 credits

  Introduction to three-dimensional modeling in the computer, in particular the use of 3D digital models for the creation of images and objects.

• ART 438: History of Graphic Design and Typography

  3 credits

  Examines the major developments in graphic design and typography as the fields slowly emerged and began to define themselves during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

• ART 442: Icons, Symbols, and Pictograms

  Credits unavailable

  Addresses basic visual communication principles that include semiotics, gestalt, form, and context, and applies them to the design of icons, symbols, and pictograms. Cultural, psychological, social, and historical interpretations of these forms are analyzed through design projects, readings, discussion, and research.

• ART 443: Graphic Design for Exhibitions

  Credits unavailable

  Provides an introduction to exhibition design from spatial typography, posters, banners, and wayfinding to online exhibition design, including virtual reality for the Web.

• ART 446: Artists' Books

  4 credits

  The multiple and sequential visual imagery of the non-printed book, including its design and creation.

• ART 448: Special Topics

  1–4 credits

  Various elementary topics courses in Art.

• ART 452: Intermediate Painting: New Figuration I

  Credits unavailable

  The human figure as a source for creative and independent viewpoints in painting and other media. Students work together in the painting studio from a live model and from other figural sources.

• ART 454: Neon: Light as Sculpture

  4 credits

  Introduction to light as sculptural medium including techniques for creating art using luminous tubes.

• ART 458: Graphic Design for Branding and Identity

  4 credits

  Advanced graphics with an emphasis on corporate brand identity development. Topics may include mark development, product packaging, marketing and advertising collateral, web branding, and broadcast advertising development. Special attention is given the application of semiotics and other forms of basic communication theory to the design process.

• ART 463: Information Graphics

  Credits unavailable

  Examines the theory and practice of visual information representation. Focuses on creating clear and effective graphical displays of data using four key approaches: location, time, category, hierarchy, and index.

• ART 465: Graphic Design for Packaging

  Credits unavailable

  Defines the role of packaging in product identification, presentation, and production. The unique challenges of adapting typography, illustration, design and materials to three-dimensional forms are explored. Research includes marketing objectives, structural integrity and display aesthetics.

• ART 466: Papermaking: History, Elements and Techniques

  4 credits

  Investigation and explanation of papermaking by hand as it relates to printmaking, drawing, and sculpture. History of papermaking stressing the last hundred years. Techniques of the craft, traditional sheet forming and use of paper pulp as pure plastic material with same educational goals as metal, ceramics, and wood.

• ART 467: Graphic Design for Posters

  Credits unavailable

  Examines the design of posters as a form of communication, focusing on creating effective combinations of words and images that apply principles of composition, perception, and rhetoric. Explore graphic design as a tool for communication, artistic expression, and information organization.

• ART 470: Special Topics in 4d Art

  3–4 credits

  Explore historical, theoretical and studio components surrounding time-based art forms including digital animation, video, installation, and visual art performance.

• ART 476: Intermediate Photography

  4 credits

  Introduction to advanced digital printing techniques, critical analysis, and discussion of history of photography and current trends.

• ART 486: Letterpress Printing: Books and Multiples

  Credits unavailable

  Covers materials and techniques used in contemporary letterpress printing of both text and image with a focus on letterpress printing as an art medium. Learn how to print using handset type, photopolymer plates and other printmaking techniques suitable for letterpress. Design and letterpress print broadsides and artist's books.

• ART 506: Advanced Relief Printmaking

  4 credits

  Emphasis on color problems, surface qualities; studio practice, discussion, critiques.

• ART 507: Making Comics 2

  Credits unavailable

  A continuation to making comics as both a subject of study and a method of academic inquiry. Explores the history, theory, and cultural significance of comics while developing practical skills in visual storytelling. Students experiment with a variety of techniques and materials to create images and narratives, learning how form, layout, and design contribute to meaning. Combines hands-on practice with critical reflection, encouraging students to analyze comics as both creative works and tools for communication and scholarship.

• ART 508: Colloquium in Art

  1 credits

  Prominent artists, curators critics present their work through lectures and visual presentations.

• ART 511: Art Performance

  Credits unavailable

  An exploration of art genres that often incorporate a form of time-based performance, including but not limited to elements found in theater, dance, music, spoken word/poetry, etc.

• ART 512: Advanced Drawing I

  4 credits

  Advanced level drawing. Work on various problems/issues in drawing.

• ART 514: Advanced Sculpture Workshop 1

  4 credits

  Instruction in the use of various materials as required by the individual in terms of the formal and conceptual basis of the work. Emphasis on independent research and development of studio projects.

• ART 516: Advanced Lithography

  2–3 credits

  Development of advanced concepts and techniques in lithography, to include drawing on stone with crayon and tusche, transfer techniques, color processes; studio practice, lectures, discussions, and critiques.

• ART 518: Artist's Video

  Credits unavailable

  Principles and techniques in video art.

• ART 521: Installations and Environments

  Credits unavailable

  Studio projects in site-specific art making supplemented by readings and examples of relevant contemporary artists' work.

• ART 522: Advanced Painting I

  4 credits

  Technical processes; emphasis on personal expression, concepts, in various approaches to painting.

• ART 524: Advanced Ceramics I

  4 credits

  Thrown and hand-built forms, clay bodies, glazes, firing, general studio procedure; emphasis on development of personal concepts.

• ART 525: Advanced Typography

  Credits unavailable

  An advanced investigation of typography for visual communication and expression. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of meaning as conveyed through, materials, technology, and design. Projects are experimental and are designed to challenge you to expand your understanding of the function typography plays in design, art, and culture.

• ART 526: Advanced Etching/intaglio

  4 credits

  Research in advanced intaglio techniques. Color printing.

• ART 529: 3d Digital Studio II

  Credits unavailable

  Intermediate/advanced class covering the theory and practice of 3D digital modeling and animation software as a tool for making art.

• ART 531: Screen Performance

  Credits unavailable

  Focuses on performance made for the screen including first person narrative, spoken word, video dance, fictional cinema, experimental documentary and other forms of mediated performance practice.

• ART 532: Advanced Life Drawing I

  4 credits

  Further examination of the percepts of drawing with the human figure. Emphasis on formal elements. Problems of structure. Intense studio practice working from the model.

• ART 534: Advanced Wood Working

  4 credits

  Development of advanced concepts and techniques in wood-based functional and/or fine art forms.

• ART 536: Advanced Serigraphy

  4 credits

  Development of advanced concepts and techniques using silk screen processes to create fine art forms.

• ART 542: Advanced Watercolor I

  4 credits

  Transparent and opaque watercolor media; studio practice, critiques, field trips.

• ART 544: Advanced Art Metal I

  4 credits

  Advanced techniques in creating functional and/or fine art metal objects.

• ART 546: Graphic Design for Publications

  4 credits

  Covers the theory and practice of designing newspapers, magazines, books, and other narrative forms. Emphasis will be placed on advanced typographic theory, and advanced digital and manual production skills.

• ART 548: Special Topics: Advanced Level

  1–4 credits

  Topics in advanced art.

• ART 552: Advanced Painting: New Figuration II

  Credits unavailable

  Advanced work in depicting the human figure as a source for creative and independent viewpoints in painting and other media.

• ART 554: Advanced Glassworking

  4 credits

  Advanced concepts and techniques in fine art glass.

• ART 556: Graphic Design for Interactive Media

  Credits unavailable

  Explore creative visual interface and interactive storytelling for the Web.

• ART 558: Product Development for Graphic Design

  Credits unavailable

  Focuses on developing an understanding of design processes through the utilization of specific fabrication materials and methods. Experience is gained in giving form to objects and products. Prototyping techniques and digital design tools will be explored. In addition, investigates the movements in the history of product design and the development of materials, production, technologies, consumption and other social and cultural concerns that impact the field. A special focus on the identification and use of sustainable materials and processes.

• ART 560: Graphic Design Senior Thesis Project and Exhibition

  Credits unavailable

  Integrates inquiry, research, creative problem-solving, and design prototyping to develop a comprehensive graphic design thesis project, culminating in a public exhibition.

• ART 563: Graphic Design for Games

  4 credits

  Game design is a subdiscipline in which graphic designers create meaningful play and interactive experiences through words, images, structure, and process, informed by the study of experience. Explores both digital and non-digital games, providing a critical vocabulary and historical context for analyzing games, as well as the skills and techniques needed to integrate game design into ongoing design practice.

• ART 564: Graphic Design for Accessibility

  Credits unavailable

  An introduction to designing for accessibility and inclusion including visual design research, design thinking, and digital fabrication.

• ART 565: Typeface Design

  Credits unavailable

  Examine conceptual and technical processes used for designing fonts and typefaces in a digital environment.

• ART 568: Motion Typography

  Credits unavailable

  Examines conceptual and technical processes used setting type in motion in a digital environment using digital video, computer graphic, and digital photo technologies.

• ART 570: Advanced Topics in 4d Art

  Credits unavailable

  Explore advanced concepts in historical, theoretical and studio practices in the discipline of time-based art forms, including but not limited to: digital animation, video, installation, and visual art performance.

• ART 575: User Experience for Graphic Design

  4 credits

  A project-based introduction to user experience, focused on practical methods for addressing design problems. Emphasizes developing conceptual designs based on user needs, with grounding in user research methods, design sketching, and design validation.

• ART 576: Advanced Photography

  4 credits

  Emphasis on advanced techniques, color, personal concepts and expression, criticism, communicative potential of photography.

• ART 608: Interdisciplinary Critique in the Visual Arts

  Credits unavailable

  Group critique for advanced students working in the various disciplines of the visual arts.

• ART 612: Advanced Drawing II

  3–4 credits

  Continuation of advanced level drawing. Focus on advanced techniques and conceptual development in conversation with contemporary drawing practices.

• ART 614: Advanced Sculpture Workshop 2

  3–4 credits

  Continuing instruction in the use of various materials as required by each student in terms of the formal and conceptual basis of their work. Emphasis on the development of individually directed studio projects, professional art practices, and preparing work for exhibition.

• ART 622: Advanced Undergraduate Painting Workshop

  3 credits

  Technical processes; emphasis on personal expression, concepts, in various approaches to painting. Requires a competetive portfolio review,ART 222,322, and at least one of the following:ART 312,332,342,452,512,522,542. Not open to graduate/professional students.

• ART 624: Advanced Ceramics II

  4 credits

  Advanced concepts and practices using clay/ceramics to create fine art objects.

• ART 629: 3d Digital Studio III

  4 credits

  An advanced project based class in 3D Digital Animation. Students will complete a single major animation project based on their own proposal as approved by the instructor.

• ART 636: Computer Augmented Printmaking

  4 credits

  Advanced computer imaging for printmaking. Emphasis is on self-initiated projects that combine printmaking or photographic techniques with digital output.

• ART 642: Advanced Watercolor II

  4 credits

  Advanced concepts and processes in transparent and opaque watercolor media.

• ART 644: Advanced Art Metal II

  4 credits

  Further advanced study in the art of metalsmithing.

• ART 656: Design Portfolio and Professional Practice

  Credits unavailable

  Advanced graphics in preparation for entrance into the design profession. Focus on portfolio and resume preparation. Legal and professional practice topics also will be addressed.

• ART 699: Independent Study

  1–3 credits

  Independent undergraduate work in advanced area of study under direction of art faculty.

• ART 700: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Art

  3 credits

  Introduction to graduate study in art. Will explore the relationships between the contemporary art world, research and studio practice, theoretical issues, and education in the arts. Also addresses building and sustaining a career in the arts.

• ART 706: Teaching Foundations of College Art

  1 credits

  Practical tools and techniques for teaching the foundations of college art and effectively managing the classroom.

• ART 722: Graduate Painting I

  2–3 credits

  Graduate level instruction in all painting media.

• ART 726: Graduate Intaglio Printmaking I

  2–3 credits

  Graduate level investigations of advanced intaglio methods; exploration toward an individual and mature imagery in graphics materials.

• ART 736: Graduate Graphics Workshop I

  2–6 credits

  Graduate level study in advanced graphics media. Emphasis on development of personal concepts.

• ART 740: Interdisciplinary Graduate Critique

  1 credits

  Present studio research to peers and faculty and engage with collaborative audience representing multiple artistic disciplines. Provides a holistic understanding of the creative process as it relates to practice and research. Diverse array of skills-sets and the opportunity to influence and enhance the creative process strengthening abilities in performing analysis and critical inquiry into practice and research.

• ART 750: Professional Practice in Art

  Credits unavailable

  Consider numerous possibilities for producing, exhibiting, promoting, and marketing your work and wide range of practicalities for building and sustaining a creative practice. Expand the sense of what a professional path can be - taking into account the highly flexible and composite means by which cultural production happens in today's world.

• ART 908: Seminar-art

  3 credits

  Special topics in grad-level seminars.

• ART 912: Advanced Research-drawing

  Credits unavailable

  Graduate level instruction in all drawing media processes.

• ART 914: Advanced Research-sculpture

  Credits unavailable

  Graduate level instruction in all sculpture processes.

• ART 922: Advanced Research-painting

  Credits unavailable

  Graduate level instruction in all painting processes.

• ART 924: Advanced Research-ceramics

  Credits unavailable

  Graduate level instruction in all ceramics processes.

• ART 944: Advanced Research-art Metal

  Credits unavailable

  Graduate level instruction in metalsmithing.

• ART 996: Advanced Research-graphics

  Credits unavailable

  Graduate level instruction in all printmaking and photography processes.

• ART 999: Independent Study

  1–4 credits

  Independent graduate work in advanced area of study under direction of art faculty.

• ART/DANCE 341: Sound Design for the Performing and Visual Arts

  3 credits

  Production of audio soundtracks to complement the work of artists. The relationship of sound and music to dance, video, film, computer art, and other interdisciplinary forms.

• ART/DS 226: Textile Design: Off-loom Construction

  Credits unavailable

  Studio design problems in two and three dimensional off-loom constructions; off-loom weaving, looping, and knotting; historical reference and contemporary application.

• ART/DS 229: Textile Design: Weaving I

  3 credits

  The relationship of hand weaving to textural surfaces and sculptural forms are examined through the study of problems including structure, pattern, composition, and additional conceptual technical possibilities. Content is explored in the development of individual direction and in relationship to the discussion of historical and contemporary textiles and other works of art. Pursue an advanced investigation of concept and technique of hand-woven cloth.

• ART/THEATRE 366: Stage Lighting I

  3 credits

  Application of lighting design to the stage and natural environment. Color principles, lighting instruments, and control equipment. Production participation and labs.

• ART/THEATRE 372: Set Design I

  Credits unavailable

  Principles of composition, scale, perspective, and color applied to the stage; production of ground plans, elevations, sketches, and models.

• ART/THEATRE 572: Set Design II

  Credits unavailable

  Historical survey of visual theatre, painting, and architectural styles adapted to various dramatic forms. Application of design elements and styles to contemporary theatre productions.