Ages 6–10, November 6 – December 19, 2017 

Monday, 3:30 pm–5:30 pm 

Objectives

• Introduce students to Armenian culture and history through the Museum’s collection;
• Explore basic drawing and painting techniques;
• Build up a general understanding of Art and Design;
• Enhance creative and critical thinking.

Course Syllabus

The painting and visual art course will introduce young students to the general history of Armenian art. Students will learn various painting, drawing and mixed-media techniques. We will experiment by working with various types of paper, as well as learning a unique technique of collage and decoupage. Our studio will become an art laboratory where we will investigate one of the oldest civilization’s culture and history, as well as find new formulas in painting and drawing. The goal of our “expedition” is to enrich our little “archeologists” with creative and analytical way of thinking.

Class 1. Introduction to Armenian art and culture.

We will start our course by exploring main characteristics of Armenian art.  Students will learn how to build a composition on a canvas by using acrylic paints, pencils. They will make a copy of paintings by famous Armenian painters (Martiros Saryan, Minas Avetisyan, Arshil Gorky).

Materials: Canvas, acrylic paints, pencil.

Class 2. Drawing the Armenian Alphabet

The class will start with introduction of the creation of Armenian alphabet. We will also talk about Armenian manuscripts and decorative style in painting. Students will see the examples of Armenian manuscripts in the museum. During the second half of the class, students will draw and paint Armenian letters in the Armenian decorative style. 

Materials: Canvas, acrylic paints, pencils.

Class 3. Armenian costumes.

The class will start with a brief tour through the Armenian art history. During the second half the students will fill with colors drawings of Armenian costumes of various regions, which will be followed by creating the costumes of their own by using pencil and acrylic paints on canvas.

Materials: Canvas, coloring books, crayons, acrylic paints, pencils.

Class 4. Hellenistic culture.

This time the class will start with learning about Greek and Armenian mythology. The students will be told several Armenian legends and will be shown the technique of working with a plastic paper “Yupo”. Students will illustrate one of the legends they heard earlier during the class with the help of freshly learned technique of collage on the plastic paper.

Materials: Acrylic paints, Yupo paper, paper cut-outs, glue.

Class 5. Fairy Tales

Students will illustrate their favorite tales on canvas and acrylic paints.

Materials: Acrylic paints, canvas, pencils.

Class 6. Papermania

No paint, we are using only colored paper during this class. Students will be introduced to the tradition of paper cut outs in collage and make compositions by using colored paper.

Materials: Colored paper and glue, child-safe scissors.