Digital Arts & New Media

Observation, translation and interpretation are fundamental to all forms of visual creation. In this course students will learn how to draw bodies, objects, architectural and natural environments. Working through observation and different drawing techniques (contour, gesture, modelling) light, colour and form will be examined and translated through tactile mediums. The objective of this course is to develop close observation and appreciation of visual arts.

The semester will begin by introducing students to both a historical and practical survey of image manipulation, and creation on the computer. Students will learn to apply different methods of collage and composite imaging, using Photoshop. They will practice analysing and defining the characteristics of still images, as compared to sequences of motion. Finally, they will experiment with the tools of digital media for expressive purposes.

We are surrounded, inundated, overwhelmed by images. From art to advertising to Instagram the image is everywhere. In fact image has become its own language replete with nuance, form, story and emotion. This course aims to teach students to critically analyse the function and the aesthetics of the image as it pertains to the fields of culture and communications, and to understand its contemporary meaning and power. In short, this course will teach the student to “write” in the language of Image.

The course focuses on introducing the basics of digital image making. Using the terminology specific to photography,
sound recording, and video, students will explore digital image making from conception and research to evaluation and final analysis. Students will learn how the language of visual expression has developed over time, and apply that understanding in a series of media assignments. In addition to developing strong autonomy in their individual work,
students will also work cooperatively in teams where they will explore the technical and aesthetic tools of image making and discover how they can be used to communicate effectively, efficiently, but most of all, visually.

Expression in Visual Genres will explore the power of narrative. Whether it’s an old black and white Hollywood film, a locally produced virtual reality game, or your favourite graphic novel designed abroad, the stories told through these various media share similar impulses and elements. Through the study of genre and narrative structure, this course will look at how artists tell their stories across different visual media. We’ll consider the similarities and distinct differences of these various forms of communication and analyze ways in which these stories and their storytelling could convey an artist’s observations about the world. By the end of the semester, students will be encouraged to envision their own stories to eventually develop into a visual genre of their choice.

This course, common to both Media profiles, examines evolving media, art apps, and digital effects. This course will encourage students to take a hard look at the ways social media, video games, the Internet, and the expanding world of digital technologies are part of our lives. Through theory and practice, students will learn to make critical judgments about these ever-present screen technologies.

This course builds upon the skills acquired in the raw and digital image-making courses of the first semester. Creating imagery with photographic processes, paint, graphic pens and the computer, students will learn about light, colour and line in relation to form and composition. Students will work with concepts such as chaos and order, continuous narration and text as image to create engaging art.

This course will provide the opportunity for students to explore different materials and the technical challenges that they offer. Through design and construction students will be asked to make aesthetically pleasing objects that examine their strength while testing the limitations of the material. Aims of this course include learning the process of generating ideas
and relating abstract ideas and concepts to real environments, spaces and elements. They will learn how to conceptualize, measure and draw up plans, and to use various hand and power tools to construct structures that are sound, strong and aesthetically pleasing.

Animation is the art of giving soul to inanimate objects through visual and auditory movement. This course will teach
students the basic principles of the art of movement as well as a practical understanding of the language used in cinema, composition, and sound. Students will be taught the process of pre-production, production and post-production and will be introduced to various animation techniques including frame-by-frame animation, computer assisted animation, stop-motion animation and cut-out animation.

In this course, students will examine the art and material history of Quebec and other World cultures. We will study works of art, sculpture, architecture and contemporary media in order to discover how politics, social practices and personal experiences determine the way art is made. This course has a strong research and writing component. Students will work to develop skills through individual research and essay-writing on particular art-related topics within the historical context.

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and techniques of sculptural modelling using 3D digital software. Students will learn to model conceptualized complex worlds using techniques of drawing, photography, digital rendering, structural modelling and animation. A strong emphasis will be placed on the development of each student’s personal language.

Engaging stories engender art that has personal and universal resonance. This  course will introduce students to the “hows” and “whys” of telling stories through visual language. Using a wide range of media from photography to drawing, students will explore a variety of narrative genres to recount authentic experiences. Interviews with community and family members will be central to the creation of the story-telling projects.

The Portfolio: Synthesis of Theory & Practice course represents the coming together of techniques, artistic expression and critical thinking acquired throughout the four semesters of the Media program. Students design, plan, and create a final project that includes a written comprehensive assessment which accompanies the finished artistic creation. The final project demonstrates each student’s integration of critical and creative thinking skills and connects to each student’s personal and academic aspirations.

This course, common to both Media profiles, seeks to develop an understanding of creativity and to improve creative problem-solving skills while learning about the nature and techniques of critical thought, viewed as a way to establish a reliable basis for our claims, beliefs, and attitudes about the world. Students participate in activities designed to help develop their own creativity and discuss the creative process from various theoretical perspectives while exploring
multiple perspectives, placing established facts, theories, and practices in tension with alternatives to see how things could be otherwise. The emphasis is on the creative process.

This course will provide the opportunity for students to take all of the technical, creative, and critical skills they have
developed throughout the previous three semesters, and apply them to the production of a large-scale media project of their choice that demonstrates their capacity to synthesize the competencies acquired throughout the program. Students will link the development of their personal artistic language from previous semesters. The wide variety of artistic
approaches will include sculptural installation and multimedia projects using traditional and digital imaging, drawings and animation.