All Mercy 9th graders will be required to take a unique and marvelous course designed by our talented Art Department Chairwoman, Susan Smith. The students will get a rich exposure to technology within the context of artistic design:
The course will expose students to both traditional fine art and computer art techniques. Students will learn the basic elements of art (color, texture, form, value, line, shape, space) and the principles of design (balance, contrast, emphasis, unity, pattern, rhythm and movement).
The students will gain their digital experiences in our brand new iMac lab using professional grade Apple and Adobe software. Their digital experiences will include . . . .
* Photo editing (the importance of resolution and image size, using adjustment layers to
improve lighting and color as opposed to using auto adjustments, filters, various saving
formats, montage and layer options).
* Recording video
* Recording audio
* Storyboarding for multimedia projects
* Properly transferring digital files and organizing them for use in multi-media projects. Explain differences in storage options (cloud storage such as Dropbox, memory cards, external hard drive, shared network drive)
* Drawing and painting with various electronic devices using applications such as Brushes on an iPod and Art Rage on a tablet
*Video Editing (proper import of files, using a source window to split, trim and re-size clips, using a timeline, adding effects and transitions, exporting video in various formats
Not only will students acquire skills they will find useful in high school and beyond, but the course allows for all sorts of opportunities to build an exceptional design and multimedia curriculum. Stay tuned!
Mercy Technology Innovation Team 