Students in Oil Painting train in the technical aspects of the medium. Course work and assignments direct students through the process of creating a unique, consistently styled portfolio of work. As they develop a personal creative vision, Oil Painting students apply critical, historical, and theoretical principles to their work while developing professional business practices in the fine art field.

Oil Painting Outcomes

Upon completion, students will be able to:

Technical

1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the technical aspects of oil painting.

This includes:

  • Method / Materials
  • Color
  • Lighting
  • Seeing / Observation
  • Effectively render forms both in space, and in relation to each other
  • Composition / Design / Editing
  • Drawing

Theoretical

2. Use oil painting as a form of personal expression to create a unique, consistently styled portfolio of work.

  • Demonstrate familiarity with the world of contemporary art.
  • Present their work within the context of contemporary art.
  • Understand and engage in contemporary art discourse.
  • Emphasis on:
    • Concept / Content / Originality
  • Applying critical, historical, and theoretical principles to the work
  • Research
  • Style / Motif
  • Critique

Professional

3. Apply professional practices to:

  • Artwork: Presentation, Care, Archiving, Documentation.
  • Work habits: Time management, Reliability, Motivation.
  • Career skills: Promotion, Job search, Commissions, Galleries,
  • Exhibitions, Grants, Business writing, Interviews, Memberships, Networking.
  • Business skills: Taxes, Sales, Bookkeeping, Insurance, Organization

Career Opportunities

  • Portrait Commissions
  • Landscape Commissions
  • Group Exhibitions
  • One-Person Exhibitions
  • Gallery Representation
  • Specialty Showroom and Display Shops

Curriculum

122 Total Credits Required for the BFA Degree in Oil Painting

Semester 1
Fundamentals of Art I5 Semester Credit Hours
Beginning Life Drawing I5 Semester Credit Hours
College Composition I3 Semester Credit Hours
College Success Seminar1 Semester Credit Hour
Semester 2
Fundamentals of Art II5 Semester Credit Hours
Beginning Life Drawing II5 Semester Credit Hours
Anatomy3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 3
Oil Painting I5 Semester Credit Hours
Intermediate Life Drawing5 Semester Credit Hours
Art History I3 Semester Credit Hours
Oral Communication3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 4
Oil Painting II5 Semester Credit Hours
Figurative Sculpture I5 Semester Credit Hours
Art History II3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of two) Film and Society or Introduction to Psychology3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 5
Figure Painting5 Semester Credit Hours
Studio Elective 200/300 or 400 Level5 Semester Credit Hours
Quantitative Literacy3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of four) Film and Society; Film and Society: World Cultures; Introduction to Psychology; or Adulthood: Relationships, Wellness, Stress and Longevity3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 6
Still Life Painting5 Semester Credit Hours
Digital Graphic Foundations5 Semester Credit Hours
(One of three) Advanced Anatomy; Intro to Lab Science; or Vision, Light and Color3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of four) Film and Society; Film and Society: World Cultures; Psychology; Adulthood: Relationships, Wellness, or Stress and Longevity3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 7
Advanced Painting I5 Semester Credit Hours
Visual Language: On Critique, Theory, and Practice5 Semester Credit Hours
Studio Elective 200/300 or 400 level5 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 8
Portfolio: Fine Arts5 Semester Credit Hours
Advanced Painting II5 Semester Credit Hours
College Composition II3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of five) Survey of American Illustration; History of Graphic Design; 20th Century and Contemporary Art History; Art History: Renaissance and Baroque; World Art3 Semester Credit Hours

Portfolios