"Renaissance Apprentice" Syllabus

This course is designed to take place in Italy but with creativity can be adapted to take place anywhere with only a little bit of loss.

RENAISSANCE APPRENTICE

Level 1

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Following the step-by-step process outlined in Cennino Cennini’s 14th century treatise on art, IL LIBRO DELL’ARTE, students will use the same materials and follow the same course of instruction, in abbreviated form, as Renaissance apprentices. After basic exercises in drawing, which include copying directly from the frescoes and sculptures in Florence as all apprentices were required to do as part of their studies, students will then be introduced to the Renaissance painting techniques of buon fresco and egg tempera to round out their artist’s education.

GENERAL COURSE OF STUDY:

1. Introduction to drawing techniques 

2. Copying from drawings 

3. Copying from frescoes 

4. Drawing from sculptures

5. Drawing from life 

6. Fresco painting 

7. Egg tempera painting/gold leafing

CLASS MEETINGS:

Class consists of 3 hours per week divided in the following manner: - in-class lectures, demonstrations, site visits, in-class drawing and painting

TEXTS (NOT REQUIRED):

Cennino Cennini, Il libro dell’arte Giorgio Vasari, On Technique Francis Ames-Lewis, Drawing in Early Renaissance Italy

ASSIGNMENTS/COURSE PACKETS

Students will be assigned drawings to copy from color photo-copies in course packet acquired at beginning of semester. Students will also be assigned to draw from frescoes and sculptures in various museums which are free of charge with museum card.

RESEARCH PAPER

The research paper will be a two-page description of one drawing or painting process or technique. All information will be taken from Cennino Cennini, Giorgio Vasari, Leonardo, Ames-Lewis and class notes. Papers will follow the standard Art Bulletin format for style and are to include a step-by-step description of all aspects of the particular process or technique. Research papers will then be copied and bound to make a handbook of materials and techniques subsequently distributed to each student in class.

RENAISSANCE APPRENTICE: COURSE OUTLINE 

WEEK ONE: INTRODUCTION

- Intro to materials, techniques, trip to center to buy materials

WEEK TWO: MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

- Lecture on techniques, mounting drawings, first assignments

WEEK THREE: FIGURES, FACES AND HANDS

- Lecture on how to draw figures, faces and hands

WEEK FOUR: DRAWING FROM FRESCOES

- Santa Maria Novella

WEEK FIVE: DRAWING FROM SCULPTURES

- Opera del Duomo 

****TRIP TO ROME – VATICAN MUSEUMS**** 

WEEK SIX: DRAWING FROM SCULPTURES - Accademia Museum

WEEK SEVEN: ANATOMY

- Lecture on human anatomy

WEEK EIGHT: ANATOMICAL DRAWING

- La Specola Museum

WEEK NINE: FRESCO PAINTING

- Lecture on fresco painting

WEEK TEN: FRESCO PAINTING

WEEK ELEVEN: EGG TEMPERA PAINTING

- Lecture on egg tempera and gold leafing - Rough drafts of papers due

WEEK TWELVE: EGG TEMPERA PAINTING 

WEEK THIRTEEN: EGG TEMPERA PAINTING

WEEK FOURTEEN: LAST CLASS – GROUP DISCUSSION AND TECHNIQUES MANUAL