If there was one thing I would change about the classes I took during high school it would be to take at least one art class each year. Freshman year, I took Art Foundations and Drawing which I very much enjoyed. Sophomore and Junior year I did not take any art classes but now in senior year I took ceramics first semester and again, second semester. However, I was not aware of a lot of the art classes offered at Lake Forest and wanted to make sure incoming grades are informed of all the art classes. 

Why are art classes important? 

They have provided an escape from stress and the real world for me. I’m able to go into the classroom not worried about grades, homework, or studying for the next test. With pressure from classes, sports, and other extracurricular activities, it is important for students to have down time. Doing art can be a great time for students to relax without pressure while creating projects. 

Taking Art Foundations is a great first art class as one can try all different areas of art while learning where their talents and interests revolve. Students explore projects such as graphite still life drawing, tempera painting, ceramics, photography, and graphic design. Art foundations was a great class to start off my high school experience. I had fun creating and trying the different techniques which then inspired me to continue with drawing and ceramics. 

Though it may not be the most impressive piece of artwork, this is one of the projects I had the most fun making freshman year during Art Foundations. 

Crafts and design is another semester class which allows students to branch out into projects such as collage, metalworking, bookmaking, glass fusing, and mosaic. 

This is a cloth project done in crafts and design on display in the art hallway. 

After having been introduced to drawing in Art Foundations, I took drawing the second semester of freshman year. We created drawings with charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, and printmaking. 

Using adobe animate and other websites, the animation class teaches students about the history and techniques of animation. 

I look forward to ceramics as it is a time for me to relax and work on fun projects with freedom to make anything I want to bring home. Ceramics teaches students all steps of making a ceramic piece from wedging clay, wheel throwing, painting, and glazing. The projects made in ceramics are food, microwave, and dishwasher safe to be brought home. One gets freedom with the way they would like to shape the form, paint the project, and glaze the project. 

These are some of the ceramic pieces displayed in the art hallway made by a variety of students. 

The Sculpture class focuses on realistic modeling from life. Students learn techniques and skills to sculpt proportionally accurate clay objects. 

Graphic Design is a good art class option for those who may not consider themselves “artistic.” Students create projects using Adobe Photoshop; these projects include pattern, positive/negative space, pop art, CD cover design, poster design, surrealism, and sticker-making. 

In Painting, students use watercolor, acrylic, and oil techniques to create artwork with emphasis on personal expression of ideas. 

Photography allows students to capture images while expressing personal interest. Students are provided with cameras to learn about many types of photos including stop action, blurred motion, light writing, double exposures, UV and studio portraits. They also learn how to use Photoshop and Lightroom in this class. In addition, students learn about traditional 35mm film processing and darkroom developing. 

Finally, there is also an art class called AP Studio Art offered for students who are serious about art and want a more challenging curriculum. Students are expected to complete 4 assignments during the summer before the year starts. Also, they should expect to spend four to six hours working on projects outside of school. Finally, instead of a written exam, students are required to complete a total of 29 pieces and put them into a portfolio. 

Lake Forest students are lucky to have the opportunity to learn and engage in so many different types of art. I was unaware of many of the art classes offered at the high school, so I wanted to make sure that nobody would miss an opportunity to try something new in the arts. It is important for students to be aware of all of the different classes offered, especially now as it is time for incoming freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors to register for classes.