Undergraduate Studio Art Courses

students in classroom working on project

Undergraduate Studio Art Courses

Details below are subject to change. Please confirm all information in the official Course Schedule.  
 

Spring 2025 Courses  
 

FIRST-YEAR CORE

ART 311C  
Core Studio: Drawing

MW 8–11
TTH 8–11
Peter Abrami

MW 2–5
Sarah Navasse Miller

First-Year Core studio class with an emphasis on techniques of drawing. Focus on line, line weight, continuous line, contour line, sighting, figure, gesture, perspective (two-point, three-point, and isometric/orthogonal drawing), value, color, and texture. Course projects will allow students to envision and understand drawing in a contemporary context.

ART 312C  
Core Studio: 2D

MW 8–11  
MW 2–5  
TTH 8–11
Zach Meisner

First-Year Core studio class with an emphasis on creating planar works and exploring formal principles and conceptual concerns. Course projects will allow students to envision and understand planar works in a contemporary context.

ART 313C  
Core Studio: 3D

MW 2–5  
TTH 2–5
Erin Cunningham  

TTH 8–11
Pablo Tut

First-Year Core studio class with an emphasis on creating spatial works and exploring formal principles and conceptual concerns. Working with space, time, structure, process, and material. Course projects will allow students to envision and understand spatial work in a contemporary context.

ART 314C  
Core Studio: Time and Technology

TTH 8–11
TTH 2–5
Hannah Spector  

MW 2–5
Maura Murnane

First-Year Core studio class with an emphasis on time-based media and digital technology. Course projects will allow students to gain awareness of media art and ability to utilize digital technology and time-based media in a contemporary context.



DRAWING

ART 315K  
Beginning Drawing

TTH 8–11
Troy Brauntuch

This class will provide a platform for the development of a student’s basic understanding of line, mark, value, surface and composition. Students will experiment with various conceptual and technical methods, traditions, subjects, and expressive possibilities of drawing / works on paper.

ART 322K  
Intermediate Drawing

TTH 2–5
Lauz Bechelli

Students in this course will experiment with various concepts and technical methods and traditions associated with drawing / works on paper. This class will provide a platform to explore expanded aspects of drawing to understand and represent one’s personal voice in relation to histories and contemporary practices of drawing. Students will develop their drawing and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, assignments based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of drawing / works on paper.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 368N  
Advanced Drawing

TTH 2–5
Lauz Bechelli

Students in this course will experiment with various concepts and technical methods and traditions associated with drawing / works on paper. This class will provide a platform to explore expanded aspects of drawing to understand and represent one’s personal voice in relation to histories and contemporary practices of drawing. Students will develop their drawing and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, assignments based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of drawing / works on paper.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 316K  
Beginning Life Drawing

MW 8–11
Alexandre Pépin

Students in this course explore various concepts and technical methods / traditions of drawing to understand and represent the human body in relation to physical space, pictorial space, pictorial design, and themes of concern for each student. Students will develop their drawing and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, assignments based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of figurative drawing / works on paper.

ART 346K  
Intermediate Life Drawing

TTH 8–11
Lauz Bechelli

Students in this course explore various concepts and technical methods / traditions of drawing to understand and represent the human body in relation to physical space, pictorial space and pictorial design. Students will start to develop their drawing “voice” and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, assignments based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of figurative drawing / works on paper.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 366K  
Advanced Life Drawing

TTH 8–11
Lauz Bechelli

Students in this course explore various concepts and technical methods / traditions of drawing to understand and represent the human body in relation to physical space, pictorial space and pictorial design. Students will start to develop their drawing “voice” and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, assignments based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of figurative drawing / works on paper.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag



PAINTING

ART 311K  
Painting I

MW 8–11
Scherezade García-Vazquez 

Students in this course will be introduced to various painting techniques / methods and histories. Additionally, they will begin an exploration of personal expression. Students will develop their work and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, assignments based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of painting and expanded field painting.

ART 321K  
Painting II

TTH 8–11
Alexandre Pépin

TTH 2–5
Troy Brauntuch

Students in this course will continue to explore various concepts and technical methods / traditions of painting in order to develop their own painting “voice” and to begin to understand the context of contemporary painting. Students will develop their work and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, assignments based on readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of painting and expanded field painting.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 341K  
Painting III

MW 8–11
Lauz Bechelli 

TTH 2–5
Troy Brauntuch

Students in this course will continue to explore various concepts and technical methods / traditions of painting while further refining their specific concerns or painting “voice” and developing a deeper understanding of the context of contemporary painting. Students will develop their work and critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, readings, art historical references, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of painting and expanded field painting.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 361K  
Painting IV

MW 2–5
Scherezade García-Vazquez

Students in this course will continue to explore various concepts and technical methods / traditions of painting with an emphasis on developing an ambitious, mature, distinct body of work that takes into account an understanding of the context of contemporary painting. Students will continue to develop critical thinking skills through discussion, critique, readings, and weekly exposure to global contemporary practices of painting and expanded field painting.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag



PHOTOGRAPHY & MEDIA

ART 317K  
Beginning Photography

TTH 8–11
Eli Durst

TTH 2–5
Ariana Gomez

This class will introduce you to the fundamentals of black & white photography. You will learn how to use a manual medium-format camera, expose and develop black & white film, and make gelatin silver prints. You will also study aspects of photographic history and begin to define your individual voice as an artist using photography. For the first part of the semester, assignments will be given in order to challenge how you think about and make pictures, both technically and conceptually. The second half of the semester’s assignments are designed to allow for more of your own interpretation. Your final assignment will be to develop a personal project that consists of 20 cohesive images. Class time will be dedicated to slide lectures and discussions, group critiques, class printing, supervised darkroom time, and field trips. You are expected to work hard, complete the following requirements and be dedicated and attentive to your photography and the class.

ART 335K  
Intermediate Photography

MW 11–2
Will Wilson

This studio course is centered around creating film and digital images and serves as an introduction to theoretical discourse examining the multiple roles that contemporary photography plays in our cultural time. Assigned projects will encourage you to create photographs as a mode of personal expression, as well as consider how photographs can obscure as much as they reveal and how what we see is often determined by our beliefs. The core structure of the semester is geared towards gaining knowledge of the tools of digital photography and applying this information towards the creation of compelling images. We will concentrate on the computer and inkjet printer as the counterpart to the wet darkroom. In this class, you will learn about the properties of digital files and how to process images in Photoshop to produce the best possible prints. You will become familiar with the tools available for creating or capturing images (how is the visible made digital?) and disseminating or outputting images (how is the digital made tangible?)

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 372K  
Advanced Photography

MW 2–5
Ariana Gomez

Inquiry of specific themes in photography which can include: photographic intervention, photography since 1945, photo book making, abstraction in photography, appropriation in photography, and lighting for photography.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 350M:  Alternative Photographic Processes: Photography and Printmaking with a letter grade of at least C can fulfill the pre-requisite for ART 372K. Please speak with advisor for pre-requisite waiver.



PRINT

ART 310P  
Introduction to Print

MW 11–2
Audrey Blood

TTH 2–5
Paloma Barhaugh–Bordas

This course will introduce students to a wide range of printmaking processes. Students will be presented with demonstrations and hands-on instruction, with projects using the modern mediums of silkscreen and risography to the more traditional processes of relief, intaglio and lithography. Completion of this intensive course will allow students to choose which intermediate printmaking courses they wish to pursue further.

ART 325G  
Intermediate Print: Serigraphy

MW 8–11
Audrey Blood

This course will allow students to work with a wide range of silkscreen approaches, starting with stencils, hand-drawn techniques and photoemulsion, to photo-realistic CMYK processes, digital manipulation and repeat pattern. Using demonstrations and hands-on instruction, projects will be framed around the history of print and the multiple, production, publication and popular culture, print as protest, and its role in pattern and decoration. Students are encouraged to experiment and incorporate other mediums as they create and develop their work.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 325J  
Intermediate Print: Relief

TTH 11–2
Paloma Barhaugh–Bordas

In this course students will explore image production through traditional and contemporary relief techniques. Wood, linoleum, and other alternative blocks will be used as well as modern applications like laser cutting. Demonstrations on hand carving techniques will be supplemented by visual references of the historical development of the media and its impact on art history, cultural styles, and social movements.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 325T  
Intermediate Print: Monotype

MW 2–5
Erin Miller

In this experimental course, prints will become objects in their collaboration with ceramics and plaster. They will be created without a press as transfers, rubbings or tracings. They will be transferred through photographic processes using solarfast, cyanotype and emulsion. Students will have the flexibility to generate both large pieces and small objects, painterly prints and bitmapped experiments. Emphasis will be placed on expanding the traditional boundaries of monotype printmaking.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 330P  
Advanced Print Workshop

MW 11–2
Annie May Johnston

Advanced Print Workshop is an all-media print course. While new concepts and techniques will be introduced, students will build on their pre-existing knowledge of any print process to develop print-based artworks that revolve around their chosen portfolio focus. There will be an emphasis on research, group critique, and contemporary practice, and time will be allotted for one-on-one instruction to guide students in realizing strong and advanced bodies of work that could be displayed as a curated group or solo show by semester's end. Students are encouraged to experiment and incorporate other mediums as they create and develop their work.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 376P  
Contemporary Issues in Print

TTH 2–5
Annie May Johnston

Explore advanced issues, subjects, and processes in contemporary print and the expanded field.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag



SCULPTURE & EXTENDED MEDIA

ART 313K  
Beginning Sculpture

MW 8–11
Erin Cunningham

TTH 8–11
John Stoney 

In this course students will receive an in-depth introduction into the field of sculpture and will explore many different methods of making and relating to objects. Students will learn to think of their immediate environment and familiar objects as potential sculptural materials and exhibition spaces. We will cover basic technical processes including mold-making and armature construction as well as general principles on how to develop concepts, finish surfaces, and display completed work. We will read about and discuss various issues and practices in contemporary sculpture and students will work to develop their own focused studio practice as well as the specific language to discuss their work and the work of their peers.

ART 323K  
Intermediate Sculpture

TTH 2–5
John Stoney

Exploration of the concepts and processes involved in the production of object-oriented sculpture, with emphasis on indirect methods of mold-making and casting. Encourages individual direction.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 363K  
Advanced Sculpture

TTH 2–5
John Stoney

Exploration of the concepts and processes involved in the production of object-oriented sculpture, with emphasis on indirect methods of mold-making and casting. Encourages individual direction.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 323S  
Installation Sculpture

MW 2–5
Beili Liu

Exploration of the theories and methods involved in the production of installation sculpture through the investigation of form and space and of their function in transforming environmental, architectural, or invented sites.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 320F  
Digital Fabrication I

TTH 11–2
Alex Boeschenstein

This course introduces students to computer modeling, 3D data acquisition, and various forms of digital fabrication. Specifically, students will use Rhinoceros 3D to digitally model and render virtual forms. Photogrammetry, structured light and laser scanning will be used to digitally capture 3D data and the department’s laser cutters, 3-axis CNC router, 4-axis CNC milling machine, 3D printers, UV printer, and vinyl cutter will be used to physically realize student designs. Personal research, lectures, media, readings and discussions will supplement software and hardware demonstrations during the course.

ART 340F  
Digital Fabrication II

TTH 11–2
Alex Boeschenstein

This course introduces students to computer modeling, 3D data acquisition, and various forms of digital fabrication. Specifically, students will use Rhinoceros 3D to digitally model and render virtual forms. Photogrammetry, structured light and laser scanning will be used to digitally capture 3D data and the department’s laser cutters, 3-axis CNC router, 4-axis CNC milling machine, 3D printers, UV printer, and vinyl cutter will be used to physically realize student designs. Personal research, lectures, media, readings and discussions will supplement software and hardware demonstrations during the course.



TRANSMEDIA

ART 336V  
Transmedia: Expanded Media II

TTH 2–5
Kristin Lucas

This studio course is designed to introduce expanded moving image art practices, including video sculpture, multiple channel video installation, hybrid media, projection systems, and more. Emphasis is on: experimentation, the history and evolution of temporal and spatial time-based art forms, image and sound relationships, aesthetics and materiality, media and culture, and the circulation of video within a variety of contexts: experimental labs, residencies, transmission arts, social media platforms, the web, public space, the gallery, and more. Students are encouraged to bridge disciplinary interests, materials and approaches in this course. Students work with cameras, monitors, projectors, digital media players, interactive media, props, and more, to create independent and collaborative art projects. Moving image media including video, digital animation, stop motion animation, screen recordings, images, sound, augmented reality, and software generated sound and image processes are explored.

Demos, tutorials and workshops are provided. No prior experience necessary.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 356V  
Transmedia: Expanded Media III

TTH 2–5
Kristin Lucas

This studio course is designed to introduce expanded moving image art practices, including video sculpture, multiple channel video installation, hybrid media, projection systems, and more. Emphasis is on: experimentation, the history and evolution of temporal and spatial time-based art forms, image and sound relationships, aesthetics and materiality, media and culture, and the circulation of video within a variety of contexts: experimental labs, residencies, transmission arts, social media platforms, the web, public space, the gallery, and more. Students are encouraged to bridge disciplinary interests, materials and approaches in this course. Students work with cameras, monitors, projectors, digital media players, interactive media, props, and more, to create independent and collaborative art projects. Moving image media including video, digital animation, stop motion animation, screen recordings, images, sound, augmented reality, and software generated sound and image processes are explored.

Demos, tutorials and workshops are provided. No prior experience necessary.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 317C  
Transmedia: Performance Art I

TTH 2–5
Michael Smith

Performance art is a time-based medium involving people, live action, media, and a vast range of materials and objects. Most historians and practitioners would agree on two points: there are no rules, and one may use or do anything when making performance art. Students will learn how to create live art works for different contexts and venues, while constantly being encouraged to look for inspiration from a variety of sources, including popular culture, current events, art, and the routines of everyday life.

In this introductory class students will learn about the history and theory of performance art in a variety of contexts and spaces, including the theatrical, the white cube and the workaday world. The experimental nature of performance art welcomes skills and ideas learned in other classes in the development of new themes and directions.

Enrollment in this course does not require any prerequisite classes or skills.

ART 338C  
Transmedia: Digital Time Art II

MW 2–5
Bogdan Perzyński

This class offers a study in digital video, sound, and animation, with emphasis on the exploration of cinematic time and its time-based installation. We offer guided inquiry into the relationship between video and video projections, and technics and technology. This class gives the opportunity to learn the conceptual and technical aspects of time-based digital art and offers an independent investigation related to time-based art.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag

ART 358C  
Transmedia: Digital Time Art III

MW 2–5
Bogdan Perzyński

This class offers a study in digital video, sound, and animation, with emphasis on the exploration of cinematic time and its time-based installation. We offer guided inquiry into the relationship between video and video projections, and technics and technology. This class gives the opportunity to learn the conceptual and technical aspects of time-based digital art and offers an independent investigation related to time-based art.

Fulfills →  Independent Inquiry flag



SPECIAL TOPICS

ART 350  
Philosophy/Theory/Criticism

F 11–2
Teresa Hubbard

This lecture class will seek to provoke critical thinking and discussion on how artists use philosophy, theory, and criticism in the production of making visual art. As a class, we will visit local exhibitions and write responses about our experiences. We will also read and respond to a selection of texts exploring how aspects of the Anthropocene, critical race theory, gender identities and non-binary feminism can inspire contemporary art making.

Fulfills →  Ethics flag / Writing flag

ART 350E  
Aesthetics of Health

TTH 11–2
Megan Hildebrandt and Dr. Susan Rather

Explore the intersection of art and healthcare.

Fulfills →  Ethics flag

ART 350M  
Art and Ecology

TTH 8–11
Kristin Lucas

This course explores contemporary Bio and Eco-Art practices. Students investigate new perspectives on life and its relationships, how we relate across species, how we affect our environment and how it affects us—experimenting and asking inventive questions through moving images, sound, microscopy, participatory and live art forms.

This course is intended to be accessible and open to students at any level.

ART 350N 
Fiber Art and Soft Sculpture

W 11–2
Beili Liu

Throughout history, fiber materials and craft processes have played important roles in addressing social, cultural, and environmental concerns. This lecture-studio hybrid course leads students through case studies of fiber art and soft sculpture within historical and contemporary contexts. We will examine how unconventional materials and craft processes are employed as tools of artistic expression and give voice to diverse cultural and social groups. Students will also explore various fiber and soft materials and inventive processes through studio activities and assignments to formulate creative concepts and genuine personal expression.

ART 350N 
Color in Theory and Practice

TTH 9:30–11
Dr. Carma Gorman

Explore contemporary color notation systems and color management techniques. Survey economic, health and safety, environmental, cultural, legal, political, and other ethical considerations pertinent to using color.

Cross-listings →  DES 323.

ART 350P  
Professional Practices

W 5–8
Hannah Spector

TH 11–2
Alexander Birchler

This course explores how to build and sustain a thriving studio practice after graduation. Figuring out how to maintain an art practice outside of the structure of school is complex and different for everyone. In this course we will discuss a variety of different paths available to emerging artists as they make their way through the art world. Throughout the semester we will work on developing an artist statement and collecting the materials necessary to apply for residencies, MFA programs, exhibitions, grants and other professional opportunities. The course will also explore the practical aspects of exhibiting artwork in a professional context including writing a press release, finishing and hanging artwork and seeking and building non-traditional exhibition opportunities. Periodically we will have visitors come to the class to share their expertise and experience in the art world and students will be tasked with exploring the Austin art community and creating a shared catalog of resources.

Restricted to BFA Studio Art majors

Fulfills →  Writing flag