Text Education of a Painter Syllabus at an Art Institute

One day he called at the Art Institute and consult the secretary. He learned from her... that the classes ran from October to May, that he could enter a life or antique class or both, though the antique alone was advisable for the time, and a class in illustration, where costumes of different periods were presented on different models. He found that each class had an instructor, whom it was not necessary for him to see. Each class had a monitor and each student had to work hard. Eugene did not see the class rooms, but the halls and offices were decorated in an artistic way, and there were many plaster casts of arms, legs, busts, and thighs, and heads. It was as though one stood in an open doorway and looked out upon a new world. The one thing that he liked was that he could study pen and ink or brush in the illustration class, and that he could also join a sketch class from five to six every afternoon without extra changes if he preferred to devote his evening hours to studying drawing in the life class. He was a little surprised to learn from a printed prospectus given him that the life class meant nude models to work from - both men and women.[...]

The classes which he decided to enter were first a life class which took place Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at seven in one of the study rooms and lasted until ten o'clock, and second a sketch class which met from five to six every afternoon. Eugene felt that he knew little or nothing about figure and anatomy and had better work at that. Costume and illustration would have to wait, and as for the landscapes, or rather city-scapes, of which he was so fond, he decided to wait until he learned something of the fundamentals of art.

So far he had rarely attempted the drawing of a face or figure except in miniature and as details of a larger scene. Now he was confronted with the necessity of sketching in charcoal the head or body of a living person, and it frightened him a little. He knew that he would be in a class with fifteen or twenty other male students. They would be able to see and comment on what he was doing. Twice a week an instructor would come around and discuss his work. There were honors for those who did the best work during any one month, he learned from the prospectus, namely: first choice of seats around the model at the beginning of each new pose. The class instructors must be of considerable significance in the American art world, he thought, for they were N.A.'s, and that meant National Academicians.

Exercise 5. Answer the following questions:

1. What do people study in a life class? In an antique class? In an illustration class? In a sketch class?

2. How were the halls and offices of the Art Institute decorated?

3. Can you explain what a plaster cast is?

4. Why does a painter have to study anatomy?

5. Do you study anatomy?

6. Are you trained to be a painter?

7. Who supervised the work of students at the Art Institute?

8. What classes did Eugene enter first?

9. What was he fond of doing?

10. What were the honors for those who did the best work during any one month?

Exercise 6. Say whether it is true or false, if false say why:

1. Eugene could not enter the Art Institute. He should have passed entrance exams first.

2. The halls and offices of the Institute were decorated in an artistic way.

3. He could not join a sketch class because he had to pay extra charges for it.

4. Eugene was very fond of painting sea-scapes.

5. Eugene must have never studied anatomy before because he decided to join a life class first.

6. The class instructors were final- year students.

7. The necessity of sketching in charcoal parts of the body of a living person frightened Eugene.

Exercise 7. Make up attributive phrases using words from Columb A (attributes) and Columb B.

A B

life model

antique head

sketch class

illustration bust

ancient culture

extra drawing

nude charge

plaster book

Exercise 8. Choose the correct definition in the right hand column for each term in the left- hand column.

1. a painter 2. a studio 3. a sketch 4. a palette 5. a brush 6. a masterpiece 7. imagination 8. a monitor 9. charcoal

1. a power of creating mental picture 2. a student selected by the dean to be the leader in the student’s group 3. something made or done with great skill, e.g. skillfully painted picture 4. a rough, quickly made drawing 5. a piece of burnt wood 6. a person, who paints picture 7. a thin board with a thumb hole an one end for holding it, on which a painter lays and mixes his colours 8. a well-lit workroom of a painter or sculptor 9. a thing to paint with

Exercise 9. Discuss the syllabus at your University.

Compare it with the syllabus at the art Institute Eugene studied at. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each syllabus?

Use some of the following words and word- combinations. To my mind, I’d prefer; It seems to me; I’m quite sure; wide outlook, profound knowledge; maths, computer classes; design and computer graphics, general subjects, specialized subject, history of art, culture, music, well- educated people, to operate a computer, not only computer user but also, to work miracles, a skilled painter.

Exercise 10. Make a dialogue according to the situations:

1). You meet a school leaver who wants to enter your University but he/she is not yet sure what speciality to choose. Persuade him/her to enter you speciality - design and computer graphics. Tell him about the syllabus, the subjects you study, and the skills you can develop at the department, your favourite subjects and teachers, shows and exhibitions which are held at your department, invite him to visit the building of your department.

2).Show the school leavers about the building of your department, show them washrooms, workshops, computer classes, the hall where shows and exhibitions are held, easels and so on.

Use the words: Follow me, this way, Let’s go upstairs, to the right /left, meet my friend.

Exercise 11. Render into English.

Я студент факультету технології та дизайну ХГТУ. Моя спеціальність дизайн та комп’ютерна графіка. Щоб бути хорошим дизайнером потрібно багато знати. Потрібно вміти малювати та креслити, фотографувати. Ось чому ми вивчаємо багато предметів пов’язаних з мистецтвом: кольори, живопис, архітектуру, анатомію, історію культури та мистецтва. Ми повинні мати всебічні знання, тому вивчаємо загальноосвітні предмети також, іноземні мови. Крім того ми повинні вміти працювати на комп’ютері. Справа в тім, що знаючи добре комп’ютер, можна творити чудеса. В цьому можна переконатись, коли дивитесь телевізор: фільми, мультфільми, пісенні кліпи та інше. Спеціальність дизайнера може запропонувати вам цікаву, престижну та добре оплачувану кар’єру. Після закінчення університету ми зможемо працювати з любою графічною програмою на комп’ютері. Ми зможемо працювати в рекламному бізнесі. Ми також зможемо організовувати та оформляти виставки та покази. Нас вчать бути дизайнерами промислових товарів, одягу, інтер’єру та екстер’єру.

Exercise 12. Read the text, ask who, what, when, where, how many, how questions. Ask your friends to answer then.