Design Class: Personal Logo Project

In their recent design project, Design Class students explored the art of identity marks by creating personal logos. Following a unit on corporate design, which included an in-depth look at Lettermarks, Logos, and Combination Marks, students watched a documentary on Sender LLC, a renowned Chicago-based brand development firm. Inspired, they sketched multiple name variations for each logo type, eventually focusing on crafting a unique Combination Mark—blending their name with a symbolic image. Using ink and chalk, they added smooth gradients and artistic effects to bring their designs to life. The class’s creativity shines through in the impressive final pieces displayed below!


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Painting I: The Still Life

The following paintings are the result of the Painting Classes' still life unit, where students were challenged to paint from observation using personally chosen objects. By arranging their objects into a visually appealing composition and using a viewfinder to crop the scene, students developed skills in composition, color mixing, and capturing highlights, shadows, and object characteristics. The focus on observation, rather than photographs, pushed students to strengthen their artistic abilities and create compelling, realistic artwork.


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Painting I Update

The Painting class has been busy mastering the essentials of acrylic painting, starting with color blending exercises in vibrant “ribbons.” This foundation prepared students for a color-matching task, where they matched a palette of muted tones, refining their skills in creating subtle color variations.

With these techniques under their belt, students moved on to miniature still-life paintings, arranging flowers and shells into unique compositions. Using their new blending and color-matching skills, they created intricate, small-scale works as practice for the larger still-life project they’re now tackling. Observational painting from real life—rather than photographs—encourages them to deepen their perception of light, shadow, and color. Their hard work is evident in progress shown below!


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Top Pick Art I Apples

The following graphite apple drawings showcase the top apple selections from both Art I classes. The apple drawing was the last in a series of nine shading exercises. These drawings bring together skills developed over previous exercises into one final image, preparing students for their ultimate project—a drawing based on a photograph of their choice. The works featured here were chosen for their smooth transitions between values using three shading pencils, accurate value placement guided by a light source, and clean, crisp edges with careful detail. The students did tremendous work, as you can see below!


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Art I Pencil Drawings

The following pencil drawings created by Art I students represent a series of exercises that will culminate into a final drawing project. Each drawing in the series focuses on a specific shading skill, beginning with a “step scale”, and ending with the “apple” drawing. Using the skills learned in these exercises, students then create a final drawing based on their own photograph. A significant amount of time is dedicated to these drawings, as these techniques form a foundation for the art program. The important skills here are transferable to other materials such as colored pencil and painting.


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Drawing I: Local Architecture Project

The Local Architecture Project showcases Drawing I students' final ink compositions, inspired by their own photographs of local buildings. In this project, students applied intricate ink pen hatching techniques, skillfully layering lines to create value, contrast, and gradation. By mastering cross-hatching, they brought depth and dimension to their work, turning simple lines into compelling architectural studies. Their impressive results highlight both their technical growth and creative vision, as seen in the gallery below.


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Art Department Student of the Month

The NCHS Student of the Month program recognizes students who demonstrate strong character, including a good attitude, respect for others, dependability, hard work, and self-discipline. For October, the Art Department has selected Adrianna Larsen, a senior, for her leadership and dedication in Ceramics class. Adrianna goes above and beyond in her projects, assists others, and sets high standards for herself, often reworking her creations to achieve excellence. Her commitment to helping both her teacher and classmates makes her a deserving recipient of this honor. Congratulations, Adrianna!

Design Class: Color Wheel Project

The Color Wheel project served as an introduction to color theory for design students. Using only the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—students mixed all twelve hues. They applied these colors with tempera paint and brushes onto Bristol board cards. Once painted, the cards were cut into the motif you see here. To enhance visual interest, students were encouraged to experiment by rotating the color wheel clockwise or counterclockwise for each layer of their design. The projects were evaluated on three criteria: color accuracy, creativity in design, and overall neatness.


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Drawing I: "The Old Barrel"

A classic exercise in ink drawing, "The Old Barrel" introduces Drawing I students to the essential techniques of ink pen hatching, where value, contrast, and gradation are built up through the careful layering of solid ink lines. This process teaches control and precision while encouraging students to think critically about light, shadow, and form. By mastering hatching, students gain the ability to create depth and dimension in their work, transforming simple lines into complex compositions. This exercise prepares students for their final project: an ink drawing based on their own photographs.


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Painting I: Watercolor

Painting students began a unit on watercolor painting that involved a skill-building series of step-by-step paintings of the California Coast and Northern Arizona landscape. They explored the unique qualities of watercolor, such as its transparency and fluidity, while learning to control water flow and pigment blending. These paintings were followed by a stained glass-inspired free-choice project, allowing students to apply their newfound skills with more creative freedom. Techniques acquired included glazing, lifting, graded washes, wet-on-wet blending, and wet-on-dry detail work, giving students a comprehensive understanding of watercolor media.


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Radial Design Project

In this design class, students explored the fundamentals of abstract art by creating dynamic radial compositions. Using templates, rulers, and traditional pen-and-ink techniques, they combined organic and geometric shapes to develop intricate designs. The projects emphasized the balance between positive and negative space, as well as the use of overlapping forms and visual texture to add depth and complexity. Each student's piece is a unique interpretation of these principles. Click the image below to view the full gallery!

Congratulations, Sandwich Fair Artists!

Every year the Sandwich Fair Board offers junior artists to enter their artwork for judging. From graphite drawings to paintings to ceramics, our students entered their creations into the 136th annual Sandwich Fair.

Congratulations to Evan Sittler and Sarah Zarko for their "Best of Show" purple ribbons in Ceramics and Drawing!

Madison Sittler (Class of 2024) was awarded 1st Place Ribbon for her paper sculpture created in Design Class. Jacob Seyller was awarded a 2nd Place Ribbon for his graphite drawing, and Jaxon Collins and Perla Badillo were awarded 3rd Place Premiums for their drawings. Way to go, NCHS Artists!

Special thanks to all who participated. Remember to enter your artwork into next year's Fair, and you too will have a chance to see great art and win prizes yourself!

Evan Sittler, Class of 2027

Sarah Zarko, Class of 2027

Madison Sittler, Class of 2024

Jacob Seyller, Class of 2027

Jaxon Collins, Class of 2027

Perla Badillo, Class of 2028

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Hannah Severson for her success at the Kendall County Fair this summer! Hannah was awarded several ribbons for her graphite drawing, completed in Art I. Hannah went on to compete at the Illinois State Fair, where she was awarded second place out of 30 contestants in the Chalk, Carbon, and Pigment category. We couldn't be prouder of her achievements and look forward to seeing more of her incredible work in the future!

Hannah Severson, Class of 2027

Enter Your Art Into The 2024 Sandwich Fair!

Attention Newark HS Artists! Online entries close at midnight on August 23rd. Mr. Blidy will help you register online and prepare your art during SRT! Just get a hall pass to stop by the art room during SRT within the first week of school!

What to Enter:
• Art I: Final Pencil Drawings, Perspective Drawings, Ceramic Boxes!
• Drawing I and II: Scratchboard Animal, Mixed-Media Grid, Dictionary Design Drawing, "My Theme" Drawing!
• Ceramics I and II: Pinch Nesting Bowls, Pinch iPhone Speaker, Coil Project, Lantern Boxes, Artist-Mugs, Any Wheel Thrown Pottery, Clock Project, Teapots, Fountains, etc!
• Painting I and II: Watercolor Paintings, Acrylic Paintings!
• Design: Radial Designs, Monochromatic Cubes, Complementary Animals, 3-D Artist Boxes!

If you've entered before, or prefer to enter on your own...
Here is the official guide book (scroll all the way down to the yellow page 92): https://www.sandwichfair.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/24-Exhibitor-Guide-Web.pdf

Here is the link to enter your work:
https://www.blueribbonfair.com/BRFairProd/BlueRibbonStart.aspx?ID=2010

Hey Graduates you should enter as well, junior category goes from age 14-21!

"Remember, You Can Win A GRAND CHAMPION!!!!"

Drawing II: "My Theme" Drawing

In Drawing II, students were challenged to create an Advanced Placement Prep drawing for their final project, creating cohesive artworks from original resources based on their chosen theme. This unit focused on developing a main topic and subtopics, where each piece reflected a subtopic of the overarching theme. Throughout this process, students advanced their composition, color theory, and drawing techniques while learning to express complex ideas visually. This exercise not only sharpened their artistic skills, but also prepared them for the demands of AP Studio Art.


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Art I Ceramic Boxes

In Art I class, students explored three-dimensional cube forms by creating lidded ceramic boxes. Each clay slab was precisely cut and joined, ensuring proper construction. The bottoms of the lids were given flanged edges to securely fit the box. Students decorated their boxes with intricate carved textures and designs, then applied glaze to further enhance the designs. The projects were graded on neatness, creativity, and effective use of materials, fostering both artistic and technical skill development.


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Design Class Logo Redesign Project

In this Design class project, students assumed the roles of professional Graphic Designers, each receiving a company logo from their "client" to redesign and update. Embracing current logo trends, they transformed these logos while maintaining a balance between originality and respect for the original design. To showcase the scalability and visual impact of their new logos, students created digital mockups on various products. The redesigned logos were evaluated on neatness, adherence to the top ten logo trends, and the ability to innovate without significantly deviating from the original design. This exercise provided students with a hands-on experience in modern logo design and application.


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2024 Graduation Program Cover Design

Congratulations to Henry Mathre (Class of 2024) for creating the cover design for the 2024 Graduation Ceremony Program. The design, a painting of symbolic images represents various aspects of this significant milestone. Mountains signify the challenges and achievements overcome, similar to reaching a summit after years of effort. A sunrise symbolizes new beginnings and hope, marking the transition to the next life chapter. The lake represents calmness, reflection, and depth, highlighting the importance of looking back on years of learning and growth. Lastly, the tree in the foreground symbolizes renewal, growth, and new beginnings, celebrating the graduates' readiness to bloom and flourish in their future endeavors. Together, these images create a powerful metaphor for the transformative journey of graduation. Henry's ambitious and successful project truly deserves recognition. Way to go, Henry! Special thanks to Mrs. Kotora, Mrs. McCoy and Mrs. Nuzzo for their efforts in ensuring the project's success!

Ceramics II Class, Spring 2024

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Immersive Masterworks

Design students engaged in a creative project where they transformed famous two-dimensional masterpieces into three-dimensional shadow boxes. Utilizing materials such as posterboard, acrylic paint, markers, foam board, and glue, the students reimagined iconic paintings by carefully arranging the original elements—like cypress trees, bridges, beds, and flowers—into the foreground, middle ground, and background. This exercise not only allowed them to explore spatial relationships and perspective but also to bring a new dimension to classic artworks. The final shadow boxes were assessed based on neatness, effective use of space, and overall technique, showcasing the students' artistic skills and innovative interpretations.


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Congratulations, AP Studio Art!

Congratulations to the 2024 AP Studio Art Class at NCHS for a fantastic art show! This event provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and look back on an incredible year. The collection of art was truly remarkable, showcasing the unique talents of each artist as well as the collective creativity of the group. I'm incredibly proud of all you've achieved. Congratulations once more, and best wishes to our seniors!

AP Art Update 4/4

A key part of the AP Art portfolio is showing students' preliminary work, which gives AP readers a look into how students created their final pieces. Just like scratch paper used in math, sketchbooks show the important steps in the artist's thinking and making process. These sketchbooks are full of early drawings, notes, and changes, providing valuable insights into each artist's ideas and progress. By displaying these sketchbooks, we highlight the often unseen but important stages of making art. Here, we show examples from AP artists' sketchbooks, showing the careful and creative efforts that lead to their amazing artworks.


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Art I Extreme Makeover: Room Edition

The following gallery showcases the final drawing projects of Art I students, who were tasked with designing their dream room using two-point perspective. Two-point perspective is a technique that allows artists to depict three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface, incorporating mathematical concepts like lines, planes, angles, and similarity. This method helps artists understand visual space and connect mathematics with visual art. The drawings were evaluated on perspective accuracy, detail, neatness, and originality.


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Art Department Student of the Semester

Newark Community High School is proud to provide a Student of the Semester program to recognize individual students for their dedication and achievements. This award acknowledges outstanding performance by selecting one exemplary student (grades 9-12) from each department. Congratulations to Nora Berisha for being awarded Art Department Student of the Season! Nora's unwavering commitment to excellence and her exceptional work ethic have earned her this honor. Way to go, Nora!

AP Art Update 3/4

The following gallery showcases the latest creations by the Advanced Placement class from this semester. AP Studio Art is a year-long art course for students interested in a rigorous and focused study in two-dimensional visual art. At the end of the year, students will submit 15 works of art for evaluation by the AP College Board for college credit. Each portfolio includes a concentration, an in-depth exploration of a particular topic of the student's choosing.


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An Introduction to the Art of Perspective Drawing

During the spring semester, Art I students were introduced to perspective drawing, a technique used to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface. Students developed their skills through lessons on one and two-point perspective. Utilizing shading techniques learned in the first semester, they enhanced the three-dimensional effect, adding depth to their artwork.


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2024 Congressional Art Competition Participants Announced

Congratulations and Good luck to Evan Sittler, Hannah Severson, Emma Dierzen, and Stephanie Anderson, who have been selected to exhibit their art in the 2024 Congressional Art Competition! This event highlights the creativity of students who live or attend school in Illinois' 14th District. The winning artwork will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol for one year. A reception, hosted by Congresswoman Underwood, will honor these talented participants, featuring their artwork and announcing the winner in early May!

Evan Sittler, Class of 2027

Emma Dierzen, Class of 2026

Hannah Severson, Class of 2027

Stephanie Anderson, Class of 2026