With each year that passes, the world of I[nternet]-education grows in new ways. The convenience and popularity of earning a business or liberal studies degree via the Net has largely contributed to this medium’ssuccess. So, other types of schools are scrambling to promote online classes and programs. This trend includes art and design. From drawing, painting and photography to Web mastering and textiles, you can take a single course or work toward a formal arts degree.
How it works
To be “enabled” to study art online you’ll need a recent model PC or Mac, a modem and a scanner, along with all the related software and possibly a color ink jet printer, drawing slate and digital camera. Projects are presented visually on the Web via step-by-step photos or, in some instances, streaming video or audio material. Students prepare the work off-line, then upload it for assessment and classroom comments posted forum-style. More serious degree programs or classes for credit will, on occasion, organize real-time chats.
Communication design
At www.sessions.edu you can opt for independent courses ($99- $399) or a complete certificate program ($1,599) in Web Design, Graphic Design or Multimedia. Other courses include Design for Non-Designers, Writing Java Script, Digital Editing and an Intro to Digital Video. Registered students receive access to the school’s online environment where the course material is posted — essentially Web pages with high quality text and graphic content. Each course is three to six lessons long. Sessions offer multiple opportunities for interaction, such as email, chat rooms in several languages, a virtual bulletin board for student comments, a place for bios and pictures, and an online portfolio area. Projects are evaluated on a pass/fail basis with assessments noting the participants’ strengths and weaknesses. Most courses are three-, six- or nine-lessons long. Count on spending six to 12 months to complete the certificate program (nine courses).
You can earn a college degree in multimedia studies at several traditional universities’ online schools. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh works closely with Adobe in a program geared to art professionals. An accredited Internet school, aionline.edu offers an AAS and BS in graphic and Web design, as well as multimedia skills. Students may also opt to take individual classes like Intro to Web Design, and Website Development. Though students log on at their convenience, they are still required to attend five days a week. Instructors are directly involved in course work, leading discussions, giving assignments, grading and taking attendance. Operating via a quarterly system, courses run six weeks and have specific start and finish dates. They are limited to 15-20 students and cost $930 each. You can also choose an MA in Media Studies at DIAL (www.dialnsa.edu), the online division of New York City’s top-rated New School for Social Research.
Drawing and painting
As remarkable as this may seem, traditional fine art and design classes (including practical studio skills as well as critical appreciation) are available online. www.wetcanvas.com was founded in 1999 to assist visual artists in sharing information and making new contacts. Content is arranged into logical channels, comprised of articles, lessons and discussions. Medium-specific categories include oil painting, watercolors, pastels, digital art and sculpture, while subject-specific channels cover landscapes, portraiture, composition and design. Classes are free of charge and feature illustrated step-by-step instructions. You can participate in a variety of art projects, then post images of your studio progress, as well as photos of your finished works for discussion and appraisals.
Art history and appreciation classes are likewise available on the Net. University of Illinois Online (www.uillinois.edu) offers a 4-credit course — “Modern Art History” focuses on major trends in painting and sculpture between 1820 and 1945. At Penn State’s worldcampus.psu.edu 3-credit Art History site, classes include Ancient to Medieval Art, or Renaissance to Modern Art for $410 per credit. Alternatively, log onto www.u4all.com and learn about Picasso or impressionism for the fun of it for just $12.
Photography
Photography is another area fast gaining ground on the Web. www.photocollege.com proposes a one-to-one photography course for $300. Students are given a photo assignment designed and based on their area of photographic interest. The pupil sends in at least three photos per lesson by post or email for evaluation, and must receive a pass rating before being allowed to advance. This school provides a free, personalized 11MB website for each student to upload assignments. After attending 14 sessions, successful enrollees are awarded a Certificate of Completion.
www.webphotoschool.com boasts 100 photography options in a wide range of subjects. There are free public lessons spread over 71 pages with more than 40 photo examples, 45 graphic images and charts. However, a yearly subscription ($45) provides access to the entire database of courses ranging from photography basics to specializations in fashion, portraits, commercial photography and so on. Over and above the chargeless classes, you receive 110 pages along with projects such as Artificial Light Exposure Compensation, and your choice of any one of the additional Advanced Lessons proposed. Useful features include free email support and upgrades for 1 year, and the curriculum is extremely complete. For instance, there’s a Downloadable/Printable Self-Study Course — consisting of expanded versions of the 12 online lessons — and a series of 19 comprehensive advanced lessons (a total of over 340 pages, with 150 color photo examples, 145 graphic images and 27 charts). Also worth a click and peek — a compact review section and a chapter filled with practical assignments in many areas popular with working photographers.
Textile design
Professional-level fashion studies have made their debut on the Web. The University of Nebraska’s distance learning school (http://advance.unl.edu) now offers a Masters Degree in Textile, Clothing and Design. The program is targeted to pros looking to expand their knowledge and experience of the textiles, clothing and design markets — learning to apply it on a global scale in all areas of activity, from development and the creative process to performance, distribution and “B2C.” For the moment, only summer sessions and one (3 credit) course per semester — which enables students to obtain their diploma in four years — are offered. Tuition fees are set at $345 per credit for non-Nebraska residents.
