We support credit card, debit card and PayPal payments.
Ms. Amsler’s Artroom
Creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface isn’t as hard as you think!
We learned that when viewing a landscape, things that are closer appear larger and lower in the picture, while things that are far away are higher and smaller in comparison. We used these size relationships to help create a wintery scene as though we are looking out a castle window.
After a tracing an arched window template on pale blue paper, students added a one inch border in which they drew stone “blocks” to suggest a castle window frame. Students then drew their landscapes to include foreground, middle ground and background realistically.
How do you do this successfully? Two ways:
1.) Start at the BOTTOM and work your way UP.
2.) Everyone started with a LARGE tree on either the right or left of their paper. This immediately established a close-up feature, thereby making it easy (and automatic!) to create the illusion of depth as things got smaller, relatively, higher up in their picture plane.
We used small touches of color pencil and white paint as final embellishment options, but the light blue paper also works very nicely unadorned and gives these landscapes a hushed and quiet feeling!
Here’s some more step-by-step information:
Before we draw anything, I put a simple picture like this on the white board and ask the kids: “which cottage is closer?”
Invariably, a student will raise his/her hand and answer that the left cottage is closest. When asked for agreement or disagreement on this, the class will almost always wholeheartedly agree. I then tell them that they are all wrong. I emphatically slap my hand against the white board and say “this is a flat surface! Neither of these cottages is closer or farther from us, —they’re both the same distance!”
Once they realized they’ve been tricked, I will ask the students to determine HOW I was tricky and they of course realize that instead of saying “which cottage is closer?” a more fair and accurate question would have been “which cottage appears closer”. We then delve into the reasons why the left cottage does indeed appear closer and the kids are able to figure out these two reasons:
It’s BIGGER and it’s LOWER.
This observation governs the rules of our landscape: and provides an opportunity to discuss perspective and the way our curved eye lenses see the world. You can even link this discussion to science and mention how our ancestors needed to be able to gauge the distance of prey or predators accurately for survival. Size perception is a major way we can do this. An easy and fun activity is to have the kids hold up two fingers very close to their nose. Have them close one eye, (to remove depth perception,) and have them extend one arm straight out, while still keeping their fingers lined up, visually. The one that remains close to the face will loom large and blurry while the one on the extended arm will look diminutive in comparison.
Now to draw! First the window. I provide 7 different templates with various arched tops for the window shape. These are traced with pencil on 9” by 12” light blue construction paper. Then, using a ruler, students mark an inner frame on the left, right, and bottom edges. (Most students just use the given width of the ruler for this.) They will need to hand draw the inner frame for the top arch shape, which can get a little tricky and requires some creative ingenuity!
Here’s a student choosing and tracing her window template:
The next step is to free-hand draw the “stones” on the window. Students can draw organic blocky shapes for this, or more free-form “field stone” shapes, but either way, the goals for this include keeping the spacing between the stones consistent to suggest an illusion of mortar. We also talk about drawing shapes that could actually be stones: Not too wiggly-edged, and not too skinny: but good, solid stuff! Students ultimately used a thin Sharpie to go over the lines of the frame and stones. Those that have time start on toning the stones: Using softly blended greys, tans and browns to add a little warm emphasis to the frame. I demonstrate how to vary the pressure of the pencil to create a value range on each stone, and encourage them to leave some of the blue paper showing—they don’t need to solidly color the stones and it generally looks best in the end if they do this with a subtle touch rather than heavy-handed “coloring in”.
Students working on their stone window frame:
When most students are done with drawing their stones, (whether or not they have completed the toning step,) we will begin our landscape! This definitely can get a little formulaic, as I do this as a guided drawing, but you can encourage your students to find their own unique approach and maybe demo a few different ways of doing things.
As mentioned above, we always start with a big tree! I demonstrate both a pine tree and a deciduous tree and tell them they can have one or both kinds, but their tree should be at the edge of their composition, (left or right,) and should go up nearly to where the arched part of their window starts. By establishing this close-up feature, it will make it easy (and automatic) to get smaller as we move up the picture plane, thereby establishing depth.
After the tree, then we go up a little ways and draw a fence or stone wall. Again, there are options here for straight, angled, curved, etc. Gate or opening, path or patio. Adding a snowman or an animal to personalize their scene can be fun!
Here are some students’ drawings after starting the foreground (note the large tree in each one on either the left or right side!):
To start the middle ground, I suggest drawing a simple horizon line about halfway up the paper. On this first little hill, they can add some more trees, smaller this time. This is also a good place to plunk down a little cottage, a pond, or a river winding across the scene. I demonstrate that a pond needs to be wide, but not tall, to make it look like it’s on the ground. (Similar to how the circular opening of a drinking glass looks like an oval when viewed from across a table.) If students wish to have a path or road, show them how to make it get wider as it comes lower in the picture, and to make sure that path segments interrupted by rolling hills don’t connect to themselves perfectly!
More hills, trees, and perhaps a castle on a distant slope completes the scene. I have packets with castle reference pictures and animals to help them personalize their landscape options. Often, there will be very little space leftover for “sky”. If there is, some students will draw clouds, or add some distant jagged mountain peaks. When the kids are happy with their scene and have successfully followed the size rules and created several layers of land to suggest foreground, middle ground and background, they are ready to Sharpie over their drawing.
Here is a drawing with middle ground and background added, ready to Sharpie:
A student working on the Sharpie step once their landscape drawing is complete:
After Sharpie-ing, there may be an abundance of pencil smudges or stray marks that need to be cleaned up. I usually keep a few communal kneaded erasers handy for this purpose. (“Draw Lightly!” is a mantra oft repeated and ignored in my classroom, LOL.)
Next comes “Snow Surfaces”! Students use a white colored pencil, again varying the pressure, to add the suggestion of snow on tree branches, roof tops, fences, etc. Hills can be accented using a firm pressure along the crest of each hill to create a bright white edge and decreasing pressure as the hill dips into a valley, allowing more of the shadowy blue of the paper to show.
Students working on the “Snow Surfaces” step:
Falling snow is a final (optional) step and is done with white tempera paint and a very small brush. I set up a “snow station” for this purpose rather than having paint at every table. I tell the students to start at the top of their scene and work their way down to avoid smudging, and also suggest practicing first. Holding the brush very vertically and dipping just the tip in the paint will yield the most precise snow flake! When dry, cut away the extra paper above the window arch and mount on black paper!
A student at the “Snow Station”:
This lesson takes my students five or six classes; —my class periods are 47 minutes long. One of the most important things to guarantee success is to build the landscape like a sandwich: from the bottom up. If students jump up to the background and start with a distant castle, it just won’t work as well, because once they have something on their paper, they feel very committed to it. It’s much easier to add background elements in the space leftover by foreground objects, but it doesn’t work so well the other way around. If you try this with your students, let me know how it works out!
Winter Session —Courses
Winter Session courses are offered completely online, and courses are delivered through Canvas, WSU’s learning management system. You may register for only one Winter Session course, and it cannot be your first course taken at WSU.
Winter Session courses are either three weeks in duration or six weeks in duration—but you will have access to your course several days before the official start date of the course. You should plan to become familiar with the course space and complete any introductory activities before your Winter Session course begins.
Register in myWSU. Select Manage Classes, then Class Search and Enroll. Choose the 2023 Fall Semester term, select Global Campus for the campus, then from the Session menu select Winter Session. Visit the Register page for additional information.
Three-Week Courses
The 3-week Winter Session courses start on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, and end on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Course spaces in Canvas are scheduled to open by the Monday prior to the first day of the session. This will allow you several days to familiarize yourself with the course space and schedule, and to ensure that you have all required materials before your class officially begins. For additional dates and deadlines visit Winter Session Dates and Deadlines.
- AIS 331 section 2
Archaeology of the Americas (crosslisted with ANTH 331)
3 credits | Class number: 14566
Cultures and environments of the Americas from the arrival of the earliest hunter-gatherers to the development of complex civilizations. - ANTH 268section 2
Sex, Evolution, & Human Nature
3 credits | Class number: 14567
Human sexuality, male-female relations, cooperation, violence and parent-child relations examined cross-culturally and in nonhuman primates utilizing evolutionary and biocultural perspectives. - ANTH 316section 3
Gender in Cross Cultural Perspective (also offered as WGSS 316)
3 credits | Class number: 14568
Cross-cultural examination of the status and roles of women and men, sexuality and marriage, and folk concepts of sexual anatomy in traditional cultures in Western science; concepts of nature and culture are explored through a variety of perspectives. - ANTH 331section 2
Archaeology of the Americas (also offered as AIS 331)
3 credits | Class number: 14569
Cultures and environments of the Americas from the arrival of the earliest hunter-gatherers to the development of complex civilizations. - ART 340 section 1 [ARTS]
Ceramics (formerly FINE ART 340)
3 credits | Class number: 15398
Hand building processes; glazing; firing. - COM 101 section 3 [SSCI]
Media and Society
3 credits | Class number: 14615
Mass media’s influence in contemporary society. - COM 102 section 7 [COMM]
Public Speaking in the Digital Age
3 credits | Class number: 14616
Face-to-face and mediated communication in group and professional settings. - COM 102 section 8 [COMM]
Public Speaking in the Digital Age
3 credits | Class number: 14617
Face-to-face and mediated communication in group and professional settings. - COM 105section 3 [HUM]
Communication in Global Contexts
3 credits | Class number: 14618
Communication processes and how they influence human behavior and construction of social reality across global contexts. - CRM_ J 101 section 2 [SSCI]
Introduction to the Administration of Criminal Justice
3 credits | Class number: 14570
Agencies and processes in the administration of criminal justice. - CRM_ J 403 section 3 [CAPS]
Violence Toward Women (also offered as WGSS 403)
3 credits | Class number: 14571
Violence toward women and its relationship to broader social issues such as sexism and social control. (Also offered as WGSS 403.) - DTC 101 section 2 [ARTS]
Introduction to Digital Technology & Culture
3 credits | Class number: 14572
Inquiry into digital media, including origins, theories, forms, applications, and impact with a focus on authoring and critiquing multimodal texts. - DTC 206 section 2 [DIVR]
Digital Inclusion
3 credits | Class number: 14574
Examination of the global reach of digital environments, structures, and tools with focus on inclusion in terms of access, availability, affordability, adoption, and application across cultures. - ECONS 101 section 2 [SSCI]
Fundamentals of Microeconomics
3 credits | Class number: 14552
Theory and policy of human responses to scarcity; how this affects business competition, international trade, industrial organization, investment, and income distribution. - ECONS 102 section 2 [SSCI]
Fundamentals of Macroeconomics
3 credits | Class number: 14553
Theory and policy related to unemployment, inflation, foreign trade, government spending, taxation, and banking. - ENGLISH 402 section 17 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14578
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - ENGLISH 402 section 18 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14579
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - ENGLISH 402 section 19 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14580
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - ENGLISH 402 section 20 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14581
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - ENGLISH 402 section 21 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14582
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - ENGLISH 402 section 22 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14583
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - ENGLISH 402 section 23 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14584
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - ENGLISH 402 section 24 [WRTG] [M]
Technical and Professional Writing
3 credits | Class number 14614
Research writing: defining, proposing, reporting progress; presenting a final product; other professional writing needs. - FOR_LANG 110 section 1 [DIVR]
Introduction to Global Film
3 credits | Class number 14585
Taught in English. An introduction to the study of global film, situating stories and cinematic features within cultural contexts. - HISTORY 110 section 1 [HUM]
American History to 1877
3 credits | Class number: 14586
Social, economic, cultural history of British mainland colonies/United States to 1877. - HISTORY 120 section 2 [DIVR]
World History I
3 credits | Class number: 14587
Integrated study of political, social, cultural, economic, environmental and religious systems among peoples and civilization prior to 1500 CE. - KINES 496section 1
Special Topics
1 credit | Class number: 14619
Special topics in physical education, health, fitness, or sport. - MUS 160 section 2 [ARTS]
Survey of Music Literature
3 credits | Class number: 14590
Exploration of predominantly western music through demonstrations, performances, lectures, concerts, and discussions. - MUS 262 section 4 [ARTS>
Rock Music
3 credits | Class number 14591
History and analysis of rock music related to its African American origins, its societal role, and its diverse development and impact. - MUS 362section 3 [DIVR]
History of Jazz
3 credits | Class number: 14593
History of jazz in chronological sequence; social and political contexts of the African-American origins of jazz; stylistic developments. - MUS 363section 2 [DIVR]
Women in Music (also offered as WGSS 363)
3 credits | Class number: 14594
Intersections of gender, class, race, and culture with popular and country music. - PSYCH 230section 2
Human Sexuality (also offered as WGSS 230)
3 credits | Class number: 14596
Sexuality in personal development; personal, cultural, biological influences on sexual identification and behavior; fertility, reproduction, sexual functioning, sexuality and personality. Recommended preparation: PSYCH 105. - PSYCH 333section 4
Fundamentals of Psychological Disorders
3 credits | Class number: 14599
An introduction to psychological disorders, their diagnoses, contributing factors, and treatments. - PSYCH 350 section 2
Social Psychology (also offered as SOC 350)
3 credits | Class number: 14600
Attitude changes, conformity, interpersonal relations, groups and social influences explored to give a coherent view of social psychology. Recommended preparation: PSYCH 105 or SOC 101. - SHS 201 section 2
American Sign Language I
4 credits | Class number: 14620
Instruction and practical training in sign language for communication with persons who are deaf; deaf culture; beginning conversation skills. - SHS 202 section 1
American Sign Language II
4 credits | Class number: 14621
Sign language systems; vocabulary and skill development in signing and interpreting signs; intermediate conversation skills. - SOC 101 section 3 [SSCI]
Introduction to Sociology
3 credits | Class number: 14601
Introduction to the discipline of sociology: Concepts and methods used in the inquiry into the social world. - SOC 350 section 2
Social Psychology (also offered as PSYCH 350)
3 credits | Class number: 14602
Attitude changes, conformity, interpersonal relations, groups and social influences explored to give a coherent view of social psychology. Recommended preparation: PSYCH 105 or SOC 101. - SOC 352 section 2
Youth and Society
3 credits | Class number: 14604
Social issues facing youth; youth and social institutions of education, employment, family, criminal justice system, and politics. - WGSS 101 section 2 [EQJS]
Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
3 credits | Class number: 14606
Analysis of gender and power in contemporary society from perspectives of different racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. - WGSS 230 section 2
Human Sexuality (also offered as PSYCH 230)
3 credits | Class number: 14607
Sexuality in personal development; personal, cultural, biological influences on sexual identification and behavior; fertility, reproduction, sexual functioning, sexuality and personality. Recommended preparation: PSYCH 105. - WGSS 316section 3
Gender in Cross Cultural Perspective (also offered as ANTH 316)
3 credits | Class number: 14608
Cross-cultural examination of the status and roles of women and men, sexuality and marriage, and folk concepts of sexual anatomy in traditional cultures in Western science; concepts of nature and culture are explored through a variety of perspectives. - WGSS 363section 2
Women in Music (also offered as MUS 363)
3 credits | Class number 14610
Intersections of gender, class, race, and culture with popular and country music. - WGSS 403 section 2 [CAPS]
Violence Toward Women (also offered as CRM_J 403)
3 credits | Class number: 14611
Violence toward women and its relationship to broader social issues such as sexism and social control.
Six-Week Courses
The 6-week Winter Session courses start on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, and end on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Course spaces in Canvas are scheduled to open by the Monday prior to the first day of the session. This will allow you several days to familiarize yourself with the course space and schedule, and to ensure that you have all required materials before your class officially begins. Dates and deadlines are different from 3-week courses, including when tuition is due. Visit Winter Session Dates and Deadlines.
- ART 398 section 1
Sketchbook, Creative Ideation
3 credits | Class number: 15472
Explores strategies for documenting, synergizing, and maintaining creative ideas, including collecting information, brainstorming, and mind-mapping to aid creative integration; no drawing experience required, and drawing will not be the main subject of instruction. (Formerly FINE ART 398.)
Note: If you enrolled in this class during Fall 2023 then withdrew, you will need to email [email protected] to enroll in this course. You will not be able to self-enroll in myWSU. - DTC 201 section 3 [ARTS]
Tools and Methods for Digital Technology
3 credits | Class number: 14573
An introduction to the tools and methods of production for multimedia authoring in digital contexts.
Note: If you enrolled in this class during Fall 2023 then withdrew, you will need to email [email protected] to enroll in this course. You will not be able to self-enroll in myWSU. - HISTORY 105 section 5 [ROOT]
The Roots of Contemporary Issues
3 credits | Class number: 14613
Foundational first-year course that explores the deep historical roots of global contemporary issues relevant to students’ lives in the 21st century. (Credit not granted for both HISTORY 105 and 305.)
Note: If you enrolled in this class during Fall 2023 then withdrew, you will need to email [email protected] to enroll in this course. You will not be able to self-enroll in myWSU. - MATH 103 section 2
Algebra Methods and Introduction to Functions
3 credits | Class number: 14588
Fundamental algebraic operations and concepts, linear systems and inequalities, polynomial and rational functions, introduction to exponential and logarithmic functions.
Note: If you enrolled this class during Fall 2023 then withdrew, you will need to email [email protected] to enroll in this course. You will not be able to enroll through myWSU.
During your trial you will have complete digital access to FT.com with everything in both of our Standard Digital and Premium Digital packages.
Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here.
Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section.
What happens at the end of my trial?
If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for 65 € per month.
For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the “Settings & Account” section. If you’d like to retain your premium access and save 20%, you can opt to pay annually at the end of the trial.
You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.
Any changes made can be done at any time and will become effective at the end of the trial period, allowing you to retain full access for 4 weeks, even if you downgrade or cancel.
When can I cancel?
You may change or cancel your subscription or trial at any time online. Simply log into Settings & Account and select “Cancel” on the right-hand side.
You can still enjoy your subscription until the end of your current billing period.
