Foundation Studies
Mission Statement
The Foundation Studies program cultivates a learning environment that fosters open-minded, committed and thoughtful approaches to learning in our students. Courses are taught in a manner that is enthusiastic, considerate, informed and welcoming of diverse ideas, approaches and opinions. We strive to create a challenging curriculum that is historically aware while encouraging students to develop their abilities in creative research, current problem solving, material processes and constructive discourse.

Collage work created by Christa Christian
Foundation Overview
The Foundation Program is the student's first experience in the Department of Art. It is a prelude to work in studio concentrations and introduces the faculty and resources of the Department of Art. It also serves as an interdisciplinary area for students, from all departments, interested in an introduction to art via basic visual and creative studies.
The Program's courses serve as an introduction to visual expression, aimed at revealing the fundamental concepts underlying all the visual arts. In these classes the students explore seeing and invention, develop skills, and work with the basic principles of art and design, becoming familiar with the vocabulary and methodology of visual thinking. A wide range of ideas, processes, and diverse materials from an array of visual arts disciplines come together to form this foundation experience. Our ultimate goal is to “open eyes” and minds, enabling our students to get the most out of their future studies.
View recent images from our annual Foundation Studies exhibition.
Contact
For more information about Foundation Studies,
contact the Department of Art
(614) 292-5072 or art_advisor@osu.edu.
Foundation Studies Courses
Credit |
Course Number |
Course Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Art 200 | Concepts and Issues in Art |
| 5 | Art 205 | Beginning Drawing |
| 5 | Art 206 | Visual Studies: 2D Art |
| 5 | Art 207 | Visual Studies: 3D Art |
| 3 | Art 208 | Visual Studies: Real and Recorded Time Art |
Course Information
ART 200 · Concepts and Issues in Contemporary Art
This lecture course introduces students to some of the major ideas and forms shaping contemporary art practice. It also introduces students to the variety of visual arts disciplines and resources available within the Department of Art at The Ohio State University. Classroom lectures and presentations, films and field trips offer a broad intellectual foundation that work to inform a student's intuitive responses to art being made today.
2 one-hour class sessions per week, 2 credits. Prerequisites: None
ART 205 · Beginning Drawing
Beginning Drawing is a General Education Course within the Department of Art in the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University under the category of Art and Humanities: Analysis of Texts and Works of Art.
This course provides an introduction to basic freehand drawing with an emphasis on drawing from observation. The student is introduced to a wide range of drawing methods, media and concepts, while developing perceptual skills and an ability to utilize drawing as a tool for thinking, expression, invention and communication.
3 three-hour labs per week; 5 credits. Prerequisites: None
Galleries of Student Work
| Mark Making Explorations | |
| Line Drawings | |
| Value Drawings | |
| Perspective | |
| Architectural Studies | |
| Collage |
ART 206 · Visual Studies: 2D Art
Art 206-Visual Studies: 2-Dimensional Art is a General Education Course within the Department of Art in the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University under the category of Art and Humanities: Analysis of Texts and Works of Art.
Basic concepts of two-dimensional art and design are investigated via problem-solving projects dealing with visual structure—the organization of the fundamental visual elements on a flat surface. This course gives the beginning student an understanding of visual communication and literacy, process, function, form and the relationship of art to the world at large.
3 three-hour labs per week; 5 credits. Prerequisites: None
Galleries of Student Work
| Value Projects | |
| Book Projects |
ART 207 · Visual Studies: 3D Art
Basic concepts of three-dimensional art and design are investigated via problem-solving projects dealing with the organization of space and form using a variety of materials, processes and tools. The student learns to manipulate material, structure, function and context to create meaning.
3 three-hour labs per week; 5 credits Prerequisites: Art 206 or Art 205
Galleries of Student Work
| Wire and Paper Projects | |
| Mixed Media Projects |
ART 208 · Visual Studies: Real and Recorded Time Arts
This course provides an introduction to basic concepts of time-based artwork using a variety of processes and media. Students explore concepts of sequence, performance, interactivity, process and documentation through video, audio and other time-based projects.
3 two-hour labs per week; 3 credits Prerequisites: any two of the following courses; Art 205, Art 206 or Art 207.
Galleries of Student Work
| Moving Image Projects | |

