Italian + Arts in Florence

FASHION DESIGN
This multi-level course introduces students to the industry of Fashion. Class-time will be a mixture of in-class presentations and practical assignments where students will develop projects and assignments based on lessons given in class. Individual and group critiques are an important component of the program.

Beginner level
The structure of the course allows students to have a basic understanding of fashion design and trend. Students will learn to sketch the fashion figure with the correct proportions and in different poses, they will learn to draw garments on the figure and will learn to render different materials using markers and colour pencils.
Special attention will be given to the understanding of the timing and planning of a fashion collection.

Intermediate and advanced levels
Intermediate and advanced students will improve drawing skills and will work on specific market categories such us: High fashion, menswear, accessories and so on.

INTERIOR DESIGN
This multi-level course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the fundamentals of planning and furnishing interior spaces. Special attention is given to the study of Italian interior design. Class-time will be a mixture of in-class presentations and practical assignments where students will develop projects and assignments based on lessons given in class. Individual and group critiques are an important component of the program.

Beginner level
The course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of planning and furnishing interior spaces. Students learn both manual drawing skills as well as computer graphics programs.
Students study both the history of interior design as well as discussing contemporary trends. Special attention is given to the study of Italian interior design. Students learn to read architectural models, drawings and plans as well developing knowledge of materials.

Intermediate and Advanced levels
Intermediate and Advanced students begin to develop an individual or group project based on the knowledge gained in the first part of the program

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
This course is designed to teach the fundamental skills and basic techniques ofshooting images with DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras. Classes are a mixture of hands-on demonstrations, slide presentations, critical theory, individual group critique and open supervised lab work. You are expected to have a digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR) that permits manual adjustment of shutter speeds and apertures. You will also be required to have the camera USB cable as well as a memory card (1GB is suggested).

Beginner level
This course is designed to teach the fundamental skills and basic techniques of shooting colour and black and white images with DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras. Special emphasis will be placed upon aesthetic and visual concerns as well as presentation and craftsmanship. The course will base itself on the understanding and operation of the camera, manual exposure, composition, studio lighting and basic image correction through Adobe Photoshop.

Advanced level
Advanced students who already have a strong foundation in basic digital photography will be introduced to advance techniques of photo edition through Adobe Photoshop and Light-room software. By the end of the course, students will have developed an understanding of their own photographic language, and have acquired a more critical eye.

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY
In this course students will learn basic principles and techniques of classical black and white darkroom photography. Classes lessons are a mixture of hands-on demonstrations, slide presentations, critical theory, individual / group critique and open supervised lab work. You are expected to have a 35mm camera that permits manual adjustment of shutter speeds and apertures.

Beginner level
At the beginning level students will be introduced to the basic functions of the manual 35 mm camera. And students will focus on producing clean well-developed images and mastering the technical aspects of traditional of the field.

Advanced level
Advanced students that have mastered the basic technical aspects of the darkroom will be introduced to alternative process and advanced darkroom development techniques. All advanced students will begin to create a body of work that reflects their personal style and ideas.

PAINTING
Students will be introduced to the technical and theoretical aspects of painting in a variety of medium. Studio assignments will be enriched by discussions, critiques, illustrated lectures, museum visits and the analysis of historic and contemporary paintings.

Beginner level
Beginning level students will work from still-life, nude models and on-site in the city. Lessons will focus on use of colour, value, and composition.

Intermediate level
Intermediate students will continue to build on the skills learned at the beginning level and will start developing their own personal visual language.

Advanced level
Advanced students are expected to have mastered the technical aspects of painting and will begin to build a body of work that reflects a personal style and ideas.