Tuesday 12/18/07 Final Grading- Last Day of Class

Today was the final meeting of my Kean classes. All students received grades for their final projects (3D Boxes for the Intro Class, Transforming Books for the 2D Design Class) and for their portfolios, as well as for any overdue back projects turned in. All museum papers were graded as well. And everyone picked up their work.

Final class grades will be calculated and submitted over the break. Students may review all their fall semester grades on KeanWise beginning January 2, 2008 after 4:30 pm.

Enjoy your break.

Tuesday 12/11/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Tonight in class was an open work day where students could work on any class related assignment. Most worked on the final, some worked on other back projects.

***Next Week- Final Grading Day***

All students should arrive on time with the following items-

Final Transforming Book Project

Portfolio of Classwork

Any previous overdue projects

Museum Assignment

All items will be graded and returned to students at the end of the class. I will also be returning the various student projects I still have in my possession- mostly color still life paintings, season collages, and limited palette (4 color combinations) studies. Final class grades will be made available to the students in January over WebAdvisor as usual.

Tuesday 12/11/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today was an open work day, where students could work on any class assignment from the semester,including the 3D Final, back portfolio exercises, or museum papers.

***Next Week- Final Grading Day***

Students should arrive on time with the following-

Final 3D Project

Portfolio of class work

Museum Paper and/or 2D Comic Strip (for those who haven't turned them in yet)

All of the above will be graded and returned to students at the end of the class. Final class grades will be distributed over through WebAdvisor in January as usual.

Museum Assignment

So far I've only received one completed museum assignment. I'm sure many of you have at least gotten the visit out of the way, and just need to write the paper.

For those who haven't yet been, and have misplaced their copy of the museum assignment, you can get the basic directions and list of museums by clicking here.

The museum assignment is due at the beginning of class on December 18.

FA 2402 2D Design Final Portfolio

At the last class meeting of the semester (May 6, 2008) I will be collecting and grading the final portfolio, which includes all work that was not individually graded. These items are the following-

Dot exercise (wallpaper patterns)
Contour Lines (shoes)
Negative Space (chair, bottles)
Charcoal Value Studies (vine and compressed charcoal)
Expressively designed words (Russian words)
Color Wheel, Complement Mixes, Tints and Shades

Incomplete or missing items from the portfolio will result in a lowered portfolio grade.

On this last day, also bring back all the graded projects, which are the following-

Dot drawing
Pencil Still Life
Charcoal Final Drawing
Woodcut
Color Temperature Season Collage
Painted Still Life
Limited Palette Studies (4 color combinations)

And of course the Final Project, and museum papers for those who have not yet turned one in.

FA 1000 Intro to Art Final Portfolio

At the last class meeting of the semester (May 6, 2008) I'll be collecting and grading the portfolio work- everything that hasn't been given an individual grade. This includes the following:

Contour Line Drawings (shoes)
Negative Space (chair and bottles)
Charcoal Value Drawing (white objects)
Mosaic Collage (color photo from magazine)
Color Wheel and Complement Color mixes
Photography assignment
Abstract watercolors (music)
Collagraphic Print
2 Point Perspective (drawing of the corner of the room)

If any of this work is missing or incomplete, you have until the last class to make it up, or lose points on your portfolio grade. Details about all these in class projects can be found in the archives of this blog between January 2008 and now.

On the last day of class you should also bring in your final 2D and 3D projects, and your museum assignment if you haven't turned it in yet.

Tuesday 12/4/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's class- Today we began with looking at last week's still life paintings, and the limited palettes project that was due today. After that I talked about the Final Project, the transforming book project, which takes a work from art history and reworks it as a 3 dimensional pop up (like the example from Hokusai above) or a number of other options. To see more examples of transforming books and learn specifics, click here.

Homework- The Final project is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday December 18, 2007. Those who still owe me back projects (woodcut, still life, season collage, limited palettes, etc) should bring them in next week if possible.

For next class 12/11/07- Work day. Bring in whatever materials you need to work on the Final Project or whatever other class project or portfolio exercise you plan to do.

Tuesday 12/4/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's class- Today we started the final 3D graded project, a Joseph Cornell style open box project. For more examples and specific guildlines, click here.

Homework- The final project is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, December 18. Those students who still owe me the comic strip project should bring it in next week.

For next class 12/11/07- This will be a general work day. You may work on any class project you haven't finished- the final 3D, the comic strip, any portfolio project, or even your museum paper. Those who have not yet printed their collograph plate should bring it in next week- I'll have the materials to print them.

Belmar Mural

Since both classes have asked me about the mural I have been working on, I have decided to post a photo of it on this blog. Click on it to see the larger version. This is what it looked like as of Sunday November 25, the last time I was there. The wall is about 30 feet wide and about 12 feet tall. Most of the work was done by 4 of us, with 3 other members contributing to a lesser degree.

The mural is on the side of the Boatworks, headquarters for the Belmar Arts Council. The building is on River Road (next to railroad tracks), between 6th and 7th Avenue, one block west of Main St.

Tuesday 11/27/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's class- We looked at a few examples of still life paintings through history as well as some previous student examples. To learn more about this graded project, click here.

Homework- The specific color palettes project that we started in class last week ( see 11/20/07) is due at the beginning of class next week 12/4/07.

For next week's class 12/4/07- Bring paper, all your painting stuff, and a piece of matboard around 20"x30". In addition, bring a book with images of artwork from a favorite artist. If you don't have a favorite artist, bring a general art history book with many artists, or a specific favored time period, and you can choose something to work with for the Final Project that we will begin that night.

Tuesday 11/27/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's Class- We reviewed the history of architecture and did a portfolio assignment involving drawing in 2 point perspective, an example of which is shown above. To find more information about this, click here.

Homework- Anyone who still owes the comic strip project should bring it in next week.

For next week's class 12/4/07- We will discuss sculpture and begin work on the final 3D project. Bring paper and pencil.

Tuesday 11/20/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's class- Tonight we began by looking at the season temperature collages, then began a new graded project involving specific color palettes- color combinations used by artists for paintings. After showing slides with examples from art history, the class began the project.

How to make this up- For details on how to complete this project, click here.

Homework- This graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 4.

For next week's class 11/27/07- Bring your pads, and all the painting supplies, as we begin another graded project that will be completed during the class.

Tuesday 11/20/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's class- We continued where we left off last week, looking at more student photos, and working on the comic strip project started last week. In addition, the student collograph plates were printed.

How to make this up- Those who have not yet printed their collographs need to bring the plate to class on December 11, at which time I'll again have the necessary materials.

Homework- The comic strip project begun last week (see Tuesday 11/13/07) is due at the beginning of class next week, November 27, 2007. Those who haven't yet brought their photos to class should bring them as soon as possible.

For next week's class 11/27/07- Bring your pad, pencil, eraser, and a straight edge (ruler, etc) .

Tuesday 11/13/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we began a new graded project involving color temperature. For details on the project, click here.

Homework- This project is due at the beginning of class on November 20.

For next week's class 11/20/07- Bring your pad, painting stuff, and a black and white photograph that will be the source for a new graded project involving color combinations.

Tuesday 11/13/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we began a new graded project involving narrative. To learn the details of the project, click here.

Homework- The completed narrative comic strip project is due at the beginning of class on November 27, but you will have time to work on it during next week's class.

For next week's class 11/20/07- Bring in your completed collograph plate, which will be printed during class. Also bring your pad, pastels, pencil, and eraser, as we will continue to work on the comic strip project.

Tuesday 11/6/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we reviewed slides of text used in art as a visual element. Then, while students worked on a text based assignment, I helped them print their woodblocks one at a time. Toward the end of the class we looked at the text project, and critiqued the woodcut prints.

How to make this up- The text assignment involved choosing random Russian words from a dictionary, and drawing them in such a way as to make their meanings known to the class. When you come to class next I'll give you what you need to complete the assignment. It's a portfolio project, so you can have until the rest of the semester to complete it.

Homework- If you have not printed your block yet, make sure to finish it and bring it to class as soon as possible. As with all graded projects, the longer it takes to arrive, the lower your grade will be.

For next week 11/13/07- We will be doing a project related to color temperature. Bring all your painting stuff- paints, brushes, palette, water container, etc, as well as your pad, pencil, scissors, and glue.

Tuesday 11/6/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at slides of the history of printmaking and began the collograph project (see student example above). For details on what happened and what you need to do, click here.

Homework- If you didn't finish your collograph plate in class, finish it on your own and bring it to class on November 20.

For next class 11/13/07- Bring your pad, pencil, eraser, and pastels. We will begin the major 2D graded project.

Tuesday 10/30/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's Class- We began our study of color with a review of color through the history of art, and a series of color mixing exercises with the acrylic paints.

How to make this up- You will need to do the color wheel, complement mixing, and tint and shade exercises shown above. It's a whole lot to explain here, so when you come to class next, I'll give you a hand-out and go over it with you. This is a portfolio exercise, so it isn't due until the end of the semester.

Homework- The woodcut blocks are due at the beginning of class next week 11/6/07

For next week 11/6/07- Bring the block, your pad, pencil, eraser, and your fine and permanent markers. I'll give an assignment to work on individually while students have their blocks printed one at a time.

Tuesday 10/30/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's class- We began with a slide review of the history of photography from 1826 to the present. The photo assignment was distributed and explained. After the break students had a chance to discuss what they learned from their research papers and the graded papers were returned.

To make this up- You can find a copy of the photo assignment by clicking here.

Homework- The completed photo assignment is due at the beginning of class on November 13, 2007

For next week's class 11/6/07- We will start a collograph print project. Bring scissors, white glue, and materials with interesting textures that you don't mind cutting up.

2D Design Woodcut Book Illustration Project

Today's Class- Today I distributed 8"x6" pieces of plywood (top photo) to the class so that they could begin their woodcut illustration project. I showed some examples of books containing black and white illustration, many of which were relief prints, and discussed the assignment. I also did a demonstration of safe cutting techniques. Students worked out their designs on paper, drew them on the wood, and started cutting them out with their knives.

How to make this up- Until you get the wood, all you can do is work out your design idea on paper. Next week I can provide a piece of wood to students who missed today's class. If you don't want to wait that long, you can provide your own wood. (contact me for wood information)

Meanwhile, you can work on your design. Draw an 8" x 6" rectangle (horizontal or vertical) on paper and complete a design in shapes of black and white that illustrates something from your chosen book. I recommend using your large marker to fill in the black shapes and lines so you get a good idea of how the design would look printed. Look at above examples of student woodcuts, along with those back on the home page, to get an idea of what is possible. Bring it to class next week and I'll show you how to proceed and provide wood cutting tips.

Tuesday 10/23/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's class- For the specifics of today's lesson and exercise on the topic of rhythm in visual art, as well as how to make it up, click here.

Homework- For those who haven't yet turned in your research papers, get them in as soon as possible. The longer the delay, the lower your eventual grade will be.

For next week's class (10/30/07)- No materials needed for the class. I'll be distributing a hand out for a photography assignment that you will complete on your own, and we will take care of some other things in the building.

Tuesday 10/16/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's Class- Today in class we began with the final charcoal drawing. I set up a still life of white objects, lit it from above, and let the students draw it for 3 hours. The later part of the class was spent looking at slides of prints from the 1400's to today as preparation for our print project next week.

To make up this class- Gather at least 5 white or light colored objects of similar size, arrange on white/light colored sheet, light with direct light, and draw with the charcoal of your choice. Spend up to 3 hours on it.

Homework- Bring in a book of your choice for the woodcut book illustration project.

For next week's class 10/23/07- We will begin a project involving creating an illustration for a book of your choosing. You need paper, pencil, eraser, black markers, and your x-acto knife.

Tuesday 10/16/07 FA 1000 Intro to Art

Today's Class- In class today we looked at slides of art through history, looking specifically at how color has been used. After the break we did some basic exercises in color mixing. First the students made a color wheel, putting primary, secondary, and tertiary colors (with tints) around the wheel, then mixing a complement pair to create neutrals.

How to make this up- When you return to class I'll give you a hand-out with a diagram and all the specifics, and you can make it up after that.

Homework- Research paper is due at the beginning of class next week.

For next week's class 10/23/07- Bring all the painting stuff again- big pad, paints, brushes, water container, mixing palette.

Tuesday 10/09/07 FA 1100 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we did two charcoal drawings from a set up of white painted objects lit with a single directional light.

To make this up- Put a box on a table, cover with a white or light color sheet or towel. Set up a group of 5 white or light colored objects on the table as in the above photo. Dim the room lights and shine a single light source across the grouping to create strong light and shadows. Then do the following drawings, spending about 2 hours on each-

A) Value Reduction- cover a full sheet of paper from your pad with vine charcoal, making an even dark gray. Use your kneaded eraser to erase out the lights in the still life.

B) Compressed Charcoal- start with a white sheet of paper, draw the still life set up with your compressed charcoal (draw with dark, not light) as you would with pencil, except this time you will use shading and want the finished drawing to to be all shapes (light,dark, medium gray, etc), not just objects surrounded by a contour line.

Homework- Today's class assignment is portfolio work, not something I'll be collecting and grading now. Make it up before the end of the semester, although I recommend you do it this week as practice for next week's graded project.

For next week's class 10/16/07- Next week we will do the final charcoal drawing for a grade, so bring your large pad and whichever kind of charcoal your prefer, as will as fixitive. We will also discuss the next graded project, involving a book illustration, so bring a book with you that you would consider doing an illustration for.

Intro to Art- mosaic collage project

Today's Class- Today we looked at slides of monumental art- large scale art that is designed to permanently cover walls, floors, and ceilings, mostly mosaics (tile) and frescos (painting directly into wet plaster). We also looked at a brief video about the making of a mural. Then we did an art project that made use of the idea of mosaic.

I put out old magazines, and asked students to find a color photo to copy. It must be a photograph of something real, not an illustration or artwork. The students then copied the basic composition of the photo in a pencil line drawing, either in a 6"x6" square, or a 4"x9" rectangle (vertical or horizontal). The next step was to go through the magazines searching for exact color matches for the colors in the chosen photo. The color matches are cut to pieces no larger than 1/4" in any dimension (they can be smaller to match the sizes of shapes in the original photo), and glued to the drawing, as shown in the above photos of student projects from earlier semesters. (click on the photos to enlarge to see details) Mount the original photo on the page with your new version.

Tuesday 10/2/07 2D Design

Today's Class- In tonight's class we began with a group critique of the dot drawings, which were later graded and returned. Then we started a new graded project, a line drawing still life. I set up a still life grouping and gave the students about 3 hours to work on it. The final part of class was spent looking at slides from the history of art (especially Renaissance, Baroque, and some modern and contemporary) that make various use of value, the use of light and dark elements in a 2D work.

To make this up- Put together a still life grouping with the following objects- a bottle, a cut flower or twig with leaves, a hat, a shoe, a brick (or small box if you don't have a loose brick), a telephone, 3 medium size pieces of fruit (or small sports balls- baseball, tennis, etc if you don't have fruit around). Draw the group using pencil line (no shading) as shown in the above student drawing. Pay attention to shapes and proportions of individual objects, proportions of one object to another, space between objects.

Homework- None, unless you owe me this or the dot project.

For next week 10/9/07 - Bring your large pad, two kinds of charcoal, kneaded eraser, and pencil/eraser. We will begin our work with value using charcoal.

Tuesday 10/2/07 Intro to Art

Today's Class- We reviewed slides from art history showing examples of how value (relative amounts of light and dark) is used in art. For the art project I set up a still life grouping of white painted objects and had the students draw the set up using charcoal, with the focus on matching light and shadow.

To make up this class- Put a small box on a table, then drape a white or light colored sheet or blanket over it. Arrange on the box and around it 4 white or light colored objects (such as vase, bowl, roll of toilet paper, etc). Dim the lights in the room and shine a directional light (such as a desk lamp) across the set up to create strong light and shadow. Draw the still life grouping large enough to fill the page, using charcoal. Use the charcoal to show the light and dark areas, as seen in the sample student drawing above.

Homework- Next week bring your list of 3 artists/artworks, and a book that will be part of your research.

For next class (10/9/07)- Bring your large pad, scissors, some kind of glue (glue stick, rubber cement, white glue), pencil, eraser.

Tuesday 9/25/07 2D Design

Today's class- The beginning of our study of line. After reviewing slides showing the varied uses of line in art from prehistoric to the present, we did a series of exercises using contour line (exterior, cross contour, blind contour), the subject being shoes. After the break we used the line in a study of negative space, drawing the empty spaces in a chair, then a still life set up of bottles (using negative space to find relative space and scale of the bottles).

Homework- The dot value project started in class last week is due at the beginning of class on October 2.

For next week's class (10/2/07) Bring your 18"x24" pad, pencils, eraser. We will do a graded line still life project.

Tuesday, 9/25/07 Intro to Art

Today's Class- We started with the distribution of the research assignment. We reviewed slides from a variety of historical periods in Western art, from the Renaissance to the the present to give the class an idea of the various possible choices. Students drew for draft position and picked from the list of periods.

List of 3 artists and artworks, and book about your topic- due October 9

Final research paper- due October 23

For the day's art project, we dealt with the concept of negative space. First we drew all the empty spaces within a wooden chair. I set up the chair as shown in the top photo. Students were asked to draw the spaces surrounded by wood, but not the wood itself or the space around the chair. In the second photo, that is the blue color areas, but not the wood of the chair or the tan areas. Draw the shapes with pencil line, but don't fill in the shapes. The students spent about 30 minutes on it.

The second art project was a still life line drawing, from a group of 6 bottles. Students drew the bottles in pencil, using negative space to help locate the relative positions and scale of the bottles. This also was done for about 30 minutes.

Homework- see above about research assignment.

For next week's class (10/2/07) Bring your 18"x24" pad, charcoal and kneaded eraser, as we begin our study of value.

2D Design- Stipple Value Drawing Project

Today's Class- We started working with dots. First was an exercise involving designing wallpaper patterns with dots.

Then we began the first major graded project of the semester, a stipple drawing based on a black and white photo. Students started with a photo (either brought in by them or found in the pile of magazines I brought in), selected a square portion of it, and sketched it in pencil in a 6" square. (if you wish to do a rectangular drawing, the short side must be at least 6 ") After the pencil sketch was finished, students started adding dots with the ultra fine point marker to create value shapes that match the values found in the original photo. There are 3 examples above- the top is my example (original photo from album cover on left, my drawing on the right), the other two are from former students. (click the photos to enlarge) The primary criteria I will use for grading these is how well the student matches the various value shapes, not how well the student reproduces the subject of the photo. However, the better the pencil sketch at matching the photo shapes, the easier it will be to match the values. The other thing I will be grading on is consistency, meaning that any similar values in the photo should be treated the same in the drawing.

Contour Line Exercises

This portfolio exercise is done in my Intro to Art, 2D Design, and Drawing I classes, so this information applies to all of them.

Today's Class- In class today we started by looking at slides of artwork that made use of the various aspects of line- work that ranged from prehistoric cave paintings, to ancient Greek and Egyptian art, to paintings, drawings and prints from the Rennaissance through the present.

We then did a series of exercises using contour lines, taking shoes as the subject. To make up this portfolio exercise, you should do the following:

A) Exterior Contour- A single line that forms the outline of the object. Draw the silhoutte of the shoe in one unbroken line, as in the examples above. Pay attention to the various proportions of the shoes, as well as curves and angles of all parts. Do as many as you want in 30 minutes.

B) Cross Contour Lines- These are series of curved and/or straight lines that are used by the artist to imply 3D form and the movement over a curved surface. Not necessarily based on actual structures, but lines invented by the artist. Students spent 30 minutes doing one cross contour drawing like the one above.

C) Blind Contour- A drawing completed by looking only at the subject, but not at the paper and the drawing in progress. Let your eye move slowly around the edge of the shoe, moving the pencil to match. (see examples above) Do as many as you want in 10 minutes.

Final Shoe Drawing- Using all the skills developed so far, do one last line drawing of the shoe. You may include interior, surface structures (such as laces, stitching, seams, etc). Use cross contour to whatever extent helps. Spend 30 minutes doing the one shoe drawing.

Tuesday 9/11/07 2D Design

Today's class- This evening the syllabus and course outline were distributed to the class and reviewed. The students completed a survey regarding their art experiences.

Homework- None

For Next Class (September 18, 2007) Bring your large 18"x24" pad, pencils, eraser, ultra fine point marker, and large permanent marker. We will begin a project based on a black and white photograph. If you have one you'd like to work from, bring it in. I will bring in some as well for students to use.

Tuesday 9/11/07 Intro to Art

Today's class- In class this afternoon the syllabus and course outline were distributed and reviewed. The class filled out a survey relating to art experiences.

Homework- None

For Next Class (9/18/07)- Bring your 18"x24" pad, pencil, paper for our first exploration of line.

Welcome to the Fall 2007 Semester

Welcome to the blog I've set up for my class sections.

The blog will be for both classes. To make it easier to find what you're looking for, the entries will be color coded. The posts intended for my Intro to Art class (FA 1000 Sec 14, 12:30-3:20) will use red text. The posts for my 2D Design class (FA 1100 Sec 3, 5:00-10:20) will use blue text. Posts that apply to both classes will be with black text. About a months worth of posts will be available on the main page, while earlier posts can be accessed by using the blog archive on the right.

Most weeks I will post the information for the classes either late that evening or sometime on Wednesday. The heading for the post will contain the date and name of the class. I will include what we did in class that day, what (if any) homework has been assigned, and what art materials are needed for the next class. When applicable, photos of examples of current projects and assignments will be included.

Certainly this is a good place to stop by should you miss a class, but it's also available for anyone who needs a reminder about due dates for projects and what you need for the next class. Most of the questions that students typically have will be available to you 24/7, without having to wait for a reply e-mail. Should you have further questions, the best procedure is to e-mail me directly rather than post comments.

See you tomorrow.

Monday 5/7/07 Intro to Art

Today was the last day of class. All portfolios, 3D final projects, and museum papers were graded, as well as any other late projects. Most students picked up their work, the rest was piled up for eventual disposal. Final class grades will be available online (KeanWise I guess) after 4:30 pm on Wednesday, May 9.

Enjoy your summer.

Friday 5/4/07 2D Design

Today was the last day of class. All portfolios, final projects, museum papers, and assorted late projects were graded and returned. Final class grades will be available on the web when the University posts them for students beginning Wednesday, May 9, 2007 after 4:30pm.

Enjoy your summer.

Intro to Art- Final Grading Day

Today's Class- Today we looked at slides of sculpture from the Renaissance, Baroque, NeoClassical, and various Modern and Contemporary. We also looked at more comic strip projects from the class. After the break, students worked independently on various back projects. I also distributed the list of what's expected for the portfolio next week.

Next Week- Final Class Meeting

All work is due at the beginning of class next week. This means the following-

Portfolio

Contour line drawings- shoes
Negative space drawing of chair, bottles
Charcoal value drawing
Mosaic collage from magazine paper
Color wheel and complement mixes
Photography Assignment
Abstract watercolor paintings to music
Collograph Print
2 point perspective drawing of room corner

2D Final Project (comic strip) I have most of these in my possession still

3D Final Project (open box project, see 4/23/07)

Museum Paper

Arrive on time. Students will be dismissed while I grade all of the above. You will be able to return at a pre-arranged time (near the end of class) to pick up your work and learn the grades for each. Unclaimed work may be disposed of at any time following the end of class. Final Class Grade will be available later on the computer.

Friday 4/27/07 2D Design

Today's class- Today was a general work day where students could work on any class related work. Most devoted the time to the Pop-Up Book Final Project that we started last week.

Next Week--Final Class Meeting 5/4/07

At the last class of the semester we will begin by having a critique of all the final projects. Then I'll have everyone disappear for a while while I grade the final projects, portfolios, any other late projects, and the museum papers. At a pre-arranged time, you may return to pick up the graded items. Work that is not picked up by the end of the day may be discarded any time after that. Here are the projects that are expected to be brought in for the last day:

Portfolio (everything not previously graded)

contour lines (exterior/cross/blind) of shoes
charcoal studies of white objects (vine, compressed)
color wheel and complement mixing exercise

Graded Projects (these have been graded, but I want to see them again to look at your overall progress over the semester, as well as to possibly shoot slides/digital images for future use.)

Pencil Still Life
Stipple drawing (dots)
Final Charcoal Drawing
Woodcut
Specific Color Palettes (4 color combinations)
Painted Still Life
Color Temperature Collage

Final Project- the book project (pop-up, transparency, folding flap, or pull-tab)

Museum Paper

When you return to class, you will receive your grades for the portfolio, final project, museum paper, and any back projects. Final class grade will be available online eventually.

Intro to Art- 3D Final- Cornell Theme Box

Today's Class- Today we opened with slides showing the history of sculpture from Prehistoric to the present, concentrating on Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Renaissance, Baroque, and 20th Century. That included looking at examples of Joseph Cornell style boxes, which are 3-dimensional freestanding open front boxes containing a variety of collaged materials and found objects. A similar project is assigned to you as your 3-D final project.

The Assignment- Create a Cornell-style box of your own. The open front of the box must be at least 12"x12" and must be a minimum of 3" deep. It may contain a shelf or other subdividers. The project should have a specific theme, and contain both 3D and 2D elements. These elements can be found objects, crafted by you, or a combination of those. The box must be able to stand upright on its own.

The box at the top is a sample that I made using wood, with objects and 2D art relating to the theme of an old fashioned hardware store. You may use wood, but cardboard is fine as well. The other examples are from students, each using cardboard boxes. The themes of the other projects are (in order) Jail, an Apple computer, a photography dark room, and a baseball stadium.

Museum Research Assignment

The assignment- Choose 3 works of art that you like, and 3 that you don't like. For each do the following:

1) Stand in front, looking at it carefully for a full 5 minutes

2) After 5 minutes of concentration, state what you like and don't like about the piece, and analyze it using the Feldman Criticism Method (description, analysis, meaning, judgement), using formal art language when possible. Description is what you can see- shapes, colors, objects depicted, etc, as well as materials used, and the processes if you know them.  Analysis is how things work together, things like size relationships, shape relationships. color relationships.  Meaning is what you think the piece is about based on your observations, what you believe the artist was trying to communicate, if anything, and the judgement information is below.  Descriptions and analysis are based on observations of what you actually see, while meaning and judgement are your opinions- as long as you can provide reasons for what you write, you can't be wrong.

Choose one of the three pieces the that you like and answer the following three questions:
a)What period or art movement does this work belong to?
b)Why (other than the date) do you link this artwork to that period?
c) What connection does this piece have to the society in which it was created?

The judgement step is deciding which of the following criteria you believe was the intent of the artist, why you believe this, and were they successful:

a) formalist- relationship of parts to the whole, pleasure comes from viewing the object itself, visual organization is more important than symbols, narrative, life experience.
b) expressivist- focus on the depth and intensity of experience of viewing the artwork, success comes from work with the greatest power to arouse emotions and communicate significant ideas.
c) instrumentalist- art that serves a particular purpose (political, religious, etc) and is successful when it helps advance a cause or change behavior- the idea is more important than the artist's emotions or formal art theory.

If you think more than one applies (and in some works all three could apply), choose the one you think most important for the work being analyzed.

3) Do a small sketch of the piece, or arrange to provide a photo.

The eligible museums are-

Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Ave, Montclair
Newark Museum, 49 Washington St, Newark
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave (near 82nd), New York
Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort St, New York
The Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53rd (near Fifth), New York
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave, New York
The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St. (at Fifth), New York

Grounds For Sculpture 126 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ (3D Class Only)

Click the links to learn about hours, admissions, rules, and special shows.

Other institutions may be acceptable, but you must check with me first.  Some classes may have to deal with specific works- for a 2D class, the chosen works must be two dimensional (paintings, drawings, prints), for a 3D class the works must be sculptural (carved, cast, assembled) and for a drawing class the works must be drawings (pencil, charcoal, ink, pastels, etc)

2D Design- Transforming Book Project

How to complete this assignment- Start by choosing a two dimensional color artwork from the history of fine art, something I'll define as more likely to be found in a museum of art history textbook, and not in stores that sell collectibles. You will be transforming it in some way based on the idea of children's books. Examples and descriptions of four such possibilities can be found below. All have in common that they have a cover that opens and closes.

A) Folding Flap Book- In this type, when the cover is opened, the image appears like the original artist's work. A flap that runs the length (horizontal or vertical) of the image is down in one position. When the flap is folded back the other way part of the image is hidden, and another new part revealed, with the new part matching up to the parts of the painting visible when the flap is down on either side.

A) above- original position, below- second position (pink elephant and tiki statues)

B) Pull Tab Book- In this variety, when the cover is opened, the artist's original painting is shown. A tab extends out from the top, bottom, or side. When the tab is pulled, it changes one or more pieces of the painting by sliding out the original bit and sliding in a new one.

B) above-original position, below- second position (Mickey Mouse head)

C) Transparency Book- When the cover is opened, the original painting is shown. However, when a clear plastic sheet is lifted, some changes are revealed. These changes can be found anywhere in the composition.

C) above- original position, below- second position (skulls and skeletons)

D) Pop-up Book- The book starts flat, but can be opened to a 90 degree position, which pulls at least 3 levels of picture elements up in front of the backdrop, creating a 3D object

D) First Layer- skater and ice, Second Layer- background figures and tall tree, Third Layer- deep background trees, Inside Cover- sky.