2D Design- Color Still Life Painting Project

Today's class- We looked at slides with examples of still life painting from the Baroque (Hans Holbein, William Kalf, Maria van Oosterwick) and the Modern (Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, Thiebaud) and then the students painted from a still life set up in the room.
How to make this up- Set up a still life with a variety of brightly colored objects. There should be 5 objects, 1 each from among the following list of colors- red, yellow, blue, green, orange, brown. Arrange the objects on a piece of fabric that is a different color than the chosen objects. Light with a directional light to create light and shadow. Paint the set up at a scale that fills the page. You may use pencil to draw it first, or paint directly from the set-up if you prefer. Assign some kind of color to any background visible behind the objects and drapery.

Intro to Art- Rhythm and Abstraction Exercise

Today's class- The topic today was rhythm in visual art. We looked at slides showing how visual artworks often have kinds of rhythm and movement within. For the art project I played pieces of instrumental music, each segment lasting about 15 minutes, while the class painted abstract compositions to match the feel of the music. At the end of class, I selected a random painting from each student and had the class guess which of the 5 musics were represented.

How to make this up on your own- Get your watercolors and 18"x24" pad. Use one full sheet of paper for each painting, spend about 15 minutes. The paintings can't have any recognizable things or scenes or people- just abstract design. Choose color and application to match the kind of music that accompanies the painting. These are the things we listened to, along with a suitable substitute if you can't find what I provided-

1) Brahms Hungarian Dances #1-5 (substitute any 15 minutes of lively classical music)

2) Jimmy Yancey - 5 instrumentals from the album "Chicago Piano Vol 1" (substitute any slow blues or jazz piano)

3) Raymond Scott Quintet- 6 instrumentals from the album "Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights" (this is 1930's descriptive jazz that has been adapted for countless cartoons from the 1940's on. Substitute- two classic Tom and Jerry cartoons --no dialogue makes them ideal-- listen to music and occasional sound effects while you paint)

4) Marc Ribot- 3 instrumentals from the album "Saints" (atonal, experimental music without a regular rhythm. Substitute by playing two very different kinds of music simultaneously, try to make sense of it while you paint.)

5) Bad Brains- several songs from debut album. (early 80's hardcore thrash punk, with the occasional dub reggae song thrown in. Substitute with something similarly loud, fast, and unintelligible.)

This is a portfolio exercise, so it must be done by the end of the semester.

2D Design- Specific Color Palettes

How to complete this assignment- We began this graded project by having students select a black and white photograph from some newspapers and magazines I provided, or bringing one of their own. You may use any black and white photograph, but it should have a wide range of lights, darks, and middle tones. Next, take a sheet of your 18"x24" paper and with a pencil divide it into 4 equal boxes. Also using pencil, draw a basic contour line version of your photograph in all 4 boxes. Try to make reasonable identical drawings. Next, use your acrylic paints to reproduce each value composition in a specific combination of colors as specified below-

1) Monochromatic palette- use any 1 color plus black and white. Use the straight color for the equivalent value in the source photo, add varying amounts of white to account for lighter values, varying amounts of black to show darker values.

2) Complement palette- use a complement pair (either blue/orange or red/green are recommended) plus black and white. Do a value painting with the cool color (blue or green) shading toward black for the dark/shadow colors, the warm color (orange or red) tinting toward white for the lighter colors, and complement mixes (such as blue + orange) for neutral middle values)

3&4) Choose 2 of the following options. With all these, use the black and cool colors for shadows and dark values, white and warm colors to show light values. Middle values for A and B should be mixed from the warm and cool colors, while for C and D middle values will need to be assigned one of the hues based on which colors you choose.

A) Blue, Yellow, Black and White- Similar to a complement pair, but green acts as your middle value (instead of a gray mixed from complements), with blue as the cool/dark, yellow as the warm/light.

B) Split Complement, Black and White- Choose a color and the two colors on either side of the complement of the first color. For example- if you started with yellow, you would then use blue-violet and red violet, the colors on either side of the true complement (violet).


C) Analogous, Black and White- Analogous colors are any 3 that are in a row on the color wheel. Example- yellow, yellow-green, green, or blue-green, blue, blue-violet. Choose the appropriate colors in your set to act as light, middle, and dark values and gradually mix from one to the next, using black and white to reach the darkest and lightest values.

D) Triad, Black and White- A triad is any 3 equally spaced colors on the color wheel, such as the primaries (red, yellow, blue) , secondaries (green, orange, violet), or intermediates (such as red-violet, yellow-orange, blue-green).  Based on the nature of the colors, assign them to the light, middle, and dark values in your composition. Don't mix between the colors, but use them as solidly colored shapes. Black and white can be added to the appropriate colors to reach the full dark and light values.

Intro to Art- Photography Assignment

Today's class- Today we looked at examples from the history of photography, and discussed the process by which photos are taken.

Homework- The following photo assignment is to be done on your own time. Use the camera of your choice- film or digital. Take the following series of photographs:

A) Take one photo of a building in close up, one photo where the building fills the frame, and one photo of the building in a distant shot. Using the same distances, take 3 photos of a person. The viewpoint should be the same for each set of photos. Below is an example of a building from 3 distances.

B)Tell a story in 6 frames (like a comic strip). Shoot a sequence of photographs that show a continuous narrative. It can be documentary (something actually happening), or something you stage for the camera. Below is an example.

C) Freeze Motion. Take 1 photograph each of 3 different objects in motion. Below are some examples-

D) Freeze Time. Shoot an outdoor scene at 3 different times in the same 24 hour period from the identical position, with 3 distinctively different orientations of natural light. Do not use a flash in low light. Below is an example of a rooftop scene.

E) Document history. Take a photo of something that will have been significantly changed or no longer exist by the time this assignment is due.

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F) Document a new experience. Take a photo of something new to you- a place you've never been before, an activity you've never done, or a person you just met.

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Keep in Mind- Try not to break any laws while doing this assignment. For example, do not trespass on private property, and always seek permission before taking photos of people.

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All photos must be printed out for class. The photos can be mounted, or just label them on the back.

March 12 - March 16 Spring Break

It's spring break this week. No classes. If you're staying in the area, it's a good time to get your museum visit in, or work on some homework, or a back project you need to make up. See you next week.

2D Design- Charcoal Final/Woodcut Project

Today's class- The first half of class was spent doing the final charcoal still life value drawing, a graded assignment. I set up a still life in the center of the room with a variety of objects, some white, some darker in color. There was drapery, white in the center, a darker color around the edges. The room was darkened, and the overhead spotlights created strong light and shadow over the whole set-up. The assignment in class was to select a view that included a minimum of 4 of the objects, as well as any drapery in between and background value tones. We spent about 3 hours on it, and critiqued them after lunch.

To make this up on your own, set up a still life by laying out two pieces of cloth (sheets, towels)- one light, one dark. On these arrange 4 objects from among these- a vase, a beverage pitcher, a hat, a shoe, a small kitchen appliance (blender, electric mixer, etc), a cooking pot, a roll of paper towels/toilet paper. At least one should be white, at least one should be very dark or black, and at least one should be a middle value. Set up a lamp to provided a direct light, creating strong light and shadow across the whole still life. Draw at a scale that has the view you select fill the page. (like what we used in the contour line still life drawings) You may use either the vine charcoal or the compressed charcoal. Don't forget to consider a background value. Pay attention to the differences between the values of a light object in shadow and a dark object in bright light. Match all values as close as you can. Bring it to class as soon as possible- the longer it takes to get to me, the lower your grade will be.

The second half of class was a review of the history of printmaking with an emphasis on woodcut and relief printing. We looked at slides from the 1400's through the 21st century. I handed out pieces of wood to all the students and demonstrated how to use an x-acto knife to carve the image into the block. The wood is 8"x6". The project is to create an illustration for a book of your choosing. It can be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essay, etc. Your design should not be a copy of someone else's illustration, or be based on any filmed adaptation of the book. The focus is on design, how you arrange the elements of black and white, not on how well you draw a person, thing, or scene. It has to be representational, but not necessarily realistic. The grade will be mostly determined by your interesting arrangement of black and white. I have included a few examples of actual student woodcuts from last semester, to give you an idea of what can be done.

Homework- The finished carved woodblock is due at the beginning of class on Fri, March 30, at which time I'll help everyone print at least one copy. For those who missed class on 3/9 and don't have wood yet, work on an 8"x6" black and white sketch for your illustration, and show it to me at the next class. I will give you a piece of wood and brief cutting demonstration at the next class.

For next class (3/23/07) We will start working with color. Bring all your painting related materials- acrylic paints, brushes, palette, palette knife, water container, as well as your pad of paper and a pencil.

Intro to Art Color Wheel

Today's Class- Today we started our study of color with some simple exercises in basic color theory and mixing. After reviewing slides of the use of color from prehistoric cave paintings through the 20th century, I had students make a 12 hue color wheel, mixing all the colors from the three primary colors. We also did an exercise involving the mixing of complementary colors. Unfortunately, it's a little involved to explain the whole thing here, so next week ask me for the handout and I'll explain it to you then. This was a portfolio exercise, so you have the rest of the semester to make it up.

Homework- The research papers are due at the beginning of class on March 19, 2007

For Next Class (3/19/07)- We will look at the history of photography and discuss the basic principles. I will hand out and review a photography assignment that you will complete on your own time. We won't be working on any art projects in class, so you don't have to bring any of those materials.

How this Blog Works

My experience is that most of you will miss at least one class during the semester, and on any given day that may mean several students missing. The more motivated students tend to e-mail me to ask what they missed, and when this is a complex project, this can mean a lot of time spent typing for me. To make things simpler for you and me, I'm setting up this space as a sort of bulletin board for my Kean classes. Each week I will post the information about the classes that we have had- what we looked at, what we did, and what we will need for the next class. Sometimes I will even post example images of the finished projects, so you can get a better sense of what we did. This way you can get the general information about what you missed in class 24/7, without having to wait for a reply and I only have to write it all down once. Of course you can still e-mail me with specific questions, but this blog should cover the things I have to respond to the most often. And even if you didn't miss the most recent class, you can stop by if you need a reminder about due dates, or what materials are needed for the next class.

The class name and day/date will appear in the heading for each entry. In addition, the text for the Introduction to Art (FA 1000) entries will be in red, while the text for the 2D Design (FA 1100) entries will be in blue. Entries with black text apply to both classes.