12/20/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we opened with a critique of the Final Project (transforming books) then everyone was dismissed while I graded the projects, portfolios, museum papers, and any back work that was turned in. Most students turned up to pick up their work. Unclaimed work was stacked on the cart with the old computer up by the front of the room. Inside each pad or book is a small paper slip with grades for the book project, the portfolio, and a tally of absences and late arrivals, if applicable. I'm told that the building will remain open through Thursday, December 23rd if you wish to reclaim your art. It may or may not still be there when the spring semester begins. Final class grades will be available sometime in the next week, after I calculate them and post them to WebAdvisor.

Enjoy the break.

12/15/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was the last day of class. Final projects, portfolios, and museum papers were graded and returned to students. Everyone returned to pick up their graded work. Final semester grades will be available online sometime after I submit them, which will probably be early next week. Enjoy the break.

12/13/10 2D Design

Today's Class- We started with a critique of the limited palettes project. After that, the rest of the class period was spent working on a variety of projects. Most worked on the Final Project due next week, but some used the time to catch up on some back projects.

Final Grading- Next week will be the final grading day for the semester. That includes the Final Project, any late graded projects, the museum papers, and the semester portfolio. Here's what we did this semester and where on the blog the instructions can be found:

Graded Projects-

Sep 20 Stipple drawing

Oct 4 Contour Line Still Life

Oct 25 Value Drawing with Charcoal

Woodcut Book Illustration

Nov 15 Color Temperature Collage

Nov 22 Limited Color Palettes

Dec 6 Final Project (Book/Board Game)

Semester Portfolio-

Sep 20 Dot wallpaper patterns

Sep 27 Contour Line exercises (shoes)

Negative space exercises (chair/bottles)

Oct 18 Charcoal Value Drawings (vine/compressed)

Nov 8 Color Wheel/Complement Mix/Tints and Shades

Nov 29 Color Still Life Painting

Homework- The Final (Book) Project is due December 20, 2010, but if there is anything else on the above lists that you haven't finished yet, get it done by next week as well. Museum papers must be printed out. No work will be accepted after the class is dismissed.

For next class 12/20/10- Final Grading day. I would like to see the previously graded projects (not to grade again, just to see your progress over the semester), but I definitely need to see the portfolio projects, the Final Project, and back graded projects and museum papers from those who haven't turned them in yet. We will critique the Final Project, and everything else will be graded and returned by the end of class.

12/8/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was a general work day for the class. We looked at a few more comic strip projects, and graded comic strip projects were returned to students in attendance. Meanwhile people worked on whatever new or old projects they needed to in order to be prepared for next week's class where everything will be graded.

Homework- The 3D box project that was assigned last week is due at the beginning of class next week, December 15, 2010. Anyone who has not yet turned in the comic strip project must bring it next week to receive partial credit. The museum assignment must also be turned in that day to receive credit.

For next class 12/15/10- Our final meeting of the semester. We will have a group critique of the 3D project, any remaining comic strip projects, and then I will grade those, the semester portfolios, and museum papers. No art materials will be necessary, but bring all your artwork from the semester. Nothing will be accepted for grading after the end of the class period.

2D Design Board Game Project

Today's Class- Today we started the Final Project of the semester, to design a board game based on works of historical fine art. The artist should be one who has achieved art world recognition, such as appearing in art history survey texts or be included in the collections of major museums. Check with me if you're not sure. The work must be representational.

Board Game- For this project you base a board game on the work of a specific artist. Your sources should be more than one work by the same artist. The game's theme should relate to the artwork(s). Above is a sample game based on the art of 14th century painter Hieronymus Bosch. Bosch's work usually had religious and moralistic themes, and this game adapts a common theme of his- the sinful nature of mankind and the possibility of eternal punishment in the afterlife.

All games must have a path of some kind. It can be a one-way start to finish path (such as in Candyland), a continuous loop that is repeated until conditions result in a winner (such as Monopoly), or something where players can move in multiple directions (such as chess). Rules for moving should be worked out, such as use of dice, spinner, or drawn cards.

The board design should not just be a copy of a single painting with a game path on it, but rather an original design that makes use of images from the artist's painting(s). This game borrows images from two Bosch paintings- "The Garden of Earthly Delights" and "The Last Judgement". All the visual elements on the game board should come from your artist, but the compositional design should be yours.

The game board should be made from mat board or illustration board, and must be able to fold in half like traditional game boards. Recommended sizes are between 16" x 16" and 18" x 24", but you can make it a little bigger if you prefer.

The game board must include the name of your game somewhere in the design. In the above example, I gave the Bosch-themed game the name "Heaven and Hell".

You must provide tokens to represent the game players. You can make some special for the game, or repurpose tokens from another game.  Below are some additional student examples from previous semesters.

 Love Story

Roy Lichtenstein

 Victory Climb

Cezanne

Roots

Kerry James Marshall

12/1/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we spent the first part of class looking at the comic strip projects that were due today. They were collected and will be returned graded next week. Then we looked at slides of the history of sculpture, from prehistory through the present. Last, we discussed the final project of the semester, a 3D project.

How to make this up- This project requires you to construct a 3 dimensional open front box that you will fill with a variety of 2 and 3 dimensional elements that fit a common theme of your choosing. The above examples from a previous semester are Christmas (top) and Peace (bottom). To learn the full details and see more student examples, click here.

Homework- This 3D graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 15, 2010, our last day of class.

The museum paper is also due on 12/15/10, but will be accepted next week if anyone wants to get it finished and graded early.

Those who did not turn in the comic strip project today should complete it as soon as possible. The more weeks that it's late, the more points will be deducted.

Semester Portfolio Collection-

On the last day of class I'll be grading the semester portfolio, all the artwork that you've done that's not individually graded (comic strip and box projects). Below is a list to remind you of what we've done, and where on the blog you can find it if you need to learn more.

Sep 15th Contour Line (Shoes)

Sep 22nd Negative Space (Chair, Bottles)

Sep 29th Value (Charcoal Drawing)

Oct 6th Mosaic Collage (magazine paper)

Oct 13th Color Wheel and Complement Mix

Oct 20th Photography Assignment

Oct 27th Rhythm in Visual Art (Music)

Nov 3rd Collagraph Print

Nov 24th Two Point Perspective (Interior of Classroom)

For next class 12/8/10- The class will be a general work day that can be used for any work related to the class. You may work on the 3D final project, anything that you might still owe from the portfolio list (as long as it doesn't require any materials or set up from me), or even work on the museum paper. So bring whatever materials are appropriate to whatever you want to work on.

11/29/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we discussed the various roles that still life paintings have played in the history of art, and then the class did a portfolio exercise in still life painting, similar to the above examples from a previous semester.

How to make this up- Start by making a still life. Put a small box on a table and drape with a patterned cloth, such as a sheet or tablecloth. Arrange on and around the box 3 solidly colored objects different in color from each other and the cloth. Paint the still life on a sheet of your 18"x 24" paper, either horizontally or vertically. You may draw the objects and drapery in pencil first, or just paint directly with the brush if you prefer. Match the shape, and relative size and space of the objects, and try to accurately match the colors of the objects and drape. You may put any color in the background around the drape that you want. Today's students spent about 4 hours working on it, not including lunch break.

This is a portfolio exercise that must be completed before the last day of class in order to receive credit for it.

Homework- The limited color palettes graded project started last week is now due at the beginning of class on December 13, 2010. (Note new deadline)

Anyone who still owes a back project (such as the woodcut or the season temperature collage) should try to get them in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

Keep in mind that the museum paper is due on the last day of class, 3 weeks from today. If you haven't yet gone to a museum, you should make your visit soon.

For next class 12/6/10- We will be starting the semester's Final Project. It will involve a reworking of a color two dimensional work from the history of fine art. Bring a book with color images of work from a favorite artist, a favorite art movement, favorite subject, or if you have no favorites, a general book on the history of painting or history of art. In addition, bring your 18" x 24" pad, all you painting supplies, pencil and eraser. You will need some mat board or other heavy stiff cardboard as part of the project. (you may or may not get to that part next week, but you will need it, so if possible have it for next week) Scissors and glue are also recommended.

11/24/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at the history of architecture, from prehistoric structures, through the Classical period, and into the 20th century. Then we did a portfolio exercise involving two point perspective drawing of the classroom architecture, as in the student drawing above.

How to make this up- The assignment requires knowledge of two point perspective drawing. A diagram showing the relationships of room architecture and furniture to the eye level and vanishing points, and the specific requirements of the assignment, can be found here. Unless you are familiar with the process, you may want to wait until the next time you come to class and I'll go over it with you.

Homework- The symbolic autobiographical comic strip project is due December 1, 2010.

If you haven't yet made your museum visit, I recommend doing it soon. To receive credit, you must turn in the paper by the last day of class.

For next class 12/1/10- We will critique the comic strips, look at the history of sculpture, and discuss the 3D project, our final art project of the semester. Bring paper (your 18"x 24" pad or a smaller sketchbook if you prefer) and pencil, along with the comic strip project.

11/22/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we looked at the season temperature collages that were due today. Then we began a new graded project involving specific color palettes. While artists often will want to paint things realistically in their natural colors, there are also times when they will choose other specific color combinations to get different effects.

How to make this up- Find a black and white photograph of an actual person, object, place, etc, Use pencil to divide a sheet of your 18"x 24" paper into 4 equal quadrants, and sketch the composition of your photo in all 4 boxes. Then you will use your acrylic paints to produce four small paintings (as in the student example above) involving some specific color combinations. For further student examples and the specific color instructions, click here.

Homework- This specific color palettes graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 13, 2010.

Those who still have not had their wood blocks printed or who still owe me their season collage should get those in as soon as possible.

For next class 11/29/10- We will be doing a portfolio exercise involving painting. Bring all your painting related materials- 18"x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, acrylic paints, palette, brushes, palette knife, and water container.

11/17/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today the class worked on a few different things. We took a trip downstairs to see the Faculty Exhibition in the gallery. I helped students individually print their collagraph plates (adding color to the finished print using watercolors- as in the above image- or pastels is an option), while everyone worked on the comic strip graded project that we started last week.

How to make this up- Those who did not have their collagraphs printed today should bring the plate next week. I won't bring all the printing materials, but I will collect the collagraph plates, print them at my studio, and return them the following week. All the details regarding the comic strip project can be found at last week's class post.

Homework- The completed comic strip project is due at the beginning of class on December 1, 2010.

For next class 11/24/10- We will do our last portfolio exercise of the semester. Bring your 18"x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and a ruler (longer than 12" if possible).

11/15/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today the class started a new graded project working with the idea of color temperature. While that was going on, I helped each student print their woodblocks, all shown above. In addition, the class made a brief visit to the gallery downstairs to see the current faculty exhibition.

How to make this up- The graded project involves creating two collages made of pieces of color. Each collage must represent a particular season based on temperature (all warm colors, such as yellows, reds, oranges is summer, a mix of warm and cool colors is spring or autumn, etc). Below are two student examples from previous semesters.

For full details about how to complete this graded assignment, as well as additional examples, click here.

Homework- The color temperature project is due at the beginning of class on November 22, 2010.

Anyone who did not print their woodblock today should bring it to class as soon as possible.

*******Between our last meeting and today (11/17/10) someone did a thorough cleaning of the classroom and threw away all the plastic containers by the sink. Assume that you will need to bring a water container next week to use with your paints.**********

For next class 11/22/10- We will critique the color temperature collages and then start a new graded project. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil, eraser, all your painting materials, and a black and white photo that will be the basis for the project. It should be something you are comfortable doing a drawing from, and have a full range of values represented (light, medium, and dark tones). I will have my usual pile of magazines for anyone who doesn't bring their own photo.

11/10/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at art that had the common element of that the focus was on narrative- telling a story. This went back to cave paintings and Ancient Roman monuments, through the Renaissance, and into the 20th century. Then we started the first graded project of the semester, an autobiographical symbolic comic strip.

How to make this up- On this first day I showed previous examples on slide and some actual student projects, similar to the ones shown above. Students picked stories from their lives to depict, and chose symbols to represent the characters in the story. Some got as far as penciling a few of the panels. I also demonstrated some ways of using pastels, which will be used to color the finished comic strip. The class will be given all of next week to work on this as well (and further additional time on your own), so if you missed today, come in with story and character ideas, but you don't need more than that for next week. While students continue to work on the comic strips, I will help print the collagraph plates begun in class last week. For more details about the comic strip project and further examples, click here.

Homework- This autobiographical and symbolic comic strip project is due at the beginning of class on December 1, 2010. Collagraph printing plates are due at the beginning of class on November 17, 2010.

For next class 11/17/10- We will continue to work on the comic strips and print the collagraphs. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil, eraser, pastels, and your completed collagraph plate.

11/8/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we started our study of color, something we will explore for the rest of the semester. I showed slides of art from prehistory to the present, discussing the technology and use of color in each. Then the class did a series of portfolio exercises involving the mixing of color and basic color theory, similar to the above examples.

How to make this up- Full details and complex instructions for completing the color wheel, complementary color mixing, and tints and shades exercises can be found here. These are portfolio exercises which must be made up by the end of the semester.

Homework- The completed wood blocks for your book illustration graded project are due at the beginning of class on November 15, 2010.

For next class 11/15/10- Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, all your painting related supplies (acrylics, brushes, palette, palette knife, water container), scissors, and some kind of glue, which will be used in a new graded project. At the same time, the wood blocks will be printed in class.

11/3/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we started by looking at slides from the history of printmaking, from the Renaissance through the present. Then the class started working on a related portfolio assignment, a collagraph. We also devoted some time at the end of class to looking at the results of the photography assignment given out two weeks ago.

How to make this up- Find a piece of cardboard about 8" x 10". (the large side of a cereal box will do) You need to attach a variety of materials with different textures to the cardboard, so that some kind of recognizable image is formed. In a few weeks you will bring in the completed collagraph plate and I'll help you print them. Student examples of the printed collagraphs are shown above and below. (the one below has been colored after printing with watercolors) For more details about the assignment, click here.

Homework- The completed collagraph plate is due at the beginning of class on November 17, 2010.

Anyone who still hasn't turned in their research assignment should do so as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

Those who didn't have their photos today should bring them in next week to share with the class.

For next class 11/10/10- We will start the first individually graded assignment of the semester. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil, and eraser, and pastels.

11/1/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we opened with a critique of last week's charcoal value graded project, with the drawings graded and returned to the students later in the day. Then I distributed pieces of wood to the students and they started working on their designs for their woodcut book illustration projects. Toward the end of the day I did a demonstration of safe and effective cutting techniques.

How to make this up- You can't start the block until I give you a piece of plywood, but you can work out your design on paper. The image will be 8" x 6", and can be positioned vertical or horizontal, as in the student examples above. You can sketch it out in pencil, and may choose to use markers to fill in the black shapes to get a better feel for how the print will look. Remember that the resulting print is a mirror image of the block, so you will have to draw the block backwards from how you want the print to look.

Homework- The completed wood block is due at the beginning of class on November 15, 2010, at which time we will print them in class.

For next class 11/8/10- We will begin our study of color. Bring your 18"x 24" pad, and all your painting related materials- acrylic paints, brushes, palette, palette knife, and some kind of container for water, as well as pencil and eraser.

10/27/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- The topic for today was rhythm as a visual element. I showed slides of art from the Renaissance to the present that displayed a variety of rhythmic qualities. Then I played various types of instrumental music, while the students made abstract watercolor paintings based on the music being listened to, such as in the example above. In addition, we reviewed the results of the research papers, with each student reporting on some of what they learned about their art historical period, and the graded papers were returned.

How to make this up- Full details as to how to complete today's assignment, along with several more student examples, can be found here. It lists 5 types of music, out of which your should pick 4 to do for yourself. This is a portfolio exercise, so must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework- The photography assignment given last week is due at the beginning of class next week, November 3, 2010. Have prints labeled and in order. Those who still owe me a research paper should turn it in as soon as possible to receive some partial credit for the assignment.

For next class 11/3/10- We will begin a printmaking related project, something called a collagraph. I will have materials for everyone to use, but students are encouraged to bring in a variety of natural and manufactured items with interesting textures, stuff that you don't mind cutting up and gluing to a surface. Also bring scissors and glue (something stronger than a glue stick). You don't need your 18" x 24" pad for next week.

2D Design Final Charcoal and Woodcut Preview

Final Charcoal Drawing

How to make this up- For the charcoal drawing, set up a still life. Put a box on a table, drape with both a white or light colored cloth and a dark colored cloth, then arrange 4 objects (2 white, 2 colored) on and around the box. Shine a direct light on the set up to create patterns of light and shadow. Draw on a sheet of 18"x 24" paper, paying attention to shapes, sizes, and spacing of the objects, as well as the value of individual objects and drapery. Above are a student examples. Spend up to 4 hours on it, using your choice of compressed or vine charcoal. This is a graded project, so the more weeks it is late, the more points will be deducted.

Woodcut Project

The next graded project will be a book illustration in the form of a woodcut print. Today students were shown examples of prints from history, and examples of this project from previous students (see above and below). Each student needs to choose a book for which they will create an illustration. It can be fiction (novel, short story), non-fiction (history, biography), poetry, but no fairy tales, children's stories, young adult books, comic books, or other fully illustrated writing. The illustration can be of a specific scene from your book, or something that sums up the entire book. Your resulting image must be representational, but doesn't have to be realistic, as the examples demonstrate. The project will be graded based on how well it portrays the narrative from the book and for creating an interesting composition in black and white. Wood will be distributed to the class next week, and after a discussion of two dimensional composition, the rest of the class meeting will be devoted to working on your block.

10/20/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today I collected the research papers from everyone who had one. They will be graded and returned next week. Today's art topic was the medium of photography. I showed slides from the early history of photography through the present, breaking them down by chronology and common themes. After the slides, I distributed and reviewed a take home photography assignment. We took a break, then used the rest of the class to tour the various art studios in Vaughn Eames and visited an exhibition across campus.

How to make this up- The photo assignment was distributed on a handout, but if you weren't there today or misplace your copy, the full assignment, along with some student examples, can be found here.

Homework- The take home photo assignment is due at the beginning of class on November 3, 2010. The photos must be printed out and individually labeled, but don't have to be mounted.

If you haven't yet turned in your research paper, bring it to class as soon as possible.

For next class 10/27/10- We will use the paints again, so bring your 18" x 24" pad, watercolor paints, brushes, palette, and water container.

2D Design Charcoal Exercises

How to make this up- Put a box on a table, and drape with a white or light colored cloth (sheet, towel, etc). Find 4 white or light colored objects of similar size. Arrange with one on the box and the others around it on the table. Shine a directional light on it to create strong light and shadow patterns. Do your best to match the light and shadow in the still life, while still paying attention to the shapes of individual objects, and the proportions and spacing of the objects. Remember that when doing value drawings, you want to eliminate as many lines as possible from the final drawing, having edges of value shapes instead. Then do the following drawings:

Value Reduction Drawing- Take a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper, and use your vine charcoal to fill the page with an even dark gray tone. Then use your kneaded eraser to draw from the set up (see the example above), erasing out the light tones that you see in the set up. If you erase too much, fill it back in with your vine charcoal. If you have spray fixative, you should use it to permanently fix the charcoal to the page once the drawing is finished. Students in class spent about an hour on the drawing.

Compressed Charcoal Drawing- Replace two of the white objects in your still life with dark colored objects of similar size. Take a new sheet of 18" x 24" paper. Use your compressed charcoal to draw the still life on white paper, as in the above student example. (do not fill in the page with compressed charcoal first, as it is very difficult to erase) Students in class spent about 90 minutes on the drawing.

Both of these are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester to get credit, but it is strongly recommended that you do it in the next week for practice, because next week we'll be doing a charcoal graded project.