12/19/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was the last class meeting of the semester.  We spent much of the class looking at the 3D projects.  After that, I dismissed the students for a while so that I could grade those projects, some late arriving comic strips, the semester portfolios, and museum papers.  Because so many were late in arriving today, I didn't get to all the papers before the end, so if you chose not to wait, e-mail me and I'll send you the grade for the paper.  Most students did return to pick up their work and learn the grades on the 3D projects, the portfolios, etc.  Unclaimed work was put over on a table in the niche on the side (under where it says "art" in the above photo)- I can't guarantee how long it will remain there, so if you want it, you should try to pick it up soon.  (keep in mind that the room is often locked when not in use)  Final class grades will be available online, probably in early January.

Enjoy the holidays

12/17/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today was our last meeting of the semester.  We opened with a critique of the Board Game Final Projects, as well as a few other late arriving projects.  Then I dismissed the class while I graded those, the semester portfolios, and the museum papers.  Most students returned to pick up their work.  Work not picked up by 3:00 pm was placed, as stated during class, on top of the metal cabinet in the back corner of the classroom (by the windows)- it is recommended that you pick it up as soon as possible.  Final class grades will be available online sometime after Christmas.  

Enjoy the holiday break.

12/12/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class-  Today was a general work day for the class.  Students chose such options for themselves as working on parts of the 3D project, working on their museum papers, or finishing a back exercise from the portfolio.  We also looked at a few late arriving comic strips, and took a walk to the gallery down the hall to see the current Kean Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition.

Homework-  The 3D Final Project is due at the beginning of class on December 19, 2012.  

The museum paper is due at the beginning of class on December 19, 2012.

The semester portfolio (all the otherwise ungraded work) is due at the beginning of class on December 19, 2012.  The full list of what is expected in the semester portfolio (and the dates they can be found on this blog) can be found on last week's blog post.

For next week 12/19/12-  Our last meeting of the semester.  We will open with a group critique of the 3D projects, then I'll dismiss everyone while I grade those, the portfolios, and any back projects or museum papers I haven't seen yet.  At a time I'll tell you that day, you can return and collect all the graded work.  No work for the semester will be accepted after the end of the class.

2012 Faculty Exhibition

Currently on view in the James Howe Gallery in Vaughn-Eames is the 2012 Fall Salon / Kean Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition.  It features artwork from 21 members of the art department faculty, including prints, paintings, photographs, sculptures, drawings, ceramics, video, and mixed media.  

My 2D Design class saw the show a few weeks ago, and my Intro class will likely see it tomorrow.  However, if you find yourself on campus on Wednesday, December 12th from 4 to 6 pm, you are invited to stop by the gallery and enjoy the official reception.  Many of the participating artists will be present, along with free refreshments.

The show will remain on display through Wednesday, December 19, 2012.

12/10/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we opened with a critique of the limited palettes graded projects, and we took time to take the department's 2D Design Assessment test.  The rest of the day was a general work day, for students to work on anything related to the class.

******Final Portfolio*******

At our last class meeting next week I'll be grading the semester portfolio, which is all the items that weren't individually graded.  If you missed no classes, you should have them done.  (the wallpaper and color wheel/mixes have to be complete, the others only need to be as much as we got done in class)  If you missed time, or aren't sure of what is included, below is a list, along with the dates they can be found on this blog:

9/17/12-    Wallpaper patterns with dots
9/24/12-    Contour Lines (shoes)
                  Negative Space (chair, bottles)
10/8/12-    Value drawing exercises (charcoal)
11/12/12-  Color Wheel, Complement Mix
11/26/12-  Color Still Life painting

Homework-  The Board Game final project is due at the beginning of class on December 17, 2012.  

The museum assignment is due at the beginning of class on December 17, 2012.

If you still owe such back assignments as the color temperature collage (seasons), or limited palettes project, they can be turned on at the beginning of class on December 17, 2012 for partial credit.

For next class 12/17/12-  Our final class meeting of the semester. We will have a group critique of the final projects, and perhaps some late arriving other graded projects.  Then I'll dismiss the class temporarily while I grade those items, the portfolios, and the papers.  If you return at the designated time that day (I'll let you know that morning), you may pick up all those items and learn the grades they earned.  Final class grades will come out online when the college releases them.  

Make sure you are on time.  The sooner we start, the sooner we will finish.  No work will be accepted after that.

12/5/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class-  Today we covered the last new topic of the semester, sculpture.  I showed slides of three dimensional art stretching from prehistoric to contemporary, and then I assigned the final 3D graded project.  We also held a brief critique of all the 2D projects, the comic strips.

How to make this up- You will base your sculpture on an individualized theme, randomly chosen.  Students in class today chose words from paper bags to create a random phrase to be the inspiration for the sculpture.  Once you have the theme,  you choose the type of sculpture to make, either an open front box sculpture (like the example above) or a free standing tabletop sculpture.  Student examples of each type, and all the specific directions and project requirements, can be found here.

To get your specific theme, you can wait until next week's class and pick from the bags yourself, or contact me by e-mail and have me pick a phrase for you.

Homework- This 3D graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 19, 2012.  This is the last day of class.  Any work not turned in by then will not be accepted for your final grade.

Museum papers are also due on the last day of class, but will be accepted next week.  Turning it in a week earlier means I can let you know if there are issues that you can fix, and then resubmit it for a better grade  on the last day of class.

If you haven't turned in your 2D graded project (comic strip), bring it as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

Next week, December 12th, is the last chance to bring in your collagraph plate to be printed and included in your semester portfolio.

For next class 12/12/12- The class period will be a general work day for the class, which you may use for any class related work.  Most will work on the 3D Final.  If you want to do that, bring with you whatever materials you plan to use in the creation of your sculpture.  (having your theme before you come to class will help you to know what kinds of things to bring with you)  Another option is to work on a back project from earlier in the semester.  The full list of portfolio exercises can be seen below.  If you can complete it without any assistance from me (setting up a still life, providing specific music), you can work on it next week.  Another possibility is working on your museum paper, if you've completed your visit.

Semester Portfolio
9/12/12  Contour Lines (shoes)
9/19/12  Negative Space
9/26/12  Value Drawing (charcoal)
10/3/12  Mosaic Collage
10/10/12 Color Wheel and Mixing
10/17/12  Photography
10/24/12  Rhythm (music)
11/7/12  Collagraph

Next week I will also return the graded comic strip projects and we'll visit the Faculty Exhibition down the hall.

12/3/12 2D Design

Today's Class-  We spent the first half of class today exploring the idea of composing with color.  We reviewed some general rules and concepts from the textbook, and looked at a few dozen slides of historical art, considering the compositional strategies in each.  Then the class did a group exercise, playing the composition game (above), balancing with shape, color intensity, value, etc.  Most of the rest of the class was devoted to the Final Project, creating a board game out of the work of a chosen fine artist.  We also took some time to see the Faculty Exhibition downstairs in the gallery.

Board Game Final Project

Roots
Kerry James Marshall

Painted Dreams
Vincent Van Gogh

How to make this up- You are asked to create an original composition that makes use of the artwork of a recognized fine artist from the 20th century or earlier, someone found in museums, art history textbooks, etc, who works in two dimensions, uses representational imagery (no total abstraction), and full color.  You are to use elements from two or more of the artist's works, such as figures, objects, interiors, and landscapes- the shapes, colors, and style of painting.  Arrange these items as part of your new composition, considering the various principles of design.  Because this is a board game format, your piece must include some kind of game path, a game theme (player goal) related to the chosen artwork, and the name of the game must be part of the board.  You will create this game board on a piece of mat board or the equivalent, between 15" x 20" and 18" x 24", using your acrylic paints.  Above and below are examples of student projects from earlier semesters, with the name of the inspiring artist and the game.  More details of what is required, as well as my example and the story behind its development, can be found here.

Love Story

Roy Lichtenstein

Magritte: The Board Game

Rene Magritte

Homework-  This Game Board Final Project is due at the beginning of class on December 17, 2012.  This is our final class meeting.  No projects will be accepted after this date.

The limited palettes graded project that we started a few weeks ago is due at the beginning of class on December 10, 2012.

The museum assignment is due on December 17, 2012, though it can be turned in next week.

For next class 12/10/12-  We will critique the limited palettes projects, take a brief vocabulary and art concepts test, and spend the rest of the day working on the final projects.

11/28/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class-  Today we continued work on the comic strip projects that were begun during our last class meeting before Thanksgiving.  While the class was working on that, I helped all the prepared students to print their collagraphs.  We also took time to fill out the semester evaluation forms, and to look at a few more student photos from that assignment.

How to make this up-  Printing your collagraph plates requires tools and materials that I have and you likely don't, so the simplest thing is for you to bring your completed plate to class next week.  I'll collect them, print them in my home studio, and return them the following week.  Examples of plates and the prints made from them can be seen above and below.  You may keep or dispose of the plate used to make the print, but the print made from it must be saved for the final portfolio grading.  Many students tape or glue the print to a blank page in their pad.  It is not required, but you do have the option of adding color to the finished print.  If the shapes in the composition aren't clear in the printed image, color can clarify the subject.  This can be done with transparent washes of watercolor (as in the above example) or with thin layers of pastels that allow the ink textures to still show through.  

As for the comic strip project, if you need a reminder of the specific requirements, or want to see student examples from a previous semester, you can find it on the blog post for our class on November 14th.  

Homework-  The graded autobiographical comic strip project is due at the beginning of class on December 5, 2012.  We will look at them as a group and have a critique.  

The museum assignment is due by the last day of class, December 19, 2012, though I encourage you to complete it and turn it in sooner.  If I see it before the last day, I can let you know if you revise it to improve your grade.

For next class 12/5/12-  We will critique the comic strip projects and start our final project of the semester, the 3D graded project.  We will begin with developing and sketching the ideas, so you only need your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser.   We may also visit the faculty exhibition down the hall.

11/26/12 2D Design

Today's Class-  After a few weeks of dealing with color in a theoretical sense, today we explored a more traditional and practical use, a color still life.   I showed a few slides of still life painting from the renaissance to the present, discussing the purposes and meanings of still life in different eras.  Then I set up a still life of colorful objects and had the class paint it as a portfolio exercise.  We also found time to fill out the semester course evaluation forms and to critique the color season temperature collages.

How to make this up-  Set up a still life.  In a well lit room, place a small box on a table and drape with a multicolored cloth.  Arrange on and around the box 4 solidly colored objects, each a different color from each other and the cloth.  Paint the still life, paying attention to the size and shapes of the objects, relative spacing, value, and now also matching the colors.  You may sketch the set up with pencil first, or if you prefer, just paint it directly with your brushes.  Spend 3 to 4 hours working on it.  Above and below are examples from previous semesters.

This is a portfolio exercise, and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework- Nothing new, but the limited palettes project that we began last week is due on December 10, 2012.

If you haven't yet turned in such back assignments as the woodcut or the season temperature assignment, complete them as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

The written museum assignment is due by the last day of class, December 17, 2012, but it can be turned in sooner.

For next class 12/3/12- We will start the final project of the semester.  It will involve creating a two dimensional artwork based on the work of a historical fine artist.  The artist should be from the 20th century or earlier, must work in two dimensions (painting, drawing, prints) and the work must have narrative (no completely abstract work).  The piece will involve painting on mat board (the heavy smooth cardboard used in framing) or similar material.  A piece between 16" x 20" and 18" x 24" will be fine.  Bring that, images of work by your artist of choice, pencil and eraser and all your painting related materials.  

11/21/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class-  As you know, we had no class meeting today.  The university scheduled 16 weeks of Wednesdays this semester for a 15 week class, and today was the one we skipped, which probably made everyone's life a lot easier today.  

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and break.  

We'll be back in class on November 28, 2012.  For a reminder of what we'll be doing and what you'll need to bring to class, check out the posting for this class from November 14th.

11/19/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we began a new graded project that deals with the idea of color schemes, particularly limited palettes.  Sometimes artists will base representational paintings on attempting to match local colors as closely as possible, but other times they will choose to invent colors.  In the latter case, the simplest approach may be working with a limited palette in which the colors have an established relationship, which results in a painting with colors in harmony.  For this new project, students started with a black and white photograph, using its composition and value structure as a basis for a series of color studies.

How to make this up-  You need to select a black and white photograph of a real object or scene, with a wide range of value (light to dark).  Take a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper, and use pencil to divide it into four equal sized boxes.  Draw the basic composition of the photo in all four boxes,  just enough detail so that you will know where the colors will go.  Then use your acrylic paints to reproduce the image in each box based on the value in photo, but with color choices and values that fit within the parameters of some established palette strategies.  Above is a student example from a previous semester.  Additional examples and all the specific information about the color palettes can be found here.

Homework-  This limited palettes graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 10, 2012.  

The color temperature graded project that we started last week is due at the beginning of class on November 26, 2012.

Anyone who did not have their woodblock printed today should finish it as soon as possible to receive partial credit.  Below are the prints that were done in class today.

For next class 11/26/12-  We will continue our study of color with a more traditional approach to color, a portfolio exercise in color still life painting.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and all your painting related materials, as well as your completed color temperature projects.

11/14/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class-  Today we took care of a bunch of things.  We started the first graded project of the semester, a 2D project involving narrative.  We looked at a few dozen slides of art that was created to tell stories, from the ancient world through contemporary.  We also looked at slide examples of work that each student wrote about for their research papers, and discussed some of the things that were learned about in their research.  The graded papers were returned. The last half hour of class we looked at some of the photos that students took as part of the photography assignment, seeing some of the interesting ways everyone met the challenges of each part.  I also went over some of the schedule changes for the semester to make up for class lost to Hurricane Sandy.

How to make this up-  The new project is a personal narrative in the format of a comic strip that uses symbolic characters to enhance the story.  You will tell a true story from your past.  It can be something of major or minor importance, happy or sad, something that took place over multiple years or in just a few minutes.   The story will be told in 12 panels, spread over two pages of your 18" x 24" paper.  The panels can be all the same size, or vary to suit the needs of the story.  The pages can be vertical or horizontal, but it should be the same for both pages.  The characters chosen to represent you and other people in the story should have a relationship to the theme of the story, or be personal symbols important to you and the people in the story.  The symbols can be personified (faces, arms and legs) to whatever extent you like.

You can sketch out the story in pencil first, but it must be colored in using pastels.  You may use a pen or marker for things like dialog or captions, but pastels for the color.  (I'll demonstrate use of them early next class)  The pages should have full color everywhere, though you may use white where it makes sense to represent objects (white clouds, etc) and you don't need to color in dialog balloons.  Consider how to use a variety of color, and mixing in a variety of viewpoints, like close up, medium, and distant (as in the photos of buildings and people from different distances).  

With everything else we had to take care of today, we didn't get much past discussion of the problem today, but we'll have almost all of the next class meeting to work on it, and you'll have another week after that before it will be due.  I recommend that before our next meeting that you select a story, work out how you'll tell the story in 12 panels, and sketch some potential characters.  That way, you can use more of the class time to work on the project.  Above and below are examples of this project from previous semesters.  More examples (including some pages from the Maus graphic novel that inspired this) and additional details about the project, including the use of symbolism in the characters, can be found here.

Homework- The completed comic book project will be due at the beginning of class on December 5, 2012.  On that day we will look at them as group and have a brief critique.  

The collograph project begun last week will be continued next class, so if you have not yet made a collagraph plate, you must make yours before our next class meeting on November 28, 2012. 

The museum assignment is due by the last day of class, December 19, 2012.  Don't wait too long to make your museum visit.  

*****Thanksgiving Break November 22-25th*****
****No class meeting for us on Wed Nov 21st****

For next class 11/28/12- I will help students individually print their collagraph plates while everyone is continuing work on the comic strip project.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, pastels, and completed collagraph plate.

11/12/12 2D Design

Today's Class- We finally returned from our long hurricane related break, and got to start our study of color.  First I discussed some of the scheduled changes that have resulted from the lost days.  Then I showed a selection of slides, from prehistoric through comic books, discussing the evolution of color technology and materials, as well as the ways color was used artistically.  The rest of the morning was spent doing two exercises related to basic color theory and mixing.  In the afternoon we looked at a few more slides to introduce a new graded project on the topic of color temperature.  

How to make this up- The two color mixing exercises are the creation of a color wheel and set of color mixes between complement pairs, examples of which are shown above.  The color wheel requires students to mix all colors from the three primary colors, including the three secondaries and the six tertiaries.  The complement mix involves choosing a pair of complementary colors (red/green or blue/orange) and mixing from one the other to create neutrals.  More examples and the full instructions can be found here.  (you may skip the third exercise on Tints and Shades, which we dropped as part of our post-Sandy schedule adjustment)  These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

The new graded project is about color temperature, the idea that colors are perceived to have warm or cool qualities.  Artists will use these qualities to various effects in 2D art.  What we did was begin the process of making two collages of color, each meant to represent a different season of the year based on the temperature of the colors within.  Below are two examples from a previous semester.  The project requires the creation of 100 unique colors for each season, mixed from all your colors of acrylic paint.  The colors will be cut out in pieces no larger than 1 square inch and glued into two 10" square boxes.  Additional examples of the project and the full instructions can be found here.

Homework-  The color temperature graded project will be due at the beginning of class on November 26, 2012.  At that time we will look at them as a group and decide if the seasons are accurately represented.

The cut woodblocks for the book illustrations are due at the beginning of class on November 19, 2012. I'll bring the materials and tools to help everyone print their blocks during class while everyone is working on a new graded project.

For next class 11/19/12- We will start a new graded project related to the concept of limited color palettes, creating paintings with just a small number of chosen colors that fit certain patterns.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, all your acrylic paints, brushes, palette, palette knife, and water container.  You will also need a black and white photo to be a source for your project.  Just as with the dot drawing, the photo should be of a real object, scene, figure, etc and have a wide range of values from light to dark.  I'll have a bag of magazines to pick through for those who don't bring a photo of their own.

Updated Plans for 2D Design

School is back in session this week, so our 2D Design class will finally return after a two week absence.  The plan will be what I referenced last week, but here it is again in more detail.

Homework- The woodcut book illustration project will now be due at the beginning of class on November 19, 2012.  On that day, while the class is working on a color related project, I'll help each student print their blocks.  If you were not in on the day when I distributed wood and demonstrated cutting, I will be doing that again this week.

For next class 11/12/12-  We will finally start our study of color, with an exercise in basic color theory, and we will start a graded color project as well.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, all your acrylic paints, brushes, palette, palette knife, and water container.  The graded project will also require scissors and glue.  

11/7/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at the medium of printmaking, an art form in which images (usually identical copies) are created from a fixed matrix.  We looked at slide examples of woodcut, linocut, etching, lithography, monotype, and silkscreen, both historical and contemporary work.  After that the class completed the first part in an exercise involving an additional type of printmaking, the collagraph.

How to make this up- All students will need to construct a collagraph plate, which is a printing plate made by attaching various things to a flat surface.  (comes from the word "collage")  The completed plate will be inked by rolling with black printing ink and printed onto paper.  Above are a few examples from a previous semester.  For this exercise, we used cardboard as the plate base (about 8" x 10"- the large panel of a cereal box is a good size) and attached cut bits of different kinds of fabrics, but you can use any kind of material you want, natural or manufactured, as long as it is relatively thin (no more than 1/8" thick).  The print can be any design you want, as long as it is a recognizable image (person, object, scene, etc) and it must use items with at least 8 different textures.  Below is an example of a collagraph plate (top) and the print made from it (bottom).  Note that the color of the objects has nothing to do with the printed color, and that the image will print as a reverse (mirror) of the plate design, so if it matters what is on each side, or if you are going to include letters/numbers, they will have to be backwards on the plate.  More information and additional examples can be found here.

Homework- The completed collagraph plate is due at the beginning of class on November 28, 2012.  I will bring in the materials that day to print the plates.

The photography assignment is now due on November 14, 2012.  We'll take time out of the class to look at examples of everyone's photographs.

Those who have not yet turned in the research assignment should complete it as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

For next class 11/14/12-  We will begin our first major graded art project of the semester, our 2D (flat) project.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and pastels.

11/4/12 Storm Update Intro to Art

No word as I write this as to whether or not Kean will be open this coming Wednesday, November 7, 2012, which would be our next scheduled class meeting.  If the university is open, I expect to be there to hold the class.  Here's the current plan.

Homework-  The photography assignment will now be due on November 14, 2012.

For next class 11/7/12- We will do the assignment that had been planned for last week, involving the printmaking process collagraph.  I will provide cardboard for the plate base, and bring in a variety of scrap materials with different textures that you can cut up and use to create your design.  Time is required for them to dry before printing, so we will actually print them on a future week.  You are welcome to bring in anything with interesting textures, natural or manufactured, to use in your piece.  (nothing too thick, and no cotton balls- rolling the ink will tear them apart)  Also bring in scissors to cut up the materials, and white or wood glue, along with pencil and eraser.  You do not need your 18" x 24" pad this week.

Further Storm Updates

Things are still pretty rough down in the shore area.  (normally we keep boats docked in the water, not on top of the dock itself, as this one was found the next day) I still have neither electricity or internet access at my home, but I'm on today to check on a few things.  It has already been announced that Kean classes are cancelled for tomorrow, November 5th, and I don't think they are announcing yet when they expect to resume again.  

I'll try to put up a more detailed post when I know more, but for now, on November 12, 2012 my Monday 9:30 am 2D class will again plan to start color with some exercises in basic color theory and mixing.  However, because we have now lost two weeks of meetings, we also have to start the next graded project the same day.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, all your acrylic paints (red, yellow, blue, black, white), palette, palette knife, brushes, and water container.  Also bring scissors and glue (white or rubber cement).

As for the Wednesday 11:00 Intro to Art class, if school is open this week, we will do the planned print project, so bring the same materials you would have this past week.  If school is still closed, I'll look at the schedule and let you know what the alternate plan will be.

Expected Storm Issues

While this coming storm is expected to affect pretty much all of New Jersey and this whole corner of the country, it's expected to come ashore and do its greatest damage in the Monmouth/Ocean region, which is where I happen to live.  The local power company has already threatened to not restore expected power outages for up to 10 days, which will severely limit my access to e-mail and the internet until that is resolved.  I will try to check in when I can, but I may not be able to respond to e-mails as promptly as I try to under normal circumstances.

10/29/12- 2D Design Change

10/28/12  Storm Update and Change-

By now you likely know that the school has finally and wisely decided to cancel all classes for Monday Oct 29th and Tuesday Oct 30th.  That means no meeting for our 2D Design class this coming week (Week 8 on our syllabus).  There is a little bit of wiggle room built into the schedule, so we should be able to cover almost everything that was planned for the semester, just rearranged a little.

Class Assignment Updates-

The woodcut book illustration graded project will now be due at the beginning of class on Monday, November 12, 2012.  On that day I will help all the students print their blocks while everyone works on a color related graded project.  This gives everyone who has wood an extra week to cut the blocks.  Those who were not here last week to receive a block from me can wait until our next meeting to get one.  If you would prefer to start before then with your own wood, I suggest 1/4" thick plywood, either lauan (what I distributed) or birch, about 8" x 6".  However, I recommend that you wait until after our next meeting to start cutting, so I can demonstrate the best and safest way to cut your design into the block.  

For next class 11/5/12-  We are going to pick up where we left off with the next planned lesson- portfolio exercises in basic color theory and color mixing.  (the original plan for this day, text as a visual element, will likely be addressed in a few weeks)  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, acrylic paints (red, blue, yellow, black, white), brushes, mixing palette, palette knife, and a water container.  

10/24/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we discussed the idea of rhythm and movement as aspects of visual art.  We looked at slides from the Renaissance through the present, talking about how patterns of shapes and colors can be described and felt in the same way that musical rhythms are appreciated.  Then the class did a series of abstract paintings, each while listening to a different style of music.  I also collected the research assignments that were due today.

How to make this up- You will need to do a series of paintings using your 18" x 24" pad and watercolors.  The class listened to 15 minute segments of mostly instrumental music, and for each created an abstract composition that reflected the music, choosing colors and designs influenced by the music.  No representational images allowed, but otherwise you are free to create what you want.  Above and below are examples from previous semesters.  The list of the specific music we listened to (or equivalents if you don't have access to those) and additional painting examples can be found here.

This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework-  If you didn't turn in your research assignment today, you should get it to me as soon as possible to receive partial credit.  The more weeks it is late, the more points will be deducted.  
We are now past the halfway point in the semester.  If you haven't yet done your museum visit, you should do it soon before the you get overloaded with end of the semester papers, projects, and exams in all your classes.

The photography assignment handed out last week is due November 7, 2012.

For next class 10/31/12-  We will start a printmaking project, a collagraph.  It's a process where materials are attached to a surface, and the shapes and textures are printed on paper with printing ink.  I'll provide cardboard for the plate base and I have a bag of things that you may pick through and cut up for your project, but if you have some things with potentially interesting textures (can be natural or manufactured items) that you don't mind cutting up and gluing down, bring them in.  The plates will be given time to dry and actually printed in class in a few weeks.  Bring scissors and glue, and any materials you want to bring in.  You won't need paper next week so you may leave the big pad at home.

10/22/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we began the graded woodcut project, a problem of black and white composition that is also a book illustration.  Looking back at the textbook's chapter on value, I went over the idea of value patterns- using value more as a formal compositional element and less as a way to describe surface appearances or to imply form and volume.  Using examples from my own work I discussed approaches to developing an idea- from initial concept, through revisions, to the final visual idea.  Wood was distributed and I did a demonstration of safe and effective cutting techniques.  We also visited the printmaking studio down the hall and a printmaking exhibition at the library.

How to make this up-  You can't create the block until you get a piece of wood, but you can develop your idea on paper.  You are creating an original illustration based on a literary source- fiction or non fiction, novel, short story, poem, etc, but no fairy tales, kids or young adult books, comics, or anything fully illustrated.  You can pick a specific scene, or something that sums up the book.  You will be working at a size of 8" x 6", which can be vertical or horizontal.  Bring your sketch idea(s) to class next week, and I'll give you a piece of the same wood distributed to everyone today.  Above are some examples from previous semesters. Additional examples and further instructions can be found here.

Homework- The completed block is due at the beginning of class on November 19, 2012. (note new storm related date) At that time I will bring in ink and printing tools to help you print them.  I suggest you start the cutting before next week so I can look at your progress.

For next class 10/29/12-  (now 11/12/12) We will start our study of color with some exercises in basic color theory and mixing.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, acrylic paints (red, yellow, blue, white, black), brushes, palette knife, palette, and water container.

10/17/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at the medium of photography.   I showed slides with examples of the history of photography, from the earliest experiments of the 1800's to contemporary artists, discussing the changes of technology, and the ways that photographs address the same concerns as more traditional arts.  A handout with a take home photo assignment was distributed.  We also took a tour of the building, visiting many of the studio classrooms and observing the type of work done there.  After that, we visited two exhibitions on campus, at the Human Rights Institute and at the CAS building.

How to make this up-  The take home photography assignment, and some previous student examples of the assignment, can be found here.

Homework-  The take home photography assignment is due at the beginning of class on November 7, 2012.

The research assignment on the various art historical periods is due at the beginning of class on October 24, 2012.

For next class 10/24/12-  We will go back to working with color.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, watercolors, brushes, mixing palette and water container, along with the completed research papers.