2/27/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we concentrated on value, the use of light and dark in two dimensional art to imply form, volume, and space, and to focus attention. We saw it with the stipple drawing, but this was our first time really studying it. After a slide show of art from Ancient Egypt through the 20th century that featured value, students drew from a still life with charcoal.

How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life and light it with a direct light source to create patterns of light and shadow. One drawing will be done as a value reduction (erasing lights out of the dark) with vine charcoal, and the other will be done in a more traditional direct approach of drawing with compressed charcoal on white paper. Additional student examples and the full directions on how to complete the assignments can be found here.

These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit, however I strongly recommend completing them before next week's class, especially if you've never worked with charcoal before.

Homework- Nothing new, but anyone who still owes me either their stipple drawing or their pencil line still life final should try to complete them as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

For next class 3/5/12- We will continue our study of value drawing, doing one more charcoal still life drawing as a graded project. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, vine and/or compressed charcoal (your choice), kneaded eraser, and spray fixative. We will also discuss printmaking and preparations for the following week's class.

2/24/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we talked about color for the first time. I showed slides of art from prehistory to the present, discussing the origins of color technology and how color was used for different purposes. After that we did an exercise in color mixing.

How to make this up- The class used their watercolor paints to complete two exercises. First was the creation of a color wheel, with all 12 hues derived from the three primary colors. The second involved mixing two complementary colors to create various intermediary and related hues. Above is an example. To see an additional student example and to read the step by step instructions to complete the assignment, click here.

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

Homework- The research paper is due two weeks from today, at the beginning of class on March 9, 2012. Those who still haven't shared their choices of artists and artworks should do so as soon as possible.

For next class 3/2/12- We will look at the history of photography and I will distribute a related take home assignment. We will also spend time visiting other parts of the building, checking out an exhibition and the other studios. You may leave all your art supplies at home.

2/17/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today's topic was monumental (2D) art, which I defined as large scale art intended to be permanently part of a wall or ceiling. Most common are mosaics and frescoes, and we saw examples of both from Ancient Rome through the 20th century. I also showed a short video that detailed the creation of a large modern mural. After that, students began a new art project, using collaged paper to create a mosaic like image.

How to make this up- You will need to select a color photograph from a magazine, and sketch the basic composition at one of the designated sizes. You will then find pieces of color from other magazines to match the colors from the original photo. In the above student example, the original photo is on the left and the student collage on the right. To see additional examples and see the full instructions, click here.

This is a portfolio exercise that must be completed by the end of the semester in order to receive full credit.

Homework- Some of the class has cleared their choices of artists and artworks for their research papers, but many still haven't. If you haven't yet shown me your chosen artists and artworks, I suggest that you do so as soon as possible, either by e-mail or in class. The research paper itself is due March 9, 2012.

For next class 2/24/12- We will continue to look at color, this time using paint. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, watercolor paints, brushes, a palette, and some kind of water container.

2/13/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we opened with a group critique of the stipple drawings, which were also graded and returned. We spent the rest of the class period working on the semester's second graded project, a line still life of complex mixed objects.

How to make this up- This project will require you to gather a variety of objects, arrange them into a multiple level still life, and draw the results, as in the student example above. For the full instructions, including a list of specific objects to include, click here.

Homework- Nothing new, but if you still owe the stipple drawing or today's still life project, you should get it done as soon as possible. The longer the delay, the more points will be deducted.

***No Class Meeting on 2/20/12 - President's Day***

For next class 2/27/12- We will start our study of value. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both vine and compressed charcoal, the kneaded eraser, and spray fixative.

2/10/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we spent the day considering the use of value (light and shadow) in art. We looked at slides of two dimensional art from Ancient Rome through the present, seeing how value was used by artists to imply volume, distance, weight, and time of day, to focus attention, and to provide more details of surfaces. We also looked at a few examples of student charcoal drawings. For the art project, students used charcoal to draw from a still life set up of white objects, lit with a directional light source.

How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life with some white or light colored objects, and use charcoal to match the level of light and dark in the objects as closely as you can, as in the above example. The details of how to set it up and some additional student examples can be found here. This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive credit.

Homework- Nothing new, but I am asking students to provide me with a list of artists and artworks for their research topic by next Friday. Students who don't clear their choices with me will have to take their chances that they have chosen work appropriate to their paper.

For next class 2/17/12- We will do a project involving collage. Bring your 18" x 24" paper, pencil and eraser, scissors, and glue. (glue stick is recommended) If you have any old magazines to cut up, bring them in, though I'll have a pile of them for you to go through.

2/6/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we started our study of line. We did exercises involving contour lines, and later looked at negative space.

How to make this up-

Contour Line Exercises- For these the students drew from shoes, doing exercises involving exterior contour lines, cross contour lines, and blind contour line drawing. Examples of each exercise and the specific directions can be found here.

Negative Space Exercises- Negative space is the area in a two dimensional artwork that is between and around the positive shapes, the obvious subjects in the art. For this I had the students draw the negative space in a complex object, and then draw a still life of similar objects. Examples of each exercise and the specific directions can be found here.

These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework- The stipple drawings begun last week are due at the beginning of class on February 13, 2012. You must bring the original photo as well.

For next class 2/13/12- We will critique the stipple drawings, then begin a new graded project involving a line drawing still life. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil, and eraser.

2/3/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today the focus was on the concept of negative space- the spaces in a two dimensional artwork that are between and around the positive objects. Also, the research assignment was distributed and students chose their topics for the paper.

How to make this up- The class did two exercises related to the idea of how artists see and make use of negative space. Examples and directions for each can be found here. These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester.

If you did not select a research paper topic in class today, you must either contact me for a list of available topics, or talk to me in class next week.

Homework- A list of 3 artists and an artwork from each for your chosen research topic is due by February 17, 2012, though you can bring it or send it to me sooner, to get faster approval and more time to work on the paper. The completed paper is due at the beginning of class on March 9, 2012.

For next class 2/10/12- We will start our study of value. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, drawing charcoal, and kneaded eraser. Charcoal is very messy, so you are advised not to wear white to class.