11/26/13 3D Design

Today's Class-  By now all of you should have gotten the word that today's class was cancelled.  We will return next Tuesday, December 3rd, and work on the final project for the rest of the semester.  The museum paper is due that day, so perhaps you'll use today to get that written.  Last week's blog post includes all the information about other dates and what you'll need for next week's class meeting.

Enjoy the holiday.

11/19/13 3D Design

Today's Class- Today we continued the book carving projects that were started last week.   We also took some time to look at the scale model classroom projects that were begun a few weeks ago.  I went over with each student their status on all projects, reminded everyone about the paper, and confirmed the class holiday next week.

How to make this up-  This is the same project worked in class last week, and the specifics can be seen on last week's blog post.

Homework- The completed book project is due at the beginning of class on December 10, 2013.

The museum papers are due on December 3, 2013.  Papers submitted by that date will be returned graded the following week for those who wish to fix and resubmit them before the end of the semester.  Papers will be accepted as late during the last two weeks of class as well.

Those who still owe a back project should try to get it done as soon as possible.  We are running out of semester for you to make up work.

               ****Schedule Change*****

 We will not be meeting on Tuesday November 26th.  Use the time to catch up on back projects or to work on your museum assignment.

For next class 12/3/13-  We will be starting the final project of the semester, which will begin with creating a scale model proposal for a final project.  Bring bristol board, sketchbook, scissors/x-acto knife, glue, pencil and eraser.

3D Design Book Sculpture

The Assignment   The project is to create a sculpture using the raw material of a traditionally bound book.  I recommend a hardcover book of about 250 - 300 pages, with a cover around 6" x 9".  Can be a little bigger, but much smaller will give you little space to work.  You have a choice of two approaches, one carving away to create a single static scene with positive shapes, or a design that emphasizes negative shapes that change as the viewer continues to move through the book.  In both cases, the book must be able to open and close as it always could, and all the changes are made from cutting only.  No glue can be used to hold anything together- all pages must be still attached to the original binding.

A) Carve away parts of all the pages to reveal a three dimensional positive recognizable object.  You may have the book with just its front cover open to create a single block of bound pages to be carved, or have the book open to somewhere in the middle so that the sculpture is spread over both pages.  It can be a single image (as in the portrait below) or a group of things creating a scene, such as elements in a landscape.  The resulting piece should show significant depth.  Below is a student example.

B) Create a more abstract negative sculpture that changes as readers move through the book.  Divide the book into four roughly equally thick sections.  Within each section create multiple negative shapes.  One of the negative shapes should be continued into the next section  (the exact dimensions can change within the section and/or as it moves into the next section, but the created void must continue from one to the next) , but not into a third section.  For example, a shape cut through the first section should be connected to a shape cut through the second section, but not with the third, while a new shape that starts in the second section will continue into the third, and so forth.  Below is a student example from different locations in the book.

Above- book with front cover open

Below- book open about halfway

This project will be continued next week in class.

11/5/13 3D Design

Today's Class-  Today we opened by looking at some of the completed pairs of figures from the Canon of Proportion exercise.  Everyone agreed that the changed proportions definitely altered our reactions to the figure.  Then we looked at a few slides of sculptural installations that included figures and began a new graded project based on the previously made figure sculptures and the idea of relative proportions.

How to make this up-  First, you must have completed the exercise from October 15th when the pairs of figures based on images taken from a magazine was started.  Take your first figure, representing the original proportions of the photographed figure.  Measure its height and assign a height to the original photographed model.  Use that ratio to create a scale for reproducing a portion of our classroom.

Start by choosing a piece of our classroom.  Your installation must include the desk you sit at each week, the next major object in any direction you choose, one stool, and your 3D rendition of the figure.    The next major object can be another table, a part of the wall or door, a different kind of table, a counter top, etc.  Carefully measure your table and the major elements of next big object, as well as the space to the next big object.  Sketch this out on paper, then perform the calculations to figure the size of the pieces you'll be making to maintain the scale of your figure.  Construct these items out of foam core, including a piece of the floor that connects them.  Glue the major items in place, maintaining the proper proportion of space between them.  Above and below are three examples completed today- an installation that includes a work table and the adjacent wall, one with a work table and counter, and one that includes two work tables.

Homework-  This graded proportional room project is due at the beginning of class on November 19, 2013.

The representative sculpture made from manufactured materials (plastic, etc) is due at the beginning of class on November 12, 2013.

For next class 11/12/13-  We will make some sculptures using books as a raw material.  Have at least two hardcover books that you don't mind cutting up, each 300 or more pages and covers in the vicinity of 8" x 6"  Also bring sketchbook and pencil, x-acto knife, and several pieces of foam core or corrugated cardboard cut to the same dimensions at the book covers.