11/24/14 2D Design

Today's Class-  Typically when painters are working on a representational scene, they will choose colors that closely resemble the local colors in the subject, meaning the colors that we see looking at the original subject.  However, sometimes artists choose to invent new colors for what they see, and in this case it may be easiest to choose colors that have an established relationship.  The results can be a better color harmony and a logical structure.  Today everyone started a new graded project for which they will create four small color studies based on the same black and white photograph, choosing from among 6 different limited palettes and the relationships within each one.

How to make this up-  Select a black and white photograph.  As in the stipple project, it should be a photo of an actual object or scene (not digital/graphic art), with a wide range of values from light to dark.  Divide a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper into 4 equal sized quadrants (9" x 12") with your pencil, and then reproduce the composition of the photo in each of the four boxes.  Images can be vertical or horizontal.  Include as much detail as you need to know where the various colors of paint will go.  Color choices will be related to the value structure of the source photo and the rules established for each limited palette.  Above and below are student examples from previous semesters.  Additional examples and the specifics of each type of limited palette can be found here.

Homework-  This graded limited palettes project is due at the beginning of class on December 8, 2014. I've extended this deadline to December 15, 2014.

The color temperature season collage graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 1, 2014.

The museum paper is due on December 8, 2014.

For next class 12/1/14-  We will explore a more traditional approach to color with a portfolio exercise in still life painting.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and all your painting materials.  

11/17/14 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we went back to working with color, with a focus on color temperature.  I opened with showing about a dozen historical art works, and asked the students to decide whether the overall temperature of each painting was warm, cool, or a balanced mix.  Then I showed slides of a few examples of the project from previous semesters.  Toward the end of class I returned last week's woodcut prints and we visited the Gallery to see the current faculty exhibition.

How to make this up- You will be using your acrylic paints to mix many different colors.  Small pieces of these colors will be used to make two collages.  Each collage will represent one of the seasons of the year- all warm colors would be summer, all cool colors would be winter, and an even mix of warm and cool would be the transitional seasons of spring and autumn.  100 small 1" squares will be used to make each 10" square season.  Use either your large pad or a sketchbook to create the small squares, then cut them out, arrange them into the combination and pattern of your choice, then glue them to a page in your 18" x 24" to make the two seasons.  Each small square must be different from all the other small squares within the same season.  Above and below are student examples from previous semesters.  The full directions and more student examples can be seen here.

Homework-  This graded Color Temperature Season Collage project is due at the beginning of class on December 1, 2014.  However, I recommend finishing as much as possible before next week, as the next project will be more complex and may require a little more time to figure out.

Those who have not yet turned in their completed woodblocks should bring them in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

Museum papers are due on December 8, 2014.

For next class 11/24/14- We will be starting another graded color project, on the topic of limited palettes, meaning specific color combinations that artists will employ for different reasons and effects.  You will need to start with a black and white photo, as we did for the dot drawings, once again a photo of a real object/scene, with a wide range of values from light to dark.  Also bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and all your painting related materials. 

11/10/14 2D Design

Today's Class-  We opened today with a slide show of art through history featuring text as a visual element.  Around the world, forms of writing were derived from pictures, with images gradually evolving into language symbols.  Recognizable words and numerals in art can function both in communicating the concepts symbolized by those items, but also as purely visual elements in a composition.  Following that, I assigned two portfolio exercises related to the idea of text and symbols, worked on as I assisted each prepared student one at a time in printing their woodblock project.  The results from today's printing are shown below.

How to make this up- Those present completed two exercises, the first involving designing words, the second creating a symbolic business logo.

Descriptive Word Exercise-  The assignment was to design three words- using lettering style, spacing, location on the page, orientation, etc to depict each word in such a way that the specific meaning of the word could be determined without actually reading the word.  To make sure that the words wouldn't be read, I distributed to each student a few photocopied pages from an English-Russian textbook glossary. The words were alphabetized in English, but the students were required to use the Cyrillic lettering and spelling of the Russian translation.  Markers were used to create the lettering, all three on a single sheet of your 18" x 24" pad.  Toward the end of class we reviewed them, looking at each student's words and trying to guess the meanings.  Today no one guessed one exactly right, but some people came pretty close.  This works best with descriptive words (adverbs and adjectives) and words about activities.  Stay away from nouns, so we just don't get a bunch of words in the shape of recognizable objects.  Below are some examples from previous semesters.  You can make this up right away if you wish by using words from a Russian dictionary, or you can wait until next week and I'll give you some copied pages.  Below are student examples from a previous semester.

Symbolic Business Logo Exercise- The assignment was to design a logo for an imaginary business. The logo may include images, lettering, or both.  The logo should symbolize the main purpose of the business, so that seeing it should let the viewer know immediately what they would do.  The business should be imaginary in that it provides a product or service which is impossible in our world, or because the idea is just so stupid that the business would fail almost immediately.  Produce both a 1" square and 6" square version of the logo using pencils and or markers.  It can appear on the same page as the Russian words.  Below is a student example ("Buffalo Muffins") from a previous semester.

These are both portfolio exercises, which can be completed any time before the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework- Nothing new today, but if you didn't have your woodblock ready for today, complete it as soon as possible so it can be printed for partial credit.  The written museum assignments are due four weeks from today.

For next class 11/17/14-  We will go back to our study of color, which will be something we use every week for the rest of the semester.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, acrylic paints, brushes, palette, palette knife, water container, scissors, glue, and pencil and eraser.  We'll be starting a new graded project related to color temperature.

11/3/14 2D Design

Today's Class-  Today we started our study of color, which will be a part of almost everything we do for the rest of the semester.  I showed slides with examples of color art from prehistoric to the present, discussing the technology of color, ways it was used, and what functions it serves.  Then then the class did a series of portfolio exercises involving color mixing.

How to make this up-  Use a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper to do the three exercises.  First, a color wheel that shows the primary, secondary, and intermediate colors.  Second, a mixing of a complementary set to create neutrals.  Third, taking a color seven steps into tints and shades.  Above are student examples from previous semesters.  Additional examples and the full 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-  Nothing new, but the completed cut blocks for the woodcut illustration project started last week are due at the beginning of class on November 10, 2014.

As we are past the halfway point of the semester I reminded everyone that the museum papers are due on December 8, 2014.

For next class 11/10/14-  While the class works on some exercises involving text as a visual element, I will help to print all the woodcuts.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, paper for printing (can be the big paper or from a sketchbook), pencil and eraser, and various black markers.