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Today's Class- Today's topic was printmaking, the artistic mediums that include a fixed matrix that is used to create identical copies of an image, which can allow the cost per piece to be less. Processes can include relief (woodcut. linoleum), metal plates (etching, engraving), lithography (stone), silkscreen, etc. We used slides to get an overview of such artworks.
Our portfolio exercise today involved a more modern print process, the collagraph, which encompasses a number of materials collaged to a flat surface, with ink applied in a variety of ways, and different possibilities for printing. I chose a process that is simple and inexpensive- plates made from thin cardboard, and found object scraps attached with white glue. Printing will come in a few weeks.
How to make this up- If you attended class today you may have what you need, although the option exists to add more to your plate before we print them. If you missed today, you have to do it all on your own. Here are some student examples from previous semesters.
Each of these sets shows the plate that was used to print the image, and the resulting image. The ink is water soluble black relief ink, applied with a roller. Note that the printed image is a mirror image of the original, so if you want your print to include letters or numbers, you'll have to make them backwards on the plate to print forwards on the paper. Also note that the ink is black and that the color of the materials in the plate have nothing to do with the color on the print- it will all print black. Students do have the option of adding color to the finished print as in the bottom example above- once the ink is dry, color can be added over the top by watercolor, thin pastels, colored pencils, etc, without eliminating the texture in the original print.
Start with a piece of thin cardboard, the large panel of a cereal or cracker box will do fine. Create some kind of recognizable image out of scrap materials and glue it to the cardboard surface. In class I provided a lot of different kinds of cloth, but I showed examples including such things as yarn, leaves, candy wrappers, paper towels- a thin coating of diluted white glue will keep them more stable. The one rule I have is that 8 different textures must be in the final print, and the above examples show how different materials can print different textures. I do advise not using cotton balls- they seem like they would have interesting results, but the ink doesn't stick to the cotton, but the cotton sticks to the ink, makes a big mess.
Homework- If you didn't complete your plate in class, get it finished by April 13th, 3 weeks from today. On that day I will bring in the ink and tools to print them in class.
The majority of students in both classes turned in the museum assignment yesterday. Those will be returned graded at our next meeting. If you didn't do it yet, I will accept them late, but point deduction will increase with each week you miss.
The other written assignment, your research paper, is due April 27, 2018.
***Kean is closed on March 30, 2018***
**********No class that day***********
For next class April 6, 2018- We will start the first individually graded art project of the semester, which will involve two weeks in class and you'll get another week to finish it on your own. Bring your 18"x24" drawing pad, pencil and eraser, and your pastels.
Today's Class- The topic today was rhythm, which we usually associate with music, but there is a visual equivalent that can be found in art. I showed a few dozen art historical slides, paying attention to times that artists used visual rhythms in their pieces. Then we did a portfolio exercise that involved watercolor paintings that were influenced by types of music playing while the were painted.
How to make this up- You will need your 18" x 24" pad, watercolors, brushes, and a water container. Palette is optional, but you can use your colors as they are manufactured and don't need to mix them. However, you can use the paint any way you want. You will play different types of music, 15 minute segments, and do abstract paintings in reaction to the music you are hearing. Below are some student examples from previous semesters.
More student examples and information about the music that was used (or how to substitute) can be found here.
This is a portfolio exercise and can be made up any time before the end of the semester for full credit.
Homework- The first written assignment, the museum paper, is due at the beginning of class on March 23, 2018.
*****Spring Break 3/12/18 - 3/18/18*****
******No class meeting next week*******
For next class 3/23/18- We will start a multi-week project related to printmaking, a collograph print. This involve making a printing plate by attaching items of various textures to a flat surface, rolling it with relief ink, then printing it. Here is an example of student plate and print from a previous semester.
I will provide the cardboard to make the plate, and a variety of materials that can be used to collage your image. You need to bring scissors and glue (white glue is best) and are welcome to bring additional material to glue to the plate. (materials should be relatively thin, have some kind of texture) The glue needs time to dry and these will be printed another week, so you can leave your big pads at home that day.
Today's Class- Today's topic was photography, a relatively recently created artistic medium with long ago roots. It begins with the camera obscura, a tool known around the world to many ancient peoples, but well developed in the baroque period. In the 19th century, modern chemistry knowledge allowed people to preserve the projected images in a more permanent form, thus inventing photography. I showed a few dozen slides of photo based work, ranging from the earliest experiments to the contemporary, covering the evolving technology and the many uses it is put to in art. For many people film has been replaced by digital technology, but the art part is pretty much the same.
I distributed a take home assignment, and we took a tour of Vaughn-Eames, checking out any studios and galleries that were open and seeing what kind of stuff goes on in an art building.
How to make this up- I gave out a handout with a list of 20 photos to be taken, on your own time. This is a portfolio exercise, but the plan is to share the results with the whole class.
For more details on the assignment, as well as student examples of each part, click here.
Homework- The photo assignment is a portfolio exercise, but I'd like to see them all by April 13, 2018, so we can share the results with the whole class. They can be printed on any kind of paper, and don't need to be mounted, but just label them so we can easily see which part of the assignment they are for.
The museum assignment is due on March 23, 2018.
This afternoon, Kean University announced they were cancelling all remaining classes today because of the weather. They waited until after we were done to announce this. I've had worse rides home from school, and I hope you all got home safely. Weather predictions for next week are better.
For next class 3/9/18- We go back to color, this time more expressive than the theoretical stuff we dealt with last time. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, watercolors, brushes, and a water container. You may use all the colors as they are in the kits, but if you think you may want to mix colors, be sure to have a palette.
