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Today's Class- Our topic today was architecture, and my plan was to first have a group critique of the comic strip projects, then a slide overview of the history of architecture, then today's portfolio exercise, a lesson in drawing an interior space in two point perspective. But over the break I was given a deadline to do the course evaluations (a university priority), and quite a few students in both sections didn't finish the comic strips, so I collected those that came in for grading and will do the critique next week, when I hope more will be done. I had requested photos be ready to show today, but as a portfolio exercise, the don't get graded until the final week, so I put off viewing those until next week.
How to make this up- Perspective systems were first developed during the Renaissance as a more orderly and logical way to depict three dimensional objects and spaces, taking advantage of the way all objects diminish in size over space. The result is an image that provides a lot of detailed information to the viewer, even if some parts are distorted. Still the distortion is very regular, so it's easy to understand the original scene. These days most of the work is done on computers, but once upon a time, perspective drawing was a big part of architecture.
Above is a student drawing of an interior of a Vaughn-Eames classroom much like our own, an example of what students did today. Using a full sheet of 18"x 24" paper and a pencil, they chose one corner of our classroom and produced a simplified, yet accurate, line drawing of the major features of that corner. I did a quick demonstration on the chalkboard, had everyone start, and circled the room helping each student advance their drawing. By the end of each class, every student had shown the ability to do a two point perspective drawing.
To do this on your own, choose any interior corner in a building. Your drawing should include the corner, floor and ceiling lines, two items on the wall (door, window, art, etc) and one small piece of furniture. If you don't know how to do this, talk to me in class next week.
Homework- Nothing new today, but if you didn't turn in your 2D final (pastel comic strip) today, get it done as soon as possible. The longer it takes to be finished, the fewer points it will be worth.
Those who haven't yet had me review their museum assignment first draft should get those to me as soon as possible, to give yourself the most time to complete the final version.
I was given a few more collograph plates to print this week and I'll be returning those to the students next week. If you need my help with printing those, you must get them to me by next week.
For next class 12/7/18- We will be starting our final project of the semester, the 3D Final. You won't need he large pad for what we will be doing, unless you want it to protect your comic strip projects for bringing them in or taking them back. You will be randomly choosing topics, so no art materials needed. If you did not turn in your comic strip today, bring it next week.
Today's Class- Despite yesterday's unusually early winter storm, Kean was determined to be ready for business this morning. They even plowed a lot of snow, left in a huge pile in the faculty parking lot along Morris Avenue. Our morning class lost the beginning of our day to a fire alarm, but eventually we were allowed back into the building and our classroom.
Luckily, yesterday's weather did not return and our classes were allowed to run as planned. Two main activities today- students continued to work on the 2D Final project (the comic strip) and those who were prepared to do so printed the collagraph plates we made a few weeks ago.
I provided ink and tools to print with, while students brought their plates and provided paper from their pads.
How to make this up- The autobiographical symbolic comic strip project is the same thing we started last week, and all the information can be found in last week's blog post. Finished pieces will be due at the start of class on November 30, 2018, our next meeting. At that time we will have a quick group critique of the works, after which I will collect them for grading.
The collagraph print (cardboard, fabric, etc) is a portfolio exercise involving 3 steps- we made the plates a few weeks ago, they were printed in class today, and students will finish the artworks by collaging materials to the finished print to complete the image in whatever way they want. Let the print dry (we used water soluble ink so they should be dry quickly) then use paper elements to enhance your image. Can be images from other sources (magazines, etc), colored paper, things you've drawn yourself- things that you think would complete the picture. You also have the option of coloring the print directly with watercolors or pastels from your kit, but you must add collaged materials. The print is part of the semester portfolio, due by the end of the semester.
If you didn't have the plate ready today, and don't have the ability or materials to print it yourself, you will have to bring it in to class as soon as possible, give it to me, I'll print it in my studio, and bring it back. After December 7, 2018, there will not be time to do all this, so if you want my help with the 2nd part, get it to me by then.
Homework- The comic strip 2D Final project is due at the beginning of class on November 30, 2018. This is a graded project, so any delays in completing it will result in point deductions.
If you have not yet shown me the first draft of your museum assignment, get it to me as soon as possible. Once I see it, I can let you know what it may be lacking before the final one is to be turned in for grading in late December.
****School closed for Thanksgiving vacation November 22-25, 2018. So recover from overeating, go shopping, sleep late, or whatever you want. No class meeting that week. ****
For next class 11/30/18- Our last portfolio exercise of the semester, drawing in perspective, which relates to the study of architecture. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and some kind of long straightedge (ruler or even yardstick). I will have some, but they will have to be shared, so having your own means you get to complete yours much faster.
Today's Class- Today's new topic was narrative, which we determined was stories, which is often the subject of art. In the era when literacy was rare, the main focus of art was to share stories, especially in art financed by the powers in the world (kings, church, etc). I showed a few dozen historical slides, including some examples of the above from the Renaissance to the present, as well as art that made use of a lot of symbols that would have been known to viewers at the time, a lead in to our project.
I also returned the first drafts of the museum assignment turned in last week, reviewing each with the students who wrote them. Those who left early before talking to me can get theirs next week.
How to make this up- Today's project made use of narrative, and is also our first individually graded project of the semester- a symbolic, autobiographical comic strip. The inspiration for this project was Art Spiegelman's MAUS comic strip, originally published through the 80's, and collected into bound form in the 90's. The strip's narrative goes back and forth between the story of the author's father growing up Jewish in Poland, marrying, having some success, then getting sent to a concentration camp by the Nazi forces in power in the 30's and 40's, and also the then current story of his elderly widowed father, whose behavior causes lots of problems for his grown American born son in the 70's. What made the strip unusual is that all the characters are shown as animals, so all Jewish characters are shown as mice, all German people and soldiers are depicted as cats, the American soldiers who liberate the concentration camp are shown as dogs (classic cartoon hierarchy), and other animals play roles in the story as well.
Your assignment is to create a comic strip of your own that tells a true story from your own life, using symbolic characters to portray everyone in the story. Below are some student examples from previous semesters:
Your strip must fill two pages in your 18"x24" pad, at least 12 panels. (those with smaller pads should talk to me about what will be appropriate for them) I recommend sketching things out with pencil first. You may use pens or markers to outline objects and for all lettering (dialog and though balloons, caption, and other comics related lettering). Things that might normally be considered white may stay the color of the paper, but everything else should be in full color, applied with your pastels. Each page of six panels should be on a different sheet of paper. More instructions and another student example can be found on the MAUS link near the top of this section.
Homework- Because this 2D project is time consuming and worth 20% of your grade, next week's class will mostly be devoted to it as well, and you'll be given additional time on your own to work on it, so the final piece will be due on November 30, 2018.
Students who want my feedback/input regarding the final museum assignment should get it to me by December 7, 2018. I will accept them through the last meeting of the semester, but there will be no opportunity to resubmit them for a better grade.
Those who haven't yet turned in the first draft of the museum assignment should do so as soon as possible. Points are deducted on that for each week late.
For next class 11/16/18- We will be continuing the project from this week, so bring your 18"x24" pad, pencil and eraser, and pastels.
While those are being worked on, I'll bring students one at a time over the big table and help you print your completed collagraph plates (cardboard with textures stuck to it), so also bring that plate with you. If not yet completed, do so at least one day before class so the glue has time to dry. We will use paper from your pad, and I'll supply the ink and tools that are needed.
Today's Class- Today's topic was printmaking, a variety of mediums that have in common that images are created from a fixed matrix, generally resulting in identical copies. That matrix can be carved relief (woodcut, linoleum), metal plates (etching, engraving), stone (lithography), all of which we saw examples of in slide and items I brought in. Silkscreen (a form of stencil supported by fabric) is also common, but I had no examples to show.
For today's exercise, we tried the collagraph, a more modern technique that can be used in many ways. Most common is building a collage on a flat surface and inking and printing it like a relief print, and that is what we started today. Flat pieces of cardboard were used as the base, and I had a supply of old fabric samples that could be cut up and glued to the base. The ink will later be applied in a way that accentuates the textures of each collaged item, and the resulting print will document those textures. Today was just the creation of the printing plates (students have the option to add more items at home), and I will bring in the tools and materials to print them in a few weeks.
I also collected rough drafts of the museum assignment from those who turned them in. They will be returned with comments next class.
How to make this up- The process to make the plate is actually fairly simple and can easily be done from home. Start with a piece of flat cardboard (the large panel from a cereal or cracker box will do- that is what we were using today), and you will create some kind of image on it by attaching bits of found materials. I had a variety of cloth scraps scavenged from the Interior Design program, but anything that is relatively thin will work, and I showed examples of plates from previous semesters that made use of yarn, plastics, even food items. White glue is probably the best adhesive for this project, and can even be used to coat delicate items to give them more strength in the printing process. Here are some student examples of printing plates and the resulting collagraph print.
Note that printing will be done with black relief ink, and that the color of the collaged objects will have no effect on the print. (color can be added after printing by painting or drawing, as in the last example above) Also, the prints are mirror images of the plate, which can make a difference if you plan to use letters or numbers in your image. (can be done, just make them backwards on the plate and they will print as normal)
Only a few rules at this point- the image must be something recognizable (accuracy to reality is not required, so for example, it can be how you picture such an item in your head) and your print must involve at least 8 different textures in the use of materials. Choice of subject is completely up to you.
Homework- The completed collagraph plates should be brought to class on November 16, 2018, and I will have the ink and tools to print them.
If you did not turn in a rough draft of your museum assignment today, you should do so (hard copy) as soon as possible. Although this paper is worth fewer points than the final version, each week it is late means a lower grade.
For next class 11/9/18- We will begin our first graded art project of the semester, our 2D final, which will be worked on two weeks in class, and then given more time to finish at home. Bring your 18"x24" pad, pastels, pencil and eraser. If you have any questions about the collagraph projects, bring those as well.
