12/13/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today was the final meeting of the semester.  We started with a group critique of the 3D final projects, then I collected museum papers, graded late arriving other projects, gave back things I had in my possession, and evaluated semester portfolios, for all who came to class.  I'm expecting more things to arrive by e-mail tonight. After midnight, nothing will be accepted.

Homework- What is left is to review all the museum papers, convert all the material from today into grades, check them, and submit them to the university. The deadline for that process is early January of next year, though I plan to complete it well ahead of that.  I assume that sometime after I have submitted them to KeanWise, they will be made available to the students.

12/11/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today was a weird day, between the Wednesday schedule and the snowy start, but about half of each class showed up. Nothing new started today, but several students were able to turn in things that were late, some selected their topics for the 3D project, others worked on writing their museum papers, completed missing portfolio exercises, submitted course evaluations, or even just verified what needed doing over the next few days.

How to make this up- Looking back through this blog you should be able to see what you have missed, and I would hope you know what you haven't done yet.  Last Friday I listed the contents of what is expected in the portfolio (appears in blue text to make it stand out), and all the major assignments are listed as they were started.

Homework- Nothing new, but keep in mind that everything needs to be in by the end of your class on Friday.  The main things that the grades for this class come from are the two major projects (comic strip- 2D, and sculpture 3D), the semester portfolio (listed last week) and the museum papers.  All can be turned in on Friday. Things that are late will lose points for that reason, but it's better than a zero.  The final museum paper and 3D project are due on Friday, so if they are in, they are on time.  If you have any excuse notes covering any absences, bring them on Friday. Once class ends, nothing will be accepted.

For next class December 13, 2019- Our last meeting of the semester.  There will be a group critique of the final 3D project and you'll learn that grade. I will review the portfolios and can let you know your grade for that.  I'll collect final museum papers- grading those may take a few days.  Anything else that comes in will be dealt with.  Be on time- the sooner we start, the sooner we will finish.  

12/6/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- We are getting near the end of the fall semester.  I returned all the comic strips collected last time, graded, to those who attended.  I also returned a few late arriving museum papers and student collagraph prints I printed in my studio over the Thanksgiving break.  Mostly we prepared for the final stretch.  Students picked words from hats, nouns and modifying words and phrases, to produce randomly generated phrases, which will be the subject of the 3D final project.  That project is our last remaining art assignment for the semester, and can be worked on during our two meetings next week.  

How to make this up- The first step is to get your randomly derived phrase.  If you don't want to wait until our next meeting, let me know you want something right away and I'll use the same procedure to pick you two random phrases, and you may pick one as your subject.  The post before this one (same date as today) shows several examples from earlier semesters, both the originating phrase, and the student created three dimensional work that was created to visualize it.  I'm leaving that up as a reference, but as promised, here are several more examples of this project, done by previous students of FA 1000. All creative solutions to the assignment, all worth an A grade.

Chicken Story

A chicken with sneakers (magazine photo glued to thick rubber) is mounted to a road (another magazine photo) by a paper clip, heading to the "other side"

Against College

Shown in class today, buildings made from cut foam, signs printed from a computer, police caution tape, and evergreen leaves, to tell the story.

 Sting Despair

A shoe box top, dead leaves, and a rose sculpted from clay, with red paint dripped on to represent blood. Simple, but effective.

Let's Get Hearts

Contained in a box, interior painted to look like outdoors, with some small dolls and fake evergreen trees, and the front side removed to make viewing easier.  Essentially a small pop-up store in the woods that sells hearts.

Homework- This 3D project is the last thing we start this semester, due by the end of the final class meeting for your section.  You may contact me for your phrase by e-mail, or select your own at our next meeting.  If you want to think about what you might do and know what materials you'll need to bring to work on it, you should probably e-mail me before the next class.  

If you haven't yet turned in your comic strip or your museum paper rough draft, you need to get those done. Those had due dates, and the longer they take to get to me, the less they are worth.  Once the class has its final meeting, they are worth nothing.

Some students requested a list of the pieces that will be part of the semester portfolio.  All classwork started (and usually competed) during class time.  Here is a list of the assignments and the dates we did them. All can be found on this blog.

9/13/19-  Contour Lines (shoes)
9/20/19-  Negative Space (chair, bottles)
9/27/19-  Value drawing (shading with charcoal or graphite)
10/4/19-  Mosaic collage (cut magazine paper color)
10/11/19-  Color Theory-  (color wheel and complement mix)
10/18/19-  Photography (take home assignment)
10/25/19- Rhythm in art (interpreting music in watercolor)
11/1/19-  Collagraph (cardboard plates created)
11/15/19  Collagraphs printed and colored
11/22/19- Two point perspective drawing (room interior)

The semester portfolio will be checked on 12/13/19, our last day of class.  I'll have a sheet where things are checked off. Bring it to class, and you'll bring it home that day. 

For next class Dec 11, 2019- We have a special Wednesday meeting next week, part of our getting our 15 class days in, a schedule created by the university.  Same hours as our Friday meetings.  

First order of business in the course evaluations. Prior to this semester, this was done by filling in all the circles with a pencil and scanning the result, but this semester they switched to an online system, and have requested that we allow time for students in class to do it.  Thus, they had us inform students to bring in laptops or smartphones to enable logging in to the system for that purpose.  Since we only got word of this over the break, I mentioned it today, and have time set aside on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 for this purpose.  The school likes it done at the start of class and I can't be present, so I'll make sure it's started and go elsewhere for a while.  When it's done, I can return and continue with class.  Since many students said today that they already received the link by e-mail from the school (and some have done it already), I won't bother to provide it here.

Nothing new will be started that day, so you can use the time to work on anything related to the class.  Bring whatever materials are appropriate to what you plan to do.  I will be there to collect and return work, answer questions, etc.  Our last meeting of the semester will be on Friday, December 13th.

Student examples of final 3D project

These are examples of student made projects from this class.  Today you will randomly pick words that will be formed into phrases that will provide you with your topics.  I have included the random phrase (noun and modifying word(s) that inspired the piece.

Materials are completely your choice. You may use any sculpture technique (such as carving, modeling, or casting) or just work with found objects or ready made things, as long as you are the one who makes it.  

The final piece must be three dimensional, and like all 3D objects, must be able to support its own weight.

Pieces can be free standing objects like the following:

Appetite for Distraction

Fallen Merchant

Planet Gone Wild

Trouble Uprising

You may also use boxes or frames to create an environment for your piece to exist in, as well as control the viewpoint, as in these examples.

Impasse Changed

Plowing Through the Nation

All projects are due by the end of the final class meeting of the semester.  You will have time during the remaining class meetings to work on it.  More examples will be added to the blog later tonight.

11/22/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Two main things going on today.  Our new topic was drawing in perspective.  Rendering a three dimensional object on a two dimensional surface means some kind of distortion as a whole dimension is lost.  Multiple objects and a larger space depicted makes it even worse.  By the time of the renaissance, artists developed one way of handling the problem- perspective systems.  Showed a few slides, drew a little on the chalkboard, and provided a handout to try to explain the process.   The other thing going on today was that our big 2D project- the autobiographical symbolic comic strip was due.  Some students chose to work on that instead so they could turn it in, and will complete the perspective drawing (a portfolio assignment) later.  Those who had their comics done got to present them to the class, just briefly explaining their choice of symbols and the events of the story.  Finished strips were collected and will be returned graded at our next meeting.

I also reminded everyone of the up coming schedule and accepted some late rough drafts of the museum paper. I had hoped to also review some of the photograph exercise results with the whole class, but the other two things took a lot of time. I did take the time to look at those that have been done and make sure the students had got it right (and they had).  The photographs will have to be brought back in the last day for the portfolio review, but on that assignment they are set.

How to make this up- The portfolio exercise is to be drawn from an actual corner of the classroom, similar to the student example below.  This was done in VE 211.

This is a simple line drawing, done in pencil on sheet of 18"x24" paper, simple two point perspective.  Some kind of straightedge is helpful (I had some yard sticks available today). The scene should include a corner of the room and some adjacent architectural features, such as doors, items on the wall, and significant architecture.  Furniture may be optional. If you don't know how this works, I'll review the handout with anyone who needs it during next week's class.  This is a portfolio exercise that can be made up at any point before the end of the semester for full credit.

Homework- If you didn't turn in your comic strip today, I suggest you get it done soon.  It's a graded assignment and the grade goes down with each week it is late.  

For next class 12/6/19- We are off for Thanksgiving break next week, but our class will resume on December 6, 2019.  We have 3 more sessions remaining.  Next time we will review the history of sculpture and students will have the opportunity to randomly draw topics for the final 3D piece. To be constructed from materials chosen by the student- found objects, craft store stuff, whatever makes sense to the student.  So as of now no art materials will be needed for class, though I do suggest some paper to sketch ideas or notes.  I will also return the graded comic strips.

11/15/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today the class worked on two ongoing projects.  No slides or new lesson today, so people could go right to work on the symbolic autobiographical comic strips that were started last week.  Details of the assignment can be found in last week's blog post, but here are two more student examples from recent semesters:

While that was going on, most students were having their collagraph prints made.  I had set up a printing station on the side and one at a time students came over with their completed collagraph plate (cardboard) and white paper from their large pad, and the plates were inked and printed.  This was the second phase of the project started a few weeks ago.  Students will have to complete the third phase on their own.  Once the ink on the print has dried (which should be by later today), color can be added by watercolor, pastels, colored pencil, collage, etc, with the goal of clarifying shapes or space and improving the composition overall, without obscuring the textures of the prints. There is no one answer to how to best do this, so it is up to each student artist to resolve their work.  Below are two examples from a previous semester.

I also returned some recently arrived museum papers and discussed the schedule for the rest of the semester with those who asked.

How to make this up- For the comic strip, see the instructions from last week's post.  The requirements are all there.  For the collagraph print, unless you have knowledge and experience with printmaking, probably the best option is to have my help in printing the plate, the 2nd phase of the assignment. 

Homework- The completed comic strip graded project is due at the start of class on November 22, 2019.  At that time they will be collected, and returned graded the next time we meet.  

The collagraph print is part of the portfolio, and thus will be graded on the last day of class.  Those who require help printing them should bring in the plate as soon as possible, and I will print them in my home studio. Those who printed today, but need to color them, should get that done as soon as possible; they will be due at our last class meeting when the whole portfolio is graded.

I had given a date of 11/22 for the photography assignment, but that is part of the portfolio, the date given just to encourage students not to wait until the last minute, plus any that are done sooner can be shown to the class as examples to inspire the others. Comic strips are the priority for next week.

Anyone who still hasn't turned in a rough draft of the museum assignment should do so as soon as possible. The rough draft is only worth 5% of the semester grade, but after I evaluate it, I can let you know what needs to be done to earn the maximum points on the final version, due the last day of class, but accepted at any time before then.

Keep in mind that we have only 4 meetings after today, and no work or notes will be accepted after our last meeting.

For next class 11/22/19- One last portfolio exercise, involving drawing in perspective. Bring your 18"x 24" pad, pencil and eraser. If you have a large ruler or other straightedge, I recommend bring that as well.  I'll have some, but having your own means you won't have to share with everyone else in the classroom. And of course, bring the completed comic strips.

11/8/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today we began the first individually graded project of the semester, our 2D Final.  The topic is narrative, defined as telling a story.  Through much of human history, literacy was not a given, and books were expensive, so much information was transmitted by images- individuals who could not read could interpret a picture, assuming they understood the symbolic nature of the things being shown.  I showed half a dozen slides, all items with clear narrative content, explaining the stories. Early ones were heavy on mythology and medieval symbolism. while the later ones were more likely to be understood by the students in class.

I also returned papers that had been turned in last week, along with my evaluations and instructions on how to improve them before turning in the final version. Some people who did not have them last week turned them in today.

How to make this up- The inspiration for this project was Art Spiegelman's 1980's comic strip MAUS.  The story went back and forth between two stories, both based on the author's father; first as a young man growing up Jewish in Poland in the early 20th century and having some success before being sent (along with his wife) to a concentration camp, second in the 1970's, where the elder man is now living in America, a somewhat cantankerous widower, causing numerous problems for everyone in his life.  What made the strip different was that all the characters are depicted as animals- Jewish people (of all nationalities) are shown as mice, Nazi soldiers as cats, American soldiers (who eventually liberate the camps) as dogs- classic cartoon hierarchy of violence. 

Your assignment is to create your own autobiographical and symbolic comic strip.  It should tell a true story from your past, an event that may be serious or inconsequential, takes place quickly or over a long period of time, whatever you want. The comic strip should fill two pages in your 18"x24" pad and occupy 12 panels.  They can be 6 identical panels per page, or any size or shape you like. I suggest drawing them in pencil first. but in the final version, they will be in full color using your pastels.  One character will be you, and any others represent other people in the story.  The characters should be portrayed as symbolic- either related to the story itself (like Spiegelman's violent conflicts) or just personal symbols that you associate with the involved persons. The characters can be just objects, or personified with faces, arms and legs, whatever you find easier to tell the story. Lettering may be done with the same pastels, or you may use pen/pencil/marker to have the words be more legible.  If you wish to outline the shapes before coloring you may do so.  Pages may be organized vertically or horizontally.  We are following standard comic book rules, so you may have dialog balloons, thought balloons, caption boxes, sound effects, as you want.  Below are some student examples from previous semesters to demonstrate the idea:

Homework- This individually graded art project will be due at the beginning of class on November 22, 2019.  They will be collected and returned graded the next time we meet after that. 

During class next week I will have the materials and tools to print your collagraph plates- the cardboard thing.  They are a portfolio exercise and will be graded as part of that, but it you want my help to print it, have it in class finished for 11/15/19.

Most students have turned in the rough draft of the museum assignment.  If you still haven't, I suggest you do so as soon as possible.  It is a graded assignment, so the longer you delay, the more point you lose.  Plus, the less time you will have to make the improvements that will give you a better grade on the final museum paper, due by the last class meeting.

For next class November 15, 2019- Work will continue on the comic strip project.  No new slides or lesson, so you may start working on it as soon as you are ready.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad (which probably has what you have done so far), pencils and eraser, and set of pastels. Once everyone is going on that, I'll invite students to come one at a time to a print station in the room and print your cardboard plate prints.  I'll provide the ink and tools for that, you will provide the paper- a half sheet from your big pad will be fine.  Bring the completed cardboard plate.

I will return any museum papers in my current possession, and collect any new ones that arrive.

11/1/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Our topic today was printmaking, a general term for art that makes use of a fixed matrix that produces identical copies of something, in our case (art) it typically involves an image.  I showed a few dozen slides of historical printmaking through the ages (along with physical examples of woodblock, a metal etching plate and print, a lithography stone), examples of contemporary printmaking, and even a few dozen slides of my own work.  Then I brought out past student examples of today's exercise, a simple collagraph, and materials that students could choose to use in making a plate.

How to make this up- This will be a multi-week project, and today was the first step, making a collagraphic plate.  It is basically a flat surface to which items are attached for the purpose of making a print.   There are countless approaches to this process, but what we were doing is using cardboard and attaching bits of cloth and similar materials using glue.  It's not practical to apply ink and print it until the glue is dry, so that part will be done at a later time. Here are some examples from previous semester, plate and resulting print.

In each case the cardboard was the large panel of a cereal box, a cracker box, or something similar. The box of materials was mostly cloth from various sources, including scavenging from the Interior Design classes, but you may use anything you want.  White glue works best. 

Two rules-
1) The plate must include 8 separate textures derived from the attached materials. Most of what I brought today were cloth samples, but anything relatively thin will work.  
2) The subject must be something recognizable to the average viewer- an object, a scene, etc.  but what you chose is completely up to you.  Skill in drawing the item is not part of the grade.

A few things to note:
1) The printed image will be a mirror of the plate.  This matters most if letters or numbers are used, as they should be backwards on the plate to print regular on the print.
2)The color of the glued on object will have no effect on the resulting print.  The plates will be printed by rolling on black relief ink.
3)The prints can be colored after the ink dries, as in the bottom example above, using pastels, watercolors (both in your list of materials) or colored pencils. You will also be encouraged to collage materials onto the printed page.

This is a portfolio exercise, but if you want my help in printing it, you need to bring in the completed plate on November 15, 2019.

Homework- The collagraphs will be printed in 2 weeks during the class.  I will bring in the necessary ink and tools, you will provide the paper from your pad.  The resulting print will be part of your semester portfolio.  

Most students turned in the rough draft of their museum assignment today, as it was due.  I will grade all those this week and next week return the papers, along with the grade and what changes would be desirable for the final version, due by the end of the semester. The rough draft is worth fewer points than the final version, but it is still a graded project, and the longer it takes to arrive, the fewer points it will be worth, so I advise you to to get it done soon. If the rough draft perfectly deals with all the aspects requested, you will have the option of having it count as your final paper and being done with it.

For next class Nov 8, 2019- We are starting the first individually graded art project of the semester, not part of the portfolio.  Because it is the biggest graded project so far, you will have all next week to work on it in class, and all of the following class, with the project due the class after that.  I'll have the specifics for that next week.  Bring your 18"x24" pad, pencil and eraser, and a set of pastels, as included in your materials list.

10/25/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today's topic was rhythm, which is just as much a visual element as it is a sonic element.  I showed several dozen slides of historical work, pointing out how rhythm was used by each artist- by colors, marks, shapes, textures, etc.  Then the class did a portfolio exercise where I played segments of music, and had the students produce abstract compositions based on what they were hearing.  Colors and brushes were their option, as long as the images made were completely abstract.  I also distributed information about the museum assignment and photography assignment to anyone who needed it.

How to make this up- Open your pad to a clean sheet of paper. Get your set of watercolors, brushes, fill your water container.

These are examples from previous semesters of student work doing this exercise.  Spend about 15 minutes doing each, choosing colors, brushes, and movement based on your interpretation of the music.  A list of the music we listened to, and additional student examples can be found here.

This is a portfolio exercise and can be made up for full credit any time before the end of the semester.

Homework- Nothing from today, but the first draft of the museum assignment is due at the start of class on November 1, 2019, printed on paper.  They will be returned the following week with notes on how to improve it before the final version in turned in. Clicking on the "Museum Assignment" tab at the top of this blog will bring you to a brief description of the assignment, and some active links to the websites of the pre approved museums.

For next class Nov 1, 2019- We will start the last portfolio exercise before our first graded art project. The medium will be printmaking, specifically collagraph, where a printing plate is made from collaged materials attached to a flat surface.  Below is an example of a plate and the print that was produced from it.  

Note that the color of collaged objects has no effect on the colors in the print, which will be made with black ink.  Also the print will be a mirror image of the plate, so letters and numbers will have to be backwards on the plate to appear normal in the resulting print.  I will provide cardboard for the plates, and I have a bag of materials to cut up, but students are welcome to bring in more or add them later.  It takes time for glue to dry, so we make them next week and will print them a few weeks later.  For next class bring scissors to cut materials, white glue to glue them down, and optionally a pencil to mark your plans on the cardboard (has no effect on the print) and additional materials.  You don't need the pad next week to you can leave it at home if you like.

10/18/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today the topic was photography.  It's a relatively recent medium, but it has roots in antiquity, with a tool called the camera obscura, Italian for "dark room", which allowed the projection of a 3 dimensional scene on a flat surface.  However, it still required an artist to trace this projection to make a permanent artwork.  Evolution of chemistry and lenses made it possible to do this more automatically, along with many years of experiments, creating the process of photography.  

After discussing the process and looking at a few dozen slides of historical photographic art, from the 1820's to the late 20th century, I handed out a take home assignment, geared more toward principles and goals than technical skills, and reviewed it.  We followed that with a tour of Vaughn-Eames, checking out any art studios and student art we could get access to, third floor to first. 

How to make this up- The assignment was given out on paper, but it is also available on this blog site.

Students are asked to shoot a series of 20 photos, all things that refer to classic strengths and uses of the medium. Details of the assignment and some past student examples can be found here.

This is a portfolio exercise, and on the assignment form I gave a deadline of November 22, 2019 to complete it. However, as a portfolio exercise, it won't be graded until the last day of class.  The earlier deadline is to encourage students to complete it sooner (before the part of the semester where every class you have will be asking for assignments) and to be able to share results with the class.

You must turn in prints, but it doesn't matter if the photos come from film or digital, the prints can be on photo paper or standard copy paper, and they can be black and white or color, whatever you prefer.  You can mount them or just have them labeled on the back.  

Homework- The rough draft of the museum assignment is due on November 1, 2019.  Turning it in late will result in a loss of points.  Plus, the sooner I get it, the sooner I can grade it and get you the suggested revisions for the final paper.

For next class Oct 25, 2019- We get back to color and the watercolor paints, but this time something more expressive than the color theory assignments we did last week.  Bring your 18"x24" pad, paints, brushes, and a water container. 

10/11/19- Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today we returned to color, with our first formal look at basic color theory. We used watercolor paints to produce a color wheel and do an exercise in complementary color mixing. 

How to make this up- On a piece of the 18"x24" paper, students were asked to draw a large circle in pencil, which was used to create a 12 step color wheel- primaries, secondaries, and intermediate colors.  Then the students were asked to draw two rows of boxes (8 total) used to create an exercise mixing two complementary colors and creating several neutral colors.

Further examples of student projects from previous semesters and more detailed instructions can be found here .

This is a portfolio exercise that can be made up for full credit any time before the end of the semester, though since we will be dealing with color again in the future, it is recommended to complete it soon.

Homework- Nothing new, but remember the first draft of the museum assignment is due on November 1st, so don't wait too long to do your museum visit.

For next class Oct 18, 2019- We take on a new medium, photography. The assignment will be a take home exercise using a camera of the student's choice, to be completed in about a month or so.  In class, there will be a slide show on the history and uses of photography in art. and a brief discussion of the process, after which the assignment (various subjects for about 20 photographs students must take) will be distributed on paper.  Following that the plan is to do a tour of Vaughn-Eames, our studio building, to see some of the studio classrooms and the various processes available for student studies.  No materials are needed for class, so you may leave everything home for a change.  

10/4/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- For the first time this semester we considered color, while still dealing with shapes concerns.  Starting with a topic of monumental art, which I define as large scale art permanently part of a structure, we briefly looked at slides of frescoes then mosaics, artworks that depict two dimensional images using small solid objects (stones, tiles, etc).  We will be substituting cut colored paper, and I walked around with some student examples from previous semesters. 

How to make this up- First step is to select a source photo.  Your piece must be based on a photograph of a real object or scene, not just someone's flat artwork. Multiple colors and values will make it better.  Your new piece needs to be a minimum of 36 square inches, either 6" x 6" or 9" by 4" (vertical or horizontal is fine) but you can go larger in any of those dimensions, which means more work for you, but it's your art in the end. In class I had cardboard templates for students to trace, but this can be worked out with a ruler as well.  You may crop the photo and choose a smaller portion to depict, but you are responsible to include everything in your chosen area.  On a piece of your large paper, draw the size box you want to work with, then sketch the basic composition from your source, using pencil.  Glue or tape the original photo next to your new image.  

Next, copy the color using small pieces of paper cut from magazines, and glued to your drawn image, as in the above student examples.  Try to match the colors as much as possible.  The grade will have more to do with color than how well you draw, but accuracy in your drawing will make matching shapes easier.  The color pieces should be a maximum of a half inch square, but can be shaped any way you want. There can be a small amount of white space between them, or they can overlap. For instance, a small piece can be glued on top of other pieces, or one color can be placed over another to create a clean edge of negative space. 

This is a portfolio exercise, so officially due the last day of class this semester, though I recommend not waiting that long.  It's not particularly difficult, but it is time consuming, and the one exercise that students are least likely to finish on their own.

Homework- Today's project is an exercise, due by th end of there semester, but don't forget that the museum paper rough draft is due on November 1, 2019.  It is the one thing that Kean cares most about and it is a graded project.

As mentioned in class, we were required to complete Early Academic Alerts (what used to be called midterm grades) for all registered students this weekend.  It has nothing to do with the grade you will get for the semester.  Since nothing has been officially graded yet, all I can really apply is attendance.  A few students who seem to have stopped coming to class got a comment about multiple absences.  Students who have e-mailed me or discussed absences with me did not- they know where they stand and what they need to do.  Everyone who was in attendance on Oct 4 is in good shape.

For next class Oct 11, 2019- More color, but this time with paints and more traditional color theory.  Bring your 18"x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, set of watercolor paints, watercolor brushes, some kind of water container (old cup or can will do) and some kind of mixing pallet. (can be the official store bought kind with little mixing wells, but anything flat that doesn't absorb water will work.) 

9/27/19 Introduction to Art

Today's Class- Today's topic was value, the term used in art to describe relationships of light and dark.  I showed a few dozen examples of historical fine art pointing out how light and shadow were used to accomplish various things, such as show volume, set up contrasts, focus attention, depict textures, and establish times of day.  I also showed several examples of student drawings in charcoal, as that was our medium today.  

How to make this up-  Set up a still life on a low table.  Drape a box with a white or light colored cloth, then arrrange on and around it 2 to 4 simple white or very light colored objects.  Shine a directional light on the set up to create patterns of light and shadow.  Draw the set up on a full page of your 18"x24" pad using charcoal.  Include at least two objects that are in view.  Our experiences in recent weeks with contour line and negative space should be helpful.  Below are some student examples from previous semesters:

Try to match the value of the cloth and objects in your view. Charcoal can be blended with fingers, paper towels, or any tools you find useful for this.  Background value is up to you.  In these examples, students used a dark value in the backgrounds to surround the light areas and make seem lighter. 

Spend at least 45 minutes on the drawing. When completed, rearrange or replace the objects and repeat.

Homework- Nothing new yet, but keep in mind the museum first draft is due in about a month. You will need to complete a museum visit before then

For next class October 4, 2019- We are done with the basic drawing portion of the class and will begin color, with a mosaic style collage. All students will choose a full color photograph of a real thing.  It can come from any source, but if it's digital, you will eventually need to provide a printed copy.  You will sketch the object or scene with pencil line on a page in your 18"x24"pad, then much the colors using small pieces of cut paper from magazines.  Below are a few previous examples, with original photo and student collage version shown.

Bring your 18"x24" pad, pencil and eraser, scissors, and a glue suitable for paper.  We do have a pile of magazines, but if you want to bring in some that you don't mind cutting up and/or donating them to the class, they will be welcome.