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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.
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.
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.
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.
