10/15/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we finished our study of value drawing with a graded charcoal drawing of a mixed value still life.  We reserved the last hour of class for a slide show of the history of printmaking and a discussion of next week's woodcut project.

How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life that includes both white and dark colored objects, and both white and dark colored drapes.  Light with a directional light to create light and shadow patterns on the still life, and then draw it on your 18"x 24" paper using the charcoal of your choice.  Full directions and additional student examples can be found here. This post also includes details about next week's woodcut project.

This is a graded project and must be completed as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

Homework- Come up with a literary source for your woodcut book illustration project mentioned above.

For next class 10/22/12- We will start the next graded project.  I'll bring actual examples of student prints from this project from previous semesters and books with examples of woodcut prints.  I will distribute the wood that you'll use for the project, and do a demonstration of safe and effective cutting techniques.  We will likely visit the printmaking classroom and possibly a print exhibition on campus.  Bring paper (a small sketchbook will be enough, but you can use your 18" x 24" pad if you like), pencil and eraser, black markers, and x-acto knife.  If you have a copy of your chosen literary source, bring it along.

10/10/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class-  Today we talked about color for the first time this semester.  I showed slides of art from prehistory to the present, discussing the role of color in each, as well as the evolving technology of pigments and paints.  After that, the class did a couple of portfolio exercises related to basic color theory and color mixing.

How to make this up- Students did two exercises involving the specific mixing of colors.  First was a color wheel, in which all the colors were mixed from three primary colors, including tints of the primary and secondary colors.  Second was mixing a pair of complementary (opposite) colors to create some related neutrals.  Above is a student example.  To see the full instructions and another example, click here.

These are portfolio exercises and must be completed by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework-  The research assignment is due at the beginning of class two weeks from today, October 24, 2012.  If you haven't yet cleared your choices of artists and artworks with me, I suggest you do so soon.

For next class 10/17/12-  We will discuss the medium of photography.  We'll look at examples of photography from the earliest experiments to contemporary images, discussing the similarities and differences with more traditional mediums.  The related project will be a take home assignment that you'll have a few weeks to complete on your own. We will spend the rest of the class period taking a walk around the building, visiting some of the other studios and learning about some of the other things taught in the department, and perhaps visiting an exhibition on campus.  You do not need to bring any art supplies to class next week.

10/8/12 2D Design

Today's Class-  Today was devoted to the concept of value in two dimensional art.  Value was a part of the stipple drawing assignment, but now we're using a more traditional medium, charcoal.  We discussed some related vocabulary and definitions from the textbook, looked at slides of historical art from antiquity through the present, and discussed the way value was used to imply form and volume, space, to highlight specific details, and to focus attention.  After that the class did two still life drawings using different types of charcoal.

How to make this up- You will need to set up a still life to draw from, which will be lit by a single directional light source to create patterns of light and shadow.  You will do one drawing as a value reduction using vine charcoal, filling a page with it and using your kneaded eraser to draw the lights from the set up.  You will also do a more traditional value drawing using compressed charcoal on clean white paper.  Specific instructions as to how to put together the still life and what to focus on, and additional student examples, can be seen here.

These are portfolio exercises and must be completed by the end of the semester to receive full credit, but I recommend that you complete them before next week as practice for a graded charcoal assignment, especially if have never tried charcoal before.

Homework-  Nothing new, but a few students still owe me the graded projects involving stipple drawing and pencil line still life drawing.  The longer the delay, the fewer points they will be worth.

For next class 10/15/12- We will finish our study of value with a graded project involving charcoal still life value drawing.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, preferred type of charcoal (vine, compressed, or both), kneaded eraser, and spray fixative.  We will use part of the class to discuss printmaking in preparation for the project we will start the week after that.

10/3/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at a category that I am calling Monumental Art, two dimensional work on a large scale that permanently covers walls, ceilings, and floors of buildings and other large structures.  I showed slide examples of such art, mostly mosaics and frescoes, from antiquity through the present.  I also showed a short video that demonstrated the steps involved in creating a large contemporary mural.  After that the students began a new portfolio exercise, a mosaic style collage.

How to make this up- I put out a stack of old magazines and had students select a color photo.  It must be a photograph of something three dimensional and real, not an artwork or illustration.  Students then selected a square or rectangular portion of it to reproduce as a basic pencil sketch.  After that, they continued to go through the magazines searching for colors that exactly matched those in the photo, cut out small pieces, and glued them to the drawn version to match the original photo.  In the above student example, the original is on the left, the collage version on the right.  The specific instructions and additional student examples can be found here.

This is a portfolio exercise and is due by the end of the semester.  I suggest working on it before then- it is not difficult, but it is very time consuming.

Homework- Nothing new, but the research assignment is due at the beginning of class on October 24, 2012.  Many of you have shown me your chosen artists and artworks for approval, but if you haven't yet, you should do it soon.

For next class 10/10/12- We will work with color again, this time mixing paint.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, watercolor paints, and brushes.  There may be water containers and palettes there on the counter, but if you don't want to take a chance, bring your own.

10/1/12 2D Design

Today's Class- We started with a class critique of the stipple drawings, which were graded and returned before the end of class.  The rest of the class period was spent working on our second graded project, a line drawn still life with a variety of objects.

How to make this up- You will need to gather a variety of objects, which you'll use to set up a multi-level still life.   Then you'll draw the set up on a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper.  The full instructions, including a list of the required objects for the still life, can be found here.

This is a graded project and must be completed as soon as possible.  The longer it takes you to turn it in, the fewer points it will be worth.

Homework- Nothing new, but those who still owe me the stipple drawing graded project should try to get it done as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

For next class 10/8/12- We will start our study of value.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both vine and compressed charcoal, kneaded eraser, and spray fixative.  I'll provide the subjects for a couple of value drawing portfolio exercises.

9/26/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we spent the class period considering the formal property of value, the use of light and dark in a composition.  We looked at slides of fine art from Ancient Rome through the 20th century, considering how value was used by the artist to imply three dimensional form, deep space, location, weight, to show time of day, to focus attention, and to describe the detail of surfaces.  Then I set up a still life of white objects under a direct light and everyone used charcoal to do a value drawing of the still life.

How to make this up-  You will have to set up a still life, in this case a collection of white or light colored objects of similar size, on a table.  The still life should be lit with a directional light to create patterns of light and shadow on and around the objects.  Use charcoal to draw the light and shadow, as in the above student example.  Another student example, and the specifics of how to set up the still life, can be found here.

This is a portfolio exercise and must be completed by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework- Nothing new, but I have requested that everyone bring me their proposed list of artists and artworks for their research assignment for next week, October 3, 2012.  The paper itself is due three weeks after that.

For next class 10/3/12- We will do an exercise using collage as the format.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, scissors, and glue suitable for working with thin paper.

9/24/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we started our study of line.  I reviewed terms and descriptions of the use of line from the textbook, and we looked slides of fine art from prehistory, through ancient civilizations, to the renaissance, and the present, discussing how lines were used in each case.  Then the class did a series of portfolio exercises relating to line.

How to make this up-

Contour Line Exercises

We did a series of contour line exercises, drawing from shoes.  Despite being simple objects, shoes have some complex aspects that make them excellent to draw.  We explored contour, cross contour, and blind contour.  The full assignment, along with student examples of each, can be found here.

Negative Space Exercises

Negative space is the space around and between the positive shapes in a composition.  In 2D art, positive and negative space are equally important, as each defines the other.  Negative space is very useful in still life drawing as way of finding the right spacing and relative location of objects, as well as helping to find the shapes of objects themselves.  The specific assignments and additional student examples can be found here.

These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.  If time is short for you this week, finish the stipple drawing first, and do the exercises later.

Homework- The graded stipple drawing project begun in class last week is due at the beginning of class on October 1, 2012.  You must bring the original photo as well as your dot drawing version of it.

For next class 10/1/12-  We will start class with a group critique of the stipple drawings, which will be graded and returned.  The rest of the class period will be spent working on our next graded project, a pencil line still life of mixed objects.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser, along with the homework due that day.

9/19/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we discussed the idea of negative space, the space that surrounds and falls between positive shapes in an artwork.  In a two dimensional artwork, every space in the composition is either positive or negative, and each defines the other, so though we tend to focus on positive shapes, positive and negative are equally important.  In addition to two portfolio exercises, the research assignment was distributed today, and students each picked a topic from the list.

How to make this up-  We did two exercises, each requiring a sheet from the 18" x 24" pad and a pencil.  The first thing we did was draw the negative spaces in a chair.  I set up a wooden chair on a table in the center of the class and had students draw all the spaces in the chair that were surrounded by wood.  Although nothing but empty spaces were drawn, if done right the form of the chair is revealed.  The second exercise involved drawing from a simple still life, a group of diverse bottles set up on a platform in the center of the room.  This time students drew the actual objects, the bottles, but used negative spaces as an aid to drawing the shapes of the bottles and in finding the relative positions of the bottles.  Full instructions for the exercises and additional student examples can be found here.

These are portfolio exercises and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.  If the online instructions aren't clear enough, wait to do the assignment until after you talk to me next week.

Homework-  A list of the three artists and an artwork from each that you plan to use for your research assignment is due in class on October 3, 2012.  Not getting my approval for your artists won't affect the grade for the paper, but if I don't approve your artists and artworks, the responsibility for having chosen appropriate subjects is all on you.  The completed paper is due at the beginning of class on October 24, 2012.  

Those who haven't yet been assigned a topic for their research paper need to contact me by e-mail for a list to choose from, or wait to see me in class next week.

For next class 9/26/12- We will start our study of value, the use of light and shadow to imply space and volume in two dimensional art.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, either vine or compressed charcoal, and your kneaded eraser.  Charcoal is very messy, so you are advised not to wear anything white or light colored to class that day.

9/17/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we started our study of two dimensional art with the most basic mark of all, the point or dot.  We did a portfolio exercise and started a graded project, both making use of dots.

How to make this up-  Everyone was in class today, so you should all know what we did, but here's a reminder if you are interested.

Wallpaper exercise

We started with the wallpaper exercise, where I had students create 3 patterns that included a vertically repeating pattern, made only from dots.  The dots could make geometric patterns, form recognizable images, or whatever you like.  Above is an example from a previous semester.  This was a portfolio exercise, so hold onto it until the end of the semester.

Graded Stipple Drawing Project

We started our first graded project of the semester, a stipple drawing based on a black and white photograph.  This is a type of drawing made with nothing but individual dots of ink, with the number and closeness of the dots creating different levels of value.  Students chose a black and white photograph of a three dimensional subject.  The basic composition was sketched in pencil on paper, and then the exact values are to be reproduced with the dots of ink.  In the above student example, the original photo is on the left, and the drawing is on the right (click to enlarge).  Additional examples and the specific rules of the assignment can be found here.

Homework- The graded stipple drawing project is due at the beginning of class on October 1, 2012.  You must bring the original photo with you that day so I can grade the project.

For next class 9/24/12- We will start our study of line with a few portfolio exercises.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser.  One of the exercises will involve drawing from shoes.  I do not have enough to distribute to everyone, so you are all responsible for having your own to draw from.  (closed shoes are easier to work with- dress shoes, sneakers, boots, etc)  I would suggest that you bring an extra shoe or be prepared to remove one from your own foot.  I'll provide the other subjects.

9/12/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we started our study of line as a visual element.  We looked at slides of art through history, from cave paintings through ancient civilizations, to the renaissance, to the present, in each case discussing how artists used lines in each.  After that the students did a series of portfolio exercises involving contour line.  I also distributed and reviewed the museum assignment.

How to make this up- We did exercises involving contour lines, simple lines that surround and define a shape in two dimensional art.  For a subject we used shoes, which have a shape that is both simple and challenging.  The class did shoe drawings with simple exterior contour lines, cross contour lines, and blind contour lines.  Detailed instructions for these exercises, and additional photos of student drawings, can be found here.

This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

Homework- Nothing immediate, but the museum assignment was distributed today.  It is ultimately due by the end of the semester, but I strongly recommend starting it well before then.  If you wait until the end of the semester, you will be dealing with major assignments in your other classes, plus the busyness of holiday time.  Turning it in before the last class means that if it's lacking in some way, you will have the opportunity to redo it for a higher grade.  If you wait until the last day, it gets the grade it gets.

For next class 9/19/12- We will continue working with line, a portfolio exercise dealing with the concept of negative space.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser.  I'll provide the subject matter. In addition, I'll be distributing the research assignment.

9/10/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today was our first meeting of the semester.  The course syllabus was distributed and reviewed.  I had students fill out a survey about their art experiences and interests, and we discussed the results as a group.  I also handed out the museum assignment, so those who may be making museum trips with other classes will know what my assignment is.

Homework- none

For next class 9/17/12-  Next Monday we will begin our study of two dimensional art with the most basic unit of mark making, the dot.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencils, eraser, large black permanent marker, and two ultra fine point black markers.  A small sketchbook may come in handy if you have one available, but no need to go out and buy one.  One project will require a drawing based on a black and white photo.  It should be of an existing 3 dimensional subject (person, object, landscape, interior, etc), not line art of digitally created.  It works best if there is a wide range of values in the photo- light, medium, dark.  For those who don't have a photo next week I will have some magazines to pick through, but if you bring your own, you will have a photo you like and won't have to waste class time searching for one.

9/5/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was our first meeting of the semester.  We reviewed and discussed the syllabus.  Students filled out a survey regarding their artistic experiences and interests, which we discussed as a group.  Some students purchased the class textbook.

Homework- Nothing today.  If you didn't have money for the text book today, try to bring the $3 next week.

For next class 9/12/12- We will begin our study of line.  Bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencils, and eraser.  The subject for our line exercises will be shoes, and since I don't have enough for everyone, you may need to provide your own.  Either bring an extra to class, or be prepared to take one off your foot.  We will also talk about the museum assignment.

Welcome to the Fall 2012 Semester

This is the blog that I have set up for my art classes at Kean University.  Each post title will contain the date of the class and the name of the course.  To avoid confusion, posts for my Intro to Art class (FA 1000 sec 10, Wednesdays) will be printed in red text, while posts for my 2D Design class (FA 1100 sec 02, Mondays) will be printed in blue text.  Posts meant for both classes, like this one, will be printed with black text.

Each week I will create a post for the class, usually later that evening.  Besides the name and date, I will include a description of the day's activity and photos of student examples of completed projects if available and applicable.  If there is related homework, I'll provide the details, including the day that it will be due.  I'll also include a list of the required materials for the following week's class. About a month's worth of posts will seen on the home page; ones from earlier in the semester can be accessed using the archives in the right hand column.

The purpose of this blog is to provide information to students who might miss an occasional class so that they may quickly catch up.  It is not intended to be a substitute for actually coming to class- this is not an online course and you are expected to show up each week.  However, even students who never miss a class may find this blog useful, as a way to see additional examples of completed projects, to check due dates for assignments, or to get a quick reminder of what is needed for the next class.  It is available to you 24/7 without having to wait for me to reply to your e-mail.  If you have questions that are not answered here, send an e-mail and I'll usually get back to you within the day, but I have found most of the information students are looking for will be found here.

5/14/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today was our last class meeting.  We looked at the final projects (board games), and I graded those, the portfolios, some back projects, and the museum papers.  Work not picked up by 3:00 today was stacked in the front corner of the classroom by the window.  I can't guarantee how long it will remain there, so if you care about it, try to pick it up soon.


Final grades will be calculated in a few days and submitted to Kean Wise.  I have no idea when they will actually be available to be viewed online.


Enjoy the summer.

5/11/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was our last class meeting.  We looked at a few late arriving comic strips, then all the 3D projects.  After that, I dismissed everyone while I graded the 3D projects, portfolios, and museum.  Those who returned by the end of class learned their grades for the 3D and portfolios, and some of the museum papers.  The rest of the museum papers will be graded over the weekend.


Final semester grades will be calculated and submitted to Kean Wise next week.


Enjoy the summer.

5/7/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today was a general work day for the class.  Several students worked on the final project, while a few dealt with previously unfinished graded projects.  We looked at a few late arriving palettes projects, and some older graded work was returned to students.


A reminder of what is expected as part of the semester portfolio, along with details about the final (game board) project can be found in last week's entry.


For next class 5/14/12-  Everything is due at the beginning of class- the Final Project, the Semester Portfolio, the Museum Paper, and any late graded projects.  We will critique the final projects, then I'll dismiss everyone while I grade everything.  You'll be able to return at the designated time to pick up your artwork and learn the grades on those items.  Be on time- the sooner we start class the sooner we will finish.  

5/4/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was a general work day for the class.  Some worked on the final project, some made up some missed portfolio exercises, or even worked on their museum papers.


The list of works for the semester portfolio and the details of the final 3D project can be found in last week's blog posting.


For next class 5/11/12- Bring the semester portfolio, the 3D project, and your museum paper.  All will be graded and returned by the end of the class period.  No work will be accepted after the class period.  The sooner we start, the sooner we finish, so be there on time.

4/30/12 2D Design

 Roots

Kerry James Marshall

 Painted Dreams

Vincent Van Gogh

Today's Class- Today we looked at some of the limited palette graded projects, then started on the Final Project of the semester- a reworking of the art of a specific artist, creating a new composition that borrows the format of a board game.

How to make this up- Everyone was in today, so you should all know the project, but here's the basics if you need a reminder.  Choose a recognized fine artist (found in major museum collections and art history textbooks) whose work is representational (not abstract), two dimensional, and in full color.  You will select elements from two or more artworks from this artist and arrange them into a new composition.  That can include figures, landscape, interiors, objects, and backgrounds.  Because this is a game, there must be a theme at least partly related to the artwork, a title, and some kind of game path. The game will be created using a piece of mat board, somewhere between 16" x 20" and 18" x 24", using your acrylic paints.  Above and below are examples from previous semesters, with the game title and artist beneath each.  The example I made, and the details behind how I designed it, can be found here.

 Magritte the Game

Rene Magritte

The Greek Grape Faze

Ancient Greek Pottery

Homework- This board game graded project is due at the beginning of class on May 14, 2012, which is also the final day of the semester.  No work will be accepted after that day.

Some students still owe some back projects (wood cut blocks, season temperature collages, limited palette studies), which can be turned in for partial credit.

Museum papers are also due by the last day of class, two weeks from today.

Spring 2012 Portfolio Exercises 

This is the list of all exercises that are part of the semester portfolio, which will be graded on the last day of class.  If you came to class every day, you probably have it all done.  If not, the list below, along with the dates they can be found on this blog, should help you fill in the gaps:

1/30/12  Wallpaper dots

2/6/12  Contour Lines  (shoes, chair, bottles)

2/27/12  Value (charcoal exercises)

3/26/12  Color Wheel and Mixing exercises

4/2/12  Text and Logo

4/23/12  Color Still Life painting

For next class 5/7/12- This will be a general work day for the class.  Many will use it to work on the final project, but you may use the time and space to do anything related to the class.  That can be one of the back projects, a portfolio exercise, or even the museum paper.  Bring whatever you need to work on whatever you plan to do in class.

Intro to Art- 3D Final Project

How to make this up- The 3D projects will have a specific theme.  The themes for each student's project were chosen randomly during class.  Each student pulled words from two bags, which were put together to create a random phrase.  The student can interpret the resulting phrase in any way that makes sense to them.  In the examples below from previous semesters, the chosen theme is shown beneath each piece.  Those who missed class today should either e-mail me and have me pick their phrase for them, or can wait until next week and choose it for themselves.  Once you have your phrase, you have two options for making the sculptural piece:

A) Open Front Box Sculpture- An open front box sculpture is a standing object meant to be seen from the front only, as if intended to be hung on a wall.  Because it's a box, it has a background, top, bottom, and sides, which can be decorated with painted or collaged materials, or have 3D elements attached.  Within the box there needs to be 3 dimensional objects, which can be found objects (things created by others for different purposes) or things you make yourself out of such materials as cardboard, clay, paper mache, fabric, natural materials, or anything else you can think of.  (craft stores may have many other options)  The box must be a minimum of 12" tall and 12" wide, and 3" deep, but can be a little larger.  The piece at the top was made out of wood, but cardboard is acceptable if you don't have access to wood or the tools to build with it.  If you can't find an existing box that meets the size requirements, you can make one by recutting existing cardboard or combining two boxes, which I can help you with in class next week.

Impasse Changed

Plowing Through The Nation

B) Freestanding Sculpture-  A freestanding sculpture sits on a pedestal or table top and can be seen from all sides.  The sculpture must be at least 12" tall, and may include an attached base if you want.  As with the box sculptures, you can include readymade found objects, but at least some of it should have elements you make yourself.  Below are three examples from previous semesters.

 Troubled Uprising

Fallen Merchant

Planet Gone Wild

2D Design Color Still Life Exercise

Having used paint and color in theoretical ways for the past few weeks, today we used them for a more traditional purpose- a color still life painting. After showing several slides of still life paintings from the Renaissance to the present, and discussing the purpose of still life paintings for artists and viewers then and now, I set up a still life and had the class paint it.

How to make this up- Set up a colorful still life. Put a small/medium box on a table in a well lit room and drape with a multicolored cloth. Arrange 4 solidly colored objects (each a different color from the others and the cloth) on and around the box. Produce a full color painting of the still life, paying attention to shapes, proportions, spacing, perspective, and value, but this time also trying to match colors as closely as possible. You may sketch it first with pencil or paint the set up directly with your brush. Spend about 4 hours on it. Student examples from previous semesters can be seen above and below.

This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive full credit.

4/20/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at completed comic strip projects from all those students who had brought them in. They were collected and will be returned graded next week. We then looked at slides of the history of architecture from pre-history to the 20th century. After the break, we did an exercise in perspective drawing.

How to make this up- The exercise was to draw a corner of our classroom in two point perspective, an example of which is above. Converting three dimensional reality to a two dimensional drawing always involves a certain amount of distortion of the subject, but a perspective system creates a regulated system of distortions that works well for highly geometric subjects like architecture. A diagram of how two point perspective works, and the specifics of the exercise, can be seen here. The procedure is complex, and if you have no experience with it, you may want to wait until next week and I'll review it with those who missed class today. The exercise needs to be made up by the end of the semester to receive credit.

Homework- Those who haven't yet turned in their comic strip project should finish it as soon as possible- it's a graded project and the longer it takes to arrive, the lower the grade will be.

The museum papers are due on the last day of class, three weeks from today. If you haven't yet made your museum visit, you should get to it soon.

For next class 4/27/12- We will start our final project of the semester, which will be a three dimensional artwork. Next week will be spent developing the idea. Bring some paper for notes and sketches (your 18" x 24" pad or a notebook), pencil and eraser.

4/16/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we started a new graded project dealing with the idea of specific limited color palettes. While artists have traditionally painted realistic scenes by approximating the colors of nature, sometimes artists will purposely choose alternate approaches to color. We looked at a few dozen slides with examples of some of the common variations of limited palettes, then the class spent the day reproducing their chosen photos with different color schemes, as in the student examples above and below.

How to make this up- You will need a black and white photograph of a real scene (person, landscape, interior, still life, etc) and a wide range of value. Divide a sheet of your 18" x 24" paper into 4 equal sized boxes and use pencil to sketch the basic composition of your photo in all four boxes. You will then use your acrylic paints to reproduce all the values in the original photo, but using some specific color schemes. Additional student examples and all the instructions and requirements can be seen here.

Homework- This graded limited color palettes project is due at the beginning of class on April 30, 2012. Those who still owe back projects (wood blocks, color season collages) should get them done as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

For next class 4/23/12- We will use our painting experience to explore a more traditional use of paint, a color still life portfolio exercise. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and all your painting materials.

4/13/12 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today the class continued work on the comic strip autobiographical narrative projects that were begun during our last class meeting. While that was going on, I printed all the collagraph plates that had been made a few weeks ago. Above and below are examples of plates and resulting prints from previous semesters.

How to make this up- If you have a plate and it needs to be printed, bring it to class as soon as possible. I'll collect it, print it at home, and return it the following week. Once printed, it is your option to keep the plate or dispose of it, but the printed image on paper must be kept as part of your semester portfolio. (many students tape it to a blank page in the pad to keep it from getting lost) You also have the option to add color to the dry print, with either your watercolors (as in the above example) or with light pastels, so that the ink and textures show through. It won't affect your grade in any way, but if your subject is not clear from the print, color can help define the shapes and make it a better work of art.

Homework- The comic strip autobiography projects are due at the beginning of class on April 20, 2012. All the details are available on the post for our last class meeting.

Keep in mind that the museum papers are due on the last day of class, four weeks from now, though they can be turned in sooner. If you haven't yet made your museum visit, you should do it soon, before you get hit with all the end of the semester work from your other classes.

For next class 4/20/12- Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, and a ruler or at least a straight edge of some kind. We will do a project related to architecture, as well as looking at the comic strips.

4/9/12 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we returned to color, starting a graded project related to the idea of color temperature. I showed a dozen or so art historical slides, and the class discussed whether the overall perceived temperature of each painting was warm, cool, or balance. Then the class was set loose on the project shown above, a pair of color collages that represent two seasons of the year.

How to make this up- For the first time since January, the entire class was present, so everyone should know the details already. You need to mix 200 colors using your acrylic paints, which will be arranged in two 10" square boxes by temperature. Within each square, no two colors can be alike. Each square will represent a season of your choice- summer (all warm), winter (all cool), spring and autumn (mix of warm and cool) Colors will be cut to 1" squares and arranged in the large boxes. Additional examples and full details for the project can be found here.

Homework- This color temperature graded project is due at the beginning of class on April 16, 2012. Those who have not yet finished cutting their wood blocks should try to finish them as soon as possible for partial credit.

For next class 4/16/12- We will look at the resulting color temperature projects and start a new graded project involving limited color palettes. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, all your painting related materials, and pencil and eraser. You will need a black and white photo for this project (actual scene/place/person), so either bring your own or go through my pile of old magazines to find something.