2/28/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we discussed the use of value in two dimensional art. We looked at slides of historical art from Ancient Rome through the present, seeing the many ways that artists have used light and shadow to imply space, form, and volume, to create drama, and to focus attention. We then did two portfolio exercises involving using different types of charcoal to draw from a still life. The class also visited the student art show in the Howe Gallery on the first floor of our building.

How to make this up- To see additional student examples and learn the full instructions for completing the drawings, click here. These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester in order to receive credit, however if you have little or no charcoal drawing experience, I recommend you do them this week for practice, before next Monday's graded drawing.

Homework- Nothing new, but those who still owe me the stipple drawing and/or the pencil line still life should turn them in as soon as possible.

For next class 3/7/11- We will continue working with charcoal, doing a graded project charcoal still life drawing. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, vine or compressed charcoal (your choice), kneaded eraser, and spray fixative.

2/23/11 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we spent the day considering the artistic concept of value, meaning using light and dark in a two dimensional image to imply and simulate three dimensional form, volumes, and space. We looked at slides from Ancient Rome to the present, seeing how artists use value in flat works, and a few slides of student charcoal drawings, similar to the photo above. Then after the break I set up a still life of all white objects, lit with a directional light to create patterns of light and shadow, and had students attempt their own charcoal drawings.

How to make this up- Specific directions for the assignment and an additional student example can be found here. This is a portfolio assignment and must be made up by the end of the semester.

Homework- Nothing new, but about half the class has yet to clear their choices for artists and artworks to use for their research assignment. If you do not get my approval first, you will be responsible if who/what you write about is inappropriate for your topic. The actual paper itself is due at the beginning of class on March 9, 2011.

For next class 3/2/11- We will start our study of color. Bring your 18"x 24" pad, watercolors, brushes, pencil and eraser, mixing palette, and some kind of water container (cup, can, etc).

2/16/11 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we discussed the concept of negative space in two dimensional art- the relationship of the space around and between objects in the image to the objects that seem to be the subject(s) of the work. We also visited the current show in the Howe Gallery down the hall, featuring art from Kean University students.

How to make this up- We did two exercises, spending about 30 minutes on each. The first involved drawing the empty spaces within a wooden chair, the second drawing a still life of bottles (see above photo). For more examples and the specific details, click here. These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the year to receive credit.

Homework- The list of artists and artworks for your research assignment should be turned in by next week- February 23, 2011.

Extra Credit- In class today I offered an opportunity for my Intro to Art students to get some extra credit for the semester and at the same time make up one of the recent weeks that we lost to winter weather. Below is an example of a mosaic collage (original photo on left, student copy made from small cut pieces of colorful magazine paper on the right)

Full details and additional student examples can be found here. (ignore the first paragraph, which relates to the missed class, and see the instructions in the 2nd paragraph) The extra credit assignment can be turned in any time, but must be completed by the beginning of the last class of the semester to receive credit. It will be worth up to 10 percent added to your final grade, depending on the quality of the piece- copy of composition, complete image, color matching, etc.

For next class 2/23/11- Next class we will start our study of value (light and shadow) using charcoal. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, either vine or compressed charcoal, and a kneaded eraser. Charcoal is messy, so I recommend not wearing anything light colored to class.

2/14/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today the class opened with a critique of the stipple drawings, which were later graded and returned. The rest of the class was devoted to a new graded project, a pencil line still life, like in the example above from a previous semester.

How to make this up- Full directions as to how to complete this assignment can be found here. This is a graded project that should be completed as soon as possible. Like all graded projects, the longer it is late, the lower the grade will be.

Homework- Nothing new, but some students still owe stipple drawings.

******University is closed next Monday February 21 for President's Day*******

For next class 2/28/11- We will start our study of value with a few days of charcoal drawing. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, both vine and compressed charcoal, a kneaded eraser, and spray fixative. Charcoal is very messy, so I recommend against wearing white or light colored clothing.

2/9/11 Intro to Art

Today's Class- The skies were clear, the roads dry, so we finally were able to hold our first full class of the semester. We had a lot of business to take care of. I distributed and went over the museum assignment. After looking at slide examples of art movements of the past six centuries, students selected topics for their research assignments. Then we looked at slides of art that made use of line, from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary art, and after the break, did some drawing exercises.

How to make this up- The drawing exercises involved doing a series of pencil line drawings from shoes provided by each student. Examples of each exercise and the full instructions can be found here. These are portfolio exercises, and must be made up by the last day of class to receive credit.

Research Assignment- In class today students drew numbers for draft positions, then in that order selected specific art movements from the history of western art to be the focus of their research assignment. Those who missed class today can get a copy of the assignment in class next week, however they can choose topics before then if they want. The following topics are still available:

Northern Renaissance 15th & 16th centuries

Italian Baroque 17th century

Portraiture 18th century

Romanticism 19th century

German Expressionism 20th century

Dada 20th century

To select a topic before next week, e-mail me with your top 2 choices in order. The first e-mail received will get priority if two students choose the same topics. I'll reply to confirm the topic. Or, if you prefer, just pick your topic in class next week.

Homework- The list of 3 chosen artists, 1 artwork from each, and at least one book that you plan to use in your research, should be brought in by February 23, 2011. Students who don't get their artists and artworks approved by me in advance will be responsible if they do not choose appropriately for their topic. The paper itself is due at the beginning of class on March 9, 2011.

For next class 2/16/11- Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils, and eraser. We will be doing more drawing exercises involving pencil line.

2/7/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we started our study of line. I began with a slide show of images from prehistory through the late 20th century, discussing the use of line in each case. After that the class did a series of exercises about contour line and the idea of negative space in drawing.

How to make this up- Students who missed today's class should make up the following exercises in order to receive credit.

Contour Line- We did a series of drawing exercises taking shoes as the subject, exploring exterior contour, cross contour, and blind contour drawing. Below are some student examples. For the full details and more examples of the exercise, click here.

Negative Space- After the lunch break the class did a couple of drawing exercise involving the concept of negative space, as shown below. For the full details and more examples, click here.

Today's work was all portfolio exercises, which must be made up by the end of the semester.

Homework- The stipple drawing begun in class last week is due at the beginning of class February 14, 2011.

For next class 2/14/11- We will complete a graded project involving line. Bring your 18" x 24" paper, pencils, and eraser. Also bring your completed dot drawing and the original photo that was your source for the image.

2/2/11 Intro to Art

Today's Class- By now you should know that I decided by around 9:00 am this morning to cancel today's class meeting. I really do not like to cancel class meetings, especially because this means losing two weeks in a row, but after looking at weather and traffic reports beginning at 6:00 this morning, I felt that this was for the best for everyone, at least everyone who commutes. Things were just starting to change over to rain, but as I made the decision an Ice Storm Warning was still in effect and roads were still dangerous, all NJ Transit trains were either late or suspended, multiple regional highways were partially or completely blocked by downed trees and power lines or storm related flooding, and parts of Union County were without electricity. Things were expected to improve by our expected start time, but without knowing for sure, I decided that conditions were not worth the risk when there's plenty of time left in the semester to make up the missed work.

How to make this up- I will look at the course outline and let everyone know in class next week what adjustments will be made to the original plan from the syllabus.

Homework- None, but anyone who has not yet purchases the photocopied packet produced by the department for this class should bring $3 to purchase one from me next week.

For next class 2/9/11- Once again we will try to do the Contour line exercise that was originally planned for Week 2. So bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencils and eraser. You will also need a shoe to draw from, so either bring an extra one with you or be prepared to remove one from your own foot.

We will also discuss the museum assignment (due by the end of the semester) and the research assignment that was to have been distributed today.

1/31/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we began our study of two dimensional art with the most basic unit of mark making, the dot or point.

How to make this up- We did a portfolio exercise and started a graded project. For the portfolio exercise students took a sheet of 18"x 24" paper, used pencil to divide the sheet into 3 equal parts, and then used markers to create a different pattern in each using nothing but dots of various sizes. The patterns can be geometric or be based on images of recognizable things. I refer to this as the wallpaper assignment because the patterns need to repeat at least once from the top to the bottom. Below is a student example.

The wallpaper assignment is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester.

The rest of the class was spent working on a graded project, reproducing the value structure of a black and white photograph using nothing but tiny dots from an ultra fine point marker, commonly called a stipple drawing. Below is a student example.

The original photo is on the right, and the student's drawing on the left. For full details about how to complete the stipple drawing and further examples, click here.

Homework- The stipple drawing started today is due at the beginning of class on February 14, 2011.

For next class 2/7/11- We will start our study of line. Bring your 18"x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencils, and eraser. Some of the exercises will involve drawing from shoes, and since we don't have enough shoes in the prop closet for everyone, students will be responsible for providing their own shoe. So either bring an extra one to class or be prepared to take one off your foot.

1/26/11 Intro to Art

Today's Class- By now you may have received e-mail from me saying that I have cancelled today's class meeting due to the winter weather. It's been snowing and accumulating pretty steadily where I live for almost 2 hours and reports that I get from campus tell me conditions are deteriorating up in Union. News reports are that the highways in between are just as bad. I do not like to cancel class meetings, but on days like this it's just not worth trying to hold the class.

For next class 2/2/11- We will do what we would have done this week, so bring the same materials- your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencils and erasers. We will be doing a series of exercises involving line using shoes as our subject, so all students are responsible for having a shoe to draw from. Either bring an extra one to class or be prepared to remove one from one of your feet. I will distribute the museum and research assignments. Those who have not yet purchased their photocopied packet/textbook should bring $3 to class.

1/24/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today the course syllabus was distributed and reviewed. The class then filled out a survey regarding their artistic experience, which we discussed as a class. I also handed out the museum assignment and explained it.

Homework- none

For next class 1/31/11- We will look at the most basic unit of mark making, the point or dot. Bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencil and eraser, and ultra fine point and standard black markers. We will start a graded project that involves working from a black and white photograph, so students are asked to bring one to class. The photo should have a wide range of value tones (light/medium/dark) and be of something you are comfortable drawing. It can be a photographic print, or something found in a book, magazine, etc. I will have some suitable photos available for students who don't bring one.

1/19/11 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was the first class meeting of the semester. The syllabus was distributed and reviewed. The students also filled out a survey related to their artistic experiences, which we discussed as a class.

Homework- none

For next class 1/26/11- We will start our study of line. Bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencil and eraser. The subject of our drawings will be shoes. Each student is responsible for having a shoe to draw from. I suggest you bring one with you, or otherwise you'll have to remove one that you are wearing. In addition, I will hand out and go over the museum assignment.

Those who have not yet purchased the photocopied packet for the class should bring $3 to our next class meeting.

Welcome to the Spring 2011 Semester

This is the blog that I have created for my classes at Kean University. To make things easier to follow, posts for my Introduction to Art class (FA 1000-10 Wed 11:00 am) will be written in red text, while posts for my Two Dimensional Design class (FA 1100-01 Mon 9:30 am) will be written in blue text. Posts that apply to both classes will be written in black text.

I will use this blog each week to post information about the classes. I will include a description of the projects done in class, homework assignments, due dates, as well as photos of examples of completed projects if available and applicable. I will also list the art materials needed for the following week's class. The title of each post will include the date and name of the class. About a month's worth of posts will appear on the main page, but ones from earlier in the semester will be accessible through the blog archives.

Certainly this blog will be very useful to any student who misses a class, however it will also be helpful to students who never miss a class, but just need to verify due dates or need a reminder of what to bring to class. It is available to you 24/7 to provide those basic answers. If students still have questions that can't be answered here, you are all welcome to e-mail me directly, and I'll usually get back to you within a day.

12/20/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we opened with a critique of the Final Project (transforming books) then everyone was dismissed while I graded the projects, portfolios, museum papers, and any back work that was turned in. Most students turned up to pick up their work. Unclaimed work was stacked on the cart with the old computer up by the front of the room. Inside each pad or book is a small paper slip with grades for the book project, the portfolio, and a tally of absences and late arrivals, if applicable. I'm told that the building will remain open through Thursday, December 23rd if you wish to reclaim your art. It may or may not still be there when the spring semester begins. Final class grades will be available sometime in the next week, after I calculate them and post them to WebAdvisor.

Enjoy the break.

12/15/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was the last day of class. Final projects, portfolios, and museum papers were graded and returned to students. Everyone returned to pick up their graded work. Final semester grades will be available online sometime after I submit them, which will probably be early next week. Enjoy the break.

12/13/10 2D Design

Today's Class- We started with a critique of the limited palettes project. After that, the rest of the class period was spent working on a variety of projects. Most worked on the Final Project due next week, but some used the time to catch up on some back projects.

Final Grading- Next week will be the final grading day for the semester. That includes the Final Project, any late graded projects, the museum papers, and the semester portfolio. Here's what we did this semester and where on the blog the instructions can be found:

Graded Projects-

Sep 20 Stipple drawing

Oct 4 Contour Line Still Life

Oct 25 Value Drawing with Charcoal

Woodcut Book Illustration

Nov 15 Color Temperature Collage

Nov 22 Limited Color Palettes

Dec 6 Final Project (Book/Board Game)

Semester Portfolio-

Sep 20 Dot wallpaper patterns

Sep 27 Contour Line exercises (shoes)

Negative space exercises (chair/bottles)

Oct 18 Charcoal Value Drawings (vine/compressed)

Nov 8 Color Wheel/Complement Mix/Tints and Shades

Nov 29 Color Still Life Painting

Homework- The Final (Book) Project is due December 20, 2010, but if there is anything else on the above lists that you haven't finished yet, get it done by next week as well. Museum papers must be printed out. No work will be accepted after the class is dismissed.

For next class 12/20/10- Final Grading day. I would like to see the previously graded projects (not to grade again, just to see your progress over the semester), but I definitely need to see the portfolio projects, the Final Project, and back graded projects and museum papers from those who haven't turned them in yet. We will critique the Final Project, and everything else will be graded and returned by the end of class.

12/8/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today was a general work day for the class. We looked at a few more comic strip projects, and graded comic strip projects were returned to students in attendance. Meanwhile people worked on whatever new or old projects they needed to in order to be prepared for next week's class where everything will be graded.

Homework- The 3D box project that was assigned last week is due at the beginning of class next week, December 15, 2010. Anyone who has not yet turned in the comic strip project must bring it next week to receive partial credit. The museum assignment must also be turned in that day to receive credit.

For next class 12/15/10- Our final meeting of the semester. We will have a group critique of the 3D project, any remaining comic strip projects, and then I will grade those, the semester portfolios, and museum papers. No art materials will be necessary, but bring all your artwork from the semester. Nothing will be accepted for grading after the end of the class period.

2D Design Board Game Project

Today's Class- Today we started the Final Project of the semester, to design a board game based on works of historical fine art. The artist should be one who has achieved art world recognition, such as appearing in art history survey texts or be included in the collections of major museums. Check with me if you're not sure. The work must be representational.

Board Game- For this project you base a board game on the work of a specific artist. Your sources should be more than one work by the same artist. The game's theme should relate to the artwork(s). Above is a sample game based on the art of 14th century painter Hieronymus Bosch. Bosch's work usually had religious and moralistic themes, and this game adapts a common theme of his- the sinful nature of mankind and the possibility of eternal punishment in the afterlife.

All games must have a path of some kind. It can be a one-way start to finish path (such as in Candyland), a continuous loop that is repeated until conditions result in a winner (such as Monopoly), or something where players can move in multiple directions (such as chess). Rules for moving should be worked out, such as use of dice, spinner, or drawn cards.

The board design should not just be a copy of a single painting with a game path on it, but rather an original design that makes use of images from the artist's painting(s). This game borrows images from two Bosch paintings- "The Garden of Earthly Delights" and "The Last Judgement". All the visual elements on the game board should come from your artist, but the compositional design should be yours.

The game board should be made from mat board or illustration board, and must be able to fold in half like traditional game boards. Recommended sizes are between 16" x 16" and 18" x 24", but you can make it a little bigger if you prefer.

The game board must include the name of your game somewhere in the design. In the above example, I gave the Bosch-themed game the name "Heaven and Hell".

You must provide tokens to represent the game players. You can make some special for the game, or repurpose tokens from another game.  Below are some additional student examples from previous semesters.

 Love Story

Roy Lichtenstein

 Victory Climb

Cezanne

Roots

Kerry James Marshall

12/1/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we spent the first part of class looking at the comic strip projects that were due today. They were collected and will be returned graded next week. Then we looked at slides of the history of sculpture, from prehistory through the present. Last, we discussed the final project of the semester, a 3D project.

How to make this up- This project requires you to construct a 3 dimensional open front box that you will fill with a variety of 2 and 3 dimensional elements that fit a common theme of your choosing. The above examples from a previous semester are Christmas (top) and Peace (bottom). To learn the full details and see more student examples, click here.

Homework- This 3D graded project is due at the beginning of class on December 15, 2010, our last day of class.

The museum paper is also due on 12/15/10, but will be accepted next week if anyone wants to get it finished and graded early.

Those who did not turn in the comic strip project today should complete it as soon as possible. The more weeks that it's late, the more points will be deducted.

Semester Portfolio Collection-

On the last day of class I'll be grading the semester portfolio, all the artwork that you've done that's not individually graded (comic strip and box projects). Below is a list to remind you of what we've done, and where on the blog you can find it if you need to learn more.

Sep 15th Contour Line (Shoes)

Sep 22nd Negative Space (Chair, Bottles)

Sep 29th Value (Charcoal Drawing)

Oct 6th Mosaic Collage (magazine paper)

Oct 13th Color Wheel and Complement Mix

Oct 20th Photography Assignment

Oct 27th Rhythm in Visual Art (Music)

Nov 3rd Collagraph Print

Nov 24th Two Point Perspective (Interior of Classroom)

For next class 12/8/10- The class will be a general work day that can be used for any work related to the class. You may work on the 3D final project, anything that you might still owe from the portfolio list (as long as it doesn't require any materials or set up from me), or even work on the museum paper. So bring whatever materials are appropriate to whatever you want to work on.

11/29/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we discussed the various roles that still life paintings have played in the history of art, and then the class did a portfolio exercise in still life painting, similar to the above examples from a previous semester.

How to make this up- Start by making a still life. Put a small box on a table and drape with a patterned cloth, such as a sheet or tablecloth. Arrange on and around the box 3 solidly colored objects different in color from each other and the cloth. Paint the still life on a sheet of your 18"x 24" paper, either horizontally or vertically. You may draw the objects and drapery in pencil first, or just paint directly with the brush if you prefer. Match the shape, and relative size and space of the objects, and try to accurately match the colors of the objects and drape. You may put any color in the background around the drape that you want. Today's students spent about 4 hours working on it, not including lunch break.

This is a portfolio exercise that must be completed before the last day of class in order to receive credit for it.

Homework- The limited color palettes graded project started last week is now due at the beginning of class on December 13, 2010. (Note new deadline)

Anyone who still owes a back project (such as the woodcut or the season temperature collage) should try to get them in as soon as possible to receive partial credit.

Keep in mind that the museum paper is due on the last day of class, 3 weeks from today. If you haven't yet gone to a museum, you should make your visit soon.

For next class 12/6/10- We will be starting the semester's Final Project. It will involve a reworking of a color two dimensional work from the history of fine art. Bring a book with color images of work from a favorite artist, a favorite art movement, favorite subject, or if you have no favorites, a general book on the history of painting or history of art. In addition, bring your 18" x 24" pad, all you painting supplies, pencil and eraser. You will need some mat board or other heavy stiff cardboard as part of the project. (you may or may not get to that part next week, but you will need it, so if possible have it for next week) Scissors and glue are also recommended.

11/24/10 Intro to Art

Today's Class- Today we looked at the history of architecture, from prehistoric structures, through the Classical period, and into the 20th century. Then we did a portfolio exercise involving two point perspective drawing of the classroom architecture, as in the student drawing above.

How to make this up- The assignment requires knowledge of two point perspective drawing. A diagram showing the relationships of room architecture and furniture to the eye level and vanishing points, and the specific requirements of the assignment, can be found here. Unless you are familiar with the process, you may want to wait until the next time you come to class and I'll go over it with you.

Homework- The symbolic autobiographical comic strip project is due December 1, 2010.

If you haven't yet made your museum visit, I recommend doing it soon. To receive credit, you must turn in the paper by the last day of class.

For next class 12/1/10- We will critique the comic strips, look at the history of sculpture, and discuss the 3D project, our final art project of the semester. Bring paper (your 18"x 24" pad or a smaller sketchbook if you prefer) and pencil, along with the comic strip project.