FINAL PROJECT: Decorative Space

Students will be working on their final projects all this week.  The objective is to create an image of shallow depth, a more decorative use of space, composed of multiple formats. These formats will be occupied by simple shapes filled with patterns and textures. Here are some examples from previous semesters for reference.

FINAL PROJECT: Decorative Space

Tomb of the Kings, Thebes

Last night students began working on their final projects. The objective is to create an image of limited depth using vertical and horizontal registers/ formats similar to the image above or a more contemporary reference like comics or graphic novels. The spaces will then be composed of silhouettes addressing a theme. The silhouettes will be filled with patterns, textures, color and value.

PORTFOLIOS ARE DUE THURS., DEC. 8

The class continued working on the Linear Perspective drawings. Students will have all of next Tuesday's class to complete these. We will critique them at the end of class.

PORTFOLIOS ARE DUE THURS., DEC. 8. The list is above.
FINAL CRITIQUE IS TUES., DEC. 20 AT 7pm. Attendance is mandatory.

LINEAR PERSPECTIVE: Two-Point

Last night the class began work on drawings employing Two-Point Linear Perspective. In two-point, there are no horizontal lines. All vertical lines are parallel to the left and right sides of the paper. All diagonals must recede either to the left vanishing point or the right. Students will have all of Thursday night's class to work on this project.

LINEAR PERSPECTIVE: One-Point

Last Thursday, the class began drawing in One-Point Linear Perspective. The class will continue working on these drawings Tuesday.

TEXTURE: Still Life

Melissa Milks

Last Thursday and Tuesday the class made collage/paintings from a still life. The objective was the create a fragmented and fractured composition inspired by Cubism. Each of the spaces was then filled with collaged elements and various painting techniques.

COLOR: Color schemes

This week and next Tuesday, the class will be working on their color schemes project. Next Tuesday's class will end with a critique of the project.

VALUE: Deep Space

Last Wednesday we critiqued the paintings addressing atmospheric perspective. 
Katelynn has effectively used value to address the atmospheric perspective. In addition, her use of value is very complementary to the subject. The dark values in the ominous, tangled foreground of roots and trees provides the perfect exit into the more inviting space of lighter values spreading throughout the canyon.

Katelynn Pizzio

After the critique the class began their color wheels and sketches for color schemes.

VALUE: 2-D Space vs. 3-D Space

Last week and this Tuesday the class will be working on their value and space projects addressing atmospheric perspective. Pix to follow.

VALUE: 2-D Space

Last Thursday the class began working with Value. The project is to make a continuous line drawing of large and medium shapes. Once a composition is established, students fill the spaces with four values: white, light gray, dark gray and black. The class will complete these painting with a critique on Tuesday.

ARCHITECTURAL IMPROVISATION

Bettina Schoefer Gordon

Michelle Frydenlund

Rio Dominguez

Last night the class completed work on the Architectural Improvisation project. Bettina's drawing is a tumbling and swirling composition of architectural forms separated into linear and shape based elements. The light and dark areas are balanced with textural, gray values and patterns.
Michelle's drawing exhibits a multilayered space of rectangular shapes of various sizes are characteristics. The dynamics of the composition are attributed to criss-crossing diagonals and high contrasting values.
Rio's drawing exhibits a collage-like composition of disparate and similar objects as well as mark-making effects. The composition is balanced with repeating brick patterns and leaf shapes bound together with high contrast values and textures.

ARCHITECTURAL IMPROVISATION

Last Thursday students continued working on the midterm project. Students will have Tuesday night as well to complete the drawings with a critique at the end of class. Pix coming up.

ARCHITECTURAL IMPROVISATION

Phillip Vidal

On Tuesday, the class began working on their midterm project. This is a two part project. This first part was to draw at least (4) thumbnail sketches from various locations around and within the art building. Students were to observe the intersecting lines, patterns and textures of the architecture, landscape and the objects occupying those spaces. In addition, students tried to create images with varying degrees of value from mostly dark to mostly light as well as equally balanced light and dark areas.

COMPOSITION: Parts of the Puzzle

Melissa Milks

Last night the class completed the composition project "Parts of the Puzzle." By using only one type of curvilinear shape, one type of line and one type of rectilinear shape students were tasked with making varied compositions while trying to create additional shapes by cropping, overlapping and joining the existing elements. Notice in the arrangements above how the zig-zag line creates triangles (upper right) or cracked shapes (upper left). Tilting the rectangle also creates triangles (lower left) in the negative space. In addition, she has effectively employed overlap, size change and location throughout the series of collages.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Line and the Illusion of Space

Stacey Murphy-Brown

Last night the class completed the Line and Depth drawings and started the Parts of the Puzzle project. Stacey has created a well balanced composition composed of a large circle in the foreground overlapping smaller circles and squares receding up the picture plane into the background. The sense of depth is enhanced by her use of value as well as diminishing sizes and location. In addition, she has incorporated areas of transparency where the shapes overlap which adds greater visual interest.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Line and the Illusion of Depth

Katelynn Pizzio

Last night began with a discussion about the Principles of Design. The project employs the principles of design as well as the distal cues. Working with a specific number of specific shapes the class made drawings illustrating a deep sense of space. Each drawing is rendered with horizontal, parallel lines. One thing to bare in mind is when lines are grouped together they act less like line and more like value.

NOTAN: Representation vs. Distortion

Brendan Powers

On Tuesday the class visited the gallery to see the current Abstract Mix exhibition. The remaining time in class was devoted to completing the next Notan project. Remember to achieve Notan, the positive and negative areas must 1. be able to exchange value, 2. negative areas must be sufficiently enclosed and 3. the positive and negative areas must be able to exchange roles (i.e. positive becomes negative; negative becomes positive).
Brendan has very skillfully met all three requirements. The sequence of the distortions is gradual and varied. In addition, his handling of the materials has created very fluid and viscous lines and shapes.

REPRESENTATION vs. DISTORTION: NOTAN

This two part project addresses the balance and reversability of the positive and negative areas. In the first part, students create a composition of rectangular compartments (no squares) using three colors in a 2, 2, 1 combination. In the second part, students choose a tool (ex. key) and modify and distort the tool so that the shape not only fits the space but achieves the primary requirement of Notan; positive and negative areas must be able to reverse roles (i.e. positive areas may be viewed as negative areas and negative areas may be viewed as positive).

TENSION BETWEEN THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE

Emily Riordan

Jessi Davis

Sophia Wiley

Spacing, tension and balance must be given total focus when developing a composition. Last night's collage addressed these three aspects. Students made a design of repeating primary and secondary elements moving down columns. The objective was to achieve total balance between the positive and negative areas without one dominating the other. In all three compositions above , the black and white areas are able to exchange roles. It is possible to see the black areas as positive and the white areas as negative and yet the white areas could also be seen as positive and the black areas negative. Great consideration must be given to the tension and spacing between the columns. In addition, the types of shapes (curves, angles, etc) as well as whether a shape is concave or convex profoundly affects the balance between the dark and light areas.

MANDALA

Diana Douch

Jessica Schweizer

Katelynn Pizzio

Last Thursday, we continued working with symmetrical compositions and exploring the balance of light and dark areas. The project was to create a mandala. There were many great designs. The three here illustrate some unique elements. Diana has continued her nature theme by including the central bee character and the winding vine. Jessica has employed bold line and shape elements within a three toned design reminiscent of stained glass. And lastly Katelynn's drawing appears to revolve due to the shark fin and wavy outside shapes.

NOTAN: Expansion of the Square

Bettina Schoefer Gordon

Katelynn Pizzio

Vicotria Le

Last Thursday the class continued exploring positive and negative relationships. Working with a 5 in. square the class made symmetrical compositions by cutting and flipping the pieces without destroying the square or having any waste. The real challenge was creating a composition with a strong central, dominant shape.
Bettina's design has a spider-like quality with arcing diagonals and a bold, convex central shape. The outside curvature is a good contrast to the straight lines of the square.
Katelynn has skillfully introduced a circular shape into the design. The protruding linear elements imply diagonals again in contrast to the square.
Victoria has created a very dynamic design with diagonals inside the the square. Again, the central shape is convex with elements shooting outward from the core.

LINE DYNAMICS

Last night the class made drawings addressing symmetrical and asymmetrical compositions. The objective was to create images illustrating depth employing the Distal Cues (see tab above).

Amber Barnard

 Amber's drawing illustrates a "funneling" effect. The width of the lines and the spacing between the lines adds to the sense of recession.

Katelynn Pizzio

Katelynn's drawing illustrates a combination of angular forms and curvilinear forms. Her drawing is rich with pattern and tonal techniques.

LINE: The Characteristics of Line

Last night the class began exploring the different types of lines and their characteristics. Review the notes above for a full description of LINE. The objectives of the projects below was to 1.) explore the various types of line while increasing their dynamics 2.) explore the changes in format and the affect on the lines 3.) create a series of small compositions with the possibility of expanding one into a larger more resolved image.

Hayley Simmons: Line Types

Katelynn Pizzio: Line Types

In our first drawing exercise students chose four different line types to explore. The top row exhibits the individual types. The columns illustrate the original line gaining intensity and strength combined with changing formats.

Jessi Davis: 4 Lines, 4 Times

Stacey Murphy-Brown: 4 Lines, 4 Times

In the second project, students worked exclusively with straight, curved, and angular lines. The forth column illustrates the combining of all three. Again, the dynamics of the lines are increased moving down the columns to the circular format aka "tondo."

At the end of the night students chose one thumbnail from the projects above to expand into a more resolved image.

 Amber's drawing is reminiscent of a rolling and tumbling landscape of overlapping hills. A strong tension and pulling effect is created with the lines arcing inward toward the center.

Melissa Milks

 Melissa's drawing is very elegant and lyrical. The fluid, flowing lines are very musical. Each line and dot representing a different sound or instrument.

Victoria Le

Victoria's drawing evokes a cosmic landscape complete with light waves and reflections, asteroid belts and a cloud of gas that seems to be peeling back space in the upper left hand corner.