3/31/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we started a new graded project relating to the concept of color temperature. I showed a short selection of slides of historical fine art and we debated whether the overall color balance in each was warm, cool, or balanced. After that students began mixing colors for the project, an example of which from a previous semester is shown above. While this was going on, we printed more wood blocks. At the end of class we finally had a critique of all the woodcut prints.

How to make this up- To see the full instructions and more student examples of the color temperature collage graded project, click here.

Homework- The color temperature project is due at the beginning of class on April 14, 2011, however I strongly recommend that you try to finish it (especially the color mixing part) by next week, as we will start a new graded project next week.

For next class 4/7/11- We will start a new graded project involving specific color combinations. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, acrylic paints, brushes, palette, palette knife, water container, pencil, and eraser. The project will require you to work from a black and white photograph, so either bring one with you, or settle for what you can find in the pile of magazines I bring in.

3/24/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Today we considered the role that text can play in visual arts, seeing examples from art history of words and letters in two dimensional art. We also looked at examples of advertising through the 20th century, discussing the associations with different styles of text and symbolism in the images. Following the slides, students did two exercises involving text and logos. While that was going on, I helped the students print their completed woodcuts.

How to make this up- The full directions and some student examples can be found here. These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester to receive credit.

Homework- nothing new, but those who did not print their wood blocks tonight should bring them to class as soon as possible.

For next class 3/31/11- We will start a new graded project involving color. Bring you 18"x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, paints, brushes, palette, palette knife, water container, as well as scissors and glue.

3/10/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we started our study of color, which will factor into almost everything we do the rest of this semester. We looked at slides of art from cave painting through comic books, discussing the use and effects of color in each. After that we did a series of portfolio exercises involving basic color theory and mixing.

How to make this up- Students did 3 exercises on one piece of paper; a color wheel, a complementary color mix, and a series of tints and shades of a single hue, as in the example above. Complete directions and further student examples can be found here. If the directions are too confusing, wait and ask me about it next time you come to class. These are portfolio exercises that must be made up by the end of the semester.

Homework- The completed cut wood blocks for our woodcut project are due at the beginning of class on March 24, 2011.

*****Spring Break March 14 to March 20, 2011*****

Student Art Show- There will be a student art show held in the Arts and Community Center from March 21 to April 29, 2011. Students who are interested in participating should see Bobbi Krantz in room A 103 (behind the box office in the theatre wing)

For next class 3/24/11- We will work on a few portfolio exercises involving text as a visual element, and I will assist students in printing their wood blocks. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencil and eraser, markers, and the completed wood block.

3/3/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we started a new graded project- a black and white illustration from a literary source using the medium of woodcut. I showed slides of the history of printmaking, including some contemporary printmaking, and examples of student prints from earlier semesters, such as the examples above. I distributed wood blocks to all students and did a demonstration of safe and effective block cutting. The rest of the class time students sketched out their compositions on paper or on the block itself.

How to make this up- The full instructions and additional student examples can be found here. Although this graded project isn't due for a few weeks, I recommend that students continue work on it this week so that I can review progress and advise in class next week.

Homework- The woodcut illustration book project block is due at the beginning of class on March 24, 2011. The blocks will be printed in class that evening.

For next class 3/10/11- We will begin our study of color. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, acrylic paints, brushes, palette knife, palette, pencil and eraser, and some kind of water container. We will be doing portfolio exercises related to color theory.

2/24/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we discussed the use of value (light and shadow) in two dimensional art. I showed slides of art from the Renaissance through the present, pointing out how the use of light and shadow in a two dimensional art can imply space and three dimensional forms and volumes. After the slides, students spent most of the class period working on a portfolio exercise in value drawing.

How to make this up- Students did a value drawing using either charcoal or black conte crayon from a still life set up of white objects, lit with spotlights to create patterns of light and shadow. For full details as to how to make this up, and to see additional student examples, click here. This is a portfolio exercise and must be made up by the end of the semester to receive credit.

Homework- Nothing new, but those who still owe me the first two projects (stipple drawing and plant drawing) should get them done as soon as possible.

For next class 3/3/11- We will begin the design oriented phase of the class with a relief printing project. The subject of your image will be a book illustration from the literary source of your choice- novel, non-fiction, short story, poem, etc. (No children's stories or things recently adapted for movies) For next week bring sketch paper (can be your 18" x 24" pad, but a smaller sketchbook will do fine), pencil and eraser, black markers, x-acto knife, and the literary source that you are planning to adapt.

2/17/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we started by having a critique of the stipple drawings due today. After that I set up a subject for our final line drawing project of the semester.

How to make this up- You will need to do a similar line drawing involving a plant. Full details and further examples can be found here. This is a graded project that must be made up as soon as possible.

Homework- Nothing new, but those who need to make up tonight's project or still owe me their stipple drawings should try to get them in as soon as possible- the longer the delay, the lower the resulting grade will be.

For next class 2/24/11- We will finish the Basic Drawing phase of the class with a portfolio exercise in value drawing. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, either charcoal or black conte crayon, and appropriate erasers.

Contour Line Exercises

This assignment applies to both my Basic Drawing Class and my 2D Design Class.

The Assignment- Find a shoe to draw from, then do the following drawing exercises in your 18" x 24" pad using pencil. You may put multiple shoes on a page and/or use the back of the page.

Exterior Contour Line- A simple line that surrounds a space to create a positive shape in space. For this first exercise draw the silhouette of your shoe- just the outside edge with no interior shapes or details, as in the examples below. Pay attention to the details around the edge, the proportions of the shoe, and the relative positions of shoe structures. Draw as many shoes as you want in 30 minutes (most students drew 2 to 4 shoes)

Cross Contour Line- Cross contour lines are perceived lines drawn over the surface of the subject to indicate movement, form and volume. Sometimes they relate to the actual surfaces of things being drawn, but usually they are made up by the artist. The drawing below uses cross contour lines to make the shoe feel more three dimensional. Spend 30 minutes doing one cross contour drawing.

Blind Contour Drawing- A traditional drawing exercise in which the artist looks only at the subject of the drawing, but not at the drawing in progress. The resulting drawing will often have issues with proportions, but often great detail in the edge. To do this kind of drawing, let your eye move slowly around the edge of the shoe, and without letting yourself look at the paper, move your pencil to match. Below are some examples. Spend 15 minutes doing blind contour drawings, typically producing 3 to 5 drawings.

Final Shoe Drawing- Use all the experience of the previous exercises to make one last detailed line drawing of your shoe. This time you may draw all the physical structures of the shoes, and use cross contour lines to whatever extent you wish. Continue to pay attention to proportions. Spend 45 minutes on this pencil line drawing. Below is a student example.

These are all portfolio exercises, that must be made up by the portfolio collection date appropriate to the class you are taking.

2/3/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we started with the most basic unit of mark making, the point or dot. We did a short portfolio exercise and began a graded project.

How to make this up-

Wallpaper Exercise- We started with a simple exercise in which dots of various sizes were used to create patterns that had in common a characteristic associated with wallpaper, that the pattern repeats at least once from top to bottom. Above is an example. For further instructions about how to complete this exercise, see me in class. Like all portfolio exercises, it's not due until the last day of class.

Stipple Drawing- The rest of class was devoted to a new graded project, a stipple drawing. Students were asked to start with a black and white photograph and reproduce a portion of it using only tiny black dots to match all the values from the original. Below is a student example. (click to enlarge to see details) To see all the specifics of the assignment and further examples, click here.

Homework- The stipple dot project is due at the beginning of class on February 17, 2011. You must bring both the drawing and your original photo when you turn it in.

For next class 2/10/11- We will start our study of line. Bring your 18" x 24" pad, pencils and eraser. We will be doing portfolio exercises involving drawing from shoes, so each student is responsible for bringing his or her own shoe. So either bring an extra one or be prepared to take on off your foot.

1/27/11 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight they got the snow cleared away in time for us to have our first class meeting of the semester. I distributed the syllabus and reviewed it with the class. After that the students filled out a survey about their artistic experiences and we discussed it as a class.

Homework- none

For next class 2/3/11- We will start our study of two dimensional art and design with the most basic unit of mark making- the dot. Bring your 18" x 24" pad of drawing paper, pencil and eraser, and ultra fine point and larger permanent markers. We will start a graded project that will be based on a black and white photograph of your choosing. Students are encouraged to bring a black and white photo (can be a photographic print, something from a book or other publication, etc) to class. The photo should have a wide range of value tones (light to dark) and be something you are comfortable drawing. For those who don't bring any photo, I will have a pile of source material for students to choose something from.

Welcome to the Spring 2011 Semester

This is the blog that I have created for my classes at OCC. I will use this blog each week to post information about the 2D Design class. I will include a full description of the exercises and projects done in class, homework assignments, due dates, as well as photos of examples of completed student work 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 earlier posts will be available through the blog archives on the right.

Certainly this blog will be very useful to any student who misses a class, however it will also be helpful to students who never never miss a class, but just want to verify a due date 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 welcome to e-mail me directly and I'll usually get back to you within a day.

12/18/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today was our last class meeting of the semester. I returned the first part of the take home final exam (cumulative western art), along with the graded current arts events journals and any extra credit assignments. Then the class took the second part of the final (non-western cultures). Once the test was turned in, students could leave.

Final class grades will be calculated in the next few days.

Enjoy the break

12/17/10 Basic Drawing and 2D Design

Today's Class- Today was the last meeting of the semester for the Basic Drawing Class and the emergency grading day for my 2D Design class.

2D Design- All the work that had been left in the classroom last night was graded, along with whatever new work came in today. Several students came by to pick up the graded work. What was not picked up was put on one of the horizontal shelves just to the left of the door in the above photo. 2D work is on the top shelf, labeled with the class and my name. A small slip of paper is tucked inside the cover of each pad or some equivalent, with the grades for the Final Project, and the semester portfolio, along with a tally of absences and times late for class. I also graded any back projects submitted today, and returned all the student work I had in my possession. If you come to pick up your work before the end of the fall classes, go see the art department secretary across the hall to fill out the student evaluation form for our class, since we didn't get to do them last night.

Tomorrow morning (Saturday, December 18th) I will be on campus one last time this semester, in the TV Studio building, available to receive and grade work from the 2D class. If you still wish to get credit for work done for the class, bring it to me in that building's main lecture hall (right by the front door) between 8:30 and 10 am.

Basic Drawing- We held a critique of the Final Drawings, then the class was dismissed while I graded those drawings, the 2nd half portfolios, and the sketchbooks. Most students from the class returned to pick up their graded work. Unclaimed work was put on one of the horizontal shelves just to the left of the door in the above photo. Basic Drawing work (large pads and sketchbooks) are located on the bottom shelf, which is labeled with my name, the class, day, and time. A small slip of paper is tucked inside the front cover of each pad, with the grades for the Final Drawing, the portfolio, and the sketchbook, along with a tally of absences and times late for class.

I can't make an guarantees about the security of work on those shelves. Sometimes it sits for years, sometimes someone decides to throw it all away. If you are concerned with getting your work back, I suggest that you pick it up before the end of the semester.

Class grades will be worked out over the weekend and posted to WebAdvisor shortly after that.

Enjoy the break.

12/17/10 2D Design

Winter Weather/Grading Update I will be going into school this morning, Friday, December 17th, and assuming that all the work I am told was left behind by students is still there, I will be grading it. Another class has use of our room until 1:00, so I probably won't be in there. After 1 pm I expect be in our room, and all that work will be available to be picked up. My Basic Drawing class meets in the room from 2:00 to 5:30, and I will be in the classroom during that entire time. If you were unable to make it in last night, you may bring work to our classroom during that time today (1 to 5:30 pm), and I will let you know when and where it can be picked up. Any work not picked up by students by the end of class today will be put on those horizontal shelves behind the large boxes of mat board, on a shelf marked with my name and the class.

If you have a schedule conflict that prevents you from bringing work to me today, I will also be on campus Saturday, December 18th. I teach an art history class in the TV Studio building in the main room. Bring your work there between 8:30 and 10 am, and I'll deal with it then.

12/16/10 2D Design

Today's Class- As you may or may not know by now, we had no class meeting tonight, thanks to that brief dusting of snow that showed up at just the right time to leave a coat of ice on all area roads and create traffic jams that extended for miles. The above photo is a good example of what I saw through my windshield for 2.5 hours of driving toward the college on icy roads. By 8 pm I was still a few miles away and based on what I could see, had no reason to expect that I could get there before 9 pm, and figured no one was likely to wait around that long for me to show up, assuming that people made it there in the first place.

My students who are also in my Basic Drawing class can just bring their 2D stuff tomorrow and I'll grade both at once. For everyone else, I will be on campus tomorrow and Saturday for classes, and those are also opportunities to show me your work and get it graded. I will post details here and send e-mails to the class tomorrow as soon as I have a specific plan in place, sometime late tomorrow morning.

Update 12/16/10 11:00 pm- A few students e-mailed that a significant number of you showed up and left your work in the classroom. I'll grade that tomorrow and let you know when and where it can be picked up. For the rest of you, I'll let you know tomorrow how you can get your work graded.

12/11/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we finished our study of non western art, with a review of the art and architecture of the Americas and Ancient Africa. The class filled out the course evaluation forms, turned in the first part of the take home final, their current events journals, and any extra credit assignments. I also went through a brief history of printmaking that included Japanese, Northern Renaissance, and 20th and 21st century woodcut prints.

Important Concepts-

*Despite having no connection with the civilized peoples of the Old World, the ancient residents of the Americas managed to independently develop forms of agriculture, written language, complex mathematics, calendars, astronomy, monumental architecture, metallurgy, ceramics, and weaving, while creating an aesthetic that was unlike anything found on the other side of the world.

*Although there aren't many surviving artifacts, there is evidence that ancient civilizations from sub-Saharan Africa did create sophisticated artworks in a variety of media.

Homework- If you turned in everything you were supposed to today, you have no homework. If you didn't, the take home and journal can be brought next week for reduced/partial credit.

For next class 12/18/10- Our final class meeting. I'll be returning and briefly reviewing all the materials turned in today, and then the class will take the second part of the open book final, dealing with non-western art. Bring your notebook and all 3 of your textbooks, as questions may require you to reference the chapters that we covered earlier in the semester.

Exhibition at Le Souterrain Gallery

This Saturday December 11th there will be a one night art event at Le Souterrain Gallery in Seaside Heights. The exhibition, called "Santa, is that you?" (see the above announcement image) features artwork by several OCC art faculty (including myself), students from the college, and some other local artists. This holiday extravaganza, which includes food, refreshments, live music and other entertainment, goes on from 7 to 11 pm. The gallery is asking a $10 donation at the door to cover expenses. None of my students are required to go, and no extra credit is available for attending- this information is being posted here as a courtesy for students who requested it.

Le Souterrain is located at 1020 Ocean Terrace (at the corner of Hancock Avenue), under the boardwalk's Big Top Arcade. Enter through the front door (facing the street) of Le Petit Garage at the same address.

12/10/10 Basic Drawing

Today's Class- Today the class did the final drawing of the semester. A typical still life was set up, and each student chose from among charcoal, ink, or conte crayon to draw it. Other than a few minutes spent filling out the end of the semester evaluation forms, students were given the entire period to complete the drawings, which were collected at the end of the class period.

How to make this up- Everyone still in the class showed up today, so no one needs to make it up.

Homework- No new homework this week. If you're caught up with all the sketchbook assignments you can relax. If not, you have a week to make them up. Look back through this blog for week by week assignments.

*******Second Half Portfolio********

The 2nd Half Portfolio will be graded next week during the class period. Complete portfolios should include the following 6 drawings:

Nov 5 Ink Wash from still life (2)

Nov 19 Conte Crayon still life (one black, one red)

Dec 3 Conte Crayon mannequins (2 red and black)

For next class 12/17/10- Final grading day. We will start with a group critique of today's drawings, and I'll be grading the 2nd half portfolios and sketchbooks, with all to be returned by the end of the class. Make sure you bring all the portfolio drawings and your sketchbooks, or you won't receive a grade for them.

12/9/10 2D Design

Today's Class- Tonight we critiqued the mixed media collage projects and a few late arriving limited palettes projects at the beginning of class. Students spent the rest of the time working on a variety of projects- many worked on the final project, while others chose to work on back projects they still owe.

Homework- The final project (transforming book or board game) is due at the beginning of class next week December 16, 2010. Because that is our last class meeting of the semester, it is also the last chance to get any late projects graded. There are still a few students who haven't yet turned in the season temperature collage, limited palettes project, and/or the mixed media collage. Partial credit is better than none at all.

Semester Portfolio- Next week I'll also be grading the semester portfolio, all the artwork that hasn't been individually graded. If you haven't missed any classes this semester, you should be all caught up, but if you need a reminder of what I'll be expecting to see, check out the following list with the dates that you'll find the descriptions on the blog:

Sep 16 Wall paper patterns with dots

Sep 23 Contour lines (shoes)

Oct 7 Value drawing with charcoal

Oct 21 Color wheel/Complement Mix/Tints and Shades

Oct 28 Text (Russian words) and Logo (imaginary business)

Nov 23 Color still life painting

For next class 12/16/10- Our final meeting of the semester. We will critique the Final Projects and any other back work that is brought in, all projects and portfolios will be graded and returned by the end of the class. Bring all your semester's art work. No art supplies will be necessary.

12/4/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today I returned the midterm exam from last week and reviewed the answers. I distributed the first part of the take home final exam, and went over some other bits of class related business. Then we continued our study of Asian Art, looking at the art of Ancient China, Korea, and Japan.

Important Concepts-

*The evolution of images of Buddha through the history of India, China, Korea, and Japan

*The philosophical and religious ideals behind Chinese landscape painting of the Song Dynasty.

*The many influences of China and Korea on Japanese culture.

*Japanese art maintains unique characteristics despite those influences

Homework- The take home cumulative portion of the final exam is due at the beginning of class next week, December 11, 2010.

The current art events journals are due next week, December 11, 2010. There should be a total of 12 articles.

All extra credit assignments must be turned in by December 11, 2010 in order to earn extra credit points.

For next class 12/11/10- We will finish our study of non-western cultures of the ancient world, with a look at North and South America, and Africa. Bring your notebook and Book 3 (A View of the World), along with all the assignments that are due that day.

Basic Drawing- Chiaroscuro Crayons

Today's Class- Today we continued our exploration of value with conte crayons, but with a difference. I started by showing a few slides of Renaissance era chiaroscuro drawings and prints, and then introduced a variation that we could do with the materials at hand- white paper and red and black crayons. The class did value drawings using both crayons together, with the white of the paper as the lights in the composition, the red used for middle value tones, and black used to deepen the shadows where appropriate. Above (drapery) and below (a hand) are student examples from previous semesters.

The Assignment- For today's subject, I put some of the various mannequin parts in the center of the room and had students do two drawings of one of the mannequins, using both red and black conte crayons. To make up this work you will need a figural subject- a full sized mannequin or statue, an actual person (dressed is acceptable), or a statuette/figurine large enough to see surface details. (to avoid the complications of faces, draw the subject from the neck down) Shine light on the subject to create patterns of light and shadow and do the following drawings-

Traditional Style- Essentially a red conte crayon value drawing to which black crayon is added to deepen shadows. Draw your subject on your 18" x 24" paper using the red crayon first, all the light and medium values. Then to achieve darker values, gradually blend black into the red, making it as dark as it needs to be to match the values in your subject. Spend about an hour on the drawing. Below is an example from a previous semester.

For the second drawing, view your figure from a different position (in class I rotated the mannequins) and draw again using the black and red conte crayons, spending about 90 minutes on it. 

Hard Edged Style- If you want, you can try this variation for the second mannequin drawing. For this alternative style of drawing, every value in the subject is broken down into 3 simple tones- solid white, solid red, solid black. The resulting drawing is nothing but solid shapes, no gradually shaded values. To try this type, decide in advance what range of value gets assigned to which of the three tones, and apply that consistently throughout the drawing. Below is an example from a previous semester.

These drawings are portfolio exercises, and must be made up by the last class meeting of the semester to receive credit.