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Basic Design

Syllabus

BASIC DESIGN SYLLABUS

Basic Design will increase your technical skills in drawing and painting, and develop your skills in divergent thinking through composition exploration for both 2-D and 3-D work. A sketchbook is required for weekly sketchbook assignments. Think of a sketchbook as a journal of your visual ideas and a safe place for you to practice your skills in representation. You will be asked to create thumbnail sketches for idea generation. Besides drawing, painting and three –dimensional work, experience with technology, printmaking, and preparing for art shows will be incorporated. Student / teacher rubrics will be filled out for all culminating assignments.

To assist you with understanding the history behind what you are learning, most units will include historical background relating to the techniques that are being introduced. Units will also be based upon multicultural art forms. In addition, a research paper and a PowerPoint presentation are required. It will focus on both western and non-western art to allow you to compare a variety of styles and cultures.

The main goal of Basic Design is to develop your understanding of visual vocabulary and expand technical skills you need in order to create persuasive images and to interpret images accurately.

WEEK 1:

Elements and principles of design exercises: two days of review and looking at art

Introduction to 3-D project based upon multicultural influence and that incorporates color theory

Sketchbook: creating thumbnails, drawing more than one view

WEEK 2:
Review of color theory and introduction to paint application.

Work on 3-D project

Sketchbook: copy of sculpture drawings from Michelangelo, Rodin or other sculptor

WEEK 3:

Introduction research papers and assign pairs to topics

Work on 3-D project

3-D project is due. Rubric is due. Critique. All work must be presentation ready.

Sketchbook: copy of sculpture drawings from Michelangelo, Rodin or other sculptor

WEEK 4:

Beginning week 4: One day in LMC for assistance with research

Introduce contour and negative space

Sketchbook: contour line and negative space assignment

WEEK 5:

Introduce gesture using still life objects (2 days)

Simple exercise to create thumbnails using still life objects (1 day)

Introduce Cezanne’s formula (2 days)

Sketchbook: 2 sketches, one still life using gesture, and the same still life using contour line

WEEK 6:

Rough drafts are due.

Small still life (3 objects) using Cezanne’s formula, painting as a value study

Sketchbook: drawing of still life from your room using Cezanne’s formula

WEEK 7:

Value study painting used as underpainting for color painting.

Painting is due. Rubric is due. Critique. All work must be presentation ready.

Sketchbook: continuous line drawing of one wall of your room

WEEK 8:

Final drafts are due.

Introduction to one-point perspective both interior and exterior, large group

Creation of space: overlapping, size, scale, position, value

Create a one-point perspective from life using hallways, bridge, etc.

Sketchbook: cityscape perspective

Week 9:

PowerPoint presentations

Create a one-point perspective from life using hallways, bridge, etc.

Perspective drawing is due. Rubric is due. Critique. All work must be presentation ready.

Sketchbook: copy perspective and value drawings of masters

WEEK 10:

PowerPoint presentations

Introduction to color: color exercise sheets using paints

Color and composition work that includes linear and/or atmospheric perspective, painting using watercolors and/or acrylics

Sketchbook: color exercises using color pencils for layering

Week 11:

PowerPoint presentations

Color and composition work that includes linear and/or atmospheric perspective, painting using watercolors and/or acrylics

Sketchbook: create a tessellated design based upon Mamluk designs.

WEEK 12:

Complete all assignments

Color design/painting is due. Rubric is due. Critique. All work must be presentation ready.

Review for final exam.

RESEARCH PAPER (2 pages plus one page list of works cited,):

Required: 1page List of Works Cited; parenthetical citations; recommended websites only; no more than 3 websites and no less than 2 texts may be used as references.

First paragraph is the introduction and it must include a thesis statement. The following questions must be answered:

1. Why was the artwork produced, that is, what purpose did it serve?

2. What was depicted, that is, subject matter?

3. What techniques did the artists use to describe his subject matter? How did the artists of the time period use space?

4. How does knowing this apply to us now?

The concluding paragraph should summarize all of the above.

A jointly written one-page comparison paper should delineate similarities and differences in the two cultures by comparing one type of art from your time period.

POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS:

You may use note cards, but not your paper.

As a team you must have an introductory text slide that reflects the thesis statement of your papers.

Individually, you must have a text slide with bullets for each of the four questions that you answered in your paper.

You must each have three full size slides of artwork and two full size slides of architecture for your time period and you point out important stylistic forms in those works.

Finally, you must have at least two text slides with bullets that delineate similarities and differences in the two cultures and their artworks.