PROJECT 4 - Deconstructing the 4 Elements of Nature - Type/color/Image/compositions

You will create and depict 2 different typographic and image compositions interpreting two of the four classical elements—earth, air, fire and water.

Air is the element of intellect, study, and book learning. It is also the element of youth, creativity, and spontaneity, and of communication and travel.
Fire is the element of strength and energy. It is also the element of passion, courage, protection, purification, transformation, destruction, chaos, and sex. 
Water is the element of wisdom, clarity, and common sense. It is also the element of emotion, intuition and divination. 
Earth is the element of stability, order and grounding. It is the element of beginnings and endings.

Must be interpreted  in compositions, using harmonious color relations that create visual metaphors. Use your creative problem solving. 

Due Dates:

TUESDAY/THURSDAY CLASS:   Tuesday, February 18th 
MONDAY/WEDNESDAY CLASS:  Wednesday, February 19th 

Materials
• Bristol 9x12” format - 2 compositions
• glue - rubber cement, glue stick, elmer's glue
• scissors and xacto knives and rulers for straight edges
• tons of good magazine images with color and type!

Process
Cut imagery and type from magazines using conceptual thinking of how you would visually interpret the 2 elements you have selected. Again, DO NOT look at imagery and type in the literal sense. treat them as shapes, color, texture and reconstruct an original design. Combine interesting letters forms, sub-heads, paragraphs, etc... as you see fit. bold, medium light. USE HIERACHY OF SIZE, SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE!  from different sources be aware of variety, flow, how images are seen as texture and how they both work together seamlessly. think layering, integration, thickness and shapes with images to design an appealing collage that conveys the element chosen. It's important to be sensitive to your color combinations, selections of textures and how they work as a whole aesthetically.

Do not use any representational imagery. you should look for color relations, texture, pattern tonal value of the colors. so you must look through the image and consider it for shape and color. Please remember to design your cut outs as well, this has great impact on the aesthetics of the final composition. Be thoughtful about the figure ground relationships, color combinations to create an effective and convincing final product.

Think about different ways to represent your element of choice. How do you see fire, air, water, earth? is it agitated, windy, passionate, arid... Is it tropical, desert, forest, is the water agitated, calm, is the air breezy, hurricane, tornado, etc... , what types of lines, shapes, color, composition, alignment... You need to use the scope of color values that exude the type of feeling you want to convey; you can combine type with images/shapes—but remember that these are typographic and image compositions.

Remember to also be very aware of designing your cuts and shapes. this has to be part of the process to achieve your desired results. Excellent craftsmanship. no sloppy edges or cuts! AESTHETICS ARE IMPORTANT!

Use combination of type as imagery as well as textural cut outs that communicate your goal. The result will be 2 (pick 2 out of 4) interesting and appealing compositions.

   

           

   

PROJECT 07 - COLOR RELATIONSHIP COMPOSITIONS USING COLOR WHEEL (COLOR THEORY)

DUE DATES: 
Wednesday/Thursday, November 7th / 8th 

Create a series of four dynamic compositions (4 of the same design). 9"x12" bristol paper. divide in 4 equal sections of 4 1/2"x6". Choose 4 different combinations of COLOR RELATIONSHIPS from color wheel for your compositions. Composition will remain the same on all 4 designs.  only colors will change in the each line drawing. 

Next: Select 4 color relationships from the 6 choices below (reference info below). Identify the color relationship and the original hues and write the information on the back of each composition with your name: 

Formal color relationships: 
analogous, monochromatic, triad
complimentary, split complimentary, double complimentary

Inspire yourself with images from nature, anything that has interesting details you can reference to build your concepts. You will be required to find a close up of image from nature or other non-represntational elements that has detailed areas of interest where you can see different design elements in the shapes of the image. This an abstraction/interpretive composition.

Use this as your blueprint to draw from. It can be inspired from your own creativity or from the shapes of images that exist in nature. Look at the details. explore, look beyond just the actual image of, i.e…  a flower, leaves, shattered glass, grid systems, water, etc... Deconstruct the shapes and details, make them work together, reconstruct, interpret the shapes and create your own design. Nature has many dynamic shapes that can inspire ideas. Interpret and recreate your own version.

You can use cropping L's or form a rectangle with your hands to focus in and search for select areas in the image. The cropping is to show how scaling up or down works in relation to the page size.

Use variations in size of shapes (small, medium, large), you should use a broad range of values using a little white to create contrast, use flat colors, solid colors. create focal areas, unity, flow, cohesive, Use your judgement on Aesthetics and provide creative visual solutions please. Be creative and inspired.

4 Color Relationship Studies will be chosen from the Color Wheel. 

ALL questions can be answered from these links below.

PLEASE READ AND RESEARCH!

http://color-wheel-artist.com/basic-color-wheel.html

http://www.mediafire.com/view/o51g34k3khtczp8/ColorTheory_Print_White.pdf

Four repetitive compositions on 9”x 12” paper (split page in 4 equal quadrants) using the 4 different color relationships from the color wheel. Repeat same composition on each one. Using paints, execute your compositions using your chosen color relationships, use the pure saturated colors and their original tones and tints. use white to lighten or desaturate the colors (show values).

Select your main hue as starting point and from there, you will see relationships according to the color wheel. YOU must refer to the color wheel and the examples from the different combinations from the color wheel posted from the blog. Go back to the reference material on the color theory chapter of the blog. YOU MUST LEARN THE COLOR WHEEL AND ALL ITS RELATIONSHIPS.

Start anywhere on the color wheel, but you must respect the color relationships that are created from the main hue chosen. DO NOT deviate from the color selections. DO NOT use black. you can only use white to shift the values of hues. Where do the colors fall when using each relationship. you are to stick to them but can use pure color and incorporate tones and tints of that particular hue.

    - Complimentary colors

    - Split Complimentary colors
    - Double Complimentary colors
    - Analogous colors - Colors next to each other on the color wheel

    - Monochromatic colors

    - Triad

 Process / RECAP
•  Sketch out 4-6 different thumbnails for your desired composition. as many sketches needed to find
   the right solution for your painting. Experiment with pencil and play with color (color pencils or
   paint or watercolor) in your sketchbook so you can explore and figure out how the different
   relationships work together. Map out your sketch with light pencil drawing to insure placement
   of hues.
•  Write down your 4 final color relation selections and their proper hues.
•  Select the strongest composition to execute your final 9”x 12”  4 part painting.

•  Consult with teacher for final selection of strongest concepts.

Again you will be graded on understanding of how to use color wheel and and it's color relationships, creativity, aesthetics, craftsmanship, use of color variations, use of values, hierarchy of shapes in your design, harmony within the composition. Clean edges, solid, flat colors, no blending, clean edges, Clean brush strokes. Be clean and neat.

Materials

• White Bristol 9”x12” format (4 final repeating paintings)

• DO NOT USE BLACK. you can use white to create shift in value.

Check Georgia O’Keefe's work

Students Samples:

Focus on the individual compositions. look at repetition and the different color selections and how they are used. This is past work from prior 9th grade classes. Study them.

 

 

IMPORTANT: You will be responsible for an additional series of three 9"x12" during the holiday break. Both series of 3 designs will be presented for JURIES.

PROJECT 04 - Exercise producing a complete value grayscale - Mounted on White presentation board

From these 96 total swatches, which are 2 carefully measured gridded sheets, 1'x1' squares, you will create a value scale representing TEN EVEN steps from black  to white. black and white with eight even incremental changes in-between.

Mount your swatches on presentation board for critique. Result is 1"x1" squares mounted on a 2"x11" white board.

Demonstration video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTPwkJI1I9g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-jkKJmSW_8

Materials

-Mars Black and Titanium White acrylic

-9x12 inch bristol board x 2

-Pallet knife

-1" Brush (bright)

-2 cups (for water)

-Paint palette (aluminum foil)

-Paper Towels

Process/Schedule

First Class Period

1. Lay out grid (to create your swatches) on bristol board. 2 sheets total if you succeed to create a wide range of well painted solid values. You will need a 3rd page.
2. Grid will have a total of 24 rectangular swatches per page, each measuring 1"x2" with 1/2" space in-between each rectangle. 3 swatches across top of 9"x12" page and 8 swatches down the length of page. Total swatches per page = 24
3. Lay separatley black and white paints out on palette, and mix paints starting from black (or white) and adding incremental amounts of the opposite color. Mix paint throughly with palette knife and then brush until well mixed and you have a solid tone and brush-in swatches to fill the entire page. Must paint with smooth strokes, no streaks and an opaque thick coat of paint for full coverage. may have to use a couple of coats of paint to achieve a smooth clean opaque gray tone.
4. Each swatch should have consistent color, and be a unique value. Must paint 3-4 of same values. The more variety of values you paint e, the easier it will be to select 11 strong swatches to create the final value scale.
5. The goal is to create as many distinct values as you can. Fill in each rectangle of your grid with a solid value. Paint slightly beyond the borders. you must still be able to see original guides as you will be carefully cutting out each swatch one by one with an exact blade.
6. Be sure you have all 10 values represented from from black (straight from the tube) progressing to middle gray, and continuing through light grays toward bright white (also straight from the tube). 
7. Clean your workspace and all your painting materials (brushes, palettes, etc)

Second Class Period

1. Finish painting your two pages of value swatches. You may need more than 2 pages.
2. Lay out your presentation board, using the guidelines provided below.
3. With a metal ruler, and cutting board, carefully cut-out your painted swatches so they are exactly the same size (1" x 1"). Cut very carefully following the guides you measured out. Makes life easier and cuts will be much more exact. Make sure cuts are clean, by using a new x-acto blade. NO CUTTING DIRECTLY ON TABLES. Cutting boards must be used. These have to be as close to perfect as possible.

Homework

1. Finish laying out your black presentation board, using the guidelines provided. 
2. Bring your presentation board to class, along with your x-acto knife. 
3. Finish cutting out your swatches, if not finished in class.
4. You may first glue your swatches on a strip of 1"x11" as a safety net to make sure all swatches are glued right next to each other and follow a straight pattern vertically.

Final Class Period

1. Select the best swatches from your entire page that represent 11 consistent steps in value. 
2. Show your presentation board (with layout lines/grid) to instructor. Once it has been given the ok, proceed with mounting of swatches. DO NOT PROCEED UNTIL YOUR LAYOUT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
3. Using rubber cement, glue stick or regular glue, carefully glue swatches to presentation board. There should be no gaps between swatches, and all swatches should be perfectly aligned. 
4. Let rubber cement dry slightly, and remove any excess glue with the appropriate eraser. 
5. Neatly Label (name and date) your work with hard pencil in lower right-hand corner. 
6. Cut and tape tissue paper sheet to act as protector. 

The final 30 mins of class will be reserved for critique.

Rubric

You will be evaluated on the following:

1. Laying out your bristol board into an even grid (even measurements, straight lines).

2. Your ability to mix the paints evenly. 

3.  Painting swatches that are free of brush strokes, or excessive paint build up.

4.  Filling up your entire page with different/distinct values.

5. Choosing the best 10 swatches that represent even steps from black to white. 

6. Laying out your presentation board neatly (consistent measurements, and centered)

7. Cutting out your swatches, and mounting them to the presentation board. 

8. Removing excess glue and having all your swatches line up evenly. 

Layout Measurements

Below is the sample of the GRID for the Value scales. you need to be sure and cut the 1"x10" support strip to glue your swatches and also mount them on the 2"x11" thicker mounting board with a 1/2" boarder all around as we had done in class. if you have questions please ask me or communicate with your class mates for information.