Semester 1 Assignments

CALENDAR

Quarter 1: DRAWING (Aug. 26th - Oct. 23rd)

Drawing is an essential part of an art portfolio; we will focus on this medium for quarter one and you will create 4-6 portfolio-ready drawings.
Get inspired! Check out our Pinterest Drawing board....

Focus: Traditional & Non-traditional Drawing Techniques

Essential Question: How can you use different drawing approaches to best express your 'voice'?

Name Tag

Using letters from your name, how will you create a name tag that visually represents who you are and/or what you believe?

To READ:

1. Assignment
2. Rubric
3. Adjectives

Resources:

1. Clipping Mask Tutorial
2. CHALLENGE: Clipping Mask
3. List of Downloadable Font Sites

Clipping Mask Challenge Results

Sketchbook

In this on-going project, we will investigate the personal relationship of the artist to his/her sketchbook, how to 'mine' one's sketchbook and the practice of experimentation.

Assignments:

Sketchbook Prompts Document

Sketchbooks:

Student Example Lauren B. (sketchbook excerpts from her first year in college)
Moleskine
Moleskine II
Sketchbook Gallery
Irina Vinnik
Vasiliy Grino

Resources

Our Pinterest Board: 'Sketchbook Drama'
Moleskine.com

Drawing Skills

TO READ:

Rubric

TO DO: (at completion of Drawing Skills Unit)

Save EVERYTHING you make during this skill-building unit. At the conclusion of these three activities, you will be clipping together: 1 blind contour drawing, 2 gesture drawings, and your 'Measuring/Comparing' drawing.

1. Self-Evaluation

BLIND CONTOUR

Create a semi-blind contour drawing using either a water-soluble graphite pencil or charcoal pencil that is a minimum size of 9" x 12".

The drawing should:

• show a variety of line weights
• suggest ONE, CONTINUOUS, UNINTERRUPTED LINE
• show an interesting POV (point of view): Bird's eye? Worm's eye? Eye level?
• that you have considered composition (or the placement of the subject on the page)

You are required to:

• Pick a subject (something to draw) that is personally interesting to you: it has an emotional or physical resonance for you
• Do a small 'practice' blind contour in your sketchbook before beginning the 'final' drawing
• Keep your eyes and hand moving at the same, slow pace

GESTURE

Sue Buck Lays It Down (and tells it like it is).
What is gesture? (Video): Figure
Images for Gesture
3 Fruits
Bear
Skull
Bridge
Landscape
Olives
Shoes
Artichoke
3 Pots
Mushroom
Building Detail
Pears
Citrus
Stacked Cups
Olives?

The drawing should:

• show the overall structure of the forms
• not show any detail
• show the spacial relationships between the forms
• take up the whole page
• have some indications of shadow

You are required to:

• remain loose
• work quickly

MEASURING & COMPARING

Learn the art of revision! Build drawing stamina! Build your visual reasoning skills (compare/contrast)!

The drawing should:

• start with a gesture drawing using vine (willow) charcoal
• show a range of values
• show your willingness to revise
• use the whole page

You are required to:

• measure, using the different techniques learned in class
• step back from your drawing to evaluate your work often

Abstraction

Part 1

How do you 'listen' to a drawing??

Learn ways to create an abstract drawing, working from a drawing (not yours, already in progress!) in just one class session.

Part 2

How do you abstract in Photoshop?

Book Cover Using Drawing!

Can use a technique learned in the Drawing Skills unit to create an eye-catching cover for a non-fiction book cover?

DRAFT DUE: Tues., Sept. 29th at the end of class: In-Progress Critique the following day

CRITIQUE: Mon., Oct. 5th

To READ:

1. Assignment
2. Rubric

Homework:

Before You Begin Reading
The Creative Art of Selling a Book by Its Cover, NY Times: Read, highlight, add comments (min. 6)
Peter Mendelsund.com

To Do:

Concept Development Activity
Set Up Your Research Document in Google Docs: Example

TOOLS & RESOURCES:

2015 NY Times Best Sellers List
2014 NY Times Best Sellers List
Non-Fiction Titles
Non-Fiction Books: Complete List
Blank Book Template
Generating Ideas: Researching, coming up with ideas, revising your ideas and becoming 'unstuck!'
Color palette generator
List of downloadable font sites

Inspiration:

NY Times Best covers of 2012
Inspiration: real examples from professionals
Book Cover Archive
50 Top Book Cover Designs: StockLogos.com

Color Activities

Prezi: Color & Theory

You will receive a process grade for each of the following activities:

A) Color Mixing Lab: Understand how to mix colors, what color value is, and how to control paint (watercolor, gouache, or acrylic)

• Using only the primary colors and black and white, mix 50 different swatches of color
• Complete a color wheel — your way
• Complete a color worksheet

B) Color Theory 

1. Color Wheel: Complete using acrylic paint
2. Color Worksheet: Complete using Adobe InDesign
3. Color Meaning, Symbolism and Associations: Complete using Adobe Illustrator

Check out some professional color psychology infographics!

C) Color Schemes in Mass Media

• Identification of schemes in mass media activity (groups of 3)
• Color analysis of color in mass media (Ai, individual result)

D) Color for the Digital & Print Worlds

• RGB or CMYK?: Watch Tutorial
• Creating digital/mixed media art with a focus on COLOR

E)Quiz

Drawing Prompts/Experimental Drawing

How big is your drawing vocabulary?

In this in-class exercise, you will learn how to use some traditional drawing materials in some non-traditional ways. We will be drawing from life (using real objects) and using drawing prompts to create new and original illustrations.

To DO:

HOMEWORK: Due: Friday, Oct. 23rd at the start of class REFLECTION: written response

Experimental Drawing Assignment

Exquisite Corpse / Exquisite Cadavre

Can you create something bizarre and unlikely with your classmates in the space of one class period?

Examples on Behance.net
Examples of Exquisite Cadaver

CD Cover & Merch

In-Progress Review: Wed., Nov. 4th

DUE: Wed., Nov. 11th

Oral Presentations: Friday, Nov. 13th

To READ:

1. Assignment
2. Rubric
3. CD Dissection Checklist
4. Presentation Requirements
5. Oral Presentation Evaluation

To DO:

1. CD Dissection Instructions
2. Create a research document, answering the questions on this worksheet: 'Getting Started' Worksheet

RESOURCES:

1. Photoshop Effects: Tutorials
2. View Dissection Example
3. CD Face Sticker
4. Photoshop Album Cover Template
5. T-shirt models: DesignByHumans.com
6. QR Code
7. T-shirt Models: Threadless.com
8. More T-shirt models
9. FBI Anti-piracy logo: YOU MUST 'CANCEL' this LOGO in order to be in compliance with copyright law
10. Copyright notice: add to back cover (if you have time!)

Inspiration:

Best and Worst of 2014
50 Best of 2011
More Best of 2011
35 Album covers

BEYOND the classroom:

1. Threadless.com: submit your design to Threadless (minus the band name!)

Gore, Ghouls and Creatures

Working in a team, can you create a Halloween tableau?

In this 2 day Halloween hiatus project, you will work with students from A.R.T. to create a Halloween portrait. You will learn about art direction and the various jobs/roles needed to make this project a success.

Mood Boards:

Tableaux Vivant:

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1. Make Up Effects: Cabin Boy
2. Watch 'Making Monsters'
3. Body Art

On Halloween Day, we will also be joining the other Art & Humanities programs to make fake blood, brain matter and do some special effects makeup…Halloween style! You are welcome to COME IN COSTUME!

You will receive a Process Grade for this project.

Vew Rubric
Make sure you can do the following:

• Create a layer mask and blend
• Select an area using the pen path tool and refine the edge (feather/smooth, etc.)
• Copy, paste and warp a selection to fit areas of a face
• Apply an fx layer (such as color overlay, blending options, etc.)
• Burn and dodge and sponge
• Apply a layer mode (such as overlay, multiply, pin light, etc.)

To DO:

1. Review Worksheet
2. Post your work to the wiki site. Format it correctly and Name it Halloween_Yourname.jpg

RESOURCES:

'40 Spine-Chilling Horror Effects': Photoshop Tuts+
Tom Cruise Alien How-To: Worth 1000 Tutorial
Halloween Tutorials: Royal Tutorial

TO SEE:

Adobe Fotoshop Video Inspiration

Quarter 2 (Oct. 24th - Jan. 16th)

Focus: PRINTMAKING and COLOR

Essential Question: How can you use color and approaches in printmaking to convey emotion?

Printmaking Resources

Check out the Printmaking Pinterest page! Here!

Monoprinting

SUBRACTIVE MONOPRINT

DUE: TBA (by the end of class)

To READ:

1. Monoprint Assignment
2. Reductive Monoprint Instructions
3. Rubric

To SEE:

Video Overview of the Process (3:44)
Monotype Demonstration with Barbara van Buskirk (7:08)

Stencil Exploration

TO READ:

1. Assignment
2. Rubric

TO READ:

1. How-To Stencil, See the pros at work

REFERENCE & Inspiration

1. Excellent Stencil How-To Instructions
2. How-To, part II: multiple color stencils
3. Alice Pasquini
4. Spray paint wizardry: YouTube 9 min.
5. Create stencils using Thresholds in Photoshop: MelissaEvans.com
6. Learning to Control and Master Spray Paint
7. Links to an INSANE list of stencil artists: StencilArchive.org
8. Swoon Street Art and Printmaking!
9. Fonts for Stencil Use: Stencil Revolution

SAFETY:

1. Respirator Guide: StencilRevolution.com]

SUPPLIES:

1. BombingScience.com: Caps, spraypaint, more!
2. Artprimo.com

BEYOND the classroom:

Stencil, ARt, & Activism
StencilRevolution.com

Greeting Card Contest

 Can you create a greeting card for the Gallery Collection that will pay you $10,000 in scholarship money?

DUE: TBA

To READ:

1. Gallery Collection: Rules & Submissions Page
2. Assignment
3. Rubric 
4.  View Power Point for Design Considerations 

Text Lab

Mixed Media Print

Can you create three stunning layered prints using combinations of some of the following printmaking techniques: additive and reductive monoprinting, paper lithography, chine colle, stenciled shapes (cut-outs and inked shapes)?

DUE: Tuesday, Jan. 27th (end of class)

To Read:

1. Assignment

How-To:

1. Paper Litho Instructions by Lisa Rader
2. Paper Litho How-To: MarylandPrintmakers.org

RESOURCES:

1. About the Abstract Expressionist Movement: Wikipedia
2. Conversation between Artists: 'My Name is Ferdinand' blog

Relief

Can you create a self portrait relief print that is portfolio worthy?

DUE: Monday, Dec.16th

To READ:

Assignment
Rubric

To SEE:

Relief Examples: Styles and Composition

Poster

Can you create a stunning poster that incorporates printmaking?

FINAL DUE: Friday, 13th
In-Progress review: Wed., Dec. 11th (1:30)

TO READ:

1. Assignment
2. Rubric

Resources/Inspiration:

The Miser: A.R.T. Performance
Higher Ground list of events
AIGA Vermont
Town Hall Theater: Middlebury
Vergennes Opera House
Ripton Community Coffee House
Burlington City Arts events

Color Analysis

To READ:

1. Assignment

RESOURCES:

1. Color Analysis EXAMPLE
2. Color Wheel
3. Use the Tools/Resources menu (Graphic Design - Color) to access information about color psychology

Silkscreen

That's right!! It's time to silkscreen, baby!

To READ:

Assignment

TO DO:
Create a halftone pattern in Photoshop - Tutorial

Reference & Inspiration:

Overview of the Silkscreen Process: Video
Threadless.com
ShirtCity.com
DesignByHumans.com

Mid-Term 'Exam'

Your Mid-Term Exam will be your in-progress, hard copy portfolio grade (your D & I binder). As well, you are expected to choose your online portfolio platform, set up an account, develop your profile, and draft contents.

You will also receive a H.O.W. grade for: cleaning your virtual and physical desktop, as well as your participation in the cleanup of common classroom spaces.

Follow the checklist below:

Grade Sheet/Checklist

What should be included in your hard copy portfolio binder for Mid-Term?

Gallery: this section will be examples of your work, properly labeled, looking good!)
Career Documents:this will include: Resume, 1-9, W-4, Job Application, Accuplacer and/or SAT/ACT scores, copies of letters of recommendation [optional])
Writing: this section will include: Color Wheel, Color Worksheet, Color Samples, CD Dissection, Drawing Self-Reflection papers, one reflection statement from your sketchbook (typed). Optional: any college-related essay concerning art that you've written
Accolades [optional]: (this section will include: college/program acceptance letters, any certificates, awards or honors that you have received while in high school such as: Honor Roll certificates, sports awards, perfect attendance awards, NAHS nomination letter, etc.) If you do not have any accolades, then do not include this section.

What should your portfolio look like?

• It should be clean
• All required documents should be put in plastic sleeves (if it is not listed above as [optional], then it is required)

If you would like to develop your portfolio beyond the mid-term requirements, GREAT! Visit the portfolio section of the web site: Go to that section NOW!