First Semester Assignments
Pre-Instructional Drawings
Students will sketch their hand, a person's face from memory, and complete a self-portrait as a way of determining their current perceptual and technical drawing ability. An introduction to the different hemispheres of the brain. Click here to see some examples of the beginning of the journey.
Exercise 1: Analog Drawings- Intro to Visual Literacy
Visual Arts Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.6, 2.2, 2.5
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Project 1: Introduction to 2D Design.
Exercise will introduce students to the the Elements and Principles of Design.
Exercise 3: Upside-down Drawing/ Grid Work
The students will make a copy of a drawing upside down in order to experience the shift in perception and ability. The paradox of drawing is that sometimes we draw better when we know less about the subject.
Exercise 4: Modified Contour Drawing
Students will be introduced to the use of the picture plane as a perceptual tool, as well as to the concept of contour drawing. The picture plane is one of the oldest tools we will study. Eventually the picture plane becomes a mental construct we look through at will when we draw. Click here to see some examples. Students get extended practice with contour lines in this drawing. Each student must choose an emotional state to convey by way of their drawing. Students will then be given the opportunity to gain extra credit by presenting their work to the class to see how successfully they have communicated their message.
Exercise 5: Blind Contour Drawing
An introduction to one of the best perceptual drills as well as the concept of Zen in your drawings. We move deeper into the paradox of drawing. When we care less for the product, and enjoy the moments of the process, our final product will be excellent. Click here to see some beautiful examples of the process of direct observation. Contour drawings are a great introduction to the power of line, the first technique of drawing.
Media Literacy Project
How can you influence a group of your peers to buy a product or service of your design? In class discussions will center around the techniques of modern day Advertising. Students will be introduced to online resources and be asked to think about using these resources as they research advertisements from local businesses. Each student will begin the project with a homework assignment in the form of hands-on research into the practices of 3-5 local businesses. Advertisements must be procured by the student and brought into class for the first part of the project: deconstruction. Each student may download and print out this document for use in talking to the local business of their choice. The next step is to complete several design exercises and then use those concepts in making their own product or service advertisement. You must download this document (right-click here) and follow all the steps listed.
Value Sketches
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The students will be introduced to the concept of value by the completion of series of drawings of basic geometric shapes. Students will begin by constructing a value scale showing 10 steps from white to black. Then students will sketch tennis balls and simple blocks lit by strong lamps from overhead. The first sketches will be done in pencil to practice the art of chiaroscuro and the second set will be done in pen and ink and will focus on hatching, crosshatching, contour hatching, and stippling. Value can be used to show greater depth and realism in your drawings.
Project 2: Face Grid
Art 1
Project 2: Face Grid
Each student will be taking an 8x10 printout of their face and enlarging it to 16x20 on drawing paper. The end project will be made of individual 2” boxes that utilize all the different styles of shading that has been taught over the past weeks. Students must be sure not use the same shading style in touching squares. An example of this would be hatching next to hatching. This project utilizes Gestalt; each square will be different in nature, and individual, but viewed from a distance, the face will be recognizable through the brain’s ability to form meaning from patterns.
Project Two is worth 200 points and is due at 3:00 on 11/12/2003.
It is the student’s responsibility to manage their time as partial
work will not be accepted and will earn a zero grade. Many will need
to take the project home, plan accordingly. Examples of previous
work can be found here.
Musical Interpretation Exercise
Musical interpretation. The musical interpretation exercise is a one-day, wide-open exercise. The goal of the exercise is to visually interpret the feel and emotion of the songs presented. A requirement for the exercise is to avoid any and all representational imagery. The student will need to represent the music by attempting to translate the music by identifying the mood and feel of the song. If the song is fast and upbeat, what color, line, movement should be used to best represent the song visually? Answer the question visually. Have fun, use any medium we have, and explore. 50 points.
Perspective Drawing
Students will practice the techniques of perspective, developed during the Renaissance, for drawing a view of Foothill's campus. This is one of the most difficult concepts for the beginning student. Click here to see some drawings from our campus, done using the techniques of sighting angles and proportions.
Rebus / Ideograms
A reading of George Orwell's Essay Making Thought Visible, followed by a viewing of a Rebus, a physical representation of a thought or concept. This lesson is an introduction to the idea of Visual Literacy, the language of Art and Visual Communication. This lesson is paired with the ninth grade project Media Literacy (click here to link to the Media Literacy page), where students study the techniques of Marketing and Advertising. The students will translate a poem using multimedia and any technique or symbol they wish to get their message across. The students move deeper into the use of mark-making as a method of communication, and finish this assignment by creating an Ideogram to represent themselves. Intermediate concepts include some of principles of Gestalt, such as Figure/Ground, Closure, Proximity, Similarity, and Continuation.
Drawing a Blank
By measuring the proportions of their own face using their pencil as a sighting tool, students become aware of the process of working general-to-specific as well as practice their sketching skills. Click here for examples.
Mask Making
Students will use tin foil molds and paper mache techniques to make a full sized model of their faces in the form of a mask. Students will practice the rules of proportion, and see first hand the effect of the Golden Section upon human perceptions of Beauty. Why is this mathematical proportion considered Divine or pleasing to the eye? What effect does the Golden Proportion have on our society's opinions on who or what is beautiful? Where in history or popular culture has this ratio been used to great effect?
Grid Drawings
Practice in the use of the grid is an introduction to the study of part-to-whole relationships. Part of our perceptual problem with drawing and painting comes from the way we perceive things and organize patterns, known as Gestalt Theory. Gestalt Theory says that 1. The parts of an image may be considered, analyzed, and evaluated as distinct components. 2. The whole of a visual image is different from and greater than the sum of its parts. The grid is an ancient tool used as an aid to perception of the parts of a whole by some of the very best artists in history. Students will bring in a black and white photo or copy of a person's face (front view) at either 8x11 or 9x12. Pictures of faces that the student finds interesting will aid their learning. Click here to see some examples.
Value Studies
The students will make pencil and pen sketches of simple geometric shapes under a single, strong, light source as their introduction to the study of value or shading. Intermediate techniques will include hatching, crosshatching, contour hatching, and stippling. Click here to see some examples.
Value Grid
More practice in the use of the grid, and moving deeper into part-to-whole relationships. This assignment is an introduction to one version of color theory. Intermediate concepts include layering of color, colored pencil blending, and the concept of value in color theory. Layering plays a larger part when the students move from drawing into painting. Students will bring in a black and white photo or copy of a simple, organic, subject in an 8x11 or 9x12 format. Click here to see examples.
Color Wheel
Each student will be given their introduction to the traditional theory of color by using only the three primary colors to construct a color wheel.
Second Semester
Bookbinding Projects
Students will construct two practice books, then create a book as their end-of-the-year portfolio from the ground up. This is the introduction to bookmaking, and the book made will be the student's end-of-the-year portfolio. The students final exam will consist of all of the Artwork inside and on the covers of their books presented in the form of multimedia presentation using MS PowerPoint. Click here to see some pictures from last year's books.
Surprise Project
The culmination of design skills, color theory, drawing and painting, and an Introduction to Pop Art will be the creation of something each student will definitely look forward to making.