Study Guide for the Art 1 Final

Your final exam will consist of a portfolio evaluation, in which you will be asked six questions, each one asking you to choose a work from your portfolio to help answer the question.

For example, a question from the final exam may look something like this:

Choose a work from your portfolio that is perceptual. Identify the two most important elements of art you focused on in the artwork, and how you used a principle of design to make the composition interesting to look at.

So, you will need to study and know the elements of art, the principles of design, and the three aesthetic categories that an artwork might be classified as. See below:

Mid-term Study Guide

Sketchbook Assignment: Big Nature

Problem: Using one whole page in your sketchbook, create a drawing of a houseplant, flower, or even a plant you found outside that uses the entire page, touching at least two sides.

Your drawing should:

-Have an interesting composition (zoomed in, touching at least 3 sides of the page)

-Include 4-5 recognizable parts of the plant (leaves, flower petals, etc.)

-Demonstrate careful observation of overlapping shapes.

-Show shading and a wide range of values (darkest darks and whitest whites)

-Demonstrate at least an hour of careful study.

-Demonstrate use of varied line quality and texture.

This sketchbook assignment is DUE: Friday, June 4th

Clay Effigy and Expresive Pedestal

The Problem

You were to select a person who found to be influential or significant to you. Using brainstorming techniques such as though web, sketches, and proportional drawings you were to design how your effigy was going to look and designed your expresive pedestal. The effigy was to be representative of your chosen person either realistic or caracture. The expressive pedestal is to illustrat who your person is to the viewer (how they were influential, what they did for a career, etc.).

Clay Effigy Criteria

Inspirational Portrait

Your homework due on Tuesday April, 20th will be you need to bring in a portrait of a person who has inspired you in a positive way. This may be a person who was made famous for their fight for civil rights, an artist who influences your work, or someone you know personally. You will be required to write three complete sentences explaining why you chose this person, and what this person means to you. This assignment is worth 10 points. If you do not have a portrait on Tuesday you will have to choose from one of mine.

Sketchbook Assignment: Enlarged Figure

To practice drawing the figure, it's helpful to have a good model, in this case, one that doesn't move.

Look around to find a photo of a figure in action. This might be from Sports Illustrated, or a fashion magazine, or even from a digital photo you took.

Print this image out, it should be no larger than 4x6" or so. Cut this figure out, and then glue this image onto one page neatly. Then, using a drawing media of your choice (graphite, colored pencil, etc.) Draw this figure again, but larger, so that it fills the entire page. For an added challenge, choose a figure that shows foreshortening (showing an extreme angle that hides parts of the body, or makes them appear much larger, like the example above). Your drawing must be at least twice the size of the original, no tracing, carefully observe your example!

Grading Criteria:

Objective: Choosing an image that shows the entire figure, cut out, neatly glued in.

Scaled Up: Your drawing should be at least twice as big as the original.

Proportion: Focus on the size relationships between parts of the figure.

Design: Your drawing should go off or touch two sides of the page.

Studio Skills: Should show line quality, shading, use of value to show form and texture.

Craftsmanship; Should demonstrate at least an hour of focused study.

This assignment is due: Wednesday, April 21st.

Sketchbook #6: Doodle for Google

Doodle for Google is an annual contest that spans the entire country. Each year, students are given a challenge, to illustrate a theme within the letters of the Google logo itself. This year's theme is "If I Could Do Anything, I Would..." So think a little bit about your dreams and ambitions for the world, and create a design that modifies the Google logo to illustrate them!

There's a class link to the Doodle for Google website that explains the rules and shows winners from previous years!

I would like everyone to test their problem-solving and design skills with this assignment. Visit the website to get ideas, and think about how you'd like to solve this problem. Here's what I will be looking for:

1) Brainstorm at least 3 simple ideas first on a page in your sketchbook before you decide on one idea. The theme is very open to interpretation, so think carefully about how it relates to you personally before you begin to sketch.

2) Using one entire page in your sketchbook, create a final version of your drawing in pencil. You can download a large copy of Google's logo at the contest link for a reference. Substitute meaningful pictures for letters, and transform the logo into a picture that illustrates your idea.

3) Use colored pencil, markers, or other art materials to add color to your design, but do so neatly! Remember to use Google's color scheme. Add black outline to make your design stand out against the white background.

4) Check out the hints and tips from the original Google doodler, Dennis Hwang, recommends for strengthening your design!

I will grade this assignments based upon: How well you follow the directions, how well you integrate your idea and design into the original logo, how well you use your materials, and the amount of time and investment you put into it. Good luck!

DUE: Tuesday, March 9th

Expressive Text

For our next classwork, we will focus on how art and text can be combined together to create a form of graphic design called expressive text.

We see text everywhere in designs, billboards, television commercials, magazine covers, etc. Graphic designers are artists who work with text, imagery, and layouts to create advertisements and design.

Below are a few examples of expressive text, found in designs that are new, or you may have seen before. Check out how these artists and designers combine words and imagery in unique and creative ways!

Sketchbook #5: Word Play

"Butterfly"

A compound word is made when two independent words are joined together to make a new word. Select a compound word that interests you and will work for this assignment.

For example - "butterfly, pigpen, quarterback" (DO NOT USE THESE!)

You can find a list of compound words here.

1) Brainstorm several different ways you could illustrate this word if you were to base it upon the words used to make it, (see the illustration above).

2) Find and collect source imagery (in magazines, online, or other places) you can use to base your illustration on, but be careful: do not directly steal another artist's idea or concept!

3) Make a collage, trace elements of your source imagery, (like we did in class for our painting compositions), or draw your own elements that illustrate this compound word in a new, playful and creative way.

4) Your drawing should have an interesting composition: (use the entire space of the page, touch two or more sides), and should show strong studio skills, (shading, form/value, and craftsmanship). The drawing media you use is completely up to you!

DUE: Wednesday, Feb. 3rd

Personal Journey Painting

Now that you have created a "blueprint" composition for your personal journey with your collage, it's time to personalize and transform this event into a painting!

This painting will not be a simple "paint-by-number," but rather a painting with a color scheme that uses complimentary, analogous, and various other color qualities of value, temperature, and intensity to both emphasize and unify parts of your composition.

Your painting must demonstrate the following in it's final form:

1) Have a planned color scheme that uses both analogous and complimentary colors to both unify and emphasize parts of the composition.

2) Use modified colors, (no straight reds, yellows, blues, blacks, or whites) that have their value, temperature, and/or intensity altered in some way.

3) Neatness, care, and craftsmanship in your brushwork and paint application!

Final painting DUE: Wednesday, February 3rd.

Midterm Study Guide

Below is the study guide that outlines all of the elements of art, the principles of design, the three aesthetic categories for categorizing an artwork, and additional vocabulary words you will see on the exam. Please know these terms for the mid-term exam next week!

Mid-term Study Guide

Homework Assignment: Illustrate a Personal Journey

In preparation for our next unit, I would like you to think about an important journey, experience, or trip you have taken in your life. It may have been a trip that was to a far away place, or it may have been just down the street. Regardless, it should be an event that you remember well, and has left a positive impression on you.

First, complete the "Illustrate a Personal Journey" worksheet by responding to the questions with complete sentences. It will help you brainstorm and remember trips you may have taken in the past.

Illustrate a Personal Journey Wksht

Then, go on an image search. Find 8-10 photos, souvenirs, keepsakes, or other imagery that you still have that documents your trip. Gather this "visual evidence" together in a ziploc bag and bring them to class next. Thursday, 12/10, along with the worksheet.

DUE: Wed. 12/9

Sketchbook #4: Altered Object

Choose an object that can be altered, changed, or transformed in a unique or interesting way. It can be an object that can be taken apart, put together, eaten, broken, or totally changed into something new. The object should be small enough to set in front of you and draw from life.

Here's what you'll be graded on for this assignment:

• Observation-Use line quality and shading to show the textures, highlights, and shadows you observe on your object.
• Design-Use the entire space of the page, make sure your drawing touches or goes off two sides of the page. You must draw your object at least three times, in its different states on the same page.
• Use of time-this drawing should show about an hour of study.
• Use of Materials-pencil, colored pencil, pen, you can use any drawing material you'd like, but I want to see line quality, shaded values, and texture!

Sketchbook #3: Shading Shades

Find a pair of glasses. They can be reading glasses or sunglasses. Position them in a unique way to capture an interesting composition. Your drawing must go off the edge of the page and should still fill the majority of the space. Use shading and line quality. Capture a shadow.

* For a challenge: Consider a difficult perspective, using another object in with your drawing, capturing interesting reflections, or more than one pair of glasses.

You will be graded on:

- Composition: Fill the page (no tiny drawings!) & off the edge

1. -Accurate observation (draw what you see) & scale
   

2. -Good craftsmanship (keep it neat & invest some time)
   

- Adding values & shadows (shading)

DUE: Tuesday, October 27th

Classwork #2: Expressive Self-Portrait

For our next unit in class, we're going expressive. What does this mean? It means we're going to tap into an emotion, a state of mind, or an attitude and express this with our artwork. Using composition, expressive facial features, and a symbolic or metaphorical object, you will create a self-portrait drawing that presents your state-of-mind to the world. Check out the slideshow below to gather ideas about how you might create your own drawing series.

Classwork #1: Block Drawings

As our first formal drawing unit in class, we've been drawing blocks. Why? They're simple forms, and they allow us to easily practice very basic, but very important art and drawings skills like arranging an interesting composition, shading to show contrasting values, measuring size relationships, and learning to make a drawing look 3D with form. It also allows us to practice using a new drawing media, charcoal!

Below is the rubric that will be used to grade your block drawing, and will also help us structure our critique. Your block drawing should be finished by the end of class on Friday, Sept. 2nd.

Block Drawings assessment

Sketchbook #2: Super-Size Me

For your next sketchbook assignment, I'd like you to think big, but start with something small. Find a small object (should fit inside your hand) and do a close up drawing of it.

-Your drawing should be zoomed in to capture the object at least 5 times larger than it actually is.
-Create an interesting composition by experimenting with the size, angle, and placement of your object on your page.
-Your drawing should go off/touch at least two edges of the page.
-Your drawing should show a full range of values (shading) to illustrate the light and shadows you see.


**For a challenge: Capture reflections and shadows. Consider using more than one of your object or an object that is more complex or unique!

DUE: Thursday, Oct. 8th!

Sketchbook #1: Spoon in a Glass of Water

Drawing by Todd Ford

Find an interesting clear drinking glass. Fill it about half way with water. Place a metal spoon in the glass of water. Carefully observe what you see. Create a drawing that captures what you see in an interesting way. Show a variety of line quality. Consider an interesting angle, and have your drawing take up the space on the page, just like we did in class with our shoes. Add value (shading) to your drawing.

Your drawing will be graded on the following:

1) Uses the entire page, (touches at least two edges of the page)

2) Shows evidence of being drawn from life (don't make it up!)

3) Uses a variety of line quality (remember the artist's styles we looked at in class)

4) Demonstrates at least an hour of observed study. (Take your time and do your best!)

5) For an extra challenge, show shading of all the different values that you see. (Include shadows and reflections!)

Create your drawing on one page in your sketchbook. If you don't own a sketchbook, use the very back page of your visual journal, (there will be enough room for sketchbook assignments in your journal).

DUE: Tues. Sept. 22nd!

The Visual Journal: An Introduction

The visual journal is way for you to express your ideas, your jokes, your interests, your concerns, and your life in a visual way. Every four weeks, you will need to complete three assignments in the order they are given on the sheet below. The rules are simple:

1) Respond to each word/phrase creatively, artistically and personally.

2) Avoid clichés and easy solutions. Avoid the first answer that comes to mind, (it's usually what everyone else will think of too. Consider what this word means to you, don't just think about it literally.

3) Don't use the same media combination more than twice! (Media is the art material you use in your artwork. Experiment with different combinations of each. Try out different media we experiment with in class!

The journals will be graded based upon four criteria:

Objective/Creativity- To what extent did you think about the word, brainstorm ideas, and create a unique, personal response? Did you do the first thing that came to mind, or did you take some time to solve it in a personal way?

Design-How do you use the space of the page? Do you go off the edges and think about composition, or did you just randomly place things around the page or in the center?

Media Skills & Application- How do you use and apply art materials? Do you practice with the media first before using it in your journal, or do you just wing it and hope for the best? Do you attempt and use a variety of media techniques, or do you only use pencil?

Presentation/Craftsmanship- How much time did you invest in the assignment? Is there evidence of thought and careful craftsmanship for each assignment? Or, did you rush and finish it five minutes before it's due? Remember, you are only assigned 3-4 entries per month. Each page in your visual journal should take at least 45 minutes worth of work.

Check out the slideshow to the right that has lots of ideas and suggestions for creating an awesome visual journal entry!

Below is a list of the visual journal assignments and due dates for this school year. Please refer to this often in case you forget or lose your assignment sheet!

Art 1 Visual Journal Assignments (09-10)

Contour Line Drawing

To learn how to draw, we first need to learn how to trust ourselves, and not make something appear perfect to start.  A contour line drawing is a drawing made by observing the outside and inside lines that make up a form.  Often these lines connect.  This type of drawing is loosely made, focusing on the many lines of the form, not just an outline.

For your first in-class assignment, you will complete two more drawings of your hand. 

The first drawing will be a simple contour line drawing of your hand in a simple pose that experiments with different line weights and types.  The second drawing will be of your hand in a slightly more complex pose, combining contour lines with detail and shading.

Your drawings will be graded based on the following criteria:

1) Use of class time and focused observation.

2) Use of contour line and variety of line weights.

3) Shows your entire hand, and sleeve or arm of your shirt.

4) Shows your best effort.

Your four drawings will be graded together for 40 points, the final drawing will be worth 20 points.

2009-10 Class Syllabus

Below is a copy of the syllabus for this year. I use an application called Scribd to post documents that you can view, download, and print to your own computer at any time you'd like. If you ever lose a handout/gradesheet, come to the blog to print out an extra copy. If you click on the document and nothing appears on your screen, you may have a web browser that needs updating! Let me know if you have any problems.

Art I Course Syllabus 2009-10