FINAL PROJECT: NARRATIVE ILLUSTRATION

MATERIALS:

Open medium: collage, drawing, painting, photography, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

REVIEW:

All “elements of design” and “principles of design” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

To create a 3-panel illustration of a narrative (story) from the following options:

-        Book (novel, poem, fairytale, etc.)

-        Song

-        Newspaper article or essay

Things to Consider

- choose your reference material based on your interest in the story as well as its potential for visual translation: are there words, objects, interactions that will make for a compelling illustration?

- rather than thinking about an entire book or song, consider narrowing the scope of your illustrations to single verses, chapters, scenes or lyrics.  Pick those that have rich visual language.

- you may take a representational or abstract approach: consider how all of the elements & principles of design can enhance the narrative

- how will you make your three images consistent? Color, shape, composition? Think visual style.

PREPARATION:

-        choose your reference material and make a list of the visual words & objects you find within the text

-        make a list of emotions you associate with the text: i.e. sad, confused, angry, joyful

-        decide on a color scheme & overall composition that reflects the above lists

-        create several rough drafts or sketches before deciding on three final designs

PRESENTATION:

-        any size or format you choose mounted on illustration board or Bristol paper with a border around it

-        Part of the inspiration text should be mounted with the design (text should be separate from your designs and should use simple font like Times New Roman, Helvetica, etc.).

-        ONE OPTION: three 6” x 8” designs and inspiration text mounted on 15” x 22” illustration board

QUESTIONS TO BE PRESENTED FOR FINAL CRITIQUE:

Describe the story you are illustrating: what is the emphasis of the narrative (the characters or subjects, the mood, etc.) and how did you relate this through your design choices?  How does your color palette reflect the feeling of the story?  How did you maintain consistency across the three illustrations while also achieving variety?  How do you think you were successful and what might you change if you were to illustrate this again?

DATES:

Studio time: Wed 6/4, Mon 6/9, Wed 6/11 (in-progress critique), Mon 6/16

Due:  Wed 6/18 (FINAL PRESENTATIONS)

PAST STUDENT EXAMPLES (please note: examples shown below are without the text, which is typically mounted below each image):

Supplies for Wed 6/4

Please bring in your finished Value to Color Projects for a short critique at the beginning of class tomorrow.

We'll then introduce our Final Project.  Please bring your sketchbooks and pencil.  If you have a laptop that would also be helpful as we'll spend class time researching inspiration for the project.

Extra Credit

EXTRA CREDIT: EXAGGERATED SCALE ADVERTISEMENT

2D Design NSCC

MATERIALS:

Bristol pad paper, xacto knife, cutting mat, glue stick, magazine/internet/found images OR Photoshop

REVIEW:

“SCALE {element of design}” and “PROPORTION {principle of design}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

A photomontage using exaggerated scale (disproportion) to create a surreal or unreal image.

The image should be able to act as an advertisement for something (a product, a show, a political campaign, etc.)

No text allowed.  

Rules

- use collage with two or more found images of different sizes

To Consider

-        begin by researching advertisements and other images that use scale in interesting ways

-        at least one of your images should use exaggerated scale (size)

-        the advertisement aspect of your image may be something you come up with after creating the piece or may be something you think of beforehand.

-        The image does not need to directly relate to the product you are advertising (i.e. Cave men have nothing to do with GEICO auto insurance).

PRESENTATION:

Collage/Photoshop image of any size on Bristol pad paper (should have a border around it)

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT:

What are you intending to advertise?  How is exaggerated scale used in your image?  Is your image funny, surprising, strange?  How do you think that helps to communicate an idea more effectively?

DATES (subject to change):

Due: Wed June 18

VALUE TO COLOR PROJECT

MATERIALS:

Acrylic paints (all colors), brushes, palette, palette knife, pencil, photo, transfer paper, matte medium, illustration board

REVIEW:

“COLOR {element of design}”, “VALUE {element of design}”, and “FORM {element of design}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

A series of 5 paintings based on one image:

1.     Value painting – use only white, grays, and black

2.     Analogous Color painting – use 3 or 4 colors next to each other on the color wheel and white (no black!)

3.     Complementary Color painting – use only a complementary color pair (colors across the color wheel from each other), including mixing them together, and white (no black!)

4.     Color As Value painting – choose colors based on their inherent value (i.e. yellow = lightest value, violet = darkest value, etc), NO white or black!

5.     Tonal painting – using your Color as Value painting choices, mix each color down with gray to result in a muted tonal painting

Rules

- find a photographic portrait of a famous person (using Google image search à Large size photos)

- posterize image in Photoshop, resulting in an image with 6 values (to be done in class)

- transfer your Photoshopped image onto your illustration board as a line drawing in 5 separate squares

- use the color scheme restrictions above to complete the painting of your 5 compositions

Things to Consider

- label each area of your line drawings with a number that represents your value scale (1 being lightest, 6 being darkest); this will help you keep your design organized when you go to apply paint.

PREPARATION:

Email image to yourself (or bring on a disk/thumb drive)

Photoshop image and print out at 6” x 6”

Test color mixtures and schemes in your sketchbook before applying to your final piece

PRESENTATION:

Five 6” x 6” compositions lined up next to each other (6” x 30” rectangle) on 8” x 32” illustration board

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT:

What did you learn about color during this project?  How does color relate to value?  How do they both describe form and depth?  Which of the pieces is the most eye-catching to you?  Which is the most subtle or quiet image?  Which feels the most harmonious and which feels the most discordant?  How does color affect these things?

DATES (subject to change):

Studio time:

Mon 5/19: Introduce Project

*Homework: bring in image to Photoshop, work on Color Wheel

Wed 5/21: Photoshop image, finish Color Wheel

*Homework: bring in Color Wheel and all drawings transferred to illustration board

Mon 5/26: HOLIDAY

Wed 5/28: Value painting, Analogous painting

*Homework: Analogous painting, Complementary painting

Mon 6/2: Value as Color painting, Tonal painting

*Homework: finish Project

Critique: Wed 6/4

COLOR WHEEL

Please have your Color Wheels started for class on Wednesday - the 12 main colors should be mixed.  Consider an even progression of values as you go from Yellow to Violet in both directions.

Finished color wheel (fyi, the yellow appears too orange in this image)

Color wheel template

12 Color Wheel Mixtures (if using Fuschia)

12 Color Wheel Mixtures (if using Magenta)

STUDENT SHOW OPENING TOMORROW (TUESDAY)

Please come to the Student Art Show opening tomorrow (Tuesda), from 1-3 and 5-7!  

If you are in class, encourage your instructor to take a break and visit the show during class.  Support arts on campus!

Supplies for Wed 5/21

Please bring:

-Image of famous person (portrait only) - email to yourself or bring on thumb drive.  We will photoshop these together for your Value to Color Project.

-Color Wheel supplies:
all paints
brushes
palette knife
palette pad
bristol pad
template & mixing chart

Supplies for Mon 5/19

Silhouette Projects are due this Monday!

Please also bring:

Bristol Pad

Palette pad

All color and b&w paints

Brushes

Palette knife

For Mon 5/12

Please bring in (at least) 2 draft compositions for your Silhouette Revolution Projects - these can be outlines only, or fully shaded.  Push yourselves to experiment with different designs using the same theme.  Think about composition, scale, movement, etc.

We will have in-process small group critiques during class.

SILHOUETTE REVOLUTION PROJECT

MATERIALS:

Choose from the following (or combination):

1.  Paints: Acrylic paints (black & white), brushes, palette, palette knife, pencil, Scotch Magic Tape, xacto knife, matte medium

2.  Paper: black & various gray-toned papers (painted Bristol paper), xacto knife

3.  Photoshop

REVIEW:

“MOVEMENT {principle of design}”, “EMPHASIS {principle of design}”, and “SPACE {element of design}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

1 composition using silhouettes to create an active image of a revolution; there should be a sense of movement in the final piece

silhouette: the outline of a form filled in with a solid color (no interior information)

Rules

- choose a contemporary or historical revolutionary event (this could be social, political, scientific, personal, etc.)

- use silhouettes of figures/objects to create your design

- use multiple values to create your composition

- achieve a sense of movement and depth

To Consider

- suggest movement in one of two ways: 1) through the active gestures of your figures’ silhouettes (see ex. #1);  OR 2) through the repetition and rotation of silhouettes (see ex. #2); OR both

- suggest depth through the use of value (high contrast comes forward, low contrast recedes), and altering the size of your silhouettes (large shapes come forward, small shapes recede) (see ex. #3)

-  silhouettes should be the main focus of your design, but you may also choose to incorporate black & white collaged images as your background (see ex. #4) or include text in your composition as well – be creative!

PREPARATION:

Google image search for images related to your chosen REVOLUTION; images with full-length figures/subjects are best.

Print or photocopy your images at various sizes to experiment with scale and layering.

Do several drafts in your sketchbook, transferring the images via transfer paper, and playing with scale, repetition and placement of images.

Do value studies of these drafts using pencils.

Use your Scotch Magic tape and xacto knife to paint the detailed edges of your silhouettes.

PRESENTATION:

One 11” x 14” composition on 14” x 17” illustration board (1.5” border around composition)

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT:

Discuss the work of Kara Walker and how it informed your silhouette project.  How does the silhouette differ from a three-dimensional rendering when communicating an image or story?  Does your final piece evoke a revolution?  How did you accomplish a sense of movement and action?  Is there a sense of depth?  Is there an emotion or feeling you get from the finished design and why?  What could you change to achieve any of these effects more successfully?

DATES (subject to change):

STUDIO: Mon 5/5, Wed 5/7 (bring in all images), Mon 5/12 (2 draft designs due for critique), Wed 5/14

DUE: Mon 5/19

Monday 5/5

Hi folks,

Please bring in your completed BALANCE PROJECTS.  Your Value Scale should be placed on the illustration board underneath your painting as shown in class.  Please remember to include the written response on the back.  We'll critique these at the beginning of class tomorrow.

Please also bring in your sketchbooks and pencils.  We will be starting on a new project.

For Monday 4/28

Please bring in your completed Value Scales.  Remember, the important thing here is trying to achieve equal steps from white to black.

Please also bring in all of the supplies needed for your Balance Project.  You may not get to painting, but you will definitely need all of the drawing supplies and your illustration board cut to 11" x 18".  

For homework, you should also review the Blog entries on "Value," "Balance" (particularly asymmetrical balance), and "Emphasis."

BALANCE PROJECT

MATERIALS:

Acrylic paints (black & white), brushes, palette, palette knife, Scotch Magic Tape, pencil, circle template, ruler, artists tape, matte medium, illustration board, transfer & tracing paper (provided by instructor)

REVIEW:

“BALANCE {principle of design}”, “VALUE {element of design}”, and “SHAPE {element of design}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

1 painted composition utilizing symmetry & asymmetry, where each type makes up half the design and flows into one another

Rules

- use only geometric shapes (squares, circles, triangles, etc)

- symmetrical half: choose either vertical or horizontal symmetry

- asymmetrical half should be flowing out of the symmetrical half

- use multiple values from your value scales to paint your composition

- at least one area should use gradation (gradual transition from light to dark)

To Consider

- overlap shapes to create a dynamic composition and a sense of depth                 

- vary the size of your shapes to achieve interest

- use areas of high contrast (light next to dark) and areas of low contrast (similar values) to move the eye around the composition and create a sense of pictorial space (**remember: high contrast comes forward, low contrast recedes**)

- try to achieve a focal point in your composition (hint: use high contrast)

PREPARATION:

Create two 8” x 8” draft compositions in sketchbook with pencils, transfer to 1 final 8” x 16” composition on your illustration board, with an unbroken flow between the two halves

PRESENTATION:

One 8” X 16” composition painted directly on 11” x 18” illustration board, with 1” x 9” Value Scale mounted ½” below it, and 1” border on the top, right and left sides (see below)

Written assessment should be taped to the back of your finished illustration board

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT:

How would you describe the difference between the symmetrical and asymmetrical sides of your composition?  Do the two flow easily into one another? What parts of the design seem to come forward and what parts seem to recede?  Where is your eye drawn to?  How did your choices of values, shapes, and gradations affect the overall balance of the design?

DATES (subject to change):

Studio time: Introduce Wed 4/23, Mon 4/28 (Value Scale Project due), Wed 4/30

Due: Mon 5/5

SAMPLE IMAGES:

To be used ONLY as reference; you should come up with your own unique solutions/designs

VALUE SCALE PROJECT

MATERIALS:

Acrylic paints (black & white), brushes, palette, palette knife, water container, Scotch Magic Tape, ruler, pencil, Bristol pad paper

REVIEW:

“VALUE {element of design}” and “Painting Techniques {technique}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

Create a 9-step value scale progressing from white to black with mid-tone grays in between.  Steps should be equal in value progression with your middle step halfway between white and black, etc. 

Note: Your middle gray will NOT be an equal amount of white and black paint.  Black has much more tinting power in mixtures than white, so you will have to adjust accordingly by trial and error.  You may have to re-paint several squares before achieving perfect steps. 

PRESENTATION:

1” x 9” rectangle on Bristol paper, made up of nine 1” x 1” squares, eventually to be mounted on Balance Project illustration board

DATES (subject to change):

Studio: Wed 4/23

Due: Mon 4/28 (eventually mounted with Balance Project)

For Wednesday 4/23

Please bring in your completed Text Projects.  We'll be critiquing these first thing on Wednesday.

Please also bring:

Bristol pad
Pencil
Ruler
Paint brushes
Black and white acrylic paint
Palette pad
Palette knife
Scotch Magic Tape

For Monday 4/21

Please bring in 5 different compositional sketches/ideas for the Text Project.  You should choose one word and come up with 5 options in your sketchbook.  Consider the proportion of the final 9"x12" size (so you might draw your sketches at 4.5" by 6").  

Bring in all materials that you will need to work on the project on Monday.  Have a great weekend!

TEXT PROJECT

MATERIALS:

Option #1: Black construction paper, white Bristol pad paper, xacto knife, glue stick, white charcoal pencil, cutting mat, illustration board

Option #2: Adobe Illustrator

REVIEW:

“SHAPE {element of design}” and “SPACE {element of design}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

Text design, illustrating one word:

-        use only the word to illustrate itself: no shapes other than the individual letters that make up the text

-        the letters (font) can form any shapes you want

Things to Consider

- how do you visually convey the meaning of a word through the shape of the font?  Look at various fonts online and consider what they feel like.

- how much compositional space is taken up – how does this relate to the meaning of the word?

- where should your text be placed in the compositional frame: centered; crammed up against an edge; at the top; at the bottom; continuing off the picture frame?

- Be creative!  Come up with lots of different approaches and experiment with composition.

PRESENTATION:

One 9” x 12” composition on Bristol paper, mounted on illustration board 11” x 14”, with 1” border around entire composition

Written assessment should be taped to the back of your finished illustration board

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT:

Discuss the ways in which you conveyed the meaning of your word through design elements: the shape of your font, the compositional space (figure/ground relationship), the scale (size) of your font in relation to the picture plane, etc.   What would you change or do differently if you were to create another version?

DATES (subject to change):

Studio time: Wed 4/16, Mon 4/21

Due: Wed 4/23

SAMPLE IMAGES:

To be used ONLY as reference; shows various figure/ground relationships and use of shape and compositional placement of text to convey meaning:

Supplies for Wed 4/16

Hi folks,

Please bring in your completed Line Projects.  These should be fully mounted on illustration board with your written response taped to the back.  We'll be critiquing these first thing.

Please also bring your sketchbook, pencil and eraser to class, as we will be brainstorming ideas for our next project.

LINE PROJECT

MATERIALS:

Black construction paper, white Bristol pad paper, xacto knife, glue stick, white charcoal pencil, cutting mat, ruler, illustration board

REVIEW:

“LINE {element of design}” and “UNITY & VARIETY {principle of design}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

3 compositions utilizing lines of different length, weight (thickness), and proximity (closeness to each other), cut from black construction paper and mounted on white Bristol paper

1. horizontal & vertical lines only

2. diagonal lines only

3. curved lines only

Things to Consider

- unity in your design will be established by the repetition of one element: line

- for variation and interest, alter the length, weight, and proximity of the lines

- consider the way in which your black lines are interacting with each other as well as how the resulting white background space looks; is there variation in both of these?

PRESENTATION:

Three 5” x 5” compositions on Bristol paper, mounted 1” apart on illustration board 8” x 20”, with 1.5” border around entire composition

Written assessment should be taped to the back of your finished illustration board

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT:

What words would you use to describe the final compositions: calm, active, repetitive, unified, directional, structural, scattered, etc?  How does each composition differ based on the type of lines used?  Do they remind you of anything?  How does line weight and placement affect the overall composition or visual impact of the pieces?

DATES (subject to change):

Studio time: Wed 4/9, Mon 4/14

Due: Wed 4/16