SYLLABUS

2D DESIGN/ART 101.01

9:00-11:50AM  MW

RM AS1530

INSTRUCTOR: GLENN TRAMANTANO

gtramantano@gmail.com

http://2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

SYLLABUS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Two-dimensional design involves the study of how things are put together on a flat surface to achieve an effect.  Through hands-on studio practice we will identify the basic principles of design.  We will learn how to apply and manipulate visual language as a means of communication.  We will develop a visual vocabulary that will enable us to speak clearly about what we see.  We will find creative solutions to problems.  Finally, each of us will begin to develop our own unique sense of design that will continue to have practical applications for us beyond this class.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF DESIGN

These are just some of the careers in which a firm understanding of design is necessary and beneficial:

-graphic design                                    -Illustration                                    -fine art                                                      -animation                                                      -video game design                  -package design                                    -art direction                                    -interior design                                                                                   -architecture                                    -scenic design                                    -photography                                    -advertising                                                      -sculpture                                    -art history                                    -fashion design                                    -culinary arts                                                      -cinematography                  -industrial design                  -performing arts                  -textile design

Any field that incorporates visual expression needs people who know how to make good design decisions and who are creative and professional problem-solvers.

ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

Elements of Design

Line	Shape	Form	Space
Scale	Value	Color	Texture

Principles of Design - achieved through the use of the above elements of design

Balance	Proportion	Emphasis
Movement	Unity & Variety

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be able to:

1.  Identify and apply the basic elements and principles of design in visual form.

2.  Utilize visual language to communicate ideas effectively.

3.  Find creative solutions to design problems.

4.  Speak and write intelligently about design through the use of a visual vocabulary.

5.  Present clean, professional and high-quality work to future academic programs, employers or clients.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION

Class time will be made up mostly of studio time in which students will work on assigned projects.  This will be supplemented by slide presentations and demos by the instructor, as well as individual and group critiques during and at the end of each project. 

COURSE BLOG

The course blog at http://2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com will be maintained and updated weekly by the instructor, providing informational text and images, assignment instructions, class reminders, and any changes to the syllabus.  This is an extremely important learning tool and students are expected to check the blog at least once between EVERY class for updates and review.

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

Attendance: you are expected to attend every class and arrive ON TIME to each class.  The course workload is manageable if you come to class prepared and ready to work for 3 hours.  If not, it is very easy to fall behind and difficult to catch up once you do.  Absences and late arrivals will count against your participation points for the quarter:

- absence = 0/10 points for participation that day

- late arrival or early departure = maximum of 5/10 points for participation that day

There are 20 total classes (plus Final Exam).  Here is the approximate affect on your participation grade due to absences:

-2 absences = .2 drop

-3 absences = .4 drop

-4 absences = .6 drop

-5 absences = .8 drop

-6 absences = 1.2 drop

-7 absences = 1.5 drop

-8 absences = 2.0 drop

Participation: aside from physically being in the classroom, the most important student requirement is to be FULLY ENGAGED in the work at hand.  This entails:

-being fully prepared, i.e. bringing the materials you need to class and being ready to work

-showing productivity and work ethic during studio time

-actively and thoughtfully participating in class discussions and critiques

-showing a willingness to offer helpful suggestions to other students

-having a good attitude: being kind, friendly, honest and working well with your peers

-being responsive to instruction and communicating effectively with the instructor

-giving your full attention to the class (cell phones turned off, distractions put away)

Studio Work: you are expected to fully explore each design project both in and outside of the classroom. Experimentation with the given media and art tools is highly encouraged during this time.  Hard work and an attention to detail will be extremely important in achieving successful solutions to the assignments. Projects will require more work than simply handing in a final piece.  The studio process for each assignment will include:

-learning and experimenting with the media and tools for a given assignment

-thumbnail sketching and brainstorming in your sketchbooks

-multiple approaches and rough drafts before deciding on a final composition

-working neatly and taking care of your materials and your work throughout the process

-asking questions and getting feedback from the instructor and fellow students

-making sure your space is fully cleaned up at the end of studio time

Homework: studio work is supplemented by work at home and assigned projects cannot be finished with out the extra work time at home.  Expect to spend between 6 and 10 hours a week of work time outside the classroom. You should have a work space set up at home that includes a clean table or desk space large enough to accommodate your needs, as well as good lighting.  The studios are also available to work in during non-class hours when an authorized monitor is present.  Please let the instructor know if you would like to be a monitor for class.

Reviewing the 2D Design Blog is considered part of your required homework between each class.

Sketchbook: sketchbooks will be used to do preparatory work for each project which will include experimenting with the given media, doing thumbnail sketches, rough drafts and brainstorming.  You should use your sketchbook as a tool to assist you in developing your ideas before committing to your final project.

Finished Work: you are expected to present finished pieces that are CLEAN, NEAT & PROFESSIONAL in appearance, and ON TIME.  Design is all about visual aesthetics, so if execution is sloppy it will take away from the overall effectiveness of the design.  All projects should be completely finished on the day of the critique (as outlined on your syllabus).

Work that is not finished or not present on the day of critique will be graded down a full letter grade.  Each class day that it is late after the due date will also be graded down, so HAND IN WORK ON TIME!  If you are absent on the day of a critique, you can email a jpeg photo of your finished work to the instructor (gtramantano@gmail.com) before 1 PM on the same day in order to avoid having your project marked down as late.  However, your attendance will still be marked down as absent.

The following criteria will be evaluated by the instructor for each finished project:

-objective: did you follow the assignment guidelines; is there a successful resolution of the design objective?

-presentation: is there good attention to detail, crisp edges in your paintings, solid and durable mounting and presentation, and overall quality craftsmanship?

-composition/design: is the finished piece dynamic, eye-catching, and thoughtfully put together?

-creativity & inventiveness: did you explore, experiment and think outside the box?

-effort: did you devote enough time and energy to the project?  Did you do the necessary planning, sketching and brainstorming in your sketchbooks prior to the finished piece?

-written evaluation: have you clearly defined how you approached the assignment, how you met the objective, where you thought you were successful and where you may have struggled?

A.D.A. STATEMENT

The A.D.A. is designed to ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to access academic programs and successfully complete their studies.  Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Services as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.  You may make an appointment with Disabilities Services by calling 934-3697 or stopping by the DS office on the 2^nd floor of the college center.  If you have a disability that will affect your performance in this class please let me know during my office hours.  Any contacts and/or information will remain strictly confidential.

GRADING

All of the above student requirements will be evaluated when giving you a final grade for the course.  Each project will be evaluated with a letter grade per the “Finished Work” criteria previously outlined.   

Participation/Studio Work: 40%

Finished Projects: 60%

MATERIALS

9” x 12” spiral bound sketchbook

11” x 14” pad of Bristol paper, vellum finish

1 H or HB graphite pencil

1 White eraser

1 White charcoal pencil

Xacto knife size #1 and blades (#11)

Cutting mat 12” x 18”

UHU glue stick

Circle drafting template

White cold-pressed illustration board: 1 sheet 30” x 40”, 1 sheet 20” x 30”

18” metal ruler with cork backing

Acrylic heavy body paints (in 2 oz tubes)*: titanium white, mars black, cadmium yellow light, cadmium red medium, quinacridone fuschia (or magenta), ultramarine blue, pthalo blue (green shade)

*Do not buy paint colors labeled “hue” i.e. “cadmium red hue” as this is cheaper quality paint that will result in poor coverage.  Stick to one quality brand such as Golden, Sennelier, Winsor Newton or Liquitex.

Disposable Palette pad 9” x 12”

Acrylic Matte medium (4 oz jar)

Various synthetic brushes for acrylic paint, suggested: #2 round, #4 and #8 bright, and #10 flat or ¾” wash.  Value packs containing these brushes are available in most art stores.

Palette knife for mixing paint (plastic or metal)

Scotch Magic Tape

3/4” Blue Tape

Portfolio to carry work in (this can be two pieces of cardboard taped together)

Please come to the second class with the following: sketchbook, Bristol pad, white charcoal pencil, ruler, xacto knife, cutting mat, glue stick, graphite pencil.  After that, I expect you to have all supplies purchased and ready to use. 

**The above items will be available for purchase as a kit at a DISCOUNT rate through Artist and Craftsman Supply (43350 8^th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105).  Supply kits will be made available for purchase on the second studio day.  To expedite the payment process, please call in your order to (206) 545-0091 prior to the second day of class, or pick up your kit at the store itself.

COURSE OUTLINE

The following course outline is subject to change.  You will be provided with instructions at the beginning of each project explaining the objective, parameters, media, and timeline for that assignment.

Week 1:

Mon 4/7 – Syllabus review, slideshow

*Homework: order/purchase supplies

Wed 4/9 – Gallery Show, Intro Video & discussion, Purchase kits, Introduce Line Project (due Wed 4/16)

Week 2:

Mon 4/14 – continue Line Project, demo illustration board cutting & mounting

Wed 4/16 – Critique: Line Project, Group Line Project, Introduce Text Project (due Wed 4/23)

*Homework: Text Project

Week 3:

Mon 4/21 – continue Text Project 

Wed 4/23 – Critique: Text Project, Introduce Value Scale (due Mon 4/28) & Balance Project (due Mon 5/5)

*Homework: Value Scale

Week 4:

Mon 4/28 – Due: Value Scale, continue Balance Project

Wed 4/30 – continue Balance Project

Week 5:

Mon 5/5 – Critique: Balance Project, Introduce Silhouette Project (due Mon 5/19)

*Homework: collect images for Silhouette Project

Wed 5/7 – continue Silhouette Project

Week 6:

Mon 5/12 – continue Silhouette Project (2 draft designs due)

Wed 5/14 – continue Silhouette Project

Week 7:

Mon 5/19 – Critique: Silhouette Project, Introduce Color Wheel (due Wed 5/28) & Value to Color Project (due Wed 6/4)

*Homework: continue Color Wheel and find image for Value to Color Project

Wed 5/21 – Photoshop image for Value to Color Project and finish Color Wheel

*Homework: Transfer all drawings for Value to Color Project and complete first painting (value)

Week 8:

Mon 5/26 – MEMORIAL DAY *NO CLASS*

Wed 5/28 – Due: Color Wheel, continue Value to Color Project (analogous & complementary)

*Homework: continue Value to Color Project (complementary & color as value)

Week 9:

Mon 6/2 – continue Value to Color Project (color as value, tonal)

*Homework: finish Value to Color Project

Wed 6/4 – Critique: Value to Color Project, introduce Exaggerated Scale Homework (due Mon 6/9)

*Homework: Exaggerated Scale Homework

Week 10:

Mon 6/9 – Critique: Exaggerated Scale Homework, Introduce Narrative Illustration Project (due Wed 6/18), Group activity

Wed 6/11 – continue Narrative Illustration Project

Week 11:

Mon 6/16 – continue Narrative Illustration Project

Wed 6/18 - FINAL EXAM DAY, 9-11:50am – CRITIQUE: Narrative Illustration Project