ART 131 B:

Alternative Approaches to Art and Design

Winter 2007
M, W 11:30-2:20
Room: Art 228

Instructor: Timea Tihanyi

 

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SYLLABUS and Course Information

Course Description
This studio course requires you to invest at least 6-8 hours/week in addition to the time spent in class. There will be some work time set aside in class, but the majority of experimentation and execution is expected to be done outside of class.
ART 131 introduces some key principles and processes in visual art by using a variety of formats and media. Assignments are complex, challenging but infinitely rewarding. We will explore the many facets of artistic process from developing the initial concept to completing the finished product. Class discussions, slide lectures, demos, and exercises will provide you with tools, strategies and many contemporary art examples in order to help you tackle these challenging assignments. Your regular attendance and active participation is therefore necessary and expected.
Each project will have a few well-articulated limitations and goals (just like in real life). Outside of those, you have complete freedom to be creative and innovative. Experiment and strive to fresh ideas!
Most importantly, have fun with the projects!

Course Objectives
• Gain basic understanding of elements of visual composition and their relationship.
• Move with your ideas freely within and among 2D, 3D, and 4D (time-based media).
• Gain basic familiarity with major modern and contemporary art movements and their representatives.
• Attain a vocabulary of art appreciation and criticism.

Expectations
• Experiment! Work hard!
• Participation in group-projects, class discussions, critiques and work-days counts toward your grade.
• No late arriving or early leaving. Important information may be covered in the first and last minutes of class.
• All projects must be completed and turned in on time. Late projects will not be accepted.
• Extensions will be given only in the event of documented illness or extreme family emergency.
• You may have a chance to re-work a project before the last meeting of this class in order to improve your grade on that project.
• You should always attend class even though you might not have your homework fully completed. Remember: you can make up for incomplete assignments but not for missing participation points.
• Always leave your work area clean!
• You must be prepared to work in class. You will be expected to have a sketchbook and a toolbox with required art materials for most class meetings.
• Absolutely no cell phone calls are to be taken during class. Turn off and put away all personal electronic devices, including cell phone, iPod, laptop, etc.
• If you have any questions, concerns regarding the class or need extra help, talk to me.

Critiques
Group critiques are your resources to understand and explore ideas and are there to help you learn from your work and that of your peers. It is a way to develop an eye and an ear for art appreciation and improve the verbal articulation of your ideas. For these reasons your input and involvement is essential.

Evaluation
You will receive grades during the quarter for each projects completed. Your final grade will be determined by the following:
• Participation (critiques, in-class projects, class discussions) 30%
• Professional manner 20% (turning in projects on time, individual effort, commitment, progress)
• Quality of projects 50% (satisfying goals and limitations of the assignment, thought process, design, experimentation, craft)

The scheduled final exam time is Wednesday March 14th 2:30-4:20 PM
• It is the big classroom clean-up day. Missing clean-up will adversely affect your grade.
• All student work and possessions must be removed from the classroom by the end of exam week.
• Last opportunity to turn in reworked projects.

Required Supplies – Bring them to every class!
Sketch book, no smaller than 9”x12,” pencils, a good eraser
A good pair of scissors
X-acto knife with spare blades
18” steel ruler with cork backing
Right angle triangle
Variety of drawing, painting, mark-making tools: for example: pastels, watercolor, acrylic paint , India ink, NO OIL PAINTS!
Brushes as needed
A bottle of Elmer’s glue
Best Test paper cement and rubber pick-up
Glue gun with glue sticks

Additional supplies – See details at each assignment’s specs:
2ply Bristol board (smooth or vellum)
Medium weight printmaking paper
Digital camera (available for check-out from SOACC)
USB storage device or CD-R, DVD-R

Tentative Course SCHEDULE

 

Assignments

PROJECT #1: Comic Strip - ASSIGNMENT HANDOUT

PRINCIPLES OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN

PROJECT #2: Composite - ASSIGNMENT HANDOUT

VIDEO TECHNICAL INFORMATION

PROJECT #3: Animation - ASSIGNMENT HANDOUT

PROJECT #4: Issue Poster - ASSIGNMENT HANDOUT

PRINTMAKING TECHNICAL INFORMATION