Fall 2012 ART 322A Illustration I
Instructor: Laurel LongEmail:
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday 5:00-6:30pm Office/Classroom: ACD 506/507
Catalog Description:
Prerequisites: Art 222, Art 200. Basic principles and practice of publication and advertising illustration. Projects emphasize conceptual problem solving, composition and the development of personal style. Projects are designed for inclusion in a professional portfolio.
Course Description:
This is an introductory course in the study of Illustration as an art form and profession. Emphasis is on the development of conceptual problem-solving abilities, technical skills, self-expression and personal style. These skills are equally important for the creation of fine art and graphic design. Types of illustration include:
• Editorial Illustration: For students interested in contemporary culture who possess a consistent and distinctive approach and graphic sensibility. Relevant to: advertising, magazine, newspaper and book publishing.
• Children’s Market Illustration: For students with a love for storytelling, character and design appropriate to children. Relevant to book and magazine publishing, advertising and licensing.
• Visual Development Illustration: For students whose exceptional skill in drawing, painting, color and perspective is combined with a love for storytelling, character, atmosphere and narrative environments. Students prepare for a career in animation or film.
• Illustration for Motion: For students interested in storyboarding and motion design and who can work collaboratively on motion pieces fit for advertising, music videos, retail environments and public service announcements.
• Licensing/Merchandising/Packaging: For students who possess a 2D and 3D design sensibility. Relevant to products: home goods, apparel, toys, gifts, stationary, skateboards etc.
• Fine Art Illustration: For students seeking to adapt their illustration skills to a gallery environment. Emphasis is on self-direction, concept and originality.
Art Department Program Goals Addressed in this Course:
•Basic Skills: Developing a foundation of art knowledge, theories, skills, craftspersonship and technologies, where ideas and concepts are communicated in writing, speaking and art making.
•Art Knowledge: Broadening knowledge of ancient through contemporary art and to develop an understanding of art within theoretical, cultural, and historical contexts.
•Critical Thinking: Analyzing, interpreting, and questioning traditional methodologies and pre-conceived notions of art and art making through the process of generating and solving problems.
•Interdisciplinary Connections: Exploring and engaging in interdisciplinary forms of art making.
•Global Perspectives: Promoting an appreciation and tolerance of diverse perspectives dealing with art, culture and learning.
•Collaboration: Encouraging both individual and collaborative art experiences among students, faculty, and community.
•Professional Preparation: Developing career paths for various art professions and an understanding of the demands and expectations of those areas.
Student Learning Objectives:
•Recognize and apply practical and theoretical concepts in creating portfolio quality illustrations
•Acquire knowledge of and apply the elements and principles of design and illustration.
•Utilize illustration knowledge, theory and skills to the creation of art by inventive personal vision and process.
•Acquire knowledge of contemporary and historical art and illustration movements.
•Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental illustration concepts and techniques for self-expression and effective visual communication.
Professional Practice and Plagiarism:
Classroom rules
•Cell phones must be turned off or put on vibrate. Phone talking or texting in class is not allowed.
•No headphones. • Laptop use for course assignments only. No laptop use is allowed during lectures.
Missed Class Policy: Lectures and demonstrations cannot be repeated. Contact another student in the class for missed information.
Name______phone/email______
Attendance Policy:
Attendance is required. The following will be applied in determining the final grade in the course.
• Three absences are allowed without penalty. More than three absences will result in a lower final grade in the course.
The three allowed absences are given for illness and other unavoidable events. A doctor’s note will not excuse more than three absences. If illness requires more than three absences, a medical withdrawal from the course is recommended.
•Roll is taken every class. Late arrivals and early departures will be counted as absences.
•You may ask at any time for your attendance and grade information.
Grading:
Project Grading is based on:
•Projects are graded on the basis of demonstrated knowledge of course content, effective and ambitious solutions to problems, preliminary work, technique and presentation
•Projects not complete on due date will be lowered ten points.
•Preliminary drawings not complete on deadline will lower the final project grade by ten points. Preliminary drawings must be scanned or large and clear enough to be hung up for presentation deadline.
•Unpreparedness and projects that are not worked on during class time will lower the final project grade by ten points.
•Assignments more than one week late will not be accepted.
•Assignments can be revised and resubmitted for a higher grade.
•You have until the next class after due date/ critique to revise work for final grading.
•Effort: Some techniques take longer than others. If your technique is quick then you will be expected to complete more than one illustration per assignment.
Grade Point Scale
89, B = 83 – 86, B- = 80 – 82, C = 73 – 76,
C+ = 77-79 C- = 70 – 72, D+ = 67 – 69, D = 63 – 66, D- = 60 – 62, F = 0 –
FINAL GRADING CRITERIA: see Project Grading Rubric
1. Evidence of preplanning and research
2. Use of art elements and principles
3. Creativity and exploration
4. Ideas and communication
5. Craftsmanship, skill and presentation
Preliminary Work for Illustration Projects:
1. Thumbnail sketches
2. Preliminary drawings
3. Research and visual reference
Assignment #1: Media, Style, & Design Explorations
LEARNING GOALS
1. To reinforce the most fundamental skill of illustration—drawing.
2. To learn new ways of coming up with ideas and to increase creativity.
3. To experiment with a variety of approaches to design and technique.
4. To strengthen knowledge and application of design principles.
5. To practice using a variety of wet & dry media to create original imagery.
6. To gain a foundation of experience with media, style, and design that can be carried through
to all future illustration assignments.
OVERVIEW
These assignments involve variations on a theme. Your theme will evolve from selecting 2 subjects that you would love to draw & paint. The subjects can be an object, person, animal, plant, vehicle, etc. that you can collect photographic reference for. (NO licensed characters, no manga, letters, numbers, symbols, NO overly familiar imagery or subjects such as bearded wizards, iconic rock star photos, sexist images…) See trite Imagery list at the end of the syllabus. Imagery to consider: Plants, anatomy, flowers, human, machinery, marine life, insects, birds, fruit, vegetables, animals, architecture…
You will create 6 unique illustrations that will combine 2 subjects in different ways using a variety of different media techniques, styles, and designs.
*Tip: It will help if you pick 2 subjects that are connected in some way—related or opposite.
•Examples of related items:
1. Famous person and object: Edison & light bulb, Babe Ruth & baseball, Martha Stuart & rolling pin
2. Items that work together: bird & nest/tree/cage/egg, cat &yarn/toy, insect & flower/sky/plants/fruit/anatomy,
tree & apple/ monkey/snake, water & fish/boat/shell
3. Two subjects from a story: princess & pea, jack & beanstalk, frog & crown, bunny & egg
•Examples of opposites:
1. Animate/In-animate, Man-made/Nature, Alive/Dead, Large/Small, Soft/Rough, Wet/Dry, Fat/Thin
2. Objects symbolizing ideas: Life/Death, Good/Bad, Chaos/Order, Happy/Sad, Old/New, Rich/Poor
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Choose your theme
Select two subjects. Collect at least 20 photos for each of your two subjects from all different angles. Get as much reference as possible, print it out, and bring to class. If one of your subjects is an actual object then bring that to class. Take your own photographs when possible. This will make your art more original.
2. Sketchbook practice
Get to know your subjects: sketch each item at least10 times from different angles & points of view.
Review any drawing principles needed to draw these items accurately. At this stage, do not worry about light and shadow. Use line only and make sure to DRAW THROUGH!
3. Thumbnails
Do 50 thumbnails combining your 2 items. Vary your format and composition. Refer to the “Media, Style, Design” chart to guide your idea making—some design themes are required. Make media, style and design choices that communicate your theme(s) and subject(s) effectively.
4. Refinements and Final Drawings
Refine the thumbnails that are most exciting to you. Use these drawings as foundations for your illustration. These drawings can still be in line only, unless the composition calls for tone.
5. Final ArtComplete the final art for each of the 6 variations using different combinations of media, styles, and designs listed on the chart. Identify on the back of the final art the media, style and design used.
MEDIA, STYLE, AND DESIGN
-Bold,italicized attributes are required—those not bulleted are options.
-Mix and Match 3 attributes together (one from each column) for each of the 6 illustration variations.
-You can use each attribute up to 2 times.
-These media and techniques will be demonstrated in class. Style and Design examples will be shown.
MEDIA / STYLE / DESIGNGraphite / Favorite Artist Style / Cropping
Pen & Ink / Historical Art Style / Scale Reversal
Acrylic / Fully Rendered Realism / Substitution
Oil / Contour, Expressive, Thick/Thin, or Hatching / Combine, Metamorphosis
Gouache / Flat Graphic Shapes / Shape Window
Colored Pencil / Silhouette / Action or Movement
Cut Paper or Collage / Cartoon / Positive Negative Reversal
Scratchboard / Distortion or Exaggeration / Hidden Image
Mixed Media and/or Digital / Geometric Shapes, Stylized / Exaggeration in Amount
Found Objects / Your Choice / Your Choice
Mixed: Ink Line and Washes
PAPER AND BOARDS
One Strathmore 500 series heavyweight illustration board: rough (cold pressed) cut into equal pieces. Look for the embossed logo in the corner of the board. You can work on this board directly for all of your illustrations, or you can experiment with different papers and substrates. For example, watercolor paper, colored papers, handmade papers, wood panels, canvas, fabric, wallpaper, mat board etc. You can include hand made or store bought frames.
FORMAT & PRESENTATION OF FINAL ART
-Each illustration should be the same size and shape. However, you may choose your format and orientation (horizontal, vertical, or square).
-Flexible papers must be mounted.
-The Strathmore 500 series heavyweight illustration board must be cut accurately and with straight clean trim edges. Continental or Michael’s will cut the board for you.
-Do not paint or draw up to the trim edges. Leave a minimum ½ inch of margin from each edge.
-You may turn in high quality ink jet prints instead of original art if you like. Poor prints will not be accepted.
-You will be graded on your presentation. Make it beautiful and clean.
-All boards must have a tracing paper cover that is trimmed to the board size.
-All of your thumbnails, process sketches, photo reference, media experiments, failed attempts, etc. should be placed in a 12 x 15.5 inch envelope. Put your name on the top right corner of the each envelope. Do not seal the envelopes.
MEDIA GUIDE
Graphite
•Techniques Demonstrated: hatching, using hard, medium and soft pencils
•Draftsmanship:Continuous even tone and gradations. Consistent surface texture. Accurate proportions, perspective, ellipses, and drawing principles. Obvious light and shadow sides. FULL RANGE of values.
Create depth with hard/soft edges and dark/light tones. Avoid outlines.
•Craftsmanship: Clean rendering, no smudges, fingerprints, etc. Consistent graphite application.
•Communication: Darks, mid-tones, and lights arranged for clarity.
Pen & Ink
•Techniques Demonstrated: Hatching, crosshatching, stippling in a variety of line weights to create convincing value gradations, textures and three-dimensional rendering. Use of brush, pen, straw to create calligraphic, flowing, angular, straight, curved lines, splatters to create accidental effects.
•Craftsmanship: Confident, expressive line with variety in thick and thins. No bleeding into paper. Consistency in style…if using hatching, be consistent with how you apply it throughout the piece. Contours more bold than less dominant details. Any mistakes must be incorporated into the drawing, no corrections. Create depth with thick/thin, hard/soft, dark/light lines.
Acrylic Opaque
•Techniques Demonstrated: Brushwork to create rendered textures and gradations, layering, dry brushing, accidental effects, textures, distressing, flat painting. If brush strokes are visible, let them be appealing to look at and consistently applied to the whole piece. Create depth with thick/thin, Hard/soft, Dark/light.
Oil
•Techniques Demonstrated: Surface priming, imprimatura, under layer, glazing, ala prima painting, blending, palette organization and color mixing. Brushwork to create rendered textures and gradations.
•Craftsmanship: Clean rendering, Clean and harmonious color. If brush strokes are visible, let them be appealing to look at and consistently applied to the whole piece. Create depth with thick/thin, Hard/soft, Dark/light. Blended, smooth edges required.
Gouache (opaque watercolor)
•Techniques Demonstrated: Brushwork to create rendered textures and gradations, layering, dry brushing, stippling, accidental effects
•Craftsmanship: Solid opaque tones—no transparency. If brush strokes are visible, let them be purposeful and appealing to look at and consistently applied to the whole piece. Crisp clean edges.
Colored Pencil
•Techniques Demonstrated: Hatching and crosshatching to create convincing value gradations, textures and three-dimensional rendering. Color theory and layering.
•Craftsmanship: AVOID the COLORING BOOK LOOK! Use a consistent application of marks…either lines, cross-hatching, small circles, etc. Layer multiple colors. Keep a consistent amount of fuzziness or graininess. Create depth with thick/thin, hard/soft, dark/light.
Cut Paper or Collage
•Techniques Demonstrated: Clean cuts, tearing, adhering, use of x-acto knife.
•Craftsmanship: Clean crisp cut edges. No unintentionally jagged or torn edges. No visible glue, no fingerprints or smudges. Create depth with thick/thin, hard/soft, dark/light.
Scratchboard
•Techniques Demonstrated: Applying ink, additive and subtractive lines and tones to produce gradations, textures, lines and shapes. Clean cuts, tearing, adhering, use of x-acto knife.
•Craftsmanship: Clean, crisp line work. If ink is applied with brush…brush marks and lines flow together well. Create depth with thick/thin, hard/soft, dark/light line.
Mixed Media
•Techniques Demonstrated: Combinations of any media and techniques learned.
•Craftsmanship: Effective integration and combined use or two or more media.
Mixed Ink Line and Acrylic or Watercolor Wash
•Techniques Demonstrated: Washes: wet-to-wet, wet to dry to create convincing value gradations, textures and three-dimensional rendering. Brushwork to create rendered textures and gradations, layering, dry brushing, stippling, accidental effects. Color theory and layering.
•Craftsmanship: Readability; Don't let the washes become so busy that the line drawing is lost. Lost and found edges are ok, but don't let the drawing disappear completely into the washes. If ink is applied with brush…brush marks and lines flow together well. Other Pen and Ink craftsmanship criteria apply as well. Clean, not muddy color. Washes and textures that are interesting to look at.
Create depth with thick/thin, Hard/soft, Dark/light.
STYLE GUIDE
For all styles:
•Composition: Create an interesting arrangement of positive and negative space avoiding uncomfortable tangents. Repetition with variation in shape and size (big, medium, small), rhythm, focal point and balance.
•Communication: Clarity and readability.
Historical or Favorite Artist Style
•Draftsmanship, Craftsmanship, Composition, Communication, Creativity: Consistent with the influencing artist.
Fully Rendered Realism
•Draftsmanship: Accurate and precise rendering and realistic representation of three-dimensional shapes, forms, textures and proportions.
•Craftsmanship: Precise, controlled enough for accurate representation of the subject.
•Communication: Clear, convincing and readable.
Flat Graphic Shapes
•Draftsmanship: Similar to silhouette, except use a variety of values and colors. Realistic, Stylized, Geometric, Cartoon, or distorted flat shapes informed by strong foundational drawing.
•Craftsmanship: Precise, clean edges.
Contour, Expressive, Thick-Thin and/or Hatching
•Draftsmanship: Use any or all of the following: Linear/tonal/graphic/expressive- hatching, crosshatching, or stippling to create value gradations, textures, patterns or three-dimensional rendering. In a variety of thicknesses: flowing, angular, straight, curved marks, accidental marks, straw and splatters to create designed, graphic and spontaneous effects.
•Craftsmanship: Precise, clean edges
Silhouette
•Draftsmanship: Accurate contour edges; flat shape based on a precise structural drawing with correct circle and ellipse shapes.
•Craftsmanship: Precise, clean edges
Cartoon
•Draftsmanship: Simplification and stylization of reality appealing and fun to look at. Distortions or stylizations informed by strong drawing foundation.
•Craftsmanship: Clean, consistently rendered throughout.
•Communication: Easily readable with a fun message or story conveyed. Make us laugh.
Distortion or Exaggeration
•Draftsmanship: Distortions or exaggerations informed by accurate foundational drawing.
•Craftsmanship: Clean, consistently rendered throughout.