Class of 2018
Summer Assignment - Visual Arts
Your task for this summer is to begin the research journey that is vital to IB Art. In addition to the 15 pages due in your sketchbook, (commonly known as the Visual Arts Journal - VAJ) you will need to create 2 original artworks. For your artwork you may use any traditional medium other than crayon or Crayola marker. You can also use non-traditional art mediums.
I strongly urge, recommend, compel, direct, expect, and plead that you visit my Google site and read everything that has been presented to you. There are a lot of specifics regarding the 3 components you will be assessed on. Read them before you come to class in August!
Materials
□ 8 1/2 x 11 hard cover, hard bound sketchbook (100-200 pages). NO SPIRAL BOUND! Try to find one with heavyweight, mixed media paper, 70lb to 120lb.
□ Ink pens-Written work must be completed with pen. Pen does not smudge or fade and copies well.
□ Colored pencils, brush pens, or watercolors to add color to some of your pages
□ Glue stick
□ A small art bin or some sort of container to hold personal art supplies.
□ Additional materials you decide to use for your artwork
□ A quality portfolio large enough to accommodate 18x24 paper (minimum size).
Objectives for VAJ:
□ First and foremost it is a visually engaging memoir of your creative thought process, media exploration, and research into artists and art from divergent global cultures and eras and how it impacts your growth as an artist.
□ Become aware of the importance of managing time when it comes to meeting VAJ requirements. If you have to complete 15 pages over the course of the summer, how many pages should be completed each week?
□ Become aware of how artists/cultures explore singular themes or idea through multiple artworks.
□ Develop multiple ideas for artworks base on a single idea or theme.
□ Properly cite sources referenced within investigation.
□ Compare/contrast individual and cultural artworks.
□ Become aware of other artists that have explored concepts related to your personal investigations.
□ Become aware of local museums and galleries.
Format for VAJ:
□ Write with black or blue pen – not markers! Use white out to mark out mistakes.
□ Number and date each page. Don’t skip pages and number sequentially.
□ Leave a one inch border on two edges of each page, this provides space for dates, page numbers and comments.
□ Be fearless with this book, write on top of collected image, write in different directions, experiment – but make it an engaging visual artifact, not just a book of words.
Assignments for VAJ:
Complete at least 15 visual arts journal pages by Aug 29th. Pages MUST include the following:
- Create a mind map that is essentially a self portrait that contains information about family-hobbies, future goals, favorite books/movies/music-and anything else you wish to add. The addition of symbols and visual imagery within this map is encouraged.
- Describe your first aesthetic experience. Embellish the page to reflect that experience.
- Define and FIND EXAMPLES of formalist, expressionist, and representationalist art. Explain why you chose the images you did. What do you like about them? What would you have done differently? (you can print and glue the images into VAJ – but cite them.)
- Use a page to define AND illustrate the ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of design. Embellish with visuals.
- Investigate the life work of an artist you love. Compare and contrast EOA and POD between early work and a work completed later in their career. Also compare the message and delivery of the aesthetic – did it evolve or stay static? Print and glue images or redraw them)
- Investigate the life work of an artist you don't like OR understand. Compare and contrast EOA and POD between early work and a work completed later in their career. Also compare the message and delivery of the aesthetic – did it evolve or stay static? Print and glue images or redraw them)
- Collect 5 headlines from a newspaper or magazine that has global implications. Create THREE thumbnail sketches, small drawings 4x6 inches, for each of them that could be turned into and artwork later.
- 3 Observational full page drawings of anything or anyone. Full value scale and in color (representationalism approach). Use first hand references, not photos.
Art work Assignment:
Create two original artworks based on your VAJ assignments. They can be no smaller than 12 x 16.
Document your design and creative process as you develop your artwork. Include artist research, sketches, media experimentation and practice, as well as reflections as to what worked well and what didn’t. Each artwork should generate at least 4-6 pages of research and documentation in your VAJ.
The above listed activities do not include just sitting back and drawing in your sketchbook, a process vital to the development of ideas. Draw, doodle, and write about what ever interests you at the moment. Ideas evolve; your VAJ is a documentation of this evolution. Going over 15 pages is acceptable, these 15 pages could be included in the total due at the end of the year next year.
Citing Sources
It is important to reference where you found information or images related to the work you put in your VAJ. EVERY artwork included in your VAJ needs a credit line (Easybib.com has a nice citation generator that can make this work a bit easier.) We use the MLA format. Examples of web citations:
Due Dates
Everything is due August 29th or 30th depending upon A or B day schedule the first day after we return from school. Enjoy your summer and see you in a couple of months.
Contact Information