COMD 1100 GRAPHIC PRINCIPLES 1 Instructor: Carol Diamond

ASSIGNMENT 1—- LINE – POWER AND FRAGILITY         2 week project

Project Overview

Project Overview:

  • Theme: Use the Design Element of Line to explore visual language. Evoke a specific mood, place or an atmosphere in an abstract composition without the help of specific or realistic subject matter.
  • Problem: Create six line compositions using variety of line design with strong expressive qualities with only black and white. Final Designs will be done in ink.
  • Limits: Line used will be geometric in nature, derived from the shapes: circle (contains arcs of all sizes), square (contains all vertical and horizontals) and triangle (contains any diagonal).
  • Variables: will include size, amount, direction, width, composition.
  • Design principles used will be repetition, contrast, overlap, rhythm, scale, harmony.
  • Materials: Sketchbook, camera/phone, pencils, marking pens, 1 sheet Bristol Board 9×12″, ruler/t-square, tracing paper.

Learning Outcomes

For the successful completion of this project, you should be able to: 

  • Practice design thinking using free sketching.
  • Discover and communicate abstract concepts through writing.
  • Develop multiple versions (iterations) using thumbnail sketching and refined sketches.
  • Demonstrate an understanding the basic principles of composition.
  • Demonstrate attention to detail and craft using precise ruler measurements, drawing techniques, and inking pens.
  • Share each phase of the design process by posting to the class site and providing critical supportive feedback to classmates.
Free Drawing with circles, triangles and square based lines
Iteration pages
final four

1: Discover

  • Play Pages
    • 3 sketch pages, each one discovers and doodles lines related to the Square, Circle and Triangle.
      • Square includes Vertical, Horizontal lines and varying size, thickness
      • Circle includes arcs of any size or dimension
      • Triangle includes diagonal lines of any kind
    • create as much variety in size, direction, line relationships as you can
  • Prompts for Designing the Project.
    • Two specific words will be given to you to act as prompts and which will suggest concepts, things, moods, or states of mind. 
    • POWER and FRAGILITY.
  • Ideation: Writing: First write down on a piece of notebook paper or sketchpaper two lists of at least 10 words or phrases under the headings POWER and FRAGILITY.
    • The words or phrases are things, feelings, or thoughts that come to mind when you think of POWER and when you think of FRAGILITY. 
    • Next to the words, write descriptions and why this word evokes either the feeling of Power of Fragility. How might you visualize this abstractly?

2. Define

  • Thumbnail sketches (small idea sketches) On sketch pages create between 6-10 squares per page. 2-3 pages total. So a total of 12-20 thumbnail sketches.
    • small square frames roughly 2” x2”, with small borders between them, drawn without a ruler.  
    • One set will examine the idea of POWER and one set will examine the idea of FRAGILITY.  In these frames, you will explore various line designs, coming directly or indirectly from the words you wrote down, which express your ideas visually. NO recognizable objects.
      • IN AN ABSTRACT MANNER AND WITHOUT REPRESENTATIONAL SUBJECT MATTER. You are attempting to EVOKE the subject/idea without describing it.
      • Each design will employ ONLY ONE TYPE OF GEOMETRIC LINE – derived from EITHER the SQUARE, CIRCLE OR TRIANGLE. You may NOT combine shapes.
      • use design principles of repetition, scale
  • Critique: consult with a partner and get feedback on your thumbnails as to the best 2 designs for each PROMPT, so, 2 for POWER and 2 for FRAGILITY.  
  • Refinement and Iteration: On a sheet of Bristol paper, create 4 rows of 3, 2”x2” frames which will result in a total of 12 frames, made with a ruler and borders.
    • You can use hand drawn lines, but can also practice using drafting tools such as ruler, compass, templates, to create clean presentation.
    • Draw your 4 choices in the first column
      • Then create 2 more iterations or possible variations of the design along each row.
        • alter amount, proximity, line thickness, proportions etc.
      • Find ways to keep the theme but alter variables. This is an important design step.
    • Critique: Consult again with your neighbor/design partner to pick the most successful design for each row. Again, you will have two ideas to express POWER and two ideas to express FRAGILITY.

3. Develop:

  • Final: On another sheet of Bristol paper, make 4, 4”x4” squares, with borders, and scale up your final designs in black pens, using graphic tools, and adding thick and thin dimensions to your lines.
Dimensions for Final Bristol Design

Designs must show use of one single line form (derived from square, circle, OR triangle)

*Designs should have variety of line density, thick to thin.

*Designs should use geometric drafting tools successfully to create clean presentation and strong visual impact.

*Designs should show strong use of the white space—the negative/positive areas should be in balance and act upon one another in a dynamic way to create effective composition.

4. Deliver

  • Create proper headings on Bristol final. Class discussion and milanotoe resources for headings.
  • Photograph all phases of project in even light, no shadows,
  • Post all phases of to OpenLab in Gallery media setting
    • Add final reflection
    • One paragraph synopsis of project
    • One paragraph of personal reflection
      • what you learned
      • how you achieved the objectives
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