Description: This foundation design and color theory course explores graphic communication from idea development to final execution. Through hands-on experiments, collaborative learning, and individual projects students will learn the language and process of design thinking and gain a solid foundation in design principles and practices.
Work Samples:
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- For the harmonious moment in my life, I chose to draw myself drawing (mind blown!) I feel like when I draw, I really escape from any problems and just focus on making as good of a piece that I can. That’s when I truly feel harmonious with the world. The colors from the color inventory served well because bright colors generally give off a good vibe. They fit into the drawing where I’m really focused and happy.
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- I believe I did a decent job grasping the concept of this assignment. I feel like all of the different boxes connect the images inside of each other, as it was my goal to make the sounds seem like they’re fluctuating. This assignment helped me to clearly understand staccato and legato, and what they might sound like.
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- For this project, we visited a mosaic in a subway station that depicted the departure and arrival of old and new species of animals. The piece by Ben Snead shows symmetry among the different animals by using chromatic, muted, and prismatic colors, as well as having specific placements on the wall. Ben Snead’s work inspired me to create a piece where a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Similar to Ben Snead’s idea of arrival and departure, the caterpillar arrives to the middle point of its life when it in the cocoon, and departs in its final stages of life as a butterfly. I tried to use chromatic, muted, and prismatic colors as a metaphor to show how the colors transition from desaturated to saturated, much like how the caterpillar transitions from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Assessment: This course proved to be quite the experience for me as an artist who learned how to draw without using any professional techniques. I learned a lot about figure ground relationships and how they affect someone’s perception of a drawing; how color and value compliment each other in a piece and alter our views; and how to paint which was a skill I desperately needed to learn. My three favorite pieces were ‘Departure and Arrival,’ ‘Staccato and Legato,’ and ‘Illustrated Harmonious Moment.’ The ‘Staccato and Legato’ piece really helped me master the idea of figure ground relationships. The placement of the various natural shapes either surrounded by white or black really allows you to focus on only certain parts of the piece, instead of having your eye wandering everywhere. The ‘Departure and Arrival’ piece allowed me to understand how symmetry in a drawing along with chromatic, muted, and prismatic colors can tell a beautiful story. In the case of the picture, the caterpillar transitioning into the cocoon was the arrival to a new life, and the butterfly signified its departure. My last piece, the ‘Illustrated Harmonious Moment’ used various harmonious colors to bring to life a moment in my life where I felt completely one with the world, which happens to be every time I draw. This is my favorite piece because it is very personal to me and the colors fit the “feel good” vibe I was trying to portray. I am glad I took this course, as it will only improve my skills and knowledge as an artist!
