last class

I can’t believe the semester has come to an end. It was a pleasure being a part of your SVA education this past year!

Last class will be from 9-11, 4/26. Hand in your final portfolio CD. If you would like to meet with me individually, sign-up for a time, beginning at 9am. If you are just dropping off your CD, please do so between  9-10 at the classroom.

MoMA visit 4/19

Next class, we will meet at the MoMA at 10:30 in the downstairs lobby. Bring your sketchbook and take a few hours to explore all it has to offer.

Together, we will visit and discuss the exhibition:
Standard Deviations: Types & Families in Contemporary Design (3rd Floor)
For more info, read  AIGA Coverage of the event

While you are at the museum, also check out:
German Expressionism: the Graphic Impulse

Next week is our last class! So you’ll have 2 weeks to put together your final portfolio for the semester. This should include all assignments from Spring semester. Scan or take photos of all compositions. Compile them into one PDF. Burn this onto a DVD and label it with your full name and ‘Visual Language, Spring 2011′. If you have trouble creating the pdf, you can save all images as jpegs. Fit all compositions for that assignment on one page.

naming convention:
1. value_ scale_your_name
2. contrast_saturation_your_name
3. contrast_hue_your_name
4. warm_cool_your_name
5. color_wheel_your_name
6. contrast_proportion_your_name
7. four_seasons_your_name
8. photo_palettes_your_name
9. monochromatic_stamp_your_name
10. colorizing_your_name

adding color to a b&w composition

Choose one of your favorite compositions from Fall semester, and add color to it! Incorporate one of the palette types we have discussed. Also use color hierarchy to achieve visual harmony. You can increase the size if necessary.

This will prepare you for assembling your final portfolio, due April 26 (last day of class). More to come on that.

monochromatic stamps

Using a monochromatic color palette, create a postage stamp. A monochromatic scheme consists of different values (tints and shades) of one single color. You may also decide you want to use one shade of one color.

The objective of this assignment is to:
- create a design that works at a small-scale
- learn to apply palettes specified and to work within design constraints
- incorporate the visual language design principles

Your stamp should include:
-image
-denomination ($)
-country

Your stamp should be presented at approx 5′x5′ (you may want to do a square, or rectangle). Scan in this composition and create a smaller version that is actual size. put this on an envelope and bring to class with the original composition.

You have three choices for the subject of your stamp; it can honor a person, place or event. If you choose a person, they must be dead for at least 10 years.

Reference zazzle.com to see size/denomination options for the USA (you can even create your own stamp, but it will have the wonky text/barcode on it).

beautiful color combinations, they’re everywhere!

Take photographs in the following six areas and create palettes directly from these:

1. nature
2. a fast food restaurant
3. your room
4. streets of nyc
5. a floral arrangement/flowers
6. a human interaction

Create color combinations based on each photograph. Present your 6 photos and their 6 palettes in the format of your choice. the 6 page accordian book seems to work the best. view examples.

The objective of this exercise is to observe and record the endless amount of color combinations in our everyday environments. You can use found paper or gouache.

four seasons accordian book

Create a series of 4 color compositions that express your personal relationship to the four seasons.

Assignment Specifications:
4-fold accordian book. Each collage should be 4×6 or larger- up to 8×8.
Use found paper. Each composition should exhibit a color hierarchy (dominant, subdominant, highlight colors).

Collages should communicate your personal relationship/interpretation of each season. Create a narrative between each collage. DO NOT make the collages literal.

This assignment is due on March 22, so you have two weeks. Feel free to email me sketches for feedback. Please note, there will be no class held on March 15.

contrast of proportion & creating color palettes

In this assignment, you will create 3 types of color pallettes and implement these in collages that apply Contrast of Proportion.

The palette for each collage must be one of the following types of color combinations (memorize these!)
Monochromatic: Colors that are shade or tint variations of the same hue.
Analogous: Colors located adjacent to each other on a color wheel.
Complementary Colors across from each other on a color wheel.

Not as common, but important to know:
Split-Complementary: One hue plus two others equally spaced from its complement.
Double-Complementary: Two complementary color sets; the distance between selected complementary pairs will effect the overall contrast of the final composition.
Triad: Three hues equally positioned on a color wheel.
………………………………………………………….

Contrast of Proportion
When colors are juxtaposed, our eyes perceive a visual mix. This mix will differ depending on the proportions of allocated areas.
- The color with the largest proportional area is the dominant color (the ground).
- Smaller areas are subdominant colors.
- Accent colors are those with a small relative area, but offer a contrast because of a variation in hue, intensity, or saturation (the figure).
color-proportion-handout

Homework:
Create three collages that exhibit contrast of proportion. Use found paper based on the palettes you created in-class. Compositions should be abstract, and incorporate the principles learned last semester.

In-class:
1) Create palettes for your homework, 3 total.