2D Design 1 

Accordion Book: The 7 Elements

Project Description: Students were asked to use a myriad of analog 2D materials to create a handmade accordion book that was 5x7 inches with a minimum of seven pages. The image within the book was recreated seven times, each time being visually focused on one of the seven elements of art and design (line, shape, color, space, form, texture and value).

 

Slide 1: Caroline Hill (2021), Slide 2: Meredith Grasso (2021), Slide 3: Audrey Thompson (2021), Slide 4: Eddie Bazzatt (2021), Slide 5 & 6: Alexas Contreras (2021)

 

2D Design 1

Line 

Project Overview: Students were asked to create two, 8x8 inch black and white cut paper collages that focused on the use of line, value, repetition and rhythm to create graphically dynamic compositions. There were three parts to this assignment: black and white photography, inkjet printing and cut paper collage. Each of these parts built sequentially on the other to guide students through making these pieces, while exposing them to basic craft and methods of making that are important to a foundational understanding of design.

 

Slide 1: Dominick Sandford (2023), Slide 2: Aiden Spicer (2023), Slide 3: Eliana Finkel (2023), Slide4 4: Danielle Dukofsky (2023), Slide 5: Landen Gonzales (2023)

 

2D Design 1

Color 

Project Overview: Students were asked to create two 8.5x11 inch paintings in gouache. The composition of each hard edged painting being identical, while the color palette differed. This assignment was an exploration in understanding basic color theory. Students looked at the work of Josef Albers, recreated pieces from his book “Interaction of Color '' and created their own color charts before creating these paintings: one in a 6 value greyscale and one in a 6 color scheme of their choosing. The use of lines and outlining was not allowed within the assignment, so students could truly understand color and color relationships.

 

Slide 1 & 2: Cristina Mihaileanu (2021), Slide 3 & 4: Carina Johnson (2021), Slide 5 & 6: Olivia Cheng (2021)

 

2D Design 1 

Dissection 

Project Overview: Students were asked to create a two dimensional composition that showcased a nonrepresentational “form”  exploring the ideas of intersection, color and pattern. To begin, students brought in two different objects that they then physically broke down. As students dissected these objects, they were asked to observe, record and research their formal elements, to create a library of visual language specific to these objects. Using that newfound visual language, students played with creating new imaginary and inventive forms. The final compositions could be rendered digitally or analogically.

 

Slide 1: Samson Cottam (2023) Digital, Slide 2: Molly Watson (2023) Digital, Slide 3: Aiden Spicer (2023) Digital, Slide 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8: Oceane Saddul (2023) Digital

 

2D Design 1 

Memory 

Project Overview: Students were asked to create a piece that conceptually explored the ideas of memory and meaning in regards to materiality. Students were randomly assigned a “material” that they spent time observing, while considering the following questions: “How does this material exist within the world, in a literal sense? In an atypical sense? Does the material hold meaning for you? Does the material bring back memories?” Based on these observations, students created either analog or digital pieces exploring the answers to those questions. The “materials” were mundane, inanimate, everyday objects of excess such as paper clips, seashells, dress pins etc…

 

Slide 1 & 2: Lauren Wells (2023) Acrylic and Seashells, 2x2 Feet, Slide 3: Brianna Sowers (2023) Crochet and Digital, Slide 4: Maggie Reynolds (2023) Digital, Slide 5: Oceane Saddul (2023) Digital, Slide 6: Catherine Gilmore (2023) Digital

 

2D Design 1 

Puppet

Project Overview: Students were asked to explore a narrative that has never been visually represented before and create a “Puppet” symbolic of that new narrative. Students were welcome to think as literally or as abstractly as they wanted to about the word “narrative”.  They could create stories of their own, or research existing ones.  The term puppet was defined as “an artifact symbolic of a story” for students, to encourage out of the box thinking. Students could work individually or in teams, and could make pieces that were either analog or digital. This was the final project for 2D Design 1 in the Fall of 2023 (as mentioned in my teaching pedagogy).

 

Slide 1: Gail Crapsi (2023) Colored Pencil on interchangeable MDF, 2x2 Feet, Slide 2: Emily Daudelin (2023) Digital Photography, Slide 3: Erin Corr (2023) Fabric and Plaster, Dimensions Variable, Slide 4: Zoe Levin (2023) Felt, 18x14 Inches, Slide 5: Shanelly Nunez (2023) Digital

 

Drawing 2

Value Key Still Life Drawings

Project Overview: Students were asked to create a still life scene in which they would draw directly from. Using pencil, students created 3 different drawings representative of the three value keys: one in a low value range, one in a mid value range and one in a high value range. The drawings measured at 11x14 inches and extra credit was available for those who created a fourth drawing in color.

 

Slide 1: Talia Felgenhauer (2022) Left Low Value, Right: Mid Value, Slide 2: Talia Felgenhauer (2022) High Value, Slide 3: Raven Rivenburgh (2022) High Value Key, Slide 4 & 5: Caroline Hill (2022) Mid Value Key and Color

 

Drawing 2

Large Scale Colored Portraiture

Project Overview: Students were asked to create a large colored portrait of a loved one at 30x44 inches in soft pastel. This assignment utilized many of the techniques explored within the Drawing 1 and 2 curriculum, and was the final assignment for students. The process of creating the large scale drawings included 3 sequential steps: a loose charcoal underdrawing for placement, a value drawing in charcoal for value and tonal understanding and a final layer of color.

 

Slide 1: Jiyun Kim (2022), Slide 2: Jared Effman (2022), Slide 3: Talia Felgenhauer (2022)

 

2D Composition and Color 

Parts of a Whole

Project Overview: Students were asked to pick a concept in which they would work within all semester. This project was based on building a visual library in which they would draw from to create one composition exemplifying their concept. The visual library included varying color palettes and studies of symbols/motifs, figures and formal elements exploring their concept aesthetically.

 

Slide 1: Allison Young (2022) Cut Paper and Colored Pencil, 10x12 inches - Final Composition for Parts of a Whole, Slide 2 & 3: Allison Young (2022) Cut Paper and Watercolor, 4x4 Inches each - Studies from Parts of a Whole, Slide 4: Sam Smith (2022) Watercolor, 10x10 inches - Final Composition for Parts of a Whole, Slide 5, 6, 7 & 8: Sam Smith (2022) Watercolor and Pen, Dimensions Variable - Studies for Parts of a Whole

 

2D Composition and Color 

Compositional Classics

Project Overview: Students were asked to make a series of work based within their semester-long concept. Students could play with varying methods and styles of making, but had to make two dimensional works within a specific gestalt compositional layout (figure/ground, proximity, closure, circular, radial, etc…) and a specific color palette.

 

Slide 1: Malvana Ramborger (2022) Gouache, 11x14 Inches - Triangular and Cross Composition, Slide 3: Allison Young (2022) Colored Pencil, 8x16 Inches - Proximity, Similarity, Continuity and Closure Composition, Slide 3: Grace Bloom (2022) Colored Pencil, 12x16 Inches - Golden Ratio Composition

© taylor mica kennedy 2024