projects

DYNAMIC LINE: BLOOM

Students design an intentional composition using an original set of shapes that are inspired by drawings and reference photos of California flora and fauna by developing positive and negative shapes, abstracting them into non-representational designs throughout the creative process.

HASHTAG POSITIVE & NEGATIVE

Students demonstrate their understanding of positive and negative space by create a design using a single square of black paper that is conceptually inspired by a current event or hashtag. Students must consider where their subject lies on the emotional spectrum of positive, negative or neutral in order to clarify their conceptual focus and select relevant symbols and imagery without using text.

EMOTIVE COLOR

Students create a four panel study in which each panel features a different focus including: stippling-value study, warm and cool analogous color studies and a monochromatic study with anomaly in height of emotion.

ZINE

Students develop a short sequential narrative zine out of a single piece of paper. By identifying symbols that reflect their sense they investigate their sense of place and belonging in the past, present and hopes for their futures. Students also selecting visual mentors whose elements and principles of design are analyzed and referenced in some form in their designs.

FOUR PERFECT LINES

Students create two designs: the first using only four lines that evenly increase in activity and tension while maintaining intention and quality; the second design uses the same four lines rearranged into a new order to create a design that displays unique positive and negative shapes.

VALUE & TEXTURE PORTRAIT

Students create a socially engaged work consisting of a gridded tonal portrait of their selected intellectual influence. Students use a range of hand-drawn textures in a demonstration of understanding tonal value gradients, implied textures and value tones and subtle value changes.

DISCOVERING BALANCE

Students cut out 4 separate square tiles from large group drawings done in the first weeks of classes as an introductory and collaborative gesture drawing done in the first week of classes to encourage movement, discover innate design skills and build creative community. Students are asked to create visual balance and unity among their 4 different squares using negative space, color and line to discover their composition.

CRITIQUE