Michael Loop

This class helps students develop basic representational drawing skills, using various materials.  They learn to consider such basic drawing concepts as composition, negative space, collage, and perspective.  The drawing conventions learned should be understood as practices with specific histories and meanings.  Most importantly, students will begin to develop a personal sense of investigation and creative problem solving that will prepare them for further art study. Assigned exercises emphasize development of observational skills and techniques as well as a thorough grounding in various drawing materials and the appropriate techniques to utilize them. 

This course is designed as an introduction to the elements and principles of visual design as a basic means or organizing two and three dimensional space. This includes: line, shape, space, value, texture, volume, and color.  Students develop skills in organizing these elements and applying the visual principles of harmony, variety, balance, tension, rhythm, proportion, repetition, and contrast.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Effectively manipulate the elements and principles of design to create non-objective, abstract and representational compositions. Use Photoshop to create photo-based collages and narratives. Develop inventive concepts using various problem-solving strategies, such as convergent thinking, divergent thinking, collaboration, brainstorming and idea maps.

• Speak and write critically about personal and peer artworks and propose alternatives. Research an idea and develop an extended series of related images.

This course will focus on the study of the elements and principles of design as they relate to three-dimensional space. This class will introduce the basic principles of designing in three dimensions with emphasis on inventiveness in the use of media, form, materials, structure, and terminology.   This will be achieved through a series of studio problems done both during and outside of class time.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Effectively manipulate the elements and principles of design to create non-objective, abstract, and representational compositions in 3 dimensions; Use at least three different idea generation strategies effectively; Explore the structural, compositional and conceptual implications of various materials;

• Speak and write critically about personal and peer artworks and propose imaginative alternatives.

This class will build on the principles of designing and working in three dimensions with emphasis on the formal, material, and structural issues and terminology learned in 3-D Visual Foundations.  This goal will be achieved through a series of studio problems done both during and outside of class time.  During the semester we explore a variety of additive and subtractive techniques/processes, working with materials such as clay, plaster, wood, metal, and found objects.

Course objectives 

This course is primarily concerned with the visual dialogue between form and space.  A heightened visual sensitivity for three-dimensional composition is a major goal of every project.  Line, plane, and volume are utilized to create form as well as define space.  The overall emphasis of this class will be on form and craft, while focusing on visual and structural concerns within each medium.  The tension between conception and perception, as well as the tension between idea and image, will also be examined when appropriate. 

The intent of this class is to expand media possibilities and examine the variables of image making, while establishing a sense of personal expression. An exploration of contemporary art-making practices, addressing issues of style, scale, media and utilizing various studio methods are tackled as we explore content. Particular emphasis is placed on issues of display and presentation of artworks. 

Students are expected to meet the analytical, perceptual, and technical demands of the course and must be persistent in their practice of problem solving skills, while also keeping an open mind in regard to methods and tools.