Learning Objectives
Students will learn the basics of good composition through the exploration of the elements and principles of art. Using the technique of collage, students will be able to assemble various shapes, colors, textures and lines to create engaging works of art.
Mini-Assignment
1. In your sketchbook, list and define the 7 Elements and the 8 Principles of Art. It may help to draw pictures that accompany each.
2. Draw 10, 5″ by 7″ boxes in your sketchbook. Using a drawing pencil and colored pencils, work out several very different compositions in each of these boxes. Your goal is to have several good compositions to work with once you start your collages.
3. Take notes on Dieter Rams design principles found in the video below
Materials
Glue Stick
Xacto Knife
Ruler
Magazines
Bristol or Illustration Board
Time
3 Classes
Process
For this assignment you will be focusing on creating good design, also known as composition. Composition is the arrangement of the Elements and Principles of Art. Good composition, or good design, is as important if not more important than technical skill.
You will create 3, 5″ by 7″ collage compositions on bristol board using fashion magazines, glue sticks (Elmer’s kind), and an xacto knife and/or scissors. These designs should stress subject over content. This means don’t weigh your compositions down with content (the blue bird represents my flight into freedom…). Just focus on design elements. You should not have recognizable subject matter. As soon as you introduce a person, animal, or anything we identify with into the composition, it becomes less about the design and more about the object we already know.
This idea of composition and the formal elements of art comes from the very beginnings of abstract art. These artists were not interested in subject matter per se, but rather how this line interacts with that line or how this color makes this other color “pop”. Listed below are a few artists you should research.
Artists