Introduction- This course is designed to introduce printing process, web process, terminology and basic software knowledge development in solving design problems. The structure of this class includes lectures, demonstrations, and in/outside-class studio activities. Projects will be assigned and will be due on scheduled dates. Each project will include an introduction... Continue reading

OK, here is the info about wrapping up this semester. Final portfolio consist of... 1. All post mid-term illustration assignments printed and mounted appropriately. - Due on Monday (by end of class). 2. A final multiple-page final pdf of all post midterm illustrations. - Due to my public folder by 11:59:59 p.m., Monday. - This is a write only drop box, so don't screw up and drop multiple incorrect files into the folder. Make sure it is correct before submitting. You can pick up any printed illustrations (that I don't keep for a summer gallery display) on Reading Day. Continue reading

OK, here is the info about wrapping up this semester. Final portfolio consist of... 1. All print items from midterm printed, mounted and/or assembled. - Due on Monday (by end of class). 2. All web/motion items since midterm posted on the blog - Due by 11:59:59 p.m., Monday 3. One final art production folder (with your name on the folder) turned in to my public folder - Due by 11:59:59 p.m., Monday - This is a write only drop box, so don't screw up and drop multiple incorrect files into the folder. Make sure it is correct before submitting. 4.... Continue reading

OK, I showed you the inspiration for this assignment in class today. You are going to illustrate something that is indicative of Kirksville. The title doesn't literally mean a landscape, so don't go down that rabbit hole. Do something visually creative... please, I'm begging. Specs: 13 x 19 final size, portrait or landscape. Technique is open. TIMELINE: 10 sketches: Friday, April 25th Marker Comp: Monday, April 28th Revision: Wednesday, April 30th Final Art: Friday, May 2nd Final Printout: Monday, Finals day Continue reading

You have 1" or 2" border with the black foam core for spreads. Continue reading

OK. Our new assignment is to illustrate and design a stamp series (series of 4 stamps). The topic of the stamps can be commemorative, collectable or stamps pertaining to your personal heritage. The four stamps cannot simply be one illustration used four times in each stamp... no, no, no, never that simple. You can use only one illustration on all four stamps if the image can be divided into four quandrants and function as four individual compositions. Make sense? I have placed in my public/illustration folder a template for the fours stamps. It is set up for 16.5 x 23.4... Continue reading

Lets see how good you are with Kerning out letters. How good are you with developing letterforms. Continue reading

This assignment is to create a four-color illustration that visually, creatively interprets a world record of your choice. Specs for the assignement: Media: OPEN 13 x 19" final print size Imagery topic is your choice - do some research and find a world record to visualize. You cannot use any photographic reference, but I am not simply expecting a painting of a photo of the world record - boring. I showed examples today. I want even better. Timeline for the assignment: Wednesday, March 19: Marker comp due Monday, March 24: Final Art complete Wednesday, March 26: Final printout - mounted,... Continue reading

As assigned today in class which is due on Friday... One more product illustration done digitally. Painting it with the graphics tablet using Photoshop. You can use/redo the same products you already have done or pick a new one to do. Will these be better or worse than the traditional media. No filter effects. Continue reading

For this Wednesday - 3 image gouache montage due For this Friday - Product illustration due For next Monday - Watercolor redo due This should help flesh out your midterm portfolio for me to grade. Right? Continue reading

In support of the university goals in developing strong critical thinking skills in our students, the visual communications program integrates critical thinking into this course. Five categories for critical thinking exist in the art department Indentifies, summarizes, and appropriately formulates the thesis, creative challenge, or problem to be explored Indentifies, and considers contexts (e.g. relevant contemporary or art historical references as well as writings from art history, art criticism, and critical theory). Considers and selects from a variety of formal options (materials, techniques, scale, composition) as appropreate to the concept or aesthetic strategy Indentifies and resolves issues arising from critique,... Continue reading

OK, so for Friday you have the watercolor product illustration due. The second assignment I talked about last Friday is the three image gouache wash illustration. Here are the paramenters. Find/select three totally unrelated photographic reference images that you will use in a single compositon. Exampes are on the art.truman.edu website in the student art galleries or click on the student gallery on the ART219 blog. Size is 10 x 14 inches Process: I would like to see by Friday a tight color marker comp of what this final illustration will look like. I will show some color marker comp... Continue reading

New assignment for next week, due on Friday, Feb 21st. Find a product, any product and give me an illustration of the product in watercolor. Use photo reference. Render the illustration as tight to the photo as possible. Easy, right? Continue reading

OK, so now instead of being an advertising designer you are going to be a designer in the publishing industry. You have two, 2-page spreads to work on. My intent for you designing these two spreads is to figure how to work with the extremes these two layouts represent. One is text heavy and one is text light. You will have to rely on design fundamentals for structure - yes, that's code for "use a frigg'n grid" - good typsetting along with strong imagery. I want you to shoot your own photography for these spreads. Read the copy, get some... Continue reading

Get to blogging. I want to see and read activity on your blog. Write something worth reading and that is entertaining for your professor. Post images of your work... the good, the bad, the ugly, the pretty. I do factor blogging into mid-term and final grades. Continue reading

Bring your gouache stuff for class on Monday. Gouache palette, gouache paint, watercolor paper or illustration board with a subject that you would like to try to paint in the technique I demonstrate. I don't care what it is, but choose something with strong lighting - good highlights and shadows. It will help. Continue reading

For Monday... one 20 x 30 inch watercolor. Subject matter is your choice. I want to make up for the time lost due to the snow storm cancellation - 6 hour budget. Pick your poison. We are exploring what scaling up in size means to your watercolor technique you have been developing. Is it good or is it a bigger challenge. Here's a tip, you need to scale up the size of your brushes you use. Continue reading

Get to blogging on your blog sites. I'm not seeing consistent effort on the student blogs. I do factor blogging activity into the midterm and final grade. FYI. Continue reading

New assignment: Herpetology Club Open House We are still in promotion mode with this assignment. Who: Herpetology Club What: Annual Open House Where: Magruder Hall - first floor display area for reptiles and amphibians When: February 14, 2014. 7:00 p.m. Audience: All college students regardless of major Goal/Problem to solve: Club recruiting and general audience awareness of herpetology Secondary info: Regular meetings: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7:00 p.m., Magruder Hall 1000 Needed: 14 x 20", 4-color, full-bleed poster - one side Animated banner for biology website: biology.truman.edu Webpage design for CPU, tablet and smartphone (Shoot photography or... Continue reading

Keeping it simple and straight forward. Five more bird watercolors for Monday. Also, have one more ready to paint in class on Monday. We'll change subject matter next week. Continue reading

I want you to watch this youtube video concerning the Alien Bees photography strobes we will be using in upcoming assignments. Familiarize yourself with the equipment so you won't be terrified of it when the time comes. We do have a photo lighting studio on the second floor and the Viscom program has these stobes for your use. You might do a youtube search on photographic lighting tutorials. More info to learn to integrate into your design palette. Continue reading

For those of you not also in Viscom III, we are going to take a stab at initial html. You are taking the webpage you designed for Typeface/foundry assignment and figuring out how to code it in html. Yes, you designed your own nightmare. This is a somewhat open-ended assignment. I want to see something completed by midterm. Go to W3school.com or Lynda.com for tutorials on html and css or go buy html for Dummies or some other tutorial book on html. Code your site using Textedit (Mac) or typepad (PC). Resist the urge to copy and paste code or... Continue reading

Sorry so late in posting this. You are creating a promotion for a set of devices - print and web - to promote a Music Department Jazz Combo concert. This is mostly an on-campus promo, although the posters could be posted in the local community. The specific info is on the old poster posted in OP1224. You have some flexibility in what goes into the content and designs - but basically, the who, what, where and when. I do want an illustration created for use in the designs. Specs for the promotion: Poster design: 2-color, full bleed, 11 x 17.... Continue reading

OK, here is the assignment I want to see on Friday. Embracing the statement that I saw/heard recently that all Viscommies are sci-fi nerds... I want a two hour line art illustration of your favorite science fiction or fantasy character. The only thing I don't want you to do on this is to copy any graphic novel/comic art illustration. I was thinking of you using photo reference from one of the movies/TV shows and producing the line art illustration. Size, process and line art technique is up to you. Continue reading

Here is the info I promised about the Type assignment. You are working for a bogus type foundry company - you get to name it and create the company identity.This assignment has three components to it. These components (devices) would be used to communicate various messages to an audience at a trade show. First off is a promotional company pamphlet - 8.5 x 14" (legal sized paper), 2-color front and back - full bleed. Fold to either self-mail or fit in #10 envelope when not be handed out at the trade show booth. This little device is multi-purpose. Content for... Continue reading