Assignment #6

Color Harmony

Problem: Create color progressions, palettes/color inventories, and a free-study that explores color relationships of unity, disunity and the steps in between.

Materials: Photoshop, Illustrator, Creative Process Book, pencils, Bristol Board 9×6″, gouache paints, brushes, palette, rags, water container, scissors, exacto knife, ruler/t-square, glue, misc. chosen materials.

Concepts: Analogous, Complements, Near-Complements, Split-Complements, Tonal Progression, Shades, Tints, Proportion (scale, interval), Triadic Color System

Technical Skills: digital skills: layers, color palette, selection tools; painting techniques, draughmanship with ruler/t-square, exacto knife and collage.

Research / Inspiration

  • Color Harmonies– Interactive Tool
  • Take note of the color relationships you see in fashion, advertising, household items, fine art, textiles, etc. Make notes and observations about what works and what doesn’t and why. Can you relate these observations back to the color wheel and the study of color theory?

Experimentation / Iteration

  1. Progression Studies
    1. Shades (shades_progression.psd)
    2. Tints (tints_progression.psd)
    3. Complements (complements_progression.ai)
    4. Painted Progressions in Gouache
  2. Color Harmony Palettes
    1. Analogous Palette with 3 interlocking shapes
    2. Split Complementary Palette with 3 interlocking shapes

Expression of Form, Emotions, or Concepts

  • Proportional Inventory
    • Choose a color reference: your favorite sweater, household object, advertisement, photograph, book cover, etc.
    • Create a palette that proportionally represents your color reference. This means that if the majority of your reference is blue-violet, with secondary hues of yellow and gold, then the palette should reflect this.
    • EXAMPLE
  • Free-Study
    • Using your Color Inventory create a 9×12″ or larger composition of your choice that demonstrates the concepts we covered in our Color Progression and Harmony Studies.
    • Use your own forms of expression and experiment with process: collage, stippling, tearing, cutting, direct painting, taping, stenciling, blotting.
    • As will previous free-studies, research, thumbnails, color tests, consideration of overall compositional balance between figure and ground, unity, and communication of a clear concept or theme is important!
    • This is your FINAL PROJECT. Review all previous assignments and vocabulary. Incorporate one principle and/or element from each assignment. See Class 29 for details!!

Thoughtful Assessment (verbal and written)

  • Critique
    • Bring all assignment parts to class, protected in a portfolio case or protective paper or cardboard envelope.
    • Be prepared to present, discuss and analyze your finished work in terms of concept, craft, what you learned, and creative process.
    • State the following: your name, what you are presenting (title and design problem), which parts are successful and why, which parts are unsuccessful and why
  • Written Assessment
    • In your Creative Process Book, at the end of the Assignment #6 section, document your thoughts about this project. Think about what you learned, what you could have done better (planning, material use, craft), and how you will apply what you learned to your next project.

Work Hour Tally

  • In your Creative Process Book, outline the hours committed for each portion of the assignment, including dates and times.