November 16, 2015

DUE:

• Chromatic Gray Studies #1 & #2

Materials Needed

• all gouache paints from Supply List
• brushes, water containers, palette
• ruler, t-square, exacto knife
• pencils
• 9×12″ bristol and scrap bristol

Share

• NPR : How Animals Hacked The Rainbow And Got Stumped On Blue
• Show and Tell: Everything Wrong With Humanity In One Short Animation
  
• Radio Lab: COLOR (listen to this later)

Critique

• Present your Chromatic Gray Studies #1 & #2
• And you Color Wheel Freestudy

Review

• Color Concepts and Vocabulary from last class
• How to mount your collages, if you haven’t already.

Lecture

Questions + Outcomes:

• What is muted color?
• Where does muted color sit on the scale of saturation?
• How does a muted color palette affect the mood of a composition?
• How is a focal point / area of emphasis created with muted color?
• How do value and saturation affect contrast?

Muted Color:

Examples of Muted Color:

• Graphic Design Trends: Pastels and Muted Palettes
  • Muted Colors in Flat Design | History of Flat Design
  • Window of New York
• Web Design: Muted Color Palettes
  • here
  • and here.
• Film:
  • Grand Budapest Hotel Palette | Trailer
    • Interview with Annie Atkins: the film’s graphic designer
  • Moonrise Kingdom Palette | Trailer
  • The Many Muted-Yellows of Wes Anderson’s Film Color Palette

• 

  Wes Anderson Films Color Palette
  http://excusemyinspiration.com

Lab

Muted Color Studies:

(NOTE: ONCE THE CONCEPTS ARE UNDERSTOOD, IT SHOULD NOT TAKE MORE THAN A FEW HOURS TO COMPLETE THESE EXERCISES.)

Prep:

• Prepare 2 pieces of 6×6″ square bristol using your pencil, ruler and exacto knife. This will be used for presentation only.
• You are making collages and will paint on scraps of bristol first, arrange, and then assemble/glue down on your 6×6″ square.
• Choose the same types of shape you used for your last set of studies.
• Muted colors, which range from just outside the Prismatic zone to the most saturated Chromatic Grays, are created by adding complementary color and/or white to a prismatic color.
• You may have some tests from the last study that were too saturated to fit into the Chromatic Gray category-  feel free to use them for this study.

Muted Color Studies – Exercise #1 BROAD VALUE / BROAD HUE:

GOAL: Make a 6×6″ gouache collage using at least six shapes with a BROAD VALUE range of muted colors.

All shapes should be painted with MUTED colors from a BROAD value range (from light and dark) and a BROAD range of hues (R, O, Y, G, B, V). The white paper is not considered a color – the entire surface of your 6×6″ paper should be covered with painted shapes.

• Starting with R, O, Y, G, B,  or V,  add varying amounts of complementary color and/or white to achieve a range of muted colors.
  

  Change saturation with complements
  http://www.paintdrawpaint.com/

  

  Add white to change the saturation and value.
  http://www.dsource.in/

• Arrange your shapes until you achieve a unified composition and then carefully glue down your pieces.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Yellow, Yellow-Orange, and Yellow-Green can not be darkened enough to reach the low-key value without losing saturation and becoming Chromatic Grays.
• Violet, Red-Violet and Blue-Violet can not be lightened enough to reach the high-key value range without becoming Chromatic Grays.

Muted Color Studies – Exercise #2 NARROW VALUE / BROAD HUE:

GOAL: Make a 6×6″ gouache collage using at least six shapes with a NARROW VALUE range of muted colors.

• All shapes should be painted with MUTED colors with a NARROW value range (high, middle, or low key) and a BROAD range of hues (R, O, Y, G, B, V). The white paper is not considered a color – the entire surface of your 6×6″ paper should be covered with painted shapes.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Muted Yellow, Yellow-Orange and Yellow-Green can be used to create high-key muted colors.
• Muted Violet and Blue can be used to create low-key muted colors.
• Muted Red and Green can be used to create middle-key muted colors.

HINTS:

• To prevent streaking, thoroughly mix paint before use, only adding enough water to get the consistency of cream.
• Wash and dry your brush on a paper towel after each use.
• Have a container of clean water and a container for wash water.
• At the end of  your painting session, paint out any extra paint onto scrap bristol for future use.
• Use the technique demonstrated in class for gluing down your painted bristol shapes.

HOMEWORK

Due:

• Finish Muted Color Studies #1 & #2 and mount NEATLY on a 14×17″ piece of bristol.
• Posts & Comments to Class Blog:
  • Saturation Studies: Phase 1
  • and any past posts that you missed while the site storage was full..

Materials:

• same as today!

Print this page

November 11, 2015

Materials Needed

• all gouache paints from Supply List
• brushes
• ruler
• t-square
• pencils
• scissors, Exacto knife
• drafting or removable tape
• 9×12″ bristol
• color wheel

Discussion

• Poster for Learning Communities : Humument
• Student show prep

Lecture: Saturation

Color Concepts and Vocabulary:

• Saturation: Refers to the relative purity of a color.
  
• Prismatic Color: As pure a hue as possible with pigments/paint.
• Muted Color: Colors that lie just outside the prismatic zone, created by adding black, white, gray or a complement of a hue.
• Chromatic Gray: Grays that exhibit a subtle, but discernible hue; created by adding larger amounts the complement and white.
• Luminosity: Refers to hue’s inherent light; lighter colors are more luminous than darker colors, but a lighter color is not necessarily more saturated.
• Primary Triad: yellow, blue and red, form an equilateral triangle.
• Secondary Triad: orange, green and violet; evenly spaced between the primaries; are mixed from primaries (example: red + yellow = orange)
• Complements: colors opposite on the color wheel.
  In the traditional color wheel:
  • Red and Green are complements
  • Yellow and Violet are complements
  • Blue and Orange are complements

As designers, why is understanding and using Saturation important for communication?

• Packaging Design
• Graphic Design / Poster Design
• Broadcast Design
• Illustration / Animation
• Advertising Design
• Webby Awards: good place to explore career/academic study options

Critique

• Color Wheel FreeStudy

Lab

Chromatic Gray Studies

(NOTE: ONCE THE CONCEPTS ARE UNDERSTOOD, IT SHOULD NOT TAKE MORE THAN A FEW HOURS TO COMPLETE THESE EXERCISES.)

Prep:

• Prepare 2 pieces of 6×6″ square bristol using your pencil, ruler and exacto knife. This will be used for presentation only. You are making collages, so paint on scraps of bristol first, arrange, and then assemble/glue down on your 6×6″ square.
• Choose one of the following shape types, or invent your own!
  • zebra stripes
  • camouflage
  • squares

Exercise #1:

GOAL: Make a 6×6″ gouache collage using at least six shapes with a BROAD VALUE range of chromatic grays.

All shapes should be chromatic gray (grays that exhibit a subtle, but discernible hue) with a BROAD value range (from light and dark) from a BROAD range of hues (R, O, Y, G, B, V). The white paper is not considered a color – the entire surface of your 6×6″ paper should be covered with paint.

• Use scrap pieces of bristol to create your painted paper shapes. Cut these out with scissors or exacto knife and assemble into a composition.
• Starting with a small amount of a Prismatic Color (Red, Blue, Yellow), add the complementary color (Green, Orange, Violet) to create a range of chromatic dark grays. Paint a shape with each dark chromatic gray.
  

  Dark Chromatic Grays http://www.paintdrawpaint.com

• Then experiment by mixing your complements with more of one hue than the other.
  (Example: mix 30% red with 70% green for a greenish chromatic gray.)
• Then add white to each of your dark chromatic grays to create a range of lighter gray values.
• All the grays (light, midtone, dark) should have a subtle, discernible hue, but should lie closer to the center of the saturation spectrum (achromatic gray) than the end (prismatic color).

Exercise #2:

GOAL: Make a second 6×6″ gouache collage using at least six shapes with a NARROW value range (high, middle, or low key) of chromatic grays from a broad range of hues (R, O, Y, G, B, V). The white paper is not considered a color – the entire surface should be covered with paint.

• To make a low key composition, use your dark chromatic grays.
• To make a high key composition, your dark chromatic grays should be lightened significantly with white.

Mounting/Presentation: Arrange your shapes until you achieve unified compositions and then carefully glue down both compositions #1 & #2 on your 6×6″ squares. Then mount both on a clean, fresh piece of large bristol. Pay close attention to margins, craft, and cleanliness.

HINTS:

• High-key Example: Change the value by adding white to your chromatic darks.
  To create a chromatic gray in high-key with a subtle yellowish hue, mix more Yellow with Violet and mix a small amount into a large amount to white.
• Low-Key Example: Use your chromatic darks (without adding white).
  To create a chromatic gray in low-key with a subtle hue of red-violet, mix a red-violet together with yellow-green.
• Painting Tips: To prevent streaking, thoroughly mix paint before use, only adding enough water to get the consistency of cream/yogurt. Paint should be flat and opaque. No paper should show through.
• At the end of  your painting session, apply extra paint onto scrap bristol for future use. Don’t waste your paint.

HOMEWORK

• Finish Chromatic Gray Studies #1 & #2
• Finished Studies should be cleanly and professionally presented- mounted on bristol.
• Post your work to the Class Blog. Don’t forget to comment on at least 3 other student’s posts. NOTE: the blog should have more space to post images shortly. If you missed any previous posts or comments due to this issue, please make sure to do them.

Print this page

November 9, 2015

Materials Needed

• Print out this Template
• mini color wheel
• primary colors gouache set – Utrecht Designer Gouache
  OR
  Any brand gouache primaries, including:
  • black
  • white
  • rose tyrien or primary magenta
  • turquoise blue or primary cyan
  • brilliant yellow or primary yellow
  • flame red or primary red
  • ultramarine blue or primary blue
• brushes
• ruler
• t-square
• pencils
• 9×12″ bristol.

Discussion

• Poster for Learning Communities
• Student show prep

Lecture

• What is color? And how do we see it?
• What are Primary and Secondary Colors?
• What do the CMY, RGB, and RYB color models represent?
• What is a color wheel?

Introducing Color:  When light hits objects, some of the wavelengths are absorbed and some are reflected, depending on the materials in the object. The reflected wavelengths are what we perceive as the object’s color.

Visible light is made of seven wavelength groups. These are the colors you see in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Our eyes are the input channels for this light and our retina contains different types of light sensors.

• Rods: record brightness and darkness (value).
• Cones: Each one optimized to absorb a different spectrum range of visible light. (1) One set absorbs long, low-frequency wavelengths, the reds. (2) Another absorbs mid-size wavelengths, the greens. (3) The third absorbs short, high-frequency wavelengths, the blues.

Watch these short videos to understand how and why we see color:

• What is color? – Colm Kelleher
• How we see color – Colm Kelleher
• Why do we see color? Finding the Origins of Human Color Vision – PBS.org

NEW Vocabulary:

• Hue: Designates the common name of a color, determined by the specific wavelength of a ray of light and/or its position in the spectrum or color wheel.
• Primary Colors: Three colors when mixed in equal or unequal amounts can produce a variety of colors. Traditional primary colors are: Red, Yellow, Blue
• Secondary Colors: Colors created by mixing equal proportions of any two primary colors. Traditional secondary colors are: Orange, Green, Violet

RGB Additive Color Model (Light/Digital)

Humans can perceive three primary colors of light: red, green and blue. When overlaid or “added together”, they produce the secondary colors of light: yellow, cyan and magenta as in the diagram. Your digital devices all rely on RGB light to produce all the colors your see on screen.

• Red and green light together are perceived as yellow.
• Blue and green light together are perceived as cyan.
• Blue and red light together are perceived as magenta.
• All the other perceived colors can be produced by blending specific amounts of red, green and blue light.
• White light can be produced by mixing a color light and its opposite or equal amounts of red, green and blue light.

CMY Subtractive Color Model (Printing / Pigment / Real Life)

The absorption and reflection of the light that shines on an object produces the color that we see. Each color of pigment absorbs its opposite (complementary color) and the rest is reflected back at us as color. This is called “Subtraction.”

• Magenta pigment absorbs green light and reflects red and blue light, which we see as magenta.
• Yellow pigment absorbs blue light and reflects red and green light, which we see as yellow.
• Cyan pigment absorbs red light and reflects green and blue light, which we see as cyan.

The color of the light that is not “subtracted” and reaches our eyes determines what color we see. Light on a black object subtracts all colors and no light is reflected. Light on a white object does not subtract colors and reflects all the colors.

Digital Color Mixing

Color Wheel

A color wheel is an organization of hues around a circle. It is a tool used to help us understand color relationships and is traditional in the field of art and design. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then, scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept.  

RYB Color Wheel (Traditional)

• Primary Color Triad: Red, Yellow, Blue
• Secondary Color Triad: Orange, Green, Violet
  • orange (mix red + yellow)
  • green (mix yellow + blue)
  • violet  (mix blue + red)

CMY Color Wheel (Contemporary)

• Primary Triad: Cyan, Yellow, Magenta
• Secondary Triad: Red, Green, Blue
  • Green (Yellow + Cyan)
  • Red (Yellow + Magenta)
  • Blue (Cyan + Magenta)
  • What about orange???

Lab

Color Wheel FreeStudy

Using the handouts provided, work with your partner to plan out a Traditional Color Wheel, but also incorporate CYM (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta) gouache, if you have them.

Start with the primary triad from the CYM system (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta) and create a color wheel that includes all the colors in the visible spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet.

Practice mixing and applying colors on a piece of scrap bristol first. Create colors from primary colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow (Example: Magenta + Yellow = Red) and then secondary colors from Red, Yellow, Blue (Example: Red + Yellow = Orange) . Do NOT use pre-mixed paint hues. Try to create all colors from Cyan, Magenta, Yellow.

Once you have successfully experimented with the triad relationships (primary and secondary) from both systems, think about how the colors relate to each other.

• Think about what each color might represent: mood, emotion, object.
• Experiment with mixing each triad together, what color is produced?
• Create a numbering or labeling system to identify the different color systems.

Make sure your final color wheel composition is laid out with a clear connection to the original primaries and secondaries.

Here are some examples of interesting color wheels:

• http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2007/12/11/unusual-color-wheels-found-in-life-and-art/

HOMEWORK

• DUE: Completed Color Wheel FreeStudy.
• Materials Needed: Same as today!

Print this page

November 4, 2015

What’s Due?

• ALL PARTS OF PROJECT #3 ARE DUE!*

*We will do the Anaglyph part of Phase 3 and Phase 4 together in class.

Materials Needed for Monday:

• Print out this Template
• mini color wheel
• primary colors gouache set – Utrecht Designer Gouache
  OR
  Any brand gouache primaries, including:
  • black
  • white
  • rose tyrien or primary magenta
  • turquoise blue or primary cyan
  • brilliant yellow or primary yellow
  • flame red or primary red
  • ultramarine blue or primary blue
• brushes
• ruler
• t-square
• pencils
• 9×12″ bristol

Humument

• Discuss Poster for Learning Communities
• ENG & COMD integration

Critique

• ALL PARTS OF PROJECT #3 ARE DUE*
• Check the Project #3 page to make sure you have completed all parts, including the Documentation & Feedback work on the blog.
• Present your finished collages, paintings and digital images to the class for a brief critique.

*We will do the Anaglyph part of Phase 3 and Phase 4 together in class.

Demo / LAB

Create a Group Collage

1. Split into two groups: Broad-Range and Narrow-Range
2. Each group will work quickly to create a large wall collage using the printouts from digital collages you created.
3. Designate a project leader who will assign tasks. Everyone should be participating.

Create a 3D Anaglyph image

• Open your original portrait image and this file in Photoshop.
• We will work together using the template file (and 3D glasses) to create an anaglyph image.
• Adjust the Levels Histogram to adjust the “KEY” of the image and improve the 3D effect. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/levels.htm

Homework

1. Check the Project #3 page to make sure you have completed all Documentation & Feedback, including Phase 3 and 4! Finish or update ALL Project 3 posts and comments.
2. Humument work: Create 7 pages using pencils, inking pens, collage and paints. No color yet!. Each page should clearly visually communicate these concepts to your reader/viewer:
   • Achromatic Value Scale / Grayscale
   • Emphasis / Focal Point
   • Contrast
   • Movement
   • Narrow Value: high key
   • Narrow Value: low key
   • Broad Value

Print this page

November 2, 2015

Important!

• If you have a laptop computer with Photoshop (any version), please bring it to class if possible.

What’s Due?

• Your completed Broad-Range Painting.
  NOTE: Do not glue! We will work mount your finished collages and paintings in class together.

Materials needed:

Color Painting Supplies

• mini color wheel
• primary colors gouache set – Utrecht Designer Gouache (Recommended)
  OR
  Any brand gouache primaries:
  • rose tyrien or primary magenta
  • turquoise blue or primary cyan
  • brilliant yellow or primary yellow
  • flame red or primary red
  • ultramarine blue or primary blue

Digital Collage Supplies

• Bring your portrait photo (DOWNLOAD) on a USB drive

Show and Tell

• Anyone have any interesting design-related ideas, objects, or events to share?

Demo: Digital Collages in Photoshop

Materials Needed:

• thumbdrive with your portrait photo. (DOWNLOAD)
• Photoshop

Goal: Using photoshop, recreate your second narrow-range paper collage composition.

PREP:

• Download your hi-res portrait photo. (DOWNLOAD)
• Open your photo-portrait file in Photoshop.
• Create a new file: 6″x6″, 300 pixels per inch, grayscale.
• Save your file with your first initial and last name and the project title:
  For example: jsmith_value_added.psd
• Save frequently!
• Set the Move tool (V) options to Auto Select > Layer.

PROCESS:

• Use your second collage as a guide.
• Use the Rectangle Marque tool (M):
  • select portions of your original photo portrait and copy and paste them into the new document to recreate the paper collage.
• Use the Move tool (V) and click on the pasted objects in your collage to quickly select and rearrange your “collage” pieces. This also selects them in the Layers palette and allows you to manipulate them.
• Use the Transform Tool (Command + T) to rotate your “collage” pieces. Add in the Shift Key to restrain the rotation to 90 degrees. Do not resize or stretch!
• Hold down the Option Key while dragging with the Move Tool to create quick copies of a selected layer/object.
• DO NOT USE OTHER FILTERS, COLOR, OR ANY OTHER TRANSFORMATION TECHNIQUES, besides flip, rotate, or mirror.
• If you are familiar with Photoshop, feel free to use more advanced techniques, as long as they keep within the guidelines of the project description.

SUBMISSION:

• Print, cut out and mount one final print along with your original collage to a piece of 14×17″ piece of bristol using the same process followed with your Broad-Range compositions (see below).
• Save another version as JPG 72dpi, as demonstrated in class for upload to the class blog.
• Print out (5) b/w laser prints of your finished digital collage and bring to class for a group collage!

LABS:

If necessary, use one of the following labs to complete and print your digital composition:

• Learning Center Lab
  Atrium Ground Floor (AG 18)
• Student Labs
  General Building 600
• ADGA open labs
  (check with the office in N1113 for times)
• Additional Labs and Hours

Demo 2 : Mounting your work

• We will discuss how to thoughtfully mount your collages with their reimagined counterparts on a piece of large bristol.
  For example: Mount your painted broad-range composition alongside your original broad-range paper collage. And then mount your narrow-range digital collage alongside your original broad-range paper collage.
• Pay close attention to accurate borders, placement on the page, and craft.

Work Time

• Digital Paintings in photoshop

Homework

• ALL PARTS OF Project #3 ARE DUE on WEDNESDAY!

Supplies Needed for Color Painting!

• mini color wheel
• primary colors gouache set – Utrecht Designer Gouache (Recommended)
  OR
  Any brand gouache primaries:
  • rose tyrien or primary magenta
  • turquoise blue or primary cyan
  • brilliant yellow or primary yellow
  • flame red or primary red
  • ultramarine blue or primary blue
• sable-type watercolor brushes
  • FLAT:  1/2″ angle, #4
  • ROUND: #1, #5
• two water containers
• palette (round 10-well)
• cotton rags (old white t-shirts or scraps)

Print this page