Introduction to 2D - 1st year
Introduction to 2D is a basic design studio course for the student with little or no previous art background as well as for art majors. It is intended to give students a practical introduction to the nature and application of 2 dimensional designs. Students will explore ideas through art exercises and projects that will investigate how design transforms the ordinary in our every day world.
Objectives:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Analyze the communicative, aesthetic and expressive functions of design;
2. Identify the role and practical application of design in the natural and man-made world;
3. Experiment with a range of media, art-making practices, aesthetic and cultural styles;
4. Develop and demonstrate creative and critical problem-solving skills by observing, conceptualizing and organizing information through design resolution;
5. Investigate non-linear thinking and intuitive artistic processes common to the visual arts;
6. Stimulate personal creativity and be inspired by the aesthetic.
Topics:
Course topics will include the following:
1. What is design and what is its function?
2. Design as Communication: Creativity, symbolism, form and content, interpretation;
3. The Artist’s Eye: Examining and applying the visual elements and principles of design;
4. Visual Thinking: Moving through process to product;
5. Elegant solutions: Design resolution and practical applications.
Method of Instruction:
1. Lecture/demonstration;
2. Audio-visual, slide presentation.
Types of Assignments:
1. In-class art exercises and projects
Sample Text:
1. Design Basics by David A. Lauer & Stephen Pentak. (Wadsworth Publishing, 1994.)
