Syllabus – Foundation Drawing COMD 1123

COMD 1123 – Foundation Drawing

Instructor: Professor Sandy Jimenez

*Please see Resources, under Reference Materials and Texts for all required and suggested reading and viewing assignment material* This is an OER supported course. No book purchases are necessary.

Course Description

This introductory course explores fundamental tools, techniques and principles of drawing. Students will draw and discuss work as a class in every class session. This is an in-person course, you must be present to do the work and participate.

Learning Goals

Line. Shapes (2 dimensional planar geometry. Polygons. Silhouette.) Form (3 dimensional geometry.)
Tonality (Values, 7-point system. Use in capturing light. Texture.) Space (positive and negative.) Perspective. Composition.

Geometric forms will be studied and drawn in 1-point and 2-point perspective drawings.
Students will become familiar with projection systems, oblique, isometric, one-point perspective and two-point perspective views.
Students will learn to understand and delineate space in two and three dimensions.
Students will practice contour, creating volume, manipulation of tonality to create form.
Students will learn to render form, surface, texture and light and shadow.
Students will learn fundamentals of Composition.
Students will gain confidence in talking about their work and the work of their peers in front of the class group focusing primarily on the analytical rather than descriptive feedback and critique.

Students will be drawing in every class and presenting their work in every class. The course will culminate in a final portfolio of key projects from assignments made during the course.

Course Sessions (Topics Subject to Change)

Week One – Topics: Introductions to the instructor, the course and its scale and scope: A Student-Questionnaire and discussion of class expectations. Lecture: An overview of the fundamental aspects of drawing and image creation: Lecture on introduction to 7-Point rubric for creating and assessing drawings. Lecture: The introduction to building Form, creating Shape, crafting Line.

Week Two – Topics: Lecture on “primitives,” shapes and fundamental geometry: Polygons. Lecture: Fundamentals of geometry and form – “Isometric and Oblique” forms and drawing. Homework assignment presented and discussed. Goal: To understand the fundamental role of shapes, form and geometry in drawing, and to apply that knowledge to drawing isometric and oblique drawings.

Week Three – Topics: Lecture on perspective, delineating forms in 3 dimensional space with outlines and diagrams; 3D to 2D and back again. Lecture on drawing as an exercise in processing, analyzing and communicating perception and perspective in space. Homework assignment presented and discussed. Goal: To understand and utilize space, 1 & 2-Point perspective, horizon, vantage and vanishing points.

Week Four – Topics: Line, Form and Space. Line as Boundary between Form and Space. Homework assignment presented and discussed. Series 1 exercises will explore positive and negative space. Forming space and spacing form with lines, forms and space. Lecture 2: Methods and Technique of Line Drawing for the building of form. Goal: To understand the interrelationship of line, form, and space. To learn fundamental drawing methods for building forms when drawing from observation.

Week Five – Topics: The role, functions and examples of composition in drawing. Lecture on the image edge and the prosceniums of communications design: the paper, the page, the stage, the flyer, the TV Screen, the desktop, the smartphone, the tablet, the billboard. 1 month review of coursework so far. Homework assignment presented and discussed. Goal: To understand the crucial role of composition in drawing and image creation as well as framing and cropping in different aspect ratios and proportions. Goal: To understand the crucial role of composition in drawing and image creation as well as framing and cropping in different aspect ratios and proportions.

Week Six – Topics: Fundamentals of tonality in drawing, and an introduction to texture. Discussion of 7-point tonal chart and worksheet. In-class drawing exercise from still like. Goal: To understand the role and application of tonality and texture in drawing.

Week Seven – MID TERMS. Topics: Mid course assessment exam. Sketchbook review. Lecture: Introduction to line weight and contour drawing. Goal: To assess progress in practice, performance and knowledge thus far. To understand the role and power of line weight, and learn the four methods of Contour Drawing.

Week Eight – Classes will now begin with timed warmup drills. Goals: Discussion on use of line weight to create focal point, form, emphasis, weight, depth, order. Introduction to Line Weight and Contour Drawing and 4 in-class assignments. Discuss and apply the 4 contour methods: Single Line; Cross-Contour; Implied Contour; Blind Contour. Lecture #2: Fractals and organic forms and their relationship to structure and detail. Class will collaborate on creating a massive still life setup for the lesson exercise. Homework assignment presented and discussed.

Week Nine – Class begins with timed drills. Lecture on tonality/tone texture and its role in building light on surfaces. Lecture: The dynamics of light and shadow in drawing. The anatomy of shadow. The Chiaroscuro technique and using light and shadow to build form and space. Goal: To understand the dynamics of light and shadow in drawing. To understand and learn the chiaroscuro method in drawing and image creation. Goal: To learn techniques for drawing and “modeling” surfaces. To understand the complex relationship between structure and detail in drawing and image creation and its role in building complex patterns in pure design, illustration or organic forms in drawing from observation.

Week Ten – Class begins with timed drills. Homework assignment presented and discussed. Goal: To apply the prior nine weeks of course learning in a large-scale drawing project designed by the class.

Week Eleven – Class begins with timed drills. Lecture: Beyond geometry, rendering fabric, chaotic compound surfaces. (applying the rational drawing approaches to the “irrational” form.) Homework assignment presented and discussed. In class drawing project. Goal: To apply the prior course learning to the learning of drawing methods for fluid and chaotic forms. To continue the large-scale drawing project from (prior class) Week 10.

Week Twelve – Class begins with timed drills. Lecture: Transparency and translucency in art Homework assignment presented and discussed. Goal: To understand the dynamics of transparency and translucency in drawing. To finish the large-scale drawing project from (prior class) Weeks 10,11. To begin a drawing project featuring glass and translucent forms.

Week Thirteen – Lecture: Contemporary Arts Issues Lecture:
The Creative Profession: Myth, perception versus reality, my personal experience and perspective.
The marketplace and economy for artists. AI. Fields for artists. The Jobs market. Plotting your future as a “creative.” Homework assignment presented and discussed. Digital drawing demonstration. Goal: To discuss the role of drawing in artist practice, as a profession and its role in culture, the marketplace, economy and industries. To finish the drawing project featuring glass and translucent forms from (prior class) week 12.

Week Fourteen – End of Course Review of semester’s topics- In Class Activity: Final Portfolio Review. Students will each formally present on their semester’s work in a last class-wide critique Student presentations sketchbook focusing on 3 examples. Final Assessments tests will be taken. Goal: To conclude the course with a review of its key learnings. Student to make presentations focusing on 3 examples from their sketchbooks. Every student will present and talk through their progress and work in the class this semester.

Week Fifteen – Final Assessments returned online on or about December 22, final office hours and one-on-one assessments by appointment.

Grading

This is a class graded on the student’s learning and demonstrated effort toward progress in skill. The grade for students is arrived at deductively. For every class session 10 points are awarded for homework, 15 points are awarded for class participation, and 75 points awarded for in class drawings and exercises.

Students are required to keep a dated sketchbook of their class work and bring it to every class session. Homework will be assigned for every class in the form of research and exercises.

Attendance (College) and Lateness (Department) Policies:

No more than 4 class absences will be tolerated.
Any 2 latenesses will be considered to be equal to 1 absence.
Absences in excess of 10% of the total class hours will result in a 10% drop from your grade due to an inability to meet deliverables of participation. This is in addition to other penalties that will be imposed for failure to complete academic requirements.
The COMD BFA and AAS are design studio programs. In-class activities and engagement with other students is a significant portion of the course. It is expected that you will be ready to work at the start of each period.