Comp. Week 4: Context Real and Imagined

This week we'll examine context and composition in preparation for your FINAL PROJECT.  

Class overview for this evening:

You need to decide on a specimen for your final project tonight if you have not already done so in order to begin experimenting with composition for your final project.

We will discuss the various approaches used to provide context on the FINAL PROJECT page and then begin developing ideas for your first round of sketches for the final project.

ABOUT THE FINAL PROJECT:

Remember that the sketches for your final will include the following and make up 50% of the grade for the course: (these are going to be developed in class over the next few weeks)

• three sketches demonstrating experimentation in context and composition, to be developed during this course and presented for discussion on Weeks 6 and 7 (Oct.14th and 21st) These sketches should clearly show your intentions, the dark and light values, cast shadows, and any background information should be refined enough to be easily understood. 

The sketches for the final should include the following:

• 1. One sketch should have additional details related to the specimen included. For example, you might have a flower specimen with the buds, leaves, seeds, stem, etc. Or you might have an insect specimen with other insects, birds, mammals, or plant life from the same ecosystem, etc. Remember that scale is an important aspect of including these details

  2. One sketch should have a landscape or interior of some kind in the background to provide a narrative or context for the specimen.

  3. The third sketch is entirely up to you.

IN CLASS EXERCISE:

You will begin to develop ideas for the sketch that includes related details or specimens. We will discuss this in class and you will begin to research and compose.

Examples:

If you are drawing a butterfly, you might include plants that the butterfly relies upon (ie: monarch and milkweed), or various stages of the butterfly's life cycle, or other butterflies or moths found in the same ecosystem

If you are drawing an opposum, you might include other bird, mammal, or insect species found in the same ecosystem, or anatomical details of the possum, or details of its reproductive system, etc.

CONSIDERATIONS:

As you compose, you will consider scale of the specimen to the other objects; visual weight (determined by size, placement, value, chroma, texture); balance and symmetry or assymetry; pattern and repetition (or lack of); focal point; rule of thirds

DUE NEXT WEEK:

three thumbnail sketches demonstrating experimentation with these ideas. Remember that you can experiment with moving the same natural objects around the page, or choose different objects related to the SAME SPECIMEN that you are basing your project on.

Selections from Albertus Seba