final project

due date: November 4

description:

You will choose a natural specimen to render in  the non-digital medium of your choice (approximately 9x12) for your final project. Your composition should be informed by knowledge of the specimen and careful consideration of the context you would like to provide. Researching your specimen, its habitat, role in the ecosystem, current status, uses, and more, will provide a broader foundation for experimentation in composition.

Your sketches should demonstrate your understanding of visual weight and balance, pattern and repetition, focal point, "rule of thirds," proportions, and narrative or contextual information (ie: background, related species, details of specimen, etc) (see details on sketches below)

We will examine many ways of creating context for your specimen, including natural habitat; real or imaginary backgrounds; multiple views of the specimen; details and cross-sections; still life arrangement; and more. You will develop three sketches that demonstrate experimentation with creating context.

What's due: (examples of context, etc. will be available next week and we will discuss all of this in further detail)

• three sketches demonstrating experimentation in context and composition, to be developed during this course and presented for discussion on Week 6 (Oct..14) 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 should include the following:

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

2. 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

3. The third sketch is entirely up to you.

• The sketches are worth 50% of the final grade

• rough revision of one of these thumbnails in preparation for final project, 9x12, due Week 7  (Oct. 21) 

• one 9x12 (approx.) illustration in any traditional monochromatic or color medium, due November 4th (one week after end of course). Final is 50% of grade