ART 140
Beginning
Two-Dimensional
Design
Instructor: Erik Mark Sandberg
Office hours: M 2-3pm, S 3-4pm
Office: ADC 505
Classroom: ADC 600 / SAT 9-2:50pm
Email: erik.sandberg@csun.edu
Catalog Description
Introduction to the elements and principles of two-dimensional design which are common to the
visual arts. Foundation course stressing visual perception and an effective knowledge of the
graphic means of expression and communication.
The Goals of the Art Department
Establishing and developing for students an inclusive and balanced program in visual art, which
encompass four areas of study: Art Education, Art History, Studio Art, and Visual Communications.
Art Department Program Goals Addressed In This Course
Basic Skills: Developing a foundation of art knowledge, theories, skills, craftsmanship and
technologies, where ideas and concepts are communicated in writing, speaking and art making.
Art Knowledge: Broadening art and design knowledge through contemporary examples and to develop an
understanding of art within theoretical, cultural, and historical contexts.
Critical Thinking: Analyzing, interpreting, and questioning traditional methodologies and preconceived notions of art and art making through the process of generating and solving problems.
Interdisciplinary Connections: Exploring and engaging in interdisciplinary forms of art making.
Global Perspectives: Promoting an appreciation and tolerance of diverse perspectives dealing with
art, culture, teaching and learning.
Collaboration: Encouraging
faculty, and community.
both
individual
and
collaborative
art
experiences
among
students,
Professional Preparation: Developing career paths for various art professions and an understanding
of the demands and expectations of those areas.
Student Learning Outcomes
-To discover and apply various two-dimensional art media and techniques.
-To enable you to utilize and control the Elements and Principles of two-dimensional design.
-Students will acquire conceptual knowledge of art, accurately define and utilize the formal
vocabulary of the visual arts (Elements and Principles of design) to analyze works of art.
-Explore and utilize methods for visual problem-solving, acquire and demonstrate conceptual
knowledge of a diversity of 2-D forms, purposes, media, and functions of art as they respond to,
analyze, interpret and critique their own and others’ artworks.
-Students will acquire and demonstrate conceptual knowledge of 2-Dart in cultural context,
including the visual nature of contemporary culture, fine art and design, world arts, the history
and diversity of art in societies past and present.
-Students will be introduced to connections and relationships between visual and other arts, and
those between visual art and other discipline areas.
Course Methods
Instruction will be achieved through slide presentations, media demonstrations, lectures,
individual and group critiques. All students are required to participate in group critiques.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is required. The following will be applied in determining the final grade in the
course. Two absences are allowed without penalty. If a family or work emergency occurs, that will
count as an absence. If you are sick, that counts as an absence. If your car breaks down and you
miss class, that counts as one absence. There is no such thing as an excused absence. If you have
used up your two absences, and you get sick and miss a third day, your final letter grade for the
course gets dropped by one-third, and so on for each additional absence. If illness requires more
than four absences, a medical withdrawal from the course is recommended. Late arrivals and early
departures of 20 minutes or more are considered absences. Roll will be taken at the beginning of
every class. Three tardies count as 1 absence.
Texting or talking on the phone in class is prohibited for the betterment of the galaxy. Talking
or texting on a electronic device during class will be considered an absence.
Missed Class Policy
Lectures and demonstrations will not be repeated. Get the names and email of other students in the
class to contact them for missed information.
Name________________________________________ email_______________________________________
Name________________________________________ email_______________________________________
Grading
The final grade will be determined by the following: Illustration assignments - Assignments that
are not complete for critique are lowered one letter grade. Each assignment will be given a letter
grade and numerical grade based on the following:
-written work and preparatory drawings
-design and composition
-concept, creativity, and communication
-craftsmanship and presentation
-attendance record
Grading is in accordance with university policy: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F
A= outstanding, B= good, C= average, D= unsatisfactory, F= failure
Assignments
Assignment 1 - Value Scale 8%
Assignment 2 - Simultaneous Contrast Scale 8%
Assignment 3 - Tint Tone Shade Scale 8%
Assignment 4 - Color Wheel 8%
Assignment 5 - Golden Mean Design Studies b/w 8%
Assignment 6 - Golden Mean Design Studies - organic forms 8%
Assignment 7 - Golden Mean Design Studies - 3 graphite tonal 8%
Assignment 8 - Golden Mean Design Studies - 3 hue studies 8%
Assignment 9 - Golden Mean Design Studies - 1 triadic study 8%
Assignment 10 - Golden Mean Studies - final / texture study 8%
Critique Participation 4%
Supply Readiness / Working in Class 8%
Reading and writings assignments from text & documentary films 8%
GRADE EARNED
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How to Present Your Work
All work presented for a grade should be clean and camera ready. This means it should be free of
fingerprints, dirt, tape, and anything else you would not want reproduced. Treat your final work
like you are a paper conservator for a museum with respect and utmost care. Cover your work with
glycine, tissue, ph neutral paper, or tracing paper if needed. Carry fragile works in a hard
folder, or 2 sheets of foam core two prevent damage. All assignments will be completed on 11” X
14” inch Bristol board and cut down to 11” X 11” inches and placed into a black 11” X 14” inch
portfolio case.
Please photocopy all notes, assignment descriptions, preliminary drawings, and staple them
together to be placed inside your final portfolio books.
Preliminary Work
All students are required to use professional preparatory working methods in the development of
their designs.
Thumbnails – small drawings to work out some basic conceptual ideas and compositional elements,
these loose drawings are for you to get started forming the design of the visual image. These
drawings are for you to get started.
Comps – 1 drawing per 8 ½” X 11” inch paper with border reference drawn to give format indication.
Comp drawings should be clear enough for an art director… all elements, conceptual and visual must
resolved and communicate clearly in the sketch. - 4 required for each assignment you will be
hanging these on the wall for sketch critiques. You may write notes on the outside of the sketch
to clarify some color or material ideas.
Tight line drawing – final size and materials worked out with all resolved details and execution
plans, based on your continued research and original comp refinement.
Color study - will be in gouache, over light photocopy of your sketch. This step is a good idea
when working out a multiple colored image.
Assignments
1) Monochromatic Value Scale
Medium: gauche, marker paper, rubber cement, Bristol board
Format: 12 ½” inch monochromatic gouache squares forming a smooth value scale centered and glued
on a 11” X 11” white Bristol board.
Subject: Value and Tonal Gradation
Procedure: Secure 14” X 17” marker paper with brown gummed adhesive tape onto drawing board. Paint
numerous swatches of various tones from white to black. Edit down swatches to 12 that make a
smooth tonal gradation. Lay out a template on cut sheet of 11” X 11” inch Bristol board of ½” inch
vertical squares. Adhere all swatches with rubber cement then cut with x-acto to horizontal width.
Remove all excess glue with rubber square, and erase all pencil lines.
Objective: To produce a 6” inch centered seamless monochromatic value scale.
Chapter in Text to Read: 29-35
What’s due?: One 6” monochromatic gauche value scale made of 12 ½” inch swatches. Professionally
executed and centered onto a 11” X 11” inch Bristol board.
Assignment descriptions and procedures for assignments 2-10 will be given out each week according
to schedule below.
SAT, Jan 24
SAT, Jan 31
SAT, Feb 7
SAT, Feb 14
SAT, Feb 21
SAT, Feb 28
SAT, Mar 7
SAT, Mar 14
SAT, Mar 21
Class Introduction. Slide Show Lecture. Assignment
In class work on first assignment
Assignment 1 due - critique - Assignment 2 given In class work on second assignment
Assignment 2 due - critique - Assignment 3 given In class work on third assignment
Assignment 3 due - critique - Assignment 4 given In class work on fourth assignment
Assignment 4 due - critique - Assignment 5 given In class work on fifth assignment
Assignment 5 due - critique - Assignment 6 given In class work on sixth assignment
Assignment 6 due - critique - Assignment 7 given -
1 demo/lecture
demo/lecture
demo/lecture
demo/lecture
demo/lecture
demo/lecture
demo/lecture
SAT,
SAT,
SAT,
SAT,
SAT,
SAT,
Mar
Apr
Apr
Apr
Apr
May
28
4
11
18
25
2
SAT FINAL
In class work on
Film Screening Assignment 7 due
NO CLASS HOLIDAY
Assignment 8 due
In class work on
Assignment 9 due
In class work on
seventh assignment
‘Helvetica’, ‘objectified’, ‘Charles and Roy Eames”
- critique - Assignment 8 given - demo/lecture
- SPRING BREAK
- critique - Assignment 9 given - demo/lecture
9th assignment
- critique - Assignment 10 given - demo/lecture
10th assignment
Assignment 10 due - books fully completed with titles
All revisions for change of grade are due
Each student is required to have all needed supplies. There are no sharing supplies due
to the amount of work you will be asked to produce. Not having all supplies will result
in a non passing grade. If acquiring the courses supplies is not feasible please drop
the class in order to free up space for another student.
Supply List Art 140
Olfa Compass Circle Cutter or X-Acto's Compass Cutter cuts a 3/8" (1 cm) to 5-7/8" (15
cm) diameter circle
X-Acto's #1 Knife with #11 Blades
Basic Pencil Compass
Best Test White Rubber Paper Cement 4 oz
Natural Rubber Pick Up Square
Bristol Paper Pad 11” X 14” Inches White Smooth (you will need 30 sheets)
Marker Paper Bright White 14” X 17” inches 50 sheets
18” Metal Ruler
Plastic Protractor
Scissors
11” X 14” inch Basic Series Presentation Book Black $5.99
Brown Gummed Paper Tape 2” X 75’
16” X 21” inch Drawing board
plain or metal edged
Butcher Tray Palette 11” X 15” inches
3” Foam Brush
1” Wash Brush flat
Small Plastic Water Bucket
Roll of Paper Towels
11” Aluminum Triangle (optional)
Self Healing Cutting Matte (optional)
Graphite Pencil and Sharpener
White Pen Eraser
*Gauche Set - (Windsor Newton Primary Set of 6) or (Holbein Brand Primary Mixing Set of
5)
Textbook
"Launching the Imagination 2D"
Stewart, Mary
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 4 edition (January 11,
2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0077379802
ISBN-13: 978-0077379803
Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
Other Suggested reading:
The Power of Limits - Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art & Architecture.
Author: Gyorgy Doczi
ISBN: 978-1-59030-259-0
Design
Elements
Dot - The first and simplest element in design is the dot. At it's most finite, it
lacks dimension. It's the very beginning of all visual data.
Line - A dot in motion. Straight, curved, angular, precise, agitated, smooth, thick,
thin, active or passive, colored, textured, patterned or any combination of these
qualities. It is the dominance of length over width. When the differences between
length and width diminish, line becomes shape.
Shape - A flat enclosed area. Can be resized as a solid, or by outline; can be
transparent, textured, etc. as long as it's flat. When it becomes 3-dimensional, we
call it form.
Circle - is passive – no activity or direction.
Square - is a more active shape – vertical and horizontal. Corners are active points.
Triangle - is the most active shape. It is angular and dynamic. in 3 directions.
All other shapes are based on combining these 3 primitive shapes.
Volume - The 3-dimensional illusion of a shape. It can be described by shadow, by line,
by surface irregularities, by density, or by perspective. It generally has light and
dark qualities that convey the illusion of depth. Volume can be made by the combining
of shapes and can also be created by the modulation of color. It's three most basic
forms are: sphere, pyramid and the cube.
Space - Can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. It can also be delineated by
planes: foreground, middle ground, background, upper, lower. Space can be indicated or
suggested by overlap, by size relationships, perspective and active/ passive
relationships.
Texture - The visual quality of the surface of any shape, form or line. Can be smooth,
rough, or anything in between. Visual or physical. Can be created in an endless variety
of ways. Texture is visual spice.
Value - Dark and light qualities of a line, shape or form. It is the element in color
that expresses dark to light.
Color - The most complex of all the elements. Factors: hue, intensity (saturation,
brightness), value, temperature, proportion.
Design
Principles
Proportion - The amounts used of one or several elements (line, shape, color, etc.) in
combination with other elements is always controlled by proportional considerations.
Balance - is adjusting your proportions to achieve equilibrium.
Contrast - is the most dynamic expression of difference.
Continuity - One method of organizing design elements for visual flow.
Positive/Negative Space - The space around an object in a composition is as important
as the object itself. Negative space has shape. Also referred to as Form and Space.
Repetition - can affect any of the design elements. Color, value, line, shape, etc.
Variation - Adds visual dynamics.
Transition - A step in-between. Medium is the transition between large and small. Gray
is the transition between dark and light. Connects two or more elements in a natural
fashion.
Dominance-Sub ordinance - Proportion of importance. Creates the relative level of
interest and emphasis among all design elements and coordinating principles.
Establishes a visual hierarchy: what will the viewer see 1st, 2nd, etc. Multiple focal
points can cause confusion.
Depth / Advancing-Receding - Illusionary creation of three-dimensional space. Can be
created by overlap, placement, value, color warm colors advance, cool colors recede.
Active-Passive - active things advance, passive things recede, bright vs. neutral
bright things advance, neutral things recede.
Unity
Unity - Similarity, oneness, togetherness, or cohesion.
Vocabulary
Terms
Contrast - The most extreme forms of variation. Rough vs. smooth. Large vs. small.
Angular vs. curved. Elements can have both similarity and contrast: two 1" circles –
one red, one green.
Balance - A state of equaled proportion or equilibrium. Symmetrical, asymmetrical,
approximately symmetrical.
Pattern - A subset of repetition. Pattern can be expressed by repeating lines, shapes,
images, textures etc.
Contour - The defining edge of a shape or surface.
Working area - Overall compositional boundary.
Tension - The interplay of conflicting elements.
Please sign on the line after you have reviewed the syllabus as an
understanding of this course’s expectations.
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