Community College of Rhode Island – Art Department
Instructor: Professor Josh Ostraff
Office Hours: By Appointment, contact at jostraff@ccri.edu
Course Title: Color
Course Number: ARTS 1020, 001
Location: PV Campus, Rm. 1169A, M & W 10-11:50 A.M.
Course Website: jostraff-teaching.weebly.com
Studio Hours: 9 (6 in class, 3 out of class) Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: None (Arts 101- Drawing 1 & Arts 1310 2-D Design are recommended)
Recommended Texts: Color by Zelanski, Interaction of Color by Josef Albers
Course Description
Color is an introduction to basic color theory and practice. Students learn to use color effectively
informed by theory and resolution of studio problems. Students will develop an awareness of
fundamental ideas and nomenclature of color perception and use, as well as a greater perception of
and sensitivity to the interaction and use of color in art.
Course Goals
Creative Work Ethic
Creative Problem Solving
Develop, Make, and Use Materials Creatively
Learning Outcomes
Elements and Principles of Design - Developing understanding of the elements and principles of
design as related to color
Color Perception – An awareness of the nomenclature of color perception and use and its
psychological and symbolic nature
Color Interaction - Increased awareness and application of the interaction of color
Personal Voice - Developing of a personal and conceptually grounded approach toward a composed
color system
Exceed Expectations - Growing worth ethic that pushes exceeding personal expectations
Classroom Interaction
Attendance
Attendance is based on coming to class on time and is vital due to the fast paced nature of this
course. Students receive one point each day for attending the full class time. Students will not
receive an attendance point if they are late or have an unexcused absence. Arriving more than 10
minutes after class has started is considered late. Being late three times equals one unexcused
absence. Leaving 10 minutes early is consider a full missed class period (unless I approve exceptions
or it is a college excused absence). Upon the third unexcused missed class period a half letter grade
is deducted from the final grade per each absence following.
Participation
Participation is thoughtful and active engagement with course assignments,
activities/demonstrations, lectures, discussions, and critiques. Participation is a reflection of key
learning opportunities that cannot be reproduced if missed. As such not participating results in a lack
of a point per day and is not something that can be made up (with the exception of college approved
absences, in which an alternate experience will be assigned for make up).
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Preparation
Preparation consists of being prepared with the required and essential materials, presentation of
projects due for review, and coming to class having read or written course readings/writing topics.
This allows students to fully use the class time and not be limited by not having the psychical and
conceptual materials to develop classroom-learning opportunities. A list of required materials and
topics are posted under each project on my website and in the syllabus. Additionally periodically
emails will be sent out as reminders for complicated projects and any changes I may make. Students
receive one point per day for being prepared.
Critiques
Group critiques will be a frequent format for providing feedback on each students work. It is
mandatory that students attend and participate in these group critiques. Students will be asked to
refrain from negative comments and telling others what they should do. Instead students should
frame comments in the form of suggestions and potential resources that might strengthen the work.
Listening Devices, Computers, Cell phones etc.
Plan on turning off/ignoring your electronic devices during our class time. It is not acceptable to
text, email, surf the Internet, etc. during class (unless told otherwise by the instructor). Violation of
this policy will negatively impact your grade.
Studio Practice and Hygiene
1. Working in a studio with a large number of artists requires that students act with civility and
respect towards each other in order to function. It is important to be considerate and careful around
each others work. To be fair each student needs to keep works in progress in the assigned storage
spaces with the artists name labeled somewhere on the work.
2. Be responsible to yourself and others and keep the studio in excellent working condition. Be
aware of the messes you might make and clean up after yourself. This puts in place good practice for
your future efforts (not only as artist!).
3. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS's) list the properties and hazards of chemicals that are
available in the lab if you have concerns or questions about any substance you use.
4. Use Waste Generation Points for disposal of materials. Always uncap empty containers for
disposal. Any containers from our building that are totally empty may be recycled or trashed. Empty
aerosol cans do not go in the garbage. For Emergency situations: Call 911.
Don’t’ work alone in the studio. Know where others are in the building.
5. Label Secondary containers with official labels, in use or Hazardous. Any material not in its
original container must be labeled.
6. You will need to paint outside of class time. I recommend working in the classroom when it is
available as it is equipped with proper ventilation.
Classroom Behavior Policy
Any behavior that disrupts class or the instructor is detrimental to the class-learning environment. It
is the responsibility of the instructor to protect this learning environment. The following offenses
justify dismissal from class: Verbal or psychical threats - vulgar or inappropriate language offensive commentary regarding: race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and the disabled - poor
personal hygiene - us of pagers, cell phones, mp3 players, text messaging, or web browsing – side
conversations or note passing – disruptive vocalization (for example loud yawning) – inappropriate
displays of affection between classmates – excessive lateness or absences – sleeping in class –
unpreparedness or lack of needed supplies for class work – unsafe use of materials or equipment.
This stated policy indicates that if such behavior(s) should arise, the student(s) will be given a verbal
warning. If the behavior(s) continues, the students can be dismissed from class and directed to meet
with the Dean of students to withdraw from the course. If neither meeting with the Dean of students
or a formal withdrawal occurs, faculty may assign the student a failing grade.
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Harassment (Verbal, Physical or Sexual)
Harassment that is verbal, physical or sexual will not be tolerated and will result in the student’s
removal from this course and face charges depending on the nature of the offense. If a student feels
they are the victim of a verbal, physical, or sexual assault please talk to your professor or contact:
Affirmative Action Office
Office of Higher Education
80 Washington Street, Ste. 450
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Phone: (401) 456-6000 TDD: (401) 456-6027 TTY-Via RI Relay at 1-800-745-5555
Americans with Disabilities Act
Any student with documented disability is encouraged to contact me as early in the semester as
possible to discuss and arrange any reasonable accommodations that may be necessary. Support
services for students with documented disabilities are provided through the Division of Student
Affairs. Accommodations and services are rights guaranteed to individuals with documented
disabilities under Section 504 of the1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) of 1990. For more detailed information about the Community College of Rhode
Island's support services for students with disabilities, contact the Academic Accommodations
Advisor listed below or John White, the ADA Coordinator at (401) 456-6011(V).
Community College of Rhode Island's Academic Accommodations Advisors
Warwik Campus
Lincoln Campus
Providence Campus
(401) 8252164
(401) 333-7329
(401) 455-6064
Student role/expectations (what they need to be successful)
In accordance with the course goals and outcomes, each student is expected to:
1. Complete and turn in the correct number of assigned projects.
2. Attend class, arrive on time, staying for full class.
3. Put in a solid effort. Effort, while extremely important, will not mean an automatic A.
4. Create quality and thoughtful projects that show personal vision and your abilities.
5. Develop improvements relative to you.
6. Be Inventive through thinking creatively and taking risks in your projects.
7. Construct projects with good craft (projects that are archival and not distracting)
8. Participate in class discussions and critiques (asking and answering questions, listening to others,
discussing responses to peer’s works, readings, investigating other artists’ work).
9. Attend assigned art events: exhibitions and lectures.
10. Actively and weekly work on the Research Journal.
11. Take notes in class and write down observations and discoveries.
12. Ask for help when it is needed don’t wait for the instrcutor to come around.
13. Help other students when possible, and also ask other students for help.
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Instructor role/expectations
At best, the review of artistic work is a subjective process; the instructor will appraise the artistic
growth of each student and will carefully evaluate the work based on the grading rubrics. The
instructor will also take into account the context of the work produced in the class relative to the
level of the course and each student’s abilities. The instructor will look at each student’s Course Plan
and adapt projects where possible to meet each students needs. Instruction will be guided to help
each student develop, learn and achieve the course goals and outcomes. The instructor may change
aspects of the course to effectively challenge students and encourage learning.
Academic Honesty
Any work that is not the product of the student’s owns effort is considered dishonest. Students
may not submit the same work for more than one class with the exception of particular
circumstances agreed to and acknowledged by each faculty member concerned. Please refer to the
Student Handbook for additional information regarding the policy on Academic Honesty.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course.
Transfer Statement
If you are planning to transfer to another college like Rhode Island College (RIC) and expect this
art course to transfer as a studio art course, understand you will be required to submit a portfolio
of work completed in this course for a portfolio review. Some schools l i ke RIC will only give
art credit to courses that which satisfactorily passes their portfolio review. Expect to submit 10 to
15 exercises and finished projects successfully demonstrating the outcomes of this course.
Course Plan
Course Plan
At the beginning of the semester students will complete a course plan that describes their learning
needs and how they will accomplish the course goals and outcomes. Once a month I will meet with
students individually to go over their scores. Students have the chance to voice their concerns,
questions, and learning needs. In these reviews we will identify changes that can be made to better
fit each students learning style, as such we might make adjustments to the plans adapting at times
past or future projects. At the end of the semester students will fill out an evaluation that looks at
their course plan describing how well we were able to fulfill their needs and the course goals and
outcomes.
Outside of Class
Students will be expected to work outside of class to work on and complete projects. With that
comes an expectation that students will work outside of class each week. Please plan and make
arrangements in your schedule to make such a commitment. There is an expectation that students
will look for and search out artists work relative to composition and color related topics. Such
inquiry should be followed by, a hands on, application that seeks to understand and practice on that
research.
Assignments and Assessments
Project Evaluations
At the end of each project a teacher evaluation on the designated work will be preformed. Student
projects will be evaluated/graded based on a rubric listed below. Once the project has been given a
score students are allowed to rework and resubmit improved projects for an improved grade up and
until the last day of class (these efforts to improve projects take place outside of class time).
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Grading Rubric for Projects and Final Portfolio:
Each criterion listed below is worth 2pts for a total of 10pts.
1) Work ethic
2) Clear understanding of idea and concept.
3) Evidence of employed strategies for indicating principal taught.
4) Shows improvement or innovation for your abilities.
5) Turned in work on time and the correct number
Points will be awarded per criterion as follows:
Definitely Apparent/Mostly - Some what Apparent - Not Apparent
Full points
1/2 points
No points
Research Journal
Students are required to develop research practices in the format of an Active Research Journal.
Each week students have a list of artists, designers, or other interesting people and/or topics to
research. They pick from a list (located on the class website) and collect images, links, audio, video,
documents, and their own analysis. The journal can be digital or physical with the criteria that
students must provide a format for me to review the journal weekly. At the beginning of each week I
will go over the research and look for three things.
Research Journal Rubric:
1) Explanation of the artist or topic,
2) Examples demonstrating the work,
3) A personal analysis that focuses on how this work relates to our course/the student.
All Three parts – Two Parts – One Part
5pts
3pts
2pts
Research Project
Another component of the research journal is the Research Project, which is the final project. With
two parts the research project starts with students preparing a plan that outlines the materials,
process, presentation, and context of their project using examples from their research journal. The
second part is documentation of the completed project. Students provide images of their work and a
written artist statement explaining the materials, process, presentation, and context of their work.
Research Project Rubric:
Each criterion is each worth 5pts for a total of 20pts.
1) Work ethic and Craftsmanship
2) Clear understanding of idea and concepts of the project.
3) Materials, process, presentation, and context explained with examples from the Research Journal.
4) Plan and artist statement are written clearly and concisely.
5) Images of work are well lit, in focus, and are labeled
Points will be awarded per criterion as follows:
Definitely Apparent/Mostly - Some what Apparent - Not Apparent
Full points
1/2 points
No points
FINAL – Digital Portfolio
The final for this course is a digital portfolio of work created from the course that represents and
indicates the course outcomes. Students will submit 6-10 labeled pieces for review, include an
artist statement, and an information sheet listing their name, title, medium, size, and date. Images
should be captured at a resolution no smaller then 150 DPI. I use the same rubric that I use in the
project reviews only each criterion is worth 10pts for a total of 50pts.
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Informal Feedback
Office hours, in class discussions (students may approach me for help during class), Email
Research Journal – 75 pts (5pts per week)
Research Project – 20 pts
Weekly Projects – 150 (10pts per week)
Attendance – 30 pts (2pts per week)
Participation – 30 pts (2pts per week)
Preparation - 30 pts (2 pts per week)
Portfolio – 50 pts
Total = 385 pts possible
Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DE
93%
90%
87%
83%
80%
77%
73%
70%
67%
63%
60%
0%
Color – Schedule
Please note that unless indicated otherwise projects will use acrylic paints, acrylic mediums, acrylic
paint brushes, watercolor paper, vine charcoal and/or charcoal pencil, and painters tape.
Week 1: Introduction to the class –
Research Journal Topic: Pick from the research list one artists and listen to the podcast “Color” on
Radio Lab
Week 2: Color wheel, Color Bias, Influence of light source, color temperature (still lifeplasters). (Due for review one color wheel, one color bias study, and one color-mixing chart)
Research Journal Topic: Issac Newton, focus on his color studies, and Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe, Goethe Triangle
Week 3: Value – Mixing/making Gray scales, monochromatic light source study.
(Due for review one gray mixing chart, and one monochromatic light study)
Research Journal Topic: Albert Munsell, and Robert Hering
Week 4: Simultaneous Contrast – Two colors the same made to look different: Students must make
two small squares that are the same color look different by changing the background color behind
them. Two colors that are different made to look the same: Students must make two small squares of
color that are different look the same by changing the background colors behind them. (Due for
review two different colors made the same, two colors that are the same made to look different. 2
studies total)
Research Journal Topic: Josef Albers, and Lawrence Herbert (Pantone)
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Week 5: Bezold Effect, Color advancing and receding – Students will create two different
studies using strips of 4 different colors that alternate. The two studies will have three colors
that are the same in both of them. Their fourth colors must be different and one must be a
warm color and the other needs to be a different cooler color. (Due for review 2 Bezold color
studies)
Research Journal Topic: Wilhelm von Bezold, Bezold Effect), and one other artist
Week 6: Color schemes and Color Contrasts (pattern and grids) – Students will create seven
different compositions using only patterns and grids. Each composition will use one of the
six color schemes Monochromatic, Analogous, Complimentary, Split-Complimentary,
Triadic, Tetrad, and Quadratic. In addition students will select one of the seven different
ways Itten described for creating color contrast which are Saturation, Light and Dark,
Proportion-Hue, Warm and Cool, Simultaneous, Complements. (Due for review 7 different
color scheme compositions)
Research Journal Topic: Johannes Itten, and one other artist
Week 7: Interpretation of a Master Work –Reallocation of dominant, subdominant, and accent
color. Students will select an Master artists work and that they will copy except they will
reallocate the dominant, subdominant, and accent colors around (for example if the major
dominant color was blue and the accent was red in the copy those two would be switched.) (Due
for review one Reallocated master copy compositon)
Research Journal Topic: Two artists from the research list
Week 8: Optical Mixing – Students will create a small optical mixture study. The study will have
to square boxes on one sheet of paper. On the left students will create will place small marks for
blue on one side and yellow on the other. In the middle students will place the two colors next to
each other. In the other small box left on the page, students will create a similar mixture of blue
and yellow only physically mixing the two.
Students will also create a composition that is created from optical mixtures looking at examples
from pointillism. (Due for review one optical mixture color study and one pointillism
composition)
Research Journal Topic: Michel-Eugène Chevreul (Chevreul Effect), and Georges Seurat
Week 9: Layers – Students will select a message from a found source that they will embed into a
mix media piece using layers of found paper materials. Students will build layers and layers of found
materials adding and subtracting through them with paint and sandpaper.
(This project will require students to collect found paper materials, glue sticks, scissors, sand paper,
paint, and paper support) (Due for review one Layers composition)
Research Journal Topic: Mark Bradford, and one other artist
Week 10: Extension of Artists Work (double the area) – Students will be given an image of another
artist work. They will then need to double and continue the piece to twice is area/size making the
extension look like belonged with the original. (Due for review one Extension composition)
Research Journal Topic: Two artists from the research list
Week 11: Extension of Artists Work (double the area) (continued)
Research Journal Topic: Two artists from the research list
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Week 12: Fusion/Research Project – Students will select two different artists work from the
research list and fuse them together into a new student created composition themed on kitchen.
Students will select different components/elements from the two works to combine (example:
color, style, materials, etc.) Fusion is also the Research Project and must follow the following
guidelines:
With two parts the research project starts with students preparing a plan that outlines the materials,
process, presentation, and context of their project using examples from their research journal. The
second part is documentation of the completed project. Students provide images of their work and a
written artist statement explaining the materials, process, presentation, and context of their work.
(Due for review one Fusion composition)
Research Journal Topic: Two artists from the research list
Week 13: Fusion, (continued)
Research Journal Topic: Two artists from the research list
Week 14: Prepare Final Portfolio
Week 15: Final
Materials
Acrylic Paints:
Alizarin Red
Cadmium Red
Hansa or Lemon Yellow
Cadmium Yellow Med
Pthalo Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Yellow Ochre
Black
White
Acrylic Brushes - (note acrylic or oil brushes have a longer handle and watercolor brushes are
generally shorter) 1 Round: # 6 or #8 - 1 Flat: # 6 or #8 or close
Paper (for creating projects on) Watercolor Paper heavyweight 140 lb press
Tracing paper
Sketchbook (anything, just not too small)
Pencils, Pen, charcoal pencil, vine charcoal
Erasers (pink pearl)
Acrylic Mediums (acrylic matte medium)
Exacto knife, Scissors, Ruler
Painter’s tape (what you would get for painting houses at the hardware store)
Drawing board or masonite board 23 x 26
Sand paper
Glue stick
Collage materials (magazines, newspapers, paint chips, colored papers, etc.)
Something to hold your tools and collage materials
Container for water and rising brushes, plate/palette (something for mixing paint on)
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Research List
Radio Lab Podcasts
http://www.radiolab.org/story/211119-colors/
http://www.radiolab.org/story/91640-choice/
Josef Albers
Albert Munsell
Johannes Itten
Robert Hering
Michel-Eugène Chevreul, Chevreul Effect
Wilhelm von Bezold, Bezold Effect
Paul Klee
Wassily Kandinsky
Mark Rothko
David Hockney
Johannes Vermeer
Claude Monet
Gauguin
Vincent Van Gogh
Morris Louis
Jackson Pollock
Mary Cassatt
Frida Khalo
Edgar Degas
Émile Bernard
Eve Aschheim
Graffiti Artist - KR
Issac Newton, focus on his color studies
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Goethe
Triangle
Lawrence Herbert, Pantone
Georges Seurat
Mark Bradford
George Condo
David Choe
Curtis Kulig
Barry McGee
Geoff McFetridge
Kenneth Goldsmith
Yayoi Kusama
Gabriel Orozco
Mike Kelly
Cory Archangel
Os Gemeos
Saul Bass
Massimo Vignelli
Alvin Lustig
Paul Rand
Aleksandr Rodchenko
Dieter Rams
Herb Lubalin
David Carson
Peter Saville
Paula Scher
Stefan Sagmeister
Lou Dorfsman
Walter Landor
Seymour Chwast
Jan Tchichold
Ivan Chermayeff
Susan Kare
Ronny Edry
Max Miedinger
Milton Glaser
David Carson
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