Syllabus GRA2151c: Illustration Tuesday & Thursday, 2:30 pm – 5:15 pm, VAB 213B Instructor: Matthew Dunn | Office: CAH 190N | E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: W, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm. Contact me for appointment.
Course Overview: This course is an introduction to various traditional mediums and techniques of illustration. Each assignment will focus on understanding the medium as well as tackling basic illustration concerns such as composition, staging, layout, fundamentals of drawing, anatomy, perspective, color, and conceptual thinking.
Required Book: 5.5” x 8.5” spiral sketchbook, 100 pages (such as Strathmore or Canson)
Grade Breakdown: Grades will be based on mastery of the medium, composition, drawing fundamentals, and overall structure of the illustrations.
Projects 1-6 600 Grade Scale (6 @ 100 points each) 900-933: A- 934-1000: A Final Project 200 800-833: B- 837-866: B 867-899: B+ Sketchbook 100 700-733: C- 737-766: C 767-799: C+ Pop Assignments 100 600-633: D- 637-666: D 667-699: D+ Below 600 points: F Maximum 1000 Points Sketchbook: Your sketchbook will be used throughout the semester to develop concepts (thumbnails, drafts, etc.) for your projects as well as for in-class assignments. It will be turned in during the final exam period. You may paste related drawings into sketchbook, but it should be done in a neat manner. Loose drawings, folders, and portfolios or other oversized pieces will not be accepted.
In-Class Assignments: You will be given a series of in-class “pop”-assignments throughout the semester. The goal of these assignments is to help you hone your conceptual skills and come up with quick ideas and solutions to problems. These assignments will be completed within the class session and will be timed. You will also complete in-class assignments relating to the projects. These assignments will be graded individually and averaged to produce a single grade.
You must be in attendance to complete these “pop” and in-class assignments (unless otherwise specified). If you have an unexcused absence on a day we have these assignments, they cannot be made up.
1 Deadlines: All projects must be completed and turned in during the first 20 minutes of class on the due date. Ten points will be deducted from projects turned in late on the due date. Projects not turned in during the class period of the due date will result in a zero and cannot be redone. You may arrange to submit your work early or send it with a colleague, but you are ultimately responsible for timely submission.
Re-dos: From Projects 1-6, you may resubmit one project that was submitted before the original deadline. Late submissions cannot be redone. A resubmitted project may not necessarily earn a higher score. Resubmissions must be turned in no later than December 5, 2013.
Attendance Policy: Each student is expected to show up on time for each class session. Three absences are allowed. A fourth absence will result in your final grade dropping by one letter grade. Every two absences after that will result in another letter grade drop.
Example: If you finish the semester with an A, and have 3 absences, you will receive an A. If you have 4 absences, the A drops to a B. If you have 6 absences, your grade drops to a C, and so forth.
Students will be required to sign an attendance sheet for each class session. Students may not sign in for other students; this will result in disciplinary action including possible dismissal for both students from the course.
Emergencies: If you experience an emergency that will impede your ability to participate in the class (either temporarily or permanently), notify the instructor via course email as soon as possible. Do not wait until after the fact to notify the instructor of an issue that prevents you from keeping up with your work.
Student Expectations: The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD-only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.
Grievance Procedure: If you need to discuss a problem relating to this class, you may schedule an appointment with me to meet outside of class time. Personal grievance issues will not be discussed during class.
2 Knights E-mail Address: Students are required to check their Knights e-mail account on a regular basis for notices concerning the course. All e-mail correspondence will be directed to your Knights account. Contact the instructor using the e-mail address posted on this syllabus.
Professionalism Policy: Per university policy and classroom etiquette, mobile phones, iPods, etc., must be silenced during all classroom activities. Laptops/computers are for note-taking and classwork only. Playing games, using social media and surfing the web is not permitted, unless pertinent to the project. Offending students may be asked to leave the class for the day resulting in an absence. Please arrive on time for all class meetings. Students who habitually disturb the class by talking, arriving late, or are disrespectful toward their colleagues may suffer a reduction in their final class grade.
Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. All work turned in must be created by the student turning in the work. Turning in plagiarized work will result in an “F” and could lead to expulsion. Projects based on works created by other artists or other students will not be accepted. All work must be created for this class.
Academic Conduct Policy: Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. If you are uncertain what constitutes academic dishonesty, please consult The Golden Rule, the University of Central Florida’s Student Handbook (http://www.goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu/), for further details. As in all university courses, The Golden Rule Rules of Conduct will be applied. Violations of these rules will result in a record of the infraction being placed in your file and receiving a zero on the work in question at minimum. At the instructor’s discretion, you may also receive a failing grade for the course. Confirmation of such incidents can also result in expulsion from the University. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. If caught cheating, a “0” for that project/test will be given, and you may be withdrawn from the course. In addition, you may not reuse projects from other classes in this course. Copying or deleting files without permission that are not your own could be considered cheating.
Important Dates to Remember: Withdrawal Deadline (ends at 11:59 pm): Monday, Oct. 28, 2013 Campus closes at 3pm for football game (no class): Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 Thanksgiving: November 28 - 30, 2013 Final Exam: Thursday, December 5, 2013, 1:00pm – 3:50pm
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GRA2151c: Illustration Project Breakdown* * Projects and due dates are subject to change at instructor’s discretion.
Presentation: All assignments must be presented with a 2-inch matte, preferably white.
Project 1: Pen & Ink Illustration- Portrait (Due Tuesday, 9/3/13) Pen and ink illustration is considered an Additive method, which means you’re adding a medium to a surface to create the image. For your first assignment, you will illustrate a portrait of a living celebrity using the dip pen and ink. The celebrity should be a pretty mainstream celebrity which most people would recognize; nobody too obscure. This will be a straightforward portrait—no exaggeration of the features, and not a cartoon. Approach it as an editorial illustration for a newspaper, such as the New York Times. The image will be black and white and you will use cross-hatching techniques to emulate shadows and values.
Materials and Specs: • Drawing dip pen nibs of different sizes with handles (Speedball Cartoon Kit) • Black India Drawing Ink • Small round brush (such as sizes 00-3) • 5x7 Final illustration size • Hot press illustration board (smooth surface) • Process White
Artists to Study: Look at the work of the following artists to see how they used line to create shadows, value, texture, and shape: Robert Crumb, Burne Hogarth, Charles Dana Gibson, Heinrich Kley, Will Eisner, John R. Neill, Rockwell Kent
Project 2: Pen & Ink Illustration- Caricature Portrait (Due Thursday, 9/12/13) For this assignment, you will create a pen and ink caricature of the same celebrity that you used for the first project. While it’s the same celebrity, it doesn’t need to be the same pose. For this illustration, you will incorporate exaggeration to highlight the subject’s features and personality.
Materials and Specs: • Mapping and cartooning (round) pen nibs with handles (Speedball Cartoon Kit) • Standard drawing dip pen nibs of different sizes (also in Speedball Cartoon Kit) • Small round brush (such as sizes 00-3) • Black India Drawing Ink • 5x7 Final illustration size • Hot press illustration board (smooth surface) • Process White
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Artists to Study: Look at the work of the following artists to get ideas on how they approach a caricature, what they choose to exaggerate, and how the illustration resembles the subject: Al Hirschfeld, Mort Drucker, Ernesto Cabral, Jack Davis, David Levine, Philip Burke, Hanoch Piven, Steve Brodner, John Kascht
Project 3: Linocut Illustration (Due Tuesday, 9/24/13) Linocut illustration is considered a Reductive method, which means you are removing pieces from the surface as opposed to adding. For this assignment, you will create an illustration of an animal. The animal you choose should have plenty of texture or detail, such as the wispy feathers of a macaw, the bumpy hide of an elephant, or even the decorative skin of a tree frog— something to give you the opportunity for detail.
Materials and Specs: • Linoleum block, 5x7 • Lino cutter (handle) • Assorted linoleum cutter blades • Marker paper (Recommended: Graphics 360 100% Rag Translucent Marker Paper) • Optional: We’ll be printing in class with class materials but if you’d like, you can also get your own piece of glass (larger than the paper you’re printing on), roller, printer’s ink, and wooden spoon.
Project 4: Scratchboard Illustration (Due Tuesday, 10/8/13) Scratchboard is also considered Reductive. For this assignment you will create an image of a fictional character or creature, whether it’s a Greek or Roman god, a classic literary hero or monster, a fairy tale character, or Bigfoot. Stay away from well-known modern television, film, or comic book characters. For instance, you can do your interpretation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but not Twilight’s “vampires.” Inject some emotion or action into this portrait, such as Bigfoot growling or even smiling, and Dracula showing his fangs). Show more of the subject’s body than just the head and shoulders.
Materials and Specs: • 8x10 Scratchboard • Scratchboard handle and cutting blades • X-acto knife and blades (old dull blades will suffice) • Optional: There are many different cutting tools available that will give you different textures and patterns.
Artists to Study: Look at the work of the following artists to and see how they build the figure and object with scratchboard: Mark Summers, Chris Gall
5 Project 5: Watercolor Illustration (Due Thursday, 10/24/13) For this assignment, you will illustrate a page of a children’s book story. Use your imagination for this one—be creative with your character designs and situations. The illustration will be 12x9 landscape on cold press illustration board.
Materials and Specs: • Watercolor paint • Brushes of various sizes • Standard drawing dip pen nibs of different sizes with handles • Black India Drawing Ink • 12x9 (Landscape) Final illustration size • Cold press illustration board (textured surface)
Artists to Study: Look at the work of the following artists to and see how they treat the watercolor medium— some fairly loose, others pretty tight: Quentin Blake, Peter de Seve, Ronald Searle, John Cuneo, Barry Blitt, Saul Steinberg, Heath Robinson, Elwood Smith
Project 6: Gouache Illustration - Conceptual (Due Tuesday, 11/12/13) For this assignment, you will create a conceptual or surreal image using gouache, also known as opaque watercolor, that illustrates an emotional state such as fear, happiness, anger, loneliness, anxiety, etc. Although the concepts are abstract, this is not intended to be an abstract painting. Use figures and environment, as well as wit, to stage a scene that depicts the emotion.
Materials and Specs: • Gouache/Opaque Watercolor paint (cakes or tubes) • Brushes of various sizes • 9x12 (Portrait) Final illustration size • Cold press illustration board (textured surface)
Artists to Study: Study these artists and how they tackle the concepts behind their illustrations: Guy Billout, Craig Frazier, Edel Rodriguez. You can also look at examples of gouache on the packaging of Aurora or Revell model kits.
Project 7: To Be Announced (Due Tuesday, 11/26/13)
Project 8: Final Project- Medium of Your Choice (Due Thursday, 12/5/13) Note: For the final exam period, class will meet on Thursday Dec. 5 from 1:00pm to 3:50pm. For this assignment, you may choose any of the mediums covered during the semester, either in our assignments or by a speaker. We will listen to an audio story and you will take notes of scenes and actions that happened in the play. You will then illustrate a scene using the medium of your choice.
Materials and Specs: • 8x10 Final illustration size, portrait or landscape
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