John Sappington, Art 18.1, SRJC,
Monday 9-12 and Wednesday 10-12 plus one hour per week online.
This class is an art studio class with an "online" component. In addition to the "hands on" production of digital imagery/presentations, we will explore the theoretical impact of technology on artistic practice. We will be working in Adobe Photoshop, MetaCreations Painter and HTML.
As a full syllabus of this class is not available please refer to the previous 18.1 as a guide to expectations, requirements and class projects.
Sample Reading List (incomplete)
Theory:
The
Digital Dialectic: New Essays on New Media,
Peter Lunenfeld, The MIT Press, 1999
Snap
to Grid: A User's Guide to Digital Arts, Media, and Cultures, Peter Lunenfeld,
The MIT Press, 2000
Technical:
Photoshop
7, Visual Quickstart Guide, Elain Weinmann & Peter Lourekas, Peachpit
Press 2003
HTML
for the World Wide Web, Visual Quickstart Guide, Elizabeth Castro, Peachpit
Press 2002
I first became involved with computers in 1964 and they were a very different animal then! I introduced computers in the SRJC Art Department in 1983 and have been teaching this class since 1985. I created the college's first Online class and have been a proponent of art and technology for years. I am currently exploring the use of OpenSource software for use here. Having experienced so much change with technology over the last 30 years, I am keenly aware that becoming more creative is not about mastering software which can be largely done from a book coupled with hands-on experience, but rather it is about paying attention to the collaboration between human and machine structured so that the process of discovery is paramount. Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge in his work. I believe this to be true with creative endevors as well. The process of creation is critical, not simply the use of the tool to achieve a known goal. And finally one process that computers have provided to visual artists is quick and easy editing leading to first and later "drafts" of images.
More information on my recent exhibit can be seen at my website: jwatrous.org
Linear thinking is analytical whereas creative thinking is associative and provocative. Creative thinking enjoys the process whereas linear thinking is always trying to get to the goal and stop the process.
Linear thinking is normally single-goal oriented and selective. Creative thinking generates multiple ideas (which can later be selected).
In order to function well creative thinking demands many options from which to select and make choices later in the process. Because of this demand for options, Quantity becomes one of the greatest secrets of creativity.
We are often taught to only think about things until we have an workable answer. We explore only to find an adequate answer, then stop exploring. This is called linear thinking.
But if one keeps exploring one may find a far better solution, or better yet multiple solutions from which to chose. This is creative thinking which in large part enjoys the process of finding solutions rather than finding only an adequate, single solution. Because the process is so important to creative thinking it is often referred to as The Creative Process.
The purpose of design is to generate alternatives, to look beyond adequate towards inspiration and to free ourselves from cliche patterns.
Creativity is often vaguely encouraged as some mysterious talent.
Not so!
Creative thinking can be learned and can complement linear or logical
thinking, but must be practiced.
And commit to memory what the artist Emil Nolde said years ago:
"Clever
people master life; the wise illuminate it and create fresh difficulties."
See
example
What is due: 3@ exercises using all the images
listed below .
I want you to start with an image of Mark Pauline, an unconventional artist
who often blows things up as part of his performances. More on Mark and his
production company can be found on his webpage
including some great images of performaces and posters (hint, you might get some
ideas by looking at these).
(Dictionary definition of Montage: a composite
picture made by combining several separate pictures)
1. Get images to use
from the class web page-- I'll demo.
at this site: http://www.santarosa.edu/art/art18
Or
go to the top of this page and use the "site map."
Open and save these 3
images:(mouse down on image, save image as into Student Folder...)
mark-pauling.jpg
big-clouds.jpg
gas-tanks.jpg
2. While image is active, select
"clone source"
3. Use "clone airbrush" etc. and paint in clone image
Tip:determine where on the clone your brush starts using "control"
"click"(on a Mac, "shift" on a PC) while in a clone brush.
Note:
start with a "clone" of your original to protect it by selecting "file" "clone."
What is due: 3@ unique typography images using
drop shadows, fills and any other tools you can find in the effects
menu.
Create your name using some of the skills you learn below.
Note: This assumes that you have first opened another image which will become your clone source. The clone source must be open and selected as the "clone source" from the "file" menu. I suggest you use "big-clouds.jpg" for a starter because it is a wide image and easy to obtain from the class web page.
6. From "effects" menu, select "tonal control" or "brightness and contrast"
and adjust.
7. From "effects" "objects" select "drop shadow." You can do
this several times to increase the darkness of the drop shadow.
What is due: 3 cut paper collages based upon the
number your instructor assigns you. Each collage is 4 X 6" in vertical format,
mounted on 8 1/2 X 11" white paper. Also, the collages will be uploaded to the
web in a specific format.
Collect magazine images only, no personal photos. Carefully select images and associations which reflect your number in metaphorical terms and must also include your assigned number.
A metaphor is defined as: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.
also Scan Collages and put up as Webpages
..to be viewed off line
Read about the Stenberg Brothers, two important artists who worked between 1923-33 and produced wonderfully unique cinema posters which have been shown as fine art.
Read the scanning page and emphasize the use the flat bed scanners for this project. Practice using the color laser printer with your images.
Maggid
Example One
Maggid
Example Two
More Panorama
Resources
The digital camera permits you to work in any format you desire. Once the image is captured, the software will let you alter it in many ways. The way I want you to alter the images for this project actually needs to be addressed while you are taking the images, because I want you to connect the images horizontally to make a panoramic image of 4, 6 or even more images 'spliced' together using Painter.
Painter 6 or later should be used for this project
since it will allow you easier manipulation of layers.
Here is the
step-by-step:
Optionally you can get totally carried away and use many images and print
using Epson's panorama photo paper which is long! (8.25 X 23.25")or even Epson's
roll paper to make prints many feet long!
See Michael Maggid's website for inspirition and
even more resources at: a guide to panoramic
photography.
Notice in some panoramas that the edges are irregular. This
is how David
Hockney uses simple cameras to make his photo-collages which are like
panoramas is 2 directions.
For anything higher than 72dpi (and I expect to see higher resolution for your prints) you can also scan either flat art such as magazine photos using the flatbed scanner, or slides and negatives (4 X 5" is our limit) using the scanners in Analy 787.
See the above scanner page as a resource and note that we have a slide and negative scanner now in room 1261. The color laser printer, the Epson printers in 1261, the 2 in 787 and any others you can access can be used for this project. I can supply you with 2 pieces of high quality, glossy paper only. More high quality paper can be purchased, but keep in mind that color cartridges also cost money and you may be asked to contribute for these if your project exceeds what the lab considers "over the limit."
Present a visual experience which includes the element of time, Einstein's 4th dimension. Make a Painter Movie and save it both as numbered files and as a gif animation which can be viewed on the web (and not in Painter). Modulate time by varying the speed between images.
1. Start with File>New but this time check "Movie" and make it good for 10 frames, click OK.
2. Call the movie "movie-01" or some such simple title and save it to your Zip cartridge. Movies are automatically saved/updated as you work on them.
3. Tell the next dialog box that you want 2 layers of onion skin. All this means is that you'll get to see 2 frames at once while working. To actually see the other layers in the frome you are working in, check the tracing paper view box, black and white squares, on the top right on the working window.
4. Draw something very simple and that varies very subtly from frame to frame, like a ball bouncing. Use the controls like a VCR and move from frame to frame. Drop All Floaters before running your movie! When finished "play" your movie. You can't control frame rates until after it's saved so all you can do is edit and add complexity.
5. Once you've done this, think about an image you already have, like someone's mouth or lips and trace/clone it onto a movie and make it move as if talking! This of course is just one, simple idea.
6. Save your movie as a frame stack--numbered frames--with a file name starting with a number your last name in the title. Also save the movie as a GIF Animation which can be only viewed using a web browser.
What is due: 3@ exercises using all the images
listed below .
I want you to start with a part of one of your Texture Project images, use the "Double" idea from the Panorama Project to create some symmetry and finally add to that symmetry in many directions to create kaleidoscopic effects. Of course the more colorful and contrasty the image you start with, the better the overall effect will be.
E-Mail your comments or
questions about the
course to me at: jwatrous@santarosa.edu,
or you may call my office at 707 527 4276.
Updated last on: 3 November 2002
