Woman Brushing Her Hair, by Edgar Degas

I could not find the picture I had originally wanted from the book but when Googling the authors name I stumbled a-crossed this work of art. This picture shows many examples of points and lines within the brushes, the woman's outline, hair, and her belongings. There is shape to the picture in two-dimension although she looks as if she were right in front of you. The space of how the various objects represent depth and the angle of the table she is sitting at shows her other hair brushes to be farther away. The way her body is drawn she is at an angle and as if she were alive. The values between the shades in her gown and hair make her seem realistic. From looking at his other works of art I can only imagine that she is a ballerina getting ready to dance. Edgar Degas has many pictures of ballerinas as if fascinated with them.

The Virgin of the Chancellor Rolin, by Jan van Eyck

I've chosen this picture because it represents depth, with the picture looking beyond just the three people sitting there. There is also a river, buildings, animals, and two little children near the peacocks beyond three. The artist also shows the architectural beauty of the place they are in. The painting is done in oils on a piece of wood. Also, when the stories or movies are shown about Jesus we do not see him or his mother in this aspect. They are both normally portrayed in clothing that is poorer quality or that are in shambles. The picture shows the Virgin Mary's purity the way she delicately sits there with her calm son Jesus on her knees as she represents him to the Chancellor Rolin. The Virgin Mary is being crowned by the angel as if representing her being the Queen of God having his son.

Le Repos

Edouard Manet: 1870, oil on canvas

This is a portrait of Berthe Morisot. I love how realistic it looks. I like how casually the girl is posed in the painting, and how her white dress dramatically is contrasted against the darker earthy colors in the room.

The picture is called Hen and it was with a pen and a brush using india ink on paper by artist Saul Steinburg.  This picture is composed mainly of lines and I find that interesting that the artist decided to use such a simple element of art to create a fairly complex picture.  I also find it interesting the perspective in which it was done.  With the chicken in the foreground it almost eclipses the barn and the house which minuscule in comparison 

Luncheon on the Grass
Manet
1862-1863
Oil on canvas

The image of a nude woman sitting with fully clothed men was controversial at the time. The men seem to be in conversation, ignoring the woman. The woman in the background is bathing herself in a stream. There seems to be some disconnect and inconsistency with depth. The background seems to be very flat as though it was a staged background rather than a real, natural background. Because of this lack of depth, the woman almost appears to be floating above them, rather than in the distance. There are also few shadows displayed on the canvas which may indicate the use of artificial/ photographic lighting.

"Mark" Chuck Close

"Mark" by Chuck Close is an acrylic on canvas and is currently on display at the MOMA. What intrigues me the most about this portrait is that when I first saw it I thought it was a photograph. The detail in the painting are truly amazing and you can see everything from the texture of his shirt to the stubble on his face. The painting really catches your eye because it is so in your face, and he is staring right at you.

"The Scream" by Edvard Munch using a few elements of art. His use of space with a background, middle-ground, and foreground work exceptionally well with his use of color in the sky. The figure in this painting has an agonized expression. His use of line to create flow right off the dock which is hard and straight really draws my attention to many aspects of this painting.

The Haywain by John Constable

I chose the picture "The Haywain" by John Contable because first looking at it I was captured by the beauty of nature shown in it. Constable includes many elements of art in his image.  Points and lines were applied to create the cart and the cottage.  He used color throughout the entire photo.  Color allows one to differentiate between the blue sky and the white clouds as well as, the green color of the trees and the grass.  He uses value to show darker clouds from lighter clouds.  Value is also used to cast this shadow over the water from the darker cloud.  Value allows one to see that this picture it portraying nature in the day time rather than at night.  Constable used texture to apply this movement of the water from the cart and in doing so created ripples in the water.  This picture is 2-dimensional, however, it was made to appear as though it is 3-dimensional.  Lastly, space was used to produce a background in which there are trees and a field of grass.  The horse driven cart, the pond of water as well as some trees were created bigger to appear closer in the foreground. 

"Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh

“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh displays the many elements of art. He paints what is seen on an average night, but uses originality by making the sky, town, and landscapes appear different than they do in several other paintings that I've seen. The work of art is made up of lines. The artist uses the lines differently by adding many twists and turns, giving the sky energy and wind. He also uses a wide variety of colors with shades and tints that help bring about a texture in the painting. The colors depict a blue sky with many stars, and add a yellow glow to the painting. The remaining colors are subtle to create a town beneath the sky. Overall, I think the painting is extremely dynamic and full of energy. It is one of the most intricate paintings in Chapter one and truly projects the elements of art with new ideas that form an eye-catching piece.

Portrait of Wei by Kit Ma

Portrait of Wei by  Kit Ma is an Acrylic on Canvas painting. It was made in the year 2000. The elements of art that can be seen here are line, space, color, and value. I found this picture interesting because the artist used the fishbowl distortion in his painting which is usually just used in photography. I thought that was very unique. I also loved the use of shadowing on the left side of the face.

This picture is by Simon Bull entitled "Everything I Give You." This painting struck me as interesting because of the supreme size of the flower on the left compared to the almost meager flowers on the right of the painting. What does the title mean, perhaps the flower compared to the others is a symbol for what the artist feels his or her effort is in context to that which he is receiving. Personally I see the flower as a reflection of ferocity engulfing its surrounding. This flower is beautiful but beauty can often be dangerous. This painting brings light to the disproportion we all feel in life every now again.

"Boating on the Seine"

I chose the painting "Boating on the Seine" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, because there was something very peaceful and calming to it. Right off the bat I can tell that this painting incorporates space because there is the foreground, middle-ground and background, getting smaller respectively. The painting's primary element is the use of color. From shades and tints of blue, to green and white; it differs all over the piece. The other parts I noticed was the value of the painting. Near the bottom he uses a much darker blue than at the top, creating shadows. He uses certain brush strokes to create a sort of texture to the piece as well. In all, I found this painting very interesting because of the different uses of color and texture while keeping it's peaceful tone.

Saul Steinberg's Hen

I chose Saul Steinberg's Hen (1945) drawing because it definitely caught my attention while flipping through the pages. Although the focal point is quite obvious in this piece, Steinberg knows how to keep your eye constantly moving though out the entire picture with the use of lines. He uses a variety of widths and lengths which creates a flow and movement for the viewer. By playing around with different line weights he was also able to create a sense of texture in his illustration. I became fascinated with his drawing because of how simple it seemed, yet how eye-catching it continued to be for me. Hen portrays different values within it as some of the painted lines are of a darker color then some of the pen created lines. This drawing also includes space as there is a main foreground, and also a background. It looks as if the so-called "hen" is closer to the front than the other buildings in the background since he drew the hen much larger, other known as perspective. As the lines may seem out of control, or chaotic to some, I find it to be one of the main reasons Steinberg was able to create such an  interesting design.

"Behind the Gare St. Lazare"

This image by Henri Cartier-Bresson is called Behind the Gare St. Lazare, 1932. It includes many elements of art and is quite an interesting picture. Point and line are utilized in the fence and rooftoops of the buildings in the background. There is a ripple in the texture of the water where the ladder is placed, but where the man is running you can see the water is smooth, which gives him the appearance of being able to "walk (or run, in this case) on water." The fact that the man is blurry illustrates to the viewer that he is in motion. This photo is 2-dimensional but looks 3-dimensional because the shadow seems like it is popping out of the photo. This phenomenon may be due to the most important element of art in this photo: value and the contrast of value. The darkest shade of the photo is in the man, which draws your eye to him right away, and the lightest hue is in thd puddle on the sidewalk... a very sharp contrast!

Three Pairs of Shoes

For my first piece I chose a painting done by Vincent Van Gogh. To me, learning about Vincent Van Gogh over the years I've always been fascinated with a lot of his pieces. Including the classic starry night. This painting is called "Three Pairs of Shoes" and I chose this painting because I love his use of color. It is also interesting how he is able to portray a certain look of texture in the boots. To me they look like leather and I imagine its because of the value and colors he used. Although this painting is simple I thought his detail with something as simple as shoes was fantastic. I like a lot of his work and this was a painting I had not yet seen.

"Water Painting" by Gary Hume

Gary Hume

Water Painting, 1999

At first glance, one may only see three visible women, but when viewed closer you notice there are multiple outlines of women. Because it is such a busy painting, seeing there is activity all over, choosing to paint the background a single color in my opinion forces the viewer to focus on and even follow the lines of the many outlines. The overlapping of the faces, shoulders and arms causes an uncertainty in the amount of women that are actually shown. Although his use of lines may seem disorganized or chaotic, his use of a monochromatic background makes this painting easier on the eye.

"The Anxious Journey" by Giorgio de Chirico

This is "The Anxious Journey" by Giorgio de Churico. This was painted in 1913 and the medium is oil on canvas. "The Anxious Journey" is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. 

The reason why I chose this painting was because it gave me anxiety before I was aware of the title. Also, I liked de Churico's use of value in this photo. It is very mysterious. In one of the window openings is a random train coming toward the building. This makes my anxiety rise. 

Chuck Close

holy cow

Syllabus 2013

Mount Saint Mary College

Dynamics of Color and Design

Course Number:       ART 2110

Course Title:              Dynamics of Color and Design

Professor:                   Gary Jacketti

Office Hours:             Tuesday, Thursday before or after class

e-mail:                         jacketti@optonline.net

                                    gjac4166@my.msmc.edu

Class Times:               Tuesday, Thursday  3:55to 5:05

Required Text:          Alan Pipes. Introduction to Design, Upper Saddle River,

                                    New Jersey, Prentice Hall

ISBN:                         0-13-208511-8

Course Objectives:    The students will be introduced to the essential design principles and the use of color, this course offers practice in studio processes and choosing design options. Students gain visual literacy by revising and refining original ideas and executing designs for two and three-dimensional works.  They will develop an understanding of the basic concepts of art history and its relevance to the use of design and color.  This will occur with lectures, slide presentations, documentaries and projects associated with the art periods and artists.  They will be able to recognize movements and periods of art through readings, discussions, projects and presentations.

Grading and Evaluation

Mid Term                   20%

Blogs                           30%

Projects                       20%

Final Exam                  30%

Division of Arts and Letters Grading Policy

Points	Grade Equivalent	Quality Points	Meaning
100-95	A	4.0	Superior
94-90	A-	3.67	Outstanding
89-87	B+	3.33	Excellent
86-83	B	3.0	Very Good
82-80	B-	2.67	Good
79-77	C+	2.33	Above Average
76-73	C	2.0	Average
72-70	C-	1.67	Below Average
69-65	D+	1.33	Poor
64-60	D	1.0	Passing
59-0	F	0.0	Failing

Blog

You will be responsible for writing a concise yet academic comment concerning the lectures and projects.  You will also need to post an academic art image to reinforce your criticism.

Projects

Accompanying the readings, lectures and discussions, there will also be an art production activity that corresponds with the artists and movements.  The students are responsible for completing at least 8 projects this semester.

Exams

The mid-term and final exam will include slide identification, multiple choice and essays.

Attendance

Attendance is mandatory and extremely important.  Three unexcused missed classes will result in dropping of the letter grade by 1, 5 absences the grade will be lowered by 2.

Readings                                                                             Projects

Week 1

Chapter 1   Points and Lines                                                   Contour Line Drawing

Week 2

Chapter 2   Shape                                                                    Design a Logo

                                                                                                Exercise 2, p.59

Week 3

Chapter 3   Texture                                                                 Torn Paper Mosaics

                                                                                                Exercise 2, p. 77

Week 4

Chapter 4   Space                                                                    Two Point Perspective     

                                                                                                Drawing

Week 5

Chapter 5   Time and Motion                                                  Digital Photography

                                                                                                Time Travel

                                                                                                Exercise 1, p.123

Week 6

Chapter 6  Value                                                                     Pixelated Portrait

Studio Class                                                                            Exercise 1, p. 141 

                                   

Week 7

Mid Term and Review

Week 8

Chapter 7   Color                                                                    Andy Warhol Poster

Week 9                                                                                   Exercise 1, p. 171

Chapter 7  Color                                                                    

Week 10

Chapter 8   Unity and Harmony                                             Gestalt Collage

                                                                                                Exercise 3, p.189

Week 11

Chapter 9   Balance                                                                 Radial Balance

Week 12

Chapter 10   Scale and Proportion                                          Artist Miniature Book

                                                                                                Exercise 1, p. 225

Week 13

Chapter 11   Contrast and Emphasis                                      Isolation

                                                                                                Exercise 2, p. 241

Week 14

Chapter 12   Rhythm                                                             

Studio Week

Week 15

Final Review and Exam