ART 102: Two-dimensional Design

Course Overview

Welcome!

Welcome to ART 102, Two-dimensional Design! This online studio course is an introduction to the language and material of two-dimensional design, covering the elements and principles of 2D visual language, and their crucial role in contemporary visual culture. ART 102 is a beginning level course; no previous experience is needed.

As the course progresses, class members strengthen their individual design abilities through a cumulative series of exercises in visual design process. Visual assignments introduce techniques, apply concepts, and hone critical skills. Group discussions, critiques, and readings contextualize visual learning within historic precedents and contemporary approaches to image construction. By advancing through this "training" process, you begin to discover and claim your personal vision or approach to 2D visual design.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• effectively construct compositions using the elements and principles of 2D design
• apply 2D visual language to the formation of image content
• develop and articulate independent artistic intent
• implement revision and refinement based on critical feedback
• implement digital skills associated with 2D documentation, image preparation, and online presentation
• demonstrate awareness of contemporary image production and circulation
• demonstrate the ability to describe, analyze, and critique 2D imagery as applied to personal and peer artwork, and images in broader cultural circulation.

A Combined Approach: Hands-on and Virtual

Through a combination of hands-on and digital approaches, ART 102 asks you to explore your daily surroundings and the objects you encounter every day with the intent and eye of an artist, and then to use these observations to respond creatively to course assignments.

We take a hands-on approach to materials, creative process, and critical decision-making. By creating our visual work "in the world," we encounter it in different contexts and conditions. We learn, for example, how surrounding colors and changing light affect our perception of color. Through cutting paper, collecting materials, or selecting the appropriate drawing tool, we discover areas of visual and tactile experience that are crucial components to learning about image construction.

This being an online course we also develop digital skills, using digital cameras as tools for documenting, observing, and recording.  We visit online exhibitions and collections, both contemporary and historic, and use online image viewing and blog-posting to professionally present course assignments in cyberspace!

Creative Process

In addition to building our 2D design vocabularies in ART 102, we discuss the creative process itself. How do you get from "A" to "B"?  You don't always get there with the first thing you try, and it’s not always a linear path. How do you generate ideas, explore multiple approaches, experiment with materials, reconsider works-in-progress, revise assignments, and refine portfolios?  Creating strong visual solutions often requires perseverance, the willingness to take risks, try things out one way and then change course to go in a new direction. We talk about workmanship and professional presentation, too. These are all ways of valuing your own creative output and investing in the steps you take to get there.

While assignments give parameters, yardsticks, and frameworks, there are no formulas. Often instructions may not have a single answer. It is crucial that you explore several solutions before selecting the strongest one. Allow yourself to go too far, make mistakes, and experiment with materials and approaches. It may not always look or feel like "art," but the learning, practice, and discussion we engage in will most certainly take you in that direction.

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Course Organization and Format

An on-campus studio course includes many different activities and styles of learning. Class time and homework combine studio projects, discussion of relevant readings and images, learning new techniques, experimenting with materials, brainstorming with classmates, hands-on work time, and feedback and critiques with the course instructor and peers. Each of these activities comes together to form an active and dynamic learning environment. 

While our course takes place in an online environment, we combine many similar activities in order to create a similarly stimulating and energetic learning process. To that end, each lesson encompasses a variety of activities and approaches. The first few lessons are designed to help us get acquainted with each other and orient us to these different online approaches, which we’ll then use for the remainder of the term.

Weekly Schedule

Our typical weekly schedule runs from Tuesday morning to the following Monday at noon. A typical week begins with my "start-up e-mail," followed up by your review of the lesson, completion of the reading assignment, and viewing of the visual lecture. You will then work on the week’s visual assignment and discussion forum posting until the week’s conclusion on Monday at noon. The cycle begins again on Tuesday—either moving on to the next lesson, or (in the case of longer lessons) proceeding to the next part of the current lesson.

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Readings, Equipment, and Materials

Readings

There is no text to purchase for this course. Weekly reading assignments are from the following texts and can be accessed through a link on each lesson page to UNC's electronic reading reserves:

• Design Basics by Lauer and Pentak
• Color Basics by Pentak and Roth
• Launching the Imagination by Stewart
• Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture by Sturken and Cartwright
• Foundations of Art and Design by Fichner-Rathus
• "Sol Lewitt, Introduction and interview" by Kent, Modern Painters, July-August 2007

See Lesson-by-Lesson Reading List for more details.

Equipment

A digital camera and tripod are required throughout the course. See the Equipment and Materials List to be sure your equipment fits course criteria, or for recommendations and supplier information if you plan to purchase new equipment.

Materials

In order to complete visual assignments, you will need to purchase a variety of art supplies and materials. Most lessons include a material list of the specific supplies required to complete the visual assignment for that lesson. I encourage you, whenever possible, to collect and gather from materials you already have on hand. Often, reconsidering familiar materials yields creative momentum and generates new ideas. See the Equipment and Materials List for more details.

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Course Requirements

Evaluation Criteria

Successful completion of this course requires the creation, analysis, and critique of visual assignments; submission of visual journal and blog assignments; submission of mid-term and final portfolios; and ongoing participation in the discussion forum and critiques.

Your grades are based on the following criteria:

• quality of work: ambitious intent, effort, and commitment (curiosity, exploration, revision, and refinement), workmanship, attention to detail, presentation, and completion on time
• demonstrated comprehension of concepts, formal issues, and techniques discussed and practiced
• your level of preparation, thoughtful engagement, and intelligent participation in all critiques and group discussions
• your ability to listen and respond to suggestions, criticism, and general discussions about your work and to selectively incorporate this feedback into your work
• being an active, curious, and productive presence in the class
• your commitment to learning and growing as an artist.

Grade Distribution

Definition of Letter Grades

In order to do well in this class, it is imperative that you are disciplined and self-motivated. In order to excel, you also need to demonstrate rigor, independence, a positive attitude, curiosity, collegiality, inventiveness, timeliness, dedication, and an outstanding body of work. 

The standards for each grade are as follows—pick the grade you want and set your goals.

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Course Policies

Timely Submission, Revision, and Grading

Submission Verification 
Visual assignment and discussion forum submissions will be verified for completion and recorded at each due date, both within lessons and at their conclusion.

Revision
Between initial assignment due dates and portfolio submission deadlines, you’ll receive feedback and fresh ideas from your peers and myself, see others’ visual solutions, and hone your skills. Take this opportunity to revise and improve your visual assignments prior to grading.

Portfolio Evaluation
Visual assignment portfolios will be evaluated and grades assigned twice during the term, once at mid-term and once at end-of-term.  I will send the class an e-mail with detailed information about how to submit your portfolio and what it should include.

Late Submission Policies

Visual Assignments

• Late submissions will be lowered by one letter grade per day.
• Late submissions will not be accepted beyond one week after the original due date.
• Late submissions forfeit the option to revise and resubmit improvements.

Discussion Forum Posts

• No discussion posts will be accepted after the due date.

Technical Problems and Deadlines

• Creative risk-taking in your visual assignments is encouraged and productive!
• Care and caution with your digital files and equipment is crucial and required!

All course assignments must be posted by the deadline—no exceptions. Deadlines will not be adjusted due to equipment crashes, lost files, power surges, and so on. You must take precautions to ensure that your work is submitted on time. 

Prepare for the unexpected! 

• Equipment fails. Back up your work to external hard drives or discs; run a virus scan each week; don’t wait until the last minute to complete your work. 
• Be proactive. Locate a friend’s computer or camera to borrow in case of emergency; familiarize yourself with the public library computer resources.

Image Permissions

You are participating in the first run of this online studio course! I may include examples of your visual assignments in future lectures and course presentations. Unless you notify me otherwise, I will assume I have your permission for this.

UNC Honor Code

You are expected to adhere to the University of North Carolina’s Honor Code in all of your work.  This includes all written and visual course submissions.

Course Expectations

The following is a review of expectations and responsibilities as they relate to both instructor and students.

What You Can Expect from Your Instructor

As the course instructor, I endeavor to:

• present course material and requirements in a timely, consistent, and thorough manner
• facilitate individual and group interaction and learning in discussion forums
• provide ongoing individual feedback
• give regular grade updates. 

Throughout the course, I aim to maintain a fair and accessible presence with clear schedules, due dates, and expected response times. 

Just as in the traditional studio classroom, my goal is to activate and energize everyone in our class—to inspire you to bring curiosity, self-motivation, rigour, and collegiality to all aspects of your course work.  Each of you will start from where you are—your own perspective, your own existing visual and critical skills. I see my role as stimulating your artistic progress and active learning.

To that end, you will not be graded in comparison to one another but rather in comparison to where you start from, and your energetic progress from there forward. While each of you may start from a different point, remember that in our discussions, the perspectives and ideas you share and the questions you ask benefit everyone in the class.

What is Expected of You

Participation in Our Online Course Community

Be engaged.

• Take an active role in all course-related discussion activities.
• Make energetic and thoughtful contributions to group critiques and discussions.
• Be respectful; pay attention to critique etiquette when discussing others’ artwork.

Be proactive and motivated in your learning.

• Use course resources such as the "Ask Any Question" discussion forum.
• Ask questions—especially if you are unsure about an assignment or its directions. Chances are others are wondering too.

Continue to ask questions.

• Ask questions of your materials and of yourself; share them with your peers. In some cases, answers may come quickly; in others, questions may lead to more questions.
• Discover the freedom to make mistakes, to be confused, impassioned, and ambitious.

Be on time.

• Bring consistent and steady effort and exploration to all your course work.
• Each lesson builds on the completion of the previous lesson. You will learn the most in this course if you complete and submit assignments on time.
• Productive critiques rely on timely submission.

Participation in Discussion Forums (Quantity and Quality)

We'll use the Blackboard discussion forum to discuss readings, offer one another in-progress feedback, and critique visual assignments. It is a dynamic and interactive complement to digital image presentation on Flickr and the course blog. The discussion forum is a key component to our online course community that requires the participation of every class member. The discussion forum can take a little getting used to, partly because the flow of the discussion is different from a traditional classroom context—at times you will be responding to a comment made the previous day or the previous hour.

Weekly "start-up e-mails" outline the specific topics for each week’s discussion along with comments and questions to get the discussion going. Start-up e-mails also specify the number of posts you are expected to contribute. This refers to the number of times you are required to "start a thread" (introduce a new direction to the discussion) or respond to a peer's comment. In either case, to be counted, your post must make a substantial contribution to the discussion. 

Here are a few important guidelines to follow :

• Do not simply repeat what another student has stated. If you do agree, state your reasons and develop the thought further. Be courageous, outspoken, and articulate. 
• Always proofread before you hit "Submit."  Clearly state your ideas and support them from readings, visual lectures, or other sources.
• Post your contributions on separate days. Waiting until the last minute and sending all your posts at once inhibits discussion flow.
• Consider the number of required postings a minimum; there is no maximum!
• You cannot make up for late or missed posts by posting to forums for previous weeks. After noon on Monday, I will verify discussion and assignment submissions. Discussion postings submitted after the due date will not be counted.

E-mail Communication and Etiquette

• I encourage you to contact me by e-mail at any time throughout the semester. My e-mail address is windt@email.unc.edu and there is a link to my e-mail address at the top of every lesson page. I will do my best to reply as quickly as possible. Often I will respond on the same day. The maximum response time, however, is 48 hours.
• It does happen on occasion that e-mails do not reach their destination. If you have not received a response from me within 48 hours, resend your original message, adding "RESEND" in your subject line.
• E-mail is a friendly and efficient form of communication, but basic levels of etiquette are required:
  • Always put your name, course number, and a short reference (such as "Lesson 2, Camera Question") in the subject line of your e-mail.
  • You are welcome to address me by my first name, but e-mails that begin with "Hey" or do not include your name will not be replied to. 
  • Do not send text messages or photos from your phone. These will not be replied to.
  • Always proofread your e-mails before you hit "Send."
  • Remember to save a copy of all your e-mails.

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Tips for Success in an Online Studio Course

Start Where You Are
Start by noticing your visual environment; pay attention to the skills you have; utilize what you already do and know visually—the materials you have around you.  Much of this you may not have thought of as creative or artistic material.

From day one, dive in and explore course assignments rigorously—with curiosity and experimentation. Your best strategy to progress in this course is to challenge and stretch yourself as energetically as you can from wherever you begin. 

Time Management
As an online student, perhaps your greatest challenge is keeping on track and independently managing your time. This has its advantages since course work can be completed at any time of day in any location that is convenient, but it is up to you to establish productive routines that work for you.

Think about the following questions:

Where will you work? Do you need to set up a place, clear the kitchen table after dinner in the evenings? 

When will you work? After the kids are in bed, on your lunch hour, Saturday mornings?

Find a place and routine that works for you, and stick with it!

The material in this course is cumulative. Similar to a math or biology class, each lesson builds on the next. Stay up to date, submit assignments on time, and work steadily. The visual assignments cannot be completed at the last minute; start as soon as you are able and enjoy the process as much as the product. Most learning in art happens in the "doing"!

In general, you can expect to spend approximately one-third of your time completing assigned readings, viewing visual lectures, and posting comments to the discussion forum. Plan to spend the remaining two-thirds of your time completing and documenting visual assignments.

Technical Components of the Online Learning Environment
Lessons 1 through 3, along with introducing course materials and topics, will gradually introduce the particular technical and digital components of taking a studio course online. Visual assignments for these lessons are designed to be less time-consuming, allowing you time to get settled in our online learning environment. You can expect a bit of a learning curve as you familiarize yourself with course mechanics and technical procedures.

Throughout the course, ask lots of questions! In particular though, I encourage you to ask questions during these first few lessons. And explore: Navigate the course home page, try out links, access e-reserves and Blackboard, and so on.  Also practice the image submission routines: Read your camera manual, practice using your tripod, sign up on Flickr. Once you are comfortable with the digital components of the course, you will continue to use your new skills for the remainder of the semester.

Digital Camera Use: Assignment Submission and Documentation

We’ll use our digital cameras in two different ways throughout the course:

Keeping a visual journal: The purpose of your visual journal is to notice, observe, and record your visual surroundings. Visual journal assignments ask you to explore your daily surroundings and the objects you interact with every day with the intent of an artist.

Documenting visual assignments: Documenting visual assignments allows you to present your completed 2D artwork accurately, professionally, and advantageously. Documentation of visual assignments requires a different attention to detail from keeping a visual journal.

Each approach takes a bit of practice. The first three lessons are designed to familiarize you with these two uses of your camera. Assignments in these initial lessons are adjusted to allow you time to practice.

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Course Mechanics

Blackboard

Discussion forums, announcements, and your student gradebook are accessed through a software package called Blackboard. You will need to log in to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.

There is a link to the Blackboard site in the gray navigation bar at the top of every page in this course. Click on that link, and then use your Onyen to log in to Blackboard. Click on the "ART 102" link, and you will see navigation buttons on the left side of the screen labeled Announcements, Discussion Forum, and so on.

If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:  

• If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.
• If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), go to the Onyen Web site.
• If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can't locate an exam or discussion forum in Blackboard, contact the Instructional Designer.
• If you have other technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).

Library Services and Resources (including e-reserves)

Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online have access to the UNC Library System. Visit Distance Education Library Services to access a wide array of online services and resources including e-reserves, online databases, online journals, online books, and live help with research and library access. All reading assignments for ART 102 are available through e-reserves.

Most online resources require you to log in with your Onyen and password. If you have any trouble finding the resource that you need or logging in to a resource, you can contact the library through the contact information at Distance Education Library Services. You can chat live about your problem, or send an e-mail to request assistance.

Using E-mail

All communication from me will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum). You are responsible for checking your UNC e-mail account for messages from your instructor and the Friday Center. Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail account using Webmail. You can have your Onyen e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking "Forward email" on the Onyen Web site.

If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses "blind carbon copy" to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than Hotmail for this course.

E-mail Storage and Submission Records

It is extremely important for you to save copies of any e-mail, including course work that you send to me. If I don't receive your work, you must have a duplicate copy, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to me, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to me and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

Other Questions

If you have questions regarding

• the content of the course and your progress, contact me. There is a link to my e-mail address at the top of every lesson page. Please include "ART 102 CCO" in the subject line of your e-mail.
• problems with this Web site, including bad links, contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center
• enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on, contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).

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Helpful Resources

You should review the following course resources now and reference them as needed at various points throughout the course.

• Documenting Two-dimensional Artwork: Camera and Tripod Use
• Image Submission: From Camera to Computer to Flickr and Blog
• Recommended Web Resources
• Equipment and Materials List
• Lesson-by-Lesson Reading List

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Course Schedule

Unit One: Lessons 1 through 6 Introduction to basic 2D design elements in a series of one-week studio assignments. Tandem readings and visual presentations begin discussions of the principles of design, the picture plane, and strategies for integrating the elements of design to create visually and conceptually strong compositions.
Lesson/Dates	Lesson Title	Lesson Components
Lesson 1	Getting Oriented: Start from Where You Are	visual assignment: exploration of online collection at the Museum of Modern Art introduction to visual principles and elements course orientation and introductions purchase equipment and supplies
Lesson 2	Framing: Implementing Strategies for Image Construction	visual assignment: the frame principles: unity and variety technical orientation: equipment and Flickr process focus: visual journal
Lesson 3	Pattern and Texture: From the Ground Up	visual assignment: material studies– actual and implied texture principles: repetition/rhythm technical orientation: documentation of 2D artwork process focus: material studies
Lesson 4	Line Translation: From Mark to Line, Connect the Dots	visual assignment: translation of texture to line principle: balance process focus: thumbnail sketch
Lesson 5	Shape: Silhouette, Contour, Overlap, and Distortion	visual assignment: contour observation, alteration, and distortion principles: scale/proportion process focus: brainstorming, stencils
Lesson 6	Value Range: From Starry Night to Snowy Morning	visual assignment: value scales and value emphasis compositions principle: emphasis process focus: revision and refinement
Unit Two: Lessons 7 through 8 Further develops discussions of visual integration and compositional cohesion by bringing the combined principles of design to the foreground of studio assignments. Tandem readings and discussion introduce the importance of context, artistic intent, proposal-writing, brainstorming, and creative process—paving the way towards the final project.
Lesson 7	Collage: Putting the Parts Together	visual assignment: collage structure and cohesion visual elements and principles: integration of combined elements and principles technical orientation: blog posting process focus: in-progress feedback and revision
Mid-term Portfolio	Your mid-term portfolio is due. Get your portfolios in early and enjoy your break!
Lesson 8	Color!	visual assignment: color scales and color scheme compositions visual elements and principles: integration of color with combined elements and principles community focus: community member interviews
Unit Three: Lesson 9 Final proposal-based project of the course looks at relationship and cohesion as it is applied to elements within an image, across a series of images, and finally as the work is contextualized by its site.
Lesson 9	Final Series: Collections and Connections	visual assignment one: 7-day diary visual assignment two: final series visual elements and principles: independent use of combined elements and principles process focus: visual collections and proposal-writing
Final Portfolio	All course materials, including the final portfolio due.
Please fill out the online course evaluation form.

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Lesson 1