Design and Composition (10weeks/Online)

Instructor: Brian Kelley
September 25 - December 4 (ten weeks)
Fridays, 2 - 5 pm EST
 
 
This highly recommended class is an introduction to the aspects of design and composition  that make a drawing or painting ‘work.’ We will be using 2-dimensional media to learn how to create and look at art through the elements of design. Our basic vocabulary will be line, value, color, plane, shape, form, texture, proportion, space, and balance. We will be working primarily from life with the goal of understanding how the elements of design relate to our vision and lead to strong compositions. In-class demonstrations as well as slides from art history and contemporary art will inform and guide our exploration. We will work in a variety of 2-dimensional media, including drawing and painting, in both black-and-white and color.  Skills and concepts that will be developed through direct observation in the class include:• Understanding the formal elements (line, shape, value, form, texture, color space) and principles (unity, variety, balance, emphasis, proportion, scale, rhythm) of design. • Developing strategies to compose formal elements as well as create a sense of form, space, and light. • Analyzing and critiquing the formal elements of a composition, including personal work and works from art history. 
 
Who is this class for: This is a crucial class for anyone wanting to improve their understanding of the important structural underpinnings of good design and composition in a work of art. 
The class will be taught live via Zoom. Instructions for using Zoom will be sent prior to the class.
 
Image: Roald Euller