Reflect

What is Typography?

Learn more about the art of working with text.

Why is it important for us as graphic designers to be able to reflect on our work, the meanings we create, and the work of our peers and professionals?

Reflect

The Studio Habit of Mind that will be explored in this unit is Reflect.

To reflect on an artwork, whether it is our own, the work of our peers, or professional work, we must learn to think and talk about art using specific vocabulary to that particular art form. It is also important as we reflect, to think and talk about the art making process and the conventions artists use to create work. Reflecting also means deciphering the meaning of the piece intended by the artist through visual symbolism and finding connections to it on a personal level.

Just as in all of the Studio Habits of Mind, the ability for an artist to reflect on artwork takes repeated practice.

Artistic Concept

A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take those ideas from abstraction to reality. The concepts being explored through the lens of the Studio Habit - Reflect is Reflection.

Reflection lies in an artist's ability to look at an artwork critically. Reflection includes describing the piece, considers the elements and principles of design as well as the artistic conventions that went into making it, and thinks about the meaning of the piece as seen in the visual symbols through the lens of individual experiences, culture, and history. Reflection involves thinking and talking about the process as well as the final product.

Reflection

Let's Practice:

all images created by logo.creatives on Instagram

What does each image mean? How do you know that? What is successful in each? What might need improving? What can you "take" for your own artwork?

Element of Art and Design

The elements and principles of art and design are the foundation on which all art is created. They can be thought of like a sentence. There has to be words in order to make a sentence; no words, no sentence. The elements of art are like the words. Without the elements - line, shape, color, value, texture, space, and form - there is no art. That doesn't mean that all elements of art must be used in an individual artwork, just like not every word has to be used in a sentence, but at least one must be present.

Reflect will focus on the following element of art & design:

Element of Art and Design

Discover some interesting aspects about the element of art and design: line

Learn more about line by completing the line guided practice sheet.

Principle of Art and Design

If we think of the elements and principles of art & design like a sentence, with the words being a metaphor for the elements, then the principles of art & design are the ways in which the words are arranged. The way in which you arrange the words of a sentence dictates the feel and meaning of it. More descriptive words, and the sentence gives more detail; less words, and the sentence reads sharp or abrupt. The principles of art and design are the way in which an artwork is arranged. Does it appear uneasy, or relaxed? Without the principles of design - pattern and repetition, contrast, movement, emphasis, balance, rhythm, and unity - an artwork would not have a unique look and personality to it. The principles of art and design are more subjective as well. This means that they can be viewed and interpreted by one person differently than they are viewed and interpreted by another.

Reflect will focus on the following principle of art & design:

Principle of Art and Design

Discover some interesting aspects about the principle of art and design: movement

Learn more about movement by completing the movement guided practice sheet.

Getting Started

Typography: Verb Symbolization

Symbolism - what's that?!?

Let's reflect on symbols that you know.....

Name a few.

What do they mean?

Why do you think they mean what they do?

What's a universal symbol that most people agree on?

What's a symbol with lots of different meanings?

How can you use symbols in art?

How do symbols create meaning?

How can your image create meaning?

BRAINSTORM!!!

Create 3 different thumbnail sketches of 3 different verbs from your brainstorm list.

Time to Sketch!

Round One

Let's Reflect...

Give your three thumbnail sketches to a partner to analyze. Don't tell them anything yet - allow them to go through the critique process to "test" to see if their interpretation or meaning of the artwork is what you intended. With your partners sketches, go through the critique process:

Describe

Elements and Principles

Interpretation

Judgement

Take Away

Take notes of what your partner mentions about your work during the discussion so that you can make revisions from their feedback to make your work more successful.

Artistic Conventions

A convention is an accepted way in which something is done. It's a variety of things that artists do to create a piece of artwork. Artists use their knowledge of the numerous different artistic conventions with corresponding methods and techniques to portray meaning in an artwork.

Each Studio Habit of Mind will explore different artistic conventions. In this example, the artist is using the artistic conventions that this unit will explore - visual storytelling and perception. Visual storytelling can be seen in the way that the image is constructed - each letter is a different fruit that could be a jam preserve. Perception can be seen in the choices made for the look of each letter - keeping it simple and graphic, but organic to express meaning.

Visual Storytelling

This convention refers to an artist's ability to use symbols - in the form of figurative or abstract visuals - to communicate a narrative with their viewer.

Perception

This convention refers to an artist's ability to take what they perceive around them, transform that into an artwork, and portray that perception clearly to their audience. It starts with strong observation that goes beyond the obvious.

Let's reflect on what you learned in the videos...

Composition

Strong composition resides in an artist's ability to see the design that surrounds them - even the mundane, be inspired by it, and create something original that is a reflection of that initial perception.

Time to Sketch!

Round Two

Revise your favorite 2 thumbnail sketches from the original 3 that you received feedback on.

Reflect Again!

Reflect on your sketches one more, final time! Pick your favorite and most successful sketch to work on as your final piece.

designing a background tutorial

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