Develop Craft

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

To develop our craft as photographers we must learn to use the tools (such as the camera and lenses), materials (Adobe Photoshop and paper), and practices (artistic conventions like composition) of a particular art form. We must also learn to care for them in our studio space through proper cleaning and maintaining. Developing craft in an art form is also cultivated and continued over time through practice and exploration.

Just as in all of the Studio Habits of Mind, the ability for an artist to develop their craft takes repeated practice.

Give an example or two, in the art room, where you've developed your craft?

Give an example or two, outside of the art room, where you've learned to be better at your craft?

Artistic Concept

A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take their ideas from abstraction to reality. The concept being explored through the lens of the Studio Habit - Develop Craft is Exploration.

Exploration lies in an artist's ability to try a number of new things with an open mind. These new things may be within or outside of the artist's comfort zone. An artist explores new media, ideas, practices, and techniques by taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from all outcomes.

Elements of Art & 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.

Develop Craft will focus on the following elements of art & design:

Line

Shape

Color

Value

Texture

Space

Form

Principles of Art & 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.

Develop Craft will focus on the following principles of art & design:

Balance

Contrast

Emphasis

Movement

Pattern/Repetition

Rhythm

Unity

Show What You Know

Demonstrate your knowledge of the elements & principles of design by taking a photograph that visually represents your definition of each. Consider your knowledge of composition and the basics of strong photography as you take your photos.

Composition

Composition refers to the arrangement of the elements of art & design according to the principles of art & design in any given artwork.

Composition is the key to creating a strong, aesthetically pleasing artwork in any medium.

The Queen's Armada, Kirsty Mitchell

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 - variety of sizes, overlap, and negative space. Variety of sizes can be seen in the ornamentation that the character wears. Overlap can be seen in the object she's holding which overlaps her body . Negative space can be seen in the black space around her.

How does this apply to the art of photography? What can we learn from these conventions?

The Queen's Centurion, Kirsty Mitchell

Size Variety

This convention refers to the artist's use of an element of art & design in different sizes. Some big, some little, and some in-between.

The Storyteller, Kirsty Mitchell

Overlapping

This convention refers to the artist's placement of an element of art & design in front of or in back of another element.

The Suicide of Spring, Kirsty Mitchell

My Darkest Dreaming, Kirsty Mitchell

Negative Space

This convention refers to the artist's use of the empty space in an artwork. The empty space is just as important as the filled space.

Artist Connection

Kirsty Mitchell

Lady of the Lake, Kirsty Mitchell

The Queen's Armada, Kirsty Mitchell

Gammelyn's Daughter a Waking Dream, Kirsty Mitchell

Wonderland Film, Kirsty Mitchell

Kirsty Mitchell is a professional photographer from the United Kingdom. She studied fine art, photography, and history at Ravensbourne College of Art where she earned her First Class Bachelor of Arts Degree in fashion design and textiles.

She worked for a decade as the senior designer for Karen Millen where she specialized in surface decoration and fabric manipulation. Although always passionate about photography, her connection to the medium deepened after the tragic loss of her mother in 2008 from a brain tumor. To escape reality and honor her mother, who was an avid storyteller and English teacher, she created a body of work entitled Wonderland which has reached global and critical acclaim.

Career Exploration

Gallery Artist

Embrace, Robert Mapplethorpe

Fine-Art Photographer

Fine-art photography is photography created in line with the vision of the photographer as an artist, using photography as a medium for creative expression. The goal of fine-art photography is to express an idea, a message, or an emotion. This career stands in contrast to a studio/portrait photographer who focuses capturing portraits of their subjects who generally commission them. It is also different from a photojournalist who concentrates on providing an accurate documentary visual, through photographs, and written account of events. And it is different than a commercial photographer who creates work to advertise or sell certain products or services. Photographers can be any combination of these different areas of focus.

Getting Started

Reading

Learn about the basic compositional guidelines as they apply to the medium of photography.

Objectives

National Art Standards

In Class work

Now that there is a clearer understanding of the guidelines and methods used by photographers to create striking visual compositions, the photographs created for this project can be retaken with this information in mind.

Choose any three elements and/or principles of art and design and retake those images, either in black and white or color, using the information about composition learned from the presentation and the reading.

Photo Editing

Editing Basics in Adobe Photoshop

Learn the very basic editing tools used in Adobe Photoshop to edit digital photographs.

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