2D Design Study Guide

1. 2D Design Study Guide This year we have focused on creating the illusion of depth and space throughout the year. The following slides highlight the content that the students should know at this point.

2. There are many aspects needed to create the illusion of space on a 2 Dimensional Surface. These Include: Background: Farthest area away from you in the picture Middle Ground: Area that is in the middle of the picture. Foreground: Area that is closest to you on the picture Overlapping: How the objects in the picture stack up in front of each other in the background, middle ground and foreground. Placement: The closer an object is to the viewer, the closer to the bottom of the picture it is. The farther the object is to the viewer, the closer it is to the top of the picture. Proportion: The closer an object is to the viewer, the larger it appears. The farther away the object is, the smaller it appears.

3. Linear Perspective Linear perspective is another important aspect of drawing the illusion of space on a 2d surface. Linear perspective is a style of drawing that was first used during the Renaissance. Important aspects of linear perspective include: In order for linear perspective to be successful, they must use a vanishing point and a horizon line. Converging (orthogonal) lines all converge on the vanishing point 1 point perspective uses only one vanishing point. This happens when the closest part of an object is a front face. 2 point perspective uses 2 vanishing points. This happens when the closest part of the object is a corner. Atmospheric perspective is when objects that are farther away from you show less detail.

4. Value Value is the another way that artists create the illusion of space. Value is how an object is shaded using blacks, whites and a variety of grays. The use of blacks, grays and whites effects the contrast of the picture. Things you should know about value include: A full range of values uses blacks, a variety of grays and whites. A gradient value is when the value fades gradually through different tones of black , gray and white. A flat value is an area that is all one value, with no gradient fades.

5. Tools and procedures Over the course of the year, you have learned about a number of different tools and procedures that should be used to create your drawings. These include: Pencils: Not all pencils are alike. B pencils are the darkest pencils. The higher the number the B pencil is the darker it will be. H Pencils are the lightest. The higher the number the H pencil is the lighter it will be. F and HB pencils are right in the middle. Plumming: Plumming is a way that you can use a ruler to measure proportion and angles of any object that you are drawing from life. You would use this method when visually measuring the size of objects in a still life, or the angle of the edges of buildings. Negative Space: Negative space is the area around an object that is nothing. The last thing that you should do to a drawing once you are finished with it is spray it with fixative (we use hair spray) to keep the graphite from smudging. Rule of thirds is a method of planning out the focal point of your drawing to create a strong composition.

6. Grid Drawing and Portraiture At the end of the school year, the class started using grid drawing processes to create portraits from pictures. Things you should know about this style of art include: Portraits are all about the point of view. A full view means that the face of your subject is looking directly at you. A ¾ view means that the head is turned slightly to the left or the right so that one side of the face is closer to you. A profile means that the face is looking off to the side, so you can only see one side of the face. Grid drawings are all about mathematics and ratios. Grid drawings allow artist to reproduce a drawing from a source picture. Grid drawings allow the artist to increase or decrease the size of the picture they are drawing. For example, if you are making a drawing from a source picture that is 4” x 4”, and you want to draw it to a 1:3 ratio, your finished drawing is going to be 12” X 12”.

7. Art history and Aesthetics Throughout the year, you have seen a variety of different artists and art history that goes along with the lessons you have worked on. Important points for you to remember are: Photomontage: A photomontage is a style of art where you create a picture by cutting out pictures from magazines, newspapers, photographs, or printed photos from the internet. Romare Bearden was the first artist to create art in this style. Abstract Art: Abstract art is a style of art that is non-representation in nature. Abstract art is not a picture of anything, but is instead a combination of lines, shapes, patterns and values. Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous Abstract artists. The Renaissance: The Renaissance could be considered to be the most important movement in Art history. The Renaissance is the period of art that represents the rebirth of the Ancient Greek artistic ideals. This is the time when artists started to create pictures that reflect how the eye sees things. The most famous renaissance artists were DaVinci, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Donatello. Art Aesthetics refers to how we judge the effectiveness of a work of art by looking at the use of artistic techniques, elements and principles of Art and its craftsmanship.