Reflection: Teaching Color Theory
ADN III Two Dimensional Design (2D Design) :Team taught lesson on color theory with Professor Dana Raymond, November 2012
Time of class: Monday and Wednesday, 4:30-7:15pm
Responsibilities: The teaching and grading were equally shared for this project.
Faculty Supervision: As it was a sharded project, Professor Raymond was in the classroom approximately 80% of the time. The subject and project are one I am very familiar with from my background as an artist and previous training in both fine art and teaching art in high school.
Introduction to Project
One of the topics we covered in the 2-D Design class is color theory. The Color Theory Color Book is an in-depth project that exposed the class to the basic principles and vocabulary of color, as well having provided several opportunities to manipulate pigmented color into several thoughtful and engaging designs that will comprise their Color Theory Color Book. When they finished they had created an accordion fold book that includes a designed and painted book cover, and nine individual pages featuring five assigned color schemes.
The project was introduced through lecture, demonstration, an assigned reading with written summary response, and a presentation of finished student projects from previous classes. The project was presented as a lecture in Prezi which is a dynamic online presentation application that is, in my opinion, much more engaging than PowerPoint. The lecture covered the two basic physical characteristics of color: pigment based color, which is the method and material that the students used in this lesson, and light based color, which has a different set of primary colors and is how we see color on our television.
Process
Now that the students have been introduced to the theory and history of color and its uses I introduced the project The Color Theory Color Book. The students are be required to make an accordion book out of one sheet of Rives BFK rag paper, (see the fig. 1 in the lesson plan). The accordion book fold and cut is tricky and requires great care from the students when they fold and cut the Rives BFK, some of them did beautifully, others required some assistance. This part of the project required patience from the instructor as many of the students are not used to making precise measurements and cuts. The accordion fold has to lay flat and even when it is cut and folded. The book is divided into nine sections on each side of the sheet. They will be using all nine sections on one side, and one section on the other that serves as the cover to the book. The students needed to have at least one other sheet of the Rives BFK paper to carry out their color experiments.
Over next four class meetings I give a lecture on each of the color schemes that the students will be tackling as they execute their projects. The first color scheme is the simplest the monochromatic color scheme. I demonstrate to the students how to manage a paint pallete, organize value mixes and paint a diagram (see fig. 2 in the lesson plan) that comprises the first page of their book, and then they will design a second page using this monochromatic color scheme in an original design. Some students will sketch out an allover design based on a specific them such as insects, or an undersea world theme, or a surrealistic landscape. Others will simply come up with and original design for each page and treat the allover design like a page-by-page experience rather than considering the whole poster like appearance of the book when it is completely unfurled.
Project Evaluation
Over the course of six class meetings and outside class studio time the students completed four color diagrams and five painted designs, one each for each of the five requisite color schemes. They read and responded to a chapter from the famous color consultant Faber Birren’s book Color Creativity. On day of the final critique we conducted a small group critique by dividing the class up into four groups of five students each. Dana Raymond and I circulated around from group to group guiding, participating and observing the students as they share and critique each others Color Theory Color Books. The students were reminded of Evaluation Criteria and hold each other to those criteria during the critique process. After each book is shared the other students in the group took five minutes to write down their thoughts and feedback for each other. Each student received feedback from everyone else in their small group. This feedback is valuable when the students write their own self evaluation of the project which will be due by the beginning of the next class meeting. When everyone is completed sharing their projects in the small group, we had them unfurl the books and lay them out on the desks around the classroom. The entire class, with invited guests and faculty, proceeded on a gallery walk so all of the students had a chance to appreciate everyone’s efforts.
Future Changes to the Lesson
I would add small group demonstrations in cutting paper and mixing colors. I will try a mid-project critique to help students with timing. There is a common misconception that a project will be quickly finished and the end result is always sloppy or muddied colors. There are no additional resources needed to make changes other than the timing in the lesson plan. If I were given a choice , 4:30 - 7:15PM is a terrible time for an art class (probably any class). The students tend to come to class tired and, by 6PM, hungry. We did take a break at 6PM for 10-15 minutes. Generally the students bring back food to eat while they are working. It is not an ideal situation to eat and work, but over the semester I saw that it was better students ate than were hungry and rushed through their projects.
Grading
I created a new system for grading based on improvement, effort, and understanding and follow through, with an addition mark for the basics of timeliness, absences, and attitude.
In a class where trying and follow through are as important as a natural ability, I feel strongly about rewarding effort. There are correct "answers" in color mixing, but this assignment also allowed for creativity. Fulfilling the project requirements without flair did not lower anyone's grade.
Connection to Teaching Philosophy
• Addressing the class as a whole
• Whole class lecture using Prezi (the quick movements hold students attention)
• Demonstration of techniques and materials
• Assignments supported through individual and small group interaction
• Balancing making, reflection, and critiques
• Reading and writing assignment
Workshops
The PFL Communication Day/Communication Mini-Conference was very helpful in thinking about speaking in front of class. I often have a hard time projecting my voice over the noise in the design department. It is more my personal style, to talk one on one or with small groups. Looking back at the workshops many I attended did or will come into play in creating and implementing this lesson.
The library workshop introduced me to ArtStor - Artstor is a non-profit organization using digital technology to expand the availability of visuals in art, humanities, and the sciences The Digital Library provides more than 1.6 million digital images and includes suite of software tools for teaching and research.
Introduction to Teaching, although I attended after teaching gave me ideas for better presentation methods, adding hands-on to the demonstrations, and thinking about quick ways to help students remember important concepts via short one minute tests or games.
Any Art and Design class I have attended or taught has had more than one student in a stressful situation. Angel Bowers workshop, "Assisting Students in Distress" and the handouts has many good points and visual behaviors to be aware of with both classmates and students. The Art + Design Department has an unwritten rule about the hours spent out of class - if they do not include several "all nighters" you are not working hard enough. I no longer agree with this expectation - similar to the studies that doctors should not work 24 - 48 hour shifts. I believe it both stresses the student and degrades the quality of their work. I would hope when I have my own class I will help my students learn to keep a balance in life.
Time of class: Monday and Wednesday, 4:30-7:15pm
Responsibilities: The teaching and grading were equally shared for this project.
Faculty Supervision: As it was a sharded project, Professor Raymond was in the classroom approximately 80% of the time. The subject and project are one I am very familiar with from my background as an artist and previous training in both fine art and teaching art in high school.
Introduction to Project
One of the topics we covered in the 2-D Design class is color theory. The Color Theory Color Book is an in-depth project that exposed the class to the basic principles and vocabulary of color, as well having provided several opportunities to manipulate pigmented color into several thoughtful and engaging designs that will comprise their Color Theory Color Book. When they finished they had created an accordion fold book that includes a designed and painted book cover, and nine individual pages featuring five assigned color schemes.
The project was introduced through lecture, demonstration, an assigned reading with written summary response, and a presentation of finished student projects from previous classes. The project was presented as a lecture in Prezi which is a dynamic online presentation application that is, in my opinion, much more engaging than PowerPoint. The lecture covered the two basic physical characteristics of color: pigment based color, which is the method and material that the students used in this lesson, and light based color, which has a different set of primary colors and is how we see color on our television.
Process
Now that the students have been introduced to the theory and history of color and its uses I introduced the project The Color Theory Color Book. The students are be required to make an accordion book out of one sheet of Rives BFK rag paper, (see the fig. 1 in the lesson plan). The accordion book fold and cut is tricky and requires great care from the students when they fold and cut the Rives BFK, some of them did beautifully, others required some assistance. This part of the project required patience from the instructor as many of the students are not used to making precise measurements and cuts. The accordion fold has to lay flat and even when it is cut and folded. The book is divided into nine sections on each side of the sheet. They will be using all nine sections on one side, and one section on the other that serves as the cover to the book. The students needed to have at least one other sheet of the Rives BFK paper to carry out their color experiments.
Over next four class meetings I give a lecture on each of the color schemes that the students will be tackling as they execute their projects. The first color scheme is the simplest the monochromatic color scheme. I demonstrate to the students how to manage a paint pallete, organize value mixes and paint a diagram (see fig. 2 in the lesson plan) that comprises the first page of their book, and then they will design a second page using this monochromatic color scheme in an original design. Some students will sketch out an allover design based on a specific them such as insects, or an undersea world theme, or a surrealistic landscape. Others will simply come up with and original design for each page and treat the allover design like a page-by-page experience rather than considering the whole poster like appearance of the book when it is completely unfurled.
Project Evaluation
Over the course of six class meetings and outside class studio time the students completed four color diagrams and five painted designs, one each for each of the five requisite color schemes. They read and responded to a chapter from the famous color consultant Faber Birren’s book Color Creativity. On day of the final critique we conducted a small group critique by dividing the class up into four groups of five students each. Dana Raymond and I circulated around from group to group guiding, participating and observing the students as they share and critique each others Color Theory Color Books. The students were reminded of Evaluation Criteria and hold each other to those criteria during the critique process. After each book is shared the other students in the group took five minutes to write down their thoughts and feedback for each other. Each student received feedback from everyone else in their small group. This feedback is valuable when the students write their own self evaluation of the project which will be due by the beginning of the next class meeting. When everyone is completed sharing their projects in the small group, we had them unfurl the books and lay them out on the desks around the classroom. The entire class, with invited guests and faculty, proceeded on a gallery walk so all of the students had a chance to appreciate everyone’s efforts.
Future Changes to the Lesson
I would add small group demonstrations in cutting paper and mixing colors. I will try a mid-project critique to help students with timing. There is a common misconception that a project will be quickly finished and the end result is always sloppy or muddied colors. There are no additional resources needed to make changes other than the timing in the lesson plan. If I were given a choice , 4:30 - 7:15PM is a terrible time for an art class (probably any class). The students tend to come to class tired and, by 6PM, hungry. We did take a break at 6PM for 10-15 minutes. Generally the students bring back food to eat while they are working. It is not an ideal situation to eat and work, but over the semester I saw that it was better students ate than were hungry and rushed through their projects.
Grading
I created a new system for grading based on improvement, effort, and understanding and follow through, with an addition mark for the basics of timeliness, absences, and attitude.
In a class where trying and follow through are as important as a natural ability, I feel strongly about rewarding effort. There are correct "answers" in color mixing, but this assignment also allowed for creativity. Fulfilling the project requirements without flair did not lower anyone's grade.
Connection to Teaching Philosophy
• Addressing the class as a whole
• Whole class lecture using Prezi (the quick movements hold students attention)
• Demonstration of techniques and materials
• Assignments supported through individual and small group interaction
• Balancing making, reflection, and critiques
• Reading and writing assignment
Workshops
The PFL Communication Day/Communication Mini-Conference was very helpful in thinking about speaking in front of class. I often have a hard time projecting my voice over the noise in the design department. It is more my personal style, to talk one on one or with small groups. Looking back at the workshops many I attended did or will come into play in creating and implementing this lesson.
The library workshop introduced me to ArtStor - Artstor is a non-profit organization using digital technology to expand the availability of visuals in art, humanities, and the sciences The Digital Library provides more than 1.6 million digital images and includes suite of software tools for teaching and research.
Introduction to Teaching, although I attended after teaching gave me ideas for better presentation methods, adding hands-on to the demonstrations, and thinking about quick ways to help students remember important concepts via short one minute tests or games.
Any Art and Design class I have attended or taught has had more than one student in a stressful situation. Angel Bowers workshop, "Assisting Students in Distress" and the handouts has many good points and visual behaviors to be aware of with both classmates and students. The Art + Design Department has an unwritten rule about the hours spent out of class - if they do not include several "all nighters" you are not working hard enough. I no longer agree with this expectation - similar to the studies that doctors should not work 24 - 48 hour shifts. I believe it both stresses the student and degrades the quality of their work. I would hope when I have my own class I will help my students learn to keep a balance in life.