1) Developing Critical Thinking
2) UNITY
They can both be found on our Moodle site. The first reading is a four page document about critiques which are an extremely valuable part of our course. Your knowledge of how to participate effectively in one will help make the course interesting and meaningful. While the second reading, UNITY, is a short passage that discusses and illustrates, different ways to make a unified design.
Read both documents and carefully answer the following questions in the comments.
1. When beginning a class assignment what is the difference between really trying to understand the assignment criteria and simply trying to find the "right answer"? Which usually has a more favorable outcome and why?
2. What did you learn from the Developing Critical Thinking reading?
3. What is UNITY in design?
4. Give a specific example from the reading of one way an artist might achieve unity in their design?
Megan Lalli
ReplyDelete1. Trying to understand the assignment is figuring it out as you go through the steps of your own work. Trying to find the "right answer" is figuring out what the teacher's solution is. Trying to understand the assignment criteria usually has a more favorable outcome because along that learning path, you learn what works best for you.
2. I learned facts about criticism and how it can literally change your views of a piece of art, or look at it in a way you may not have before.
3. Unity in design is also known as harmony. It occurs when an artist creates a design where the elements look as though they belong together, as though some visual connection beyond mere chance has brought them together.
1. To be succesful in nearly anything it is more important to think about the assignment and how it fits, relates, works, than how you might do 'well' on it. If you approach an assignment by trying to do what you think will give you the best grade you miss the point. If you approach a critque with a mind set that isnt objective and open you risk, again, doing something not for the critque but for yourself. In the end you miss the point.
ReplyDelete2. What struck and made the most sense to me was that a critque is to find out the most effective ways to do something. I didn't really think about that until I read it.
3. Unity is the ways in which an artist brings a design together. Elements like color, placement of objects, and subject matter can all be used. This makes a piece easier for a viewer to see/understand/enjoy.
4. Grouping objects links them together (like four shapes placed in the center rather than at the edges.)
1) There is a huge difference between understanding an assignment and just trying to find the right answer. By simply looking for an answer, it is almost like taking an easy way out instead of analyizing and understanding the subject. When you come to understand the given material, it benefits you in the long run. Instead of just remembering a random answer, by understanding the information, you are more likely to use it in some aspect of life.
ReplyDelete2)I realized just how essential a critique is, especially with art. There is always room for improvement and the opinion of others can help a piece reach its greatest potential.
3) Unity, which is also associated with the term "harmony" is a planned presentation and visual approach that an artist uses to create a harmonious piece. Artists sometimes will use similar sized objects, repeated shapes, and certain colors to create unity.
4)One way an artist can achieve unity is by using repetition. Whether it be a repeating shape or color, it can bring an intire piece together. For example, in Tom Friedman's pencil sculpture,there is repetition of shape and line.
1) Trying to understand the assignment criteria is learning through the proccess as you go along. Every step that is taken in the work, you understand the assignment a little better everytime. Trying to find the right answer from the very beginning is different. You don't learn through the proccess and don't gain any new skills or knowledge.
ReplyDelete2)I learned that every piece of artwork has a story to tell and meaning, then just people walking. I learned about cause and effect within artwork. The way people are positioned in the art show that they are walking in a forward or backwar motion.
3)Unity means that the artwork comes together, the different colors and shapes within the work are harmonizing with eachother.
4)One way an artist can achieve unity in their design is by using the grid. The grid creates a relationship between two or more individual designs. By making each grid the same repeated size, the art is united by size.
Lindsay Feeney
ReplyDelete1. In my opinion, figuring out what the assignment criteria is involves wrapping your mind around the entire project. Specifically, how the project relates to your thoughts, life, and abilities to express it into art. Like Megan said, I think that finding the "right answer" is giving the teacher what they want to see. I don't think that method of working is as creative or interesting as the first.
2. After reading Developing Creative Thinking, I realized that no piece of artwork may ever be finished. Just because the brush or pencil is put down doesn't mean that someone won't think something more or less can be done to improve the piece. Even if that person isn't the artist, it may better the piece and that is why it is so important to be able to give and also be comfortable enough to receive critiques.
3. Unity visually ties all aspects of a piece of art into one thought or idea. This harmony may come in the form of color, shape, repetition, or even an element like symmetry.
4. An example from the reading on how an artist may create unity is by repeating shapes that have similar colors.
1.) There happens to be a difference between understanding criteria and searching for the "right answer". When an artist undertands the criteria of an assignment they know their boundaries. By knowing their boundaries an artist is able to focus their creative energy in any which way they like as long as it stays within the boundaries. The "right answer" seems to be what the teacher is looking for. When searching for the "right answer" an artist starts to think like the teacher, and how would the teacher complete the assignment. This method of desgin takes the creative fun out of creating the project. Understanding the criteria usually has a better outcome becuase the artist is thinking more creativly, while knowing his limits. By formulating your own ideas, and learning along the way, it will almost always give you a better outcome than jusst looking for the "right answer".
ReplyDelete2.) What I learned to be interesting from the reading is that there are two types of critics; description and cause and effect. I also learned that while giving a critic you should not attack the artist. If you want to give criticism it should be constructive criticism. You should try and look at the big picutre, and try to understand what the artist was trying to achieve.
3.) Unity means that there is an agreement between elements (line, color, shape) in a design. The elements look like they belong there instead of by chance. Another word for unity is harmony. An artist usually plans out the unity he would like to achieve in a design.
4.) A way to achieve unity in a design is to use the grid technique. For example the checkerboard image on page 16 shows complete unity by using the repetition of line and color. Also, every square is the same size.
1.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding an assignment's criteria means understanding not only what the instructor is looking for as an end product but also the process by which it is achieved and its educational value. Searching for "the right answer" means finding out exactly what the instructor wants the end product to be. Understanding an assignment's criteria tends to have a much more favorable outcome than simply finding "the right answer". Researching an assignment's criteria has much more educational value and allows the student to learn the lesson the teacher is trying impart more fully. Learning is part of a process and simply skipping to the end defeats the purpose of the assignment.
2.
The developing critical thinking reading taught me a lot of valuable information on both completing and critiquing assignments. I now know what components to consider to create my own meaningful work as well as which components to consider when searching for meaning in other's work.
3.
Unity, or harmony, means that a congruity or agreement exists among the elements in a design; they look as though they belong together, as though some visual connection beyond mere chance has caused them to come together. If a design lacks unity the various elements in a composition may appear unrelated or separate.
4.
One way an artist might achieve unity in their work is the repetition of a certain shape. Paint Cans by Wayne Thiebaud, as shown in the reading, has unity because the ovals of the paint cans and lines made by the brushes are repeated numerous times.
-MOLLY CLARKE
1. Trying to understand the assignment criteria enables you to create a piece of art the is your own creative work within the project guidelines, looking for the right answer only allows you to create a piece of art that the guidelines have lead you to.
ReplyDelete2. From the reading I learned that when you stop and think a before doing an assignment there are a million different creations you can make, instead of planning it exactly to the guidelines in fear of a bad grade. Sometimes it is better to take the chance and work for the art itself not the grade and what the teacher wants, when you are excited about a project that's your own you will end up with a better outcome than if you were worrying about what your professor is looking for and expecting.
3. Unity is basically what makes the individual parts of the piece work together. When they are unified they look like they are supposed to be there and thats what makes art look like it is art instead of a random alinement of shapes and colors that just happens to come together. The artist creates furnish to make their art work together in a specific way and give off a specific emotion or vibe.
4. According to the reading the artist that created the paint can drawing created unity by repeating simple elements of each paint can like the ovals of the tops, and rough the linear elements and shadows.
1. Understanding the assignments criteria means that you understand the expectations of the final product, but you also understand the steps along the way to get there. Searching for the "right answer" means that you create a piece that the teach expects of you and what the guidelines say you should do. Understanding the assignment would have a better outcome because you are putting more creativity in the assignment. You allow yourself to be more open minded and personal with it rather than just the standard guidelines that have been asked of you.
ReplyDelete2. I learned that everything needs a critique, especially art. Typically, a critique will make you think something about your piece that you never realized was there. It will also give you means of improvement, because everything can continually be improved. And you can simply disregard a critique if you wish.
3. When exploring unity, you must first see the whole of the piece, and then notice the little parts. There is an agreement between all the elements, and look like they were place there by chance.
4. A way to create unity is by repetition of shapes or designs.
1. When beginning a class assignment, the difference between trying to understand the assignment criteria and trying to find the ‘right answer’ can be very different. When you are trying to understand the assignment you are finding it as you go through the steps of producing your own work. When you are trying to find the ‘right answer’ you are trying to find the answer you think the teacher wants to see. A more favorable outcome is to try to understand the assignment criteria, because you will learn in a way that fits your personal learning needs.
ReplyDelete2. When you are going into a critique it can literally change your view completely on a piece of art work. When you first see something, you have your immediate view of what you see. During a critique you get to hear what others think, and you can essentially see a piece in a completely different way.
3. Unity ‘occurs when an artist creates a design where the elements look as though they belong together, as though some visual connection beyond mere chance has brought them together.’ This can also be called harmony. Elements that create unity can be colors, placement of shapes or objects, or the subject matter.
4. A way that an artist could achieve unity in their piece is by using repetition. They can repeat shape or color, which can really pull the entire design together to unify it. An example from the reading is Karl Blossfeldt’s piece on page 31, because the organic shapes are all kept inside geometric boxes. The colors are black and white which show gradation and create unity as well.