Art Studio

This course covers the fundamental principles of graphic design through small assignments, two big projects, critiques, readings, and lectures. Topics include the elements of form and color, understanding visual forms (points, lines, and surfaces), and visual grammar such as scale, repetition, rhythm, balance, etc.  

For practicing visual grammar, students learn graphic software such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. For the projects, students develop their expressive ways to transfer meaning and values based on practicing visual grammar. 

This is an advanced level painting course for students who have experience in painting techniques. Enrolment is by permission of the instructor. The course includes lectures and a minimum of 15 hours/week of studio time for individual projects.  The course continues study of all aspects of painting from pre- to post-production, and of the technical processes involved. Students develop technique, critique their own work, and focus on defining their personal painting style. Assessment takes place throughout the semester with frequent critiques with the instructor, followed by a final oral interview including a presentation and discussion of the artworks completed.

The emphasis of this course is on 'Sagunja,' the symbolic paintings of the four traditional virtues of gentlemen. Instructions will be given on the ideal of literati painting tradition, and students are encouraged to capture the essence of the form rather than its superficial representations, and ultimately discover their own style and techniques. 

The Four Gentlemen Painting is an ink wash painting that compares the thoughts and spirit of a gentleman to plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo. The Four Gentlemen Painting clearly displays the characteristics of literati painting, which emphasizes the divine over the formal, emphasizes the poetic sentiment and the intention of the painting, and expresses thoughts and emotions through objects. By learning the Four Gentlemen Painting, which reveals the essence of literati painting, students encounter the theoretical foundation of literati painting and traditional ink wash techniques. 

This is an advanced level art studio course for students with prior experience.  Students are required to attend both the theoretical part and the studio laboratory and to complete individual projects. The course focuses on historical and traditional techniques and methods used in contemporary works in the visual arts and in design, as well as a reconceptualization of methods using new technologies, materials, and products.  Final assessment is based on the student's artistic work, employing the techniques and methods discussed in class.