Checklist:
| Project 1 (Week 1) |
| – Blog Setup – Teams and Onedrive Setup |
| Project 2 (Week 1 & 2) |
| – Artist Research Vakseen -Artist Research Worksheet – Elements of Art – Abstract collage inspired by Vakseen – Abstract collage inspired by Vakseen Evaluation |
| Project 3 |
| – Difference between street art and vandalism quiz. ) – Digital drawings street art typography – Digital drawings street art typography Evaluation |
| Project 4 |
| – Artist Research – Asher Jay – Asher Jay – 3 silhouette Experiments – Photos – Asher Jay – 3 silhouette Experiments – Outcome – Asher Jay – 3 silhouette Experiments – Evaluation |
Week 1 – Project 1
Welcome to your course! This week, we will focus on some essential digital skills that are integral to your academic journey. Our goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient in navigating the digital tools and platforms that will be your companions throughout this course and beyond. We will also create a blog to use as your portifolio and learn how to use it.
- Blog Setup
- Microsoft 365 Setup
- Download Teams to your phone
- Download Onedrive to your phone
Tasks
Blog SetUp
Your digital portfolio is where you will present ALL of your coursework for the academic year. If you produce large-scale work, sketchbook work, or 3D work you must photograph this evidence and present it on your blog as well.
Your blog will be regularly assessed by your project lecturers, your SLA, and your WEX employer link. Therefore, you are required to maintain your blog weekly.
Additionally, it should be free of spelling or grammatical errors. The presentation style and format must be appropriate to allow your visual and written work to be properly assessed.
Your blog will be sent to UAL Awarding Body at the end of the FMP for final assessment. UAL will assess your blog and award your final grade for the year. If UAL is not able to access your blog or assess your work for the whole year, it may affect your grading or achievement. Therefore, do not ever delete work from
your blog and do not take your blog offline.
Your blog must not contain sensitive, inappropriate, or explicit visual material or language. Please speak to your course leader if you feel that you need to post something that could be considered sensitive (for instance, life drawing materials) so that we can help you protect yourself and your site.
Week 2 – Project 2
This week, we will have fun trying to make a digital collage in Vakseen’s style. Use lots of colours and try putting different things together in a cool way, like Vakseen does. Play with your digital tools and put your ideas together.
- Artist Research – Vakseen
- Artist Research Worksheet – Elements of Art
- Abstract collage inspired by Vakseen
- Evaluation on Abstract collage.
- Artist comparison
Artist reference
Los Angeles, California artist Vakseen’s work revolves around women, their natural allure and the insecurities or confidence created by Pop culture. The work is a reflection of society’s idolization of beauty and “perfect” images of women. The artist uses high-end fashion magazines to clip and surgically collage images together. He then recreates the work by painting it on canvas. The focus is Surrealism, consistently fused with elements of Hyperrealism and Cubism. While music has played the driving force in his business career, Otha “Vakseen” Davis III’s passion for the arts has served as his key to sanity in the fast-paced entertainment industry. His paintings have been shown in over 35 group and solo shows in the Los Angeles area and have been featured in over 40 art and literary magazines.
Lesson Tasks
Artist Research – Vakseen
Who is the artist?
Write the artist’s name (Vakseen), what type of artist they are (for example: digital illustrator), and where you can find their work (Instagram, website, etc.).
What does their artwork look like?
Describe the artist’s style. Talk about the colours, shapes, characters or faces you can see. Use visual words like bright, dark, surreal, simple, detailed.
What mood or feeling does the artwork give?
Explain how the artwork makes you feel and why. For example: calm, strange, happy, uncomfortable, dreamy. Link your answer to colour, facial expressions or composition.
How do you think the artwork was made?
Explain what materials or software the artist might have used (for example: digital drawing, Photoshop, Procreate). Mention any tools, brushes or techniques you notice.
How can this artist inspire your own work?
Explain what you would like to take from this artist (colour palette, style, theme, mood) and how you could use it in your own artwork without copying.
Artist Research Worksheet – Elements of Art
Abstract Collage Inspired by Vakseen
CMD C = Copy
CMD V = Paste
CMD T = Transform
CMD Z = Undo
CMD + = Zoom in
CMD – = Zoom out
CMD 0 = Fit to page
CMD J =New Layer Via Copy
CMD [ = Move the layer down
CMD ] = Move the layer up
CMD D = Deselect
Task Instructions
After completing your artist research, collect images of women’s faces and texture images that reflect Vakseen’s style.
Using Photoshop, you will:
- Use the Lasso Tool to cut organic, irregular shapes
- Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to cut geometric shapes
- Copy and paste these shapes onto your canvas
- Layer shapes on top of each other to build a collage
- Use Free Transform to resize, rotate and adjust shapes
- Place everything on a solid colour background
Your final outcome should be an abstract digital collage inspired by Vakseen’s use of layering, shape and composition, not a copy of an existing artwork.
Focus on:
- Strong composition and colour choices
- Overlapping shapes
- Clear use of organic and geometric forms
Evaluation Writing frame
Week 3 and 4 – Project 3
This week, we will learn about street art and vandalism. We’ll look at their history and cultural importance. We’ll also talk about what’s right and wrong when it comes to street art, and how it affects public spaces and the rights of artists and property owners. We’ll see if street artists have a responsibility to the community and how their art can be good or maybe cause problems. To finish, each of you will make three Typography drawings inspired by street art styles.
- Difference between street art and vandalism quiz. (Answer and post a paragraph talking about what you have learned OR post a screenshot with your answers.)
- Digital drawings street art typography
- Complete: Distinctions between street art and vandalism Quiz.
Tasks
Street art Task
Distinctions between street art and vandalism quiz:
Digital drawings inspired by street art typography:
- Typography in Street Art: Go on Google and search “typography street art”. So you can get inspired to create your own art in Photoshop on an A4 Document – Landscape.
- Digital Drawing Guidelines: Create three digital drawings inspired by street art typography. Ensure each drawing reflects a different style or theme. Use Photoshop to create those and make sure you create the fill, outlines, shadows and highlights in different layers. Use the brush tool.
- Reflection: Add to each drawing your reflection paragraph. Discuss the artistic choices you made, like colour, line, shapes and style.
Examples:
Instructions
Click on file > new and select A4 on the print tab, then select landscape.
Use the Brush tool to draw and don’t forget to create different layers for fill, outlines and shadows.
Select a colour that you would like to use.
Change the Brush Size Using the Brush Tools Option Bar.
Pull the Size slider to the left or right to change the brush size. The slider just below controls the hardness of the brush.
Also under General brushes you can select either Soft Round brush or Hard Round brush.
Week 5 and 6 – Project 4
- Asher Jay – 3 silhouette Experiments
- Artist Research – Asher Jay
Evaluate your work
Tasks Guidelines:
Task 1: Creating Silhouette Vector Artwork
Art & Design @ West Thames College 