COMPUTER GRAPHICS OVERVIEW

CONTENT: Students will learn to use the computer as an artist's tool. Core content emphasizes
the elements and principles of art. Projects are designed to allow students to identify, explore and solve
visual problems at varying skill levels.

Evidence of mastery will be demonstrated by submitting completed assignments in
a digital portfolio that serves as a cumulative evaluation tool.

I. The Elements of Art:
Line, color, shape, form, space, texture, value

LINE
1. expressive line
2. contour line/outline
3. weighted lines
4. paths

COLOR
1. primary/secondary/tertiary
2. complementary, monochromatic, analogous, split comp, triads
3.additive & subtractive color theories
4. RGB/CMYK
5. warm & cool colors
6. color psychology: emotional/psychological/cultural
7. hue, color names
8. saturation & intensity

SHAPE
1. organic/amorphous
2. geometric
3. transformation/morphic shape

FORM
Height, width, depth: 3D
contour

SPACE
positive/negative space; symmetrical/asymmetrical;

TEXTURE
implied and actual

VALUE
1. tonality
2. tint/tone/shade
3. key color
4. intensity
5. saturation

II. The Principles of Art & Design
(proportion, emphasis, unity, variety, balance, contrast, pattern, rhythm, composition)

COMPOSITION
a. center of attention
b. background, middleground, foreground
c. methods of composition/ golden triangle/ rule of thirds

PROPORTION
Relationship of parts to whole; relative size

BALANCE
symmetrical/assymetrical, formal, informal, radial

UNITY
coherence; how parts work as a whole

EMPHASIS
Color emphasis/compositional emphasis/focal point/dominance

PATTERN
Repeat, repetition of elements,
patterns in nature (spirals, radials), fractals; Fabonaci numbers
Patterns: simple, alternating, random

CONTRAST
Pos/neg space, color contrast using complements, etc.

MOVEMENT
rhythm; repetition; pattern

 

 

 

 

III. Computer Skills & Techniques
1. Drawing applications
2. Painting applications
3. Multimedia applications
4. Presentation applications

IV. Color Psychology & Philosophy of Color
A. Color phenomena
B. Historical color usage
C. Emotions and color
D. Color and Culture
E. Color in advertising & design

V. Art History
A. The Canon: 100 works of art every well educated student should know!
B. Impressionism-Modern

VI: Aesthetics and Art Criticism
A. Evaluation techniques
B. Group Critique
C. "Reading" a work of art
D.

VII: Art & Careers Pathways