Michelle Forsyth, Associate Professor
Painting and Drawing
Fine Arts Department
Washington State University
5072 Fine Arts Center
Pullman WA 99164

Office Hours: by appointment
Office Room #: FA 7015
Office Tel: (509) 335 - 3278

FA 320: Beginning Painting
Fall 2007 - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 1:10 - 2:50

Course Description (From WSU Catalogue):
Prereq FA 102, 103, 110. Basic painting; introduction to composition and color structure.

Course Objectives:
This studio course will introduce you to painting with a focus on developing composition and a sensitivity to color. We will examine the use and preparation of different painting surfaces. In this class you will be asked to address your work in relation to a larger social context of contemporary ideas and will be required to present your work in a formal critique setting.

Attendance:
This is a very demanding course. Handouts, critiques, and demonstrations will contribute to each student's formal studio technique and critical facility. Interaction and collaboration with your peers will be an important aspect of the learning process. Please note that this course requires at least 3 hours of homework per week. The projects take a lot of time and energy and will be impossible to complete unless you work consistently throughout the semester. Please do not arrive late or depart early from class meetings, there is simply too much material to cover in each class and it proves to disruptive and disrespectful to all of us. Absence from a class is not an excuse for skipping a tutorial, reading assignment, or project. You are responsible for completing work.

Please note:
5 absences results in failure of the course.
15% will be deducted from your final grade if you have missed 3 classes
20% will be deducted from your final grade if you have missed 4 classes

The following also counts as 1 absence:
Arriving more than 10 minutes late to class 3 times.
Leaving early from class without permission.
Not participating in class exercises.

Grading Policy:
Because this class focuses on studio production, a substantial portion of your grade is based on attendance and participation. In addition, all work must be submitted for critique on the due date. You must show work during class critiques to receive a grade. Work should be ready to hang by critique date. If you fail to hand your assignments in on time, 4% per week will be subtracted from the grade received. Work submitted by the deadline may be revised for re-evaluation. Resubmitted work must include substantial revision and show considerable improvement and alteration. Resubmission of work at this stage is strongly encouraged, time permitting. The revised grade will be an average of both grades received.

Final Grades will be based on the following factors:
30% Class participation and attendance. Showing up and participating in class discussions and critiques is mandatory.
60% Completion of assignments (see note above Assignments)
10% Final Critique (present all completed assignments, statement of intent and participation

Students with Disabilities:
I am committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. Please visit the Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first two weeks of every semester to seek information or to qualify for accommodations. All accommodations MUST be approved through the DRC (Admin Annex Bldg, Rooms 205). Call 509 335 3417 to make an appointment with a disability counselor.

Academic Dishonesty:
WSU is committed to principles of truth and academic honesty. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication in the process of academic work, and can result in suspension or dismissal from the university. In this class, academic dishonesty will result in failure of the course and will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct. See http://www.conduct.wsu.edu/default.asp?PageID=343 for more information.

Painting Materials in Kit:
1 - box of willow charcoal
1 - 9 x 12" paper palette

Brushes:            
1 - #1 round white talkon connoisseur brush
1 - #6 round white talkon connoisseur brush
1 - #8 filbert white talkon connoisseur brush
1 - #12 filbert white talkon connoisseur brush
1 - #8 flat white talkon connoisseur brush
1 - #12 flat white talkon connoisseur brush

Acrylic Paint:    
1 - 5 oz tube titanium white
1 - 2 oz tube cadmium red deep
1 - 2 oz tube cadmium red
1 - 2 oz tube cadmium orange
1 - 2 oz tube hansa yellow
1 - 2 oz tube permanent green
1 - 2 oz tube hookers green
1 - 2 oz tube prussian blue
1 - 2 oz tube ultramarine blue
1 - 2 oz tube ultramarine violet
1 - 2 oz tube burnt sienna
1 - 2 oz tube yellow ochre
1 - 2 oz tube raw umber
1 - 2 oz tube ivory black

* items not included in kit available at the Bookie and Crimson and Gray.

You will also need:
1 - roll of extra heavyweight watercolor paper #160 (30" x 5 yards)
A pencil
A ruler
Willow charcoal

For making stretchers:
*Bottle of Wood Glue
*1 x 2s - as needed
*quarter round - as needed
*1 pkg. 5/8 " brads or finishing nails

Suggested Readings:
Color:
Albers, Josef. Interaction of Color (Yale University Press, Revised 1987)

Gage, John. Color and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction. (University of California Press, 1999)

Itten, Johannes. The Elements of Color (John Wiley & Sons, 1970)

Itten, Johannes. The Art of Color: The Subjective Experience and the Objective Rational of Color (John Wiley & Sons, revised 1997)

Technical Manuals:
Mayer, Ralph and Steven Sheehan. The Artist Handbook of Materials and Techniques. (Viking Press, 1991)

Gottsegen, Mark David. The Painter's Handbook. (Watson-Guptill Publications, 1993)

Course Projects:

Project 1: Achromatic Value Scale
On a piece of prepared paper measuring 11 x 14 inches, you will create a 12-step value scale from white to black. Each value should be 1 inch square.

Project 2: Black and White Kitchen Appliance Painting
Bring in a kitchen appliance with a variety of surfaces such as plastic, chrome, cast iron, glass etc. Possibilities include items such as a blender, coffee machine, food processor etc. The goal of this assignment is to learn to see value and translate what you see to your canvas. Explore the possibilities of different painting techniques to achieve the different surfaces of your objects, such as diluted washes for transparencies.

To complete this project:
1. Prepare a piece of paper that measures 20 x 24 inches
2. Using willow charcoal, block in your kitchen appliance paying close attention to shifts in value and surface texture.
3. Translate your image into Black and White.

Project 3: Color Star
On a piece of prepared paper measuring 11 x 14 inches, you will create a Color Star based on Johannes Itten's model.

Project 4: White Still-Life with Interior Space
In this project you will learn how to manipulate a color using a variety of whites you will also learn several techniques for the articulation of space. The goal is to transcribe the space of the room as well your white object into a full palette without using white directly from the tube.

1. Prepare a piece of paper that measures 20 x 24 inches
2. Paint a wash of color over the ground. This is called a ground color.
3. On this ground, roughly sketch your still-life in pencil, paying close attention to the edges between hues and values.
4. Do the best to translate the still-life into white using your color star as a guide for mixing color.
5. DO NOT USE BLACK!

Project 6: Monochromatic Still-Life
In this project you will learn how to manipulate a single hue using all the other hues in the color circle to change and manipulate it.
1. Prepare a canvas that measures 24 x 36 inches
2. Paint a wash of color over the ground. This is called a ground color.
3. On this ground, roughly sketch your still-life in willow charcoal paying close attention to the edges between hues and values.
4. Do the best to translate the still-life into your chosen hue using your color transition grid from assignment 4, part 2. Use the hue in all it's variations, paying close attention to value. Middle values should be achieved with the paint directly from the tube.
5. DO NOT USE BLACK!
6. This project will be done from a still-life set-up in the classroom.

Project 7: Color Mixing Grids Using Washes of Color
Using washes, you will mix each hue with the others.
Rule off a large square into 13 x 13 small squares. The first square on the upper left is kept white. The remaining squares of the top row are filled with the 12 hues of the color circle from yellow through yellow-orange to yellow-green in complimentary sequence from violet through blue-violet and blue to red-violet. To complete this project you will need to mix up each of the 12 hues of the color wheel in small glass containers with lids. These colors will be mixed with water using a ratio of 1:3. 1 part pigment and 3 parts water. You will then proceed to fill in each column and row with a strip of wash for that color. The strips of color will have to be applied one at a time, allowing each to dry in between. You will slowly build up a delicate network of overlapping washes. When complete the under-saturated colors should run from the top left corner to the bottom right one.

Project 8: Word Abstraction
For this project you will be given a word. You will translate that word into a painting using no representational forms or symbols.
1. Prepare a canvas that measures 24 x 36 inches
2. Do the best to translate the word into color using your color transition grid from assignment 6 as a guide. You can achieve all of the neutral colors necessary by layering washes of color at full saturation. Be careful as the colors will darken as you apply more layers. If an area happens to get too dark you may use white to erase and then slowly build the washes back up.
3. DO NOT USE BLACK!
4. you may use medium or water to thin your paint.

Project 9: Surface Studies
On four pieces of prepared paper which measure 6 x 6 inches you will do studies of different surfaces using all techniques you have learned so far. You will complete one of each of the the following:
1. close up of your skin
2. close up of wall, desk or other inanimate object
3. surface of fruit or vegetable
4. surface of your choice
Please note that only one edge of each composition may be broken by a contour.

Project 10: Self-Portrait
By this time you should have a solid grasp of painting and will be able to mix any color you desire. For this project you will create a self portrait using all the skills you have acquired over the semester.

Course Schedule:

Week 1: Introduction
Monday, August 20 - Guidelines for class, materials list, goals and expectations for the class.
Wednesday, August 22 – PowerPoint lecture on color basics. We will begin Project 1: Achromatic
Value Scales. Reading: “Color Basics” from Color by Zelanski and Fisher
Friday, August 24 - Critique of Project 1: Achromatic Color Scales. Start Painting Project 2: Kitchen
Appliance Painting

Week 2:
Monday August 27 - Continue Project 2: Kitchen Appliance Painting
Wednesday August 29 - Continue Project 2: Kitchen Appliance Painting
Friday August 31 - Continue Project 2: Kitchen Appliance Painting

Week 3:
Monday September 3 - LABOR DAY - HOLIDAY
Wednesday September 5 - Begin Project 3: The Color Star. Reading: “The Color Sphere” by
Johannes Itten
(I am in New York, TA to sub this class)
Friday September 7 – Continue Color Star.
(I am in New York, TA to sub this class)

Week 4:
Monday September 10 - Critique Project 2: Kitchen Appliance Painting and Project 3: The Color
Star.
Wednesday September 12 - Begin Project 4: White Still-Life
Friday September 14 - Continue Project 4: White Still-Life

Week 5:
Monday September 17 - Continue Project 4: White Still-Life
Wednesday September 19 - Continue Project 4: White Still-Life
Friday September 21 - Continue Project 4: White Still-Life

Week 6:
Monday September 24 - Critique Project 4: White Still-Life. Begin Project 5: Color Mixing Grids
Wednesday September 26 - Introduction to building canvas supports, priming and laying down
grounds. Today we will be in the woodshop. Be sure to have all of your supplies for building stretchers
Friday September 28 - Continue Project 5: Color Mixing Grids

Week 7:
Monday October 1 - Critique Project 5: Color Mixing Grids. Begin Project 6: Monochromatic Still
Life Painting
Wednesday October 3 - Continue Project 6: Monochromatic Still Life Painting
Friday October 5 - Continue Project 6: Monochromatic Still Life Painting.

Week 8:
Monday October 8 - Continue Project 6: Monochromatic Still Life Painting.
Wednesday October 10 - Critique Project 6: Monochromatic Still Life Painting
Friday October 12 - Start Project 7: Color Mixing Grids Using Washes of Color

Week 9:
Monday October 15 - Critique Project 7: Color Mixing Grids Using Washes of Color. Prepare a
24 x 36 canvas for next class.
Wednesday October 17 - Begin Project 8: Word Abstraction
Friday October 19 - Continue Project 8: Word Abstraction

Week 10:
Monday October 22 - Continue Project 8: Word Abstraction
Wednesday October 24 - Continue Project 8: Word Abstraction
Friday October 26 - CLASS CANCELLED - BFA CERTIFICATION DAY

Week 11:
Monday October 29 - Critique Project 8: Word Abstraction
Wednesday October 31 - Begin Project 9: Surface Studies
Friday November 2 - Continue Project 9: Surface Studies

Week 12:
Monday November 5 - Continue Project 9: Surface Studies
Wednesday November 7 - Continue Project 9: Surface Studies
Friday November 9 - Critique Project 9: Surface Studies.

Week 13:
Monday November 12 - NO CLASS VETERANS DAY
Wednesday November 14 - Self-Portrait
Friday November 16 - Continue Project 9: Self-Portrait

Thanksgiving - Monday November 20 thru Friday November 24

Week 14:
Monday November 26 - Continue Project 10: Self-Portrait
Wednesday November 28 - Continue Project 10: Self-Portrait
Friday November 30 - Continue Project 10: Self-Portrait

Week 15:
Monday December 3 - Final Critiques
Wednesday December 5 - Final Critiques
Friday December 7 - Final Critiques