Uploading images

Step 1:  Take the picture.  You should have adequate lighting when taking pictures of your artwork.  Taking the picture by a window should give you enough natural light.  Take one with, and one without the flash to see which will look better.

Step 2:  Save the picture on your computer.  You should create a folder for this class, and save all of your images to that folder.  They will be easy to locate when you need them.

Step 3:  Adjust the picture.  The image size should be between 250 and 1000 on the larger side of the picture.  Crop out any background, etc. around the picture.  All we want to see is the artwork.  adjust the color balance and/or brightness and contrast of the piece so that it is appealing on the computer screen.  Save your work.

Step 4:  Start a new post for each image.  Use the Add Media button to upload the file.  Set the Alignment to a left justification.  Click “Insert image into post”

Step 5:  Write about your piece.  See post titled “Starting you own gallery” for instructions on what to write about.

Step 6:  Publish your post.

Due dates will be given each 6 weeks for image postings.  You are required to upload each project completed into its own post, and give an evaluation.

Example image posting

Watercolor and Charcoal

This is a mixed media piece that I completed over the summer.  It was done with watercolor and charcoal.  I started with a rough contour drawing from a photograph.  I then began painting with the watercolor.  I tried not to fixate too much on the placement of color when I was painting.  A lot of wet painting techniques were used in order for the colors to bleed together.  While the paint was still wet, I began drawing with charcoal.  Because of the wetness of the paper, I was able to blend the charcoal effectively to create some “dirty” values.  In some areas, some wet painting was done over the charcoal.  After the paint and charcoal were dry, I went back and made some touchups with black and white charcoal.

Color choice was important to me in finishing this piece.  I wanted to use soft colors that would best represent the calm mood of the piece.  Contrasting colors used in the background and foreground help to establish a sense of space in the piece.

Starting your gallery

As a part of the blog use in this class, you will be required to upload an image of EACH project completed in class.

Each project image should be uploaded into it’s own POST, and after uploading the image, you are required to write a paragraph (of at least 3-5 sentences) explaining the choices within your artwork.  You should write about your choice of media, the subject matter, and you should also rate your own success on the piece.

As a class we will take time to evaluate other’s artwork, and use the blogs as a forum for ongoing critiques and evaluations of each other’s artwork.

September 8th

1st blog assignment.

Write your 1st POST on your blog site.  Introduce yourself, and tell me what kind of Artwork you most admire.  Tell me your interests as they relate to Art, and the kinds of things you most enjoy drawing.  Tell me also what you most hope to achieve by taking this class.

Use the handout of class addresses to add each students blog address to your blogroll on your site.  You can also write a page, and include the links there.

Your post and your blogroll will be graded on September 10.

Welcome to 2008-2009

Welcome back Art students!!  I am looking forward to an exciting year of Art.  This is our classes’ blog site.  Each of you will also be required to have your own wordpress blog (to be used exclusively for this and other classes).  I hope to use it in many different ways.  The bottom line is COMMUNICATION.  This should be an easy way for us to discuss projects, due dates, artwork, upcoming competitions, etc.

We will have assignments that deal directly with the blog, and updates and reminders will be posted here as well.  Once you have your own blog set up, I will place a direct link on this page.  I encourage you to not only communicate with me, but with your fellow art students.  Communication in the form of chatting, posting problems/solutions, posting photographs of artwork, etc.

Your personal blog also be a sort of portfolio for you to keep up with your progress in this class.  You will be required to post an image of each project completed in the class, and we will use the blogs to jump start class conversations about the piece.

Thanks, and I hope you are as excited about the new year as I am.