EXTRA CREDIT

UNIT II: Raster

PROJECT: Josef Albers Color Interaction

OBJECTIVE:  To familiarize you with the work of Josef Albers, the great colorist and teacher. You will re-enact several Albers experiments in color interaction.

Media:
For these exercises, you will use cut paint samples that you will gather from Lowe’s or Home Depot. Once the assignment is introduced, you will need to make a trip to either of these locations and gather as many samples as you can. The more you get, the easier your work will be for this assignment. You can also use color aid paper, if you have any.

PROCESS:

Exercise One: Making two colors appear as the same color.

You will be creating two different color fields (approx. 2” x 3” to accomodate the paint samples you retrieve at the hardware store). On these color fields you will be mounting a 3/4” square of 2 colors. To determine your background and chip colors, you will test a variety of color choices that, when you set the small chips on the two background fields, the chips appear visu- ally to be the same color. Mount your chip colors outside of the background fields next to each other to show the difference in color between the chips. (Please refer to the attached diagram for a guide to the layout of this exercise.)

Exercise Two: Making one color appear as two colors.

You will be creating two different color fields (approx. 2” x 3” to accomodate the paint samples you retrieve at the hardware store). On these color fields you will be mounting a 3/4” x 3” rectangle of 1 color. You will then lay a 3/4” x 3” white strip vertically in the center point of the two background color fields and the middle of the 3/4” x 3” color band - this should split the color band in two. Tape the white strip in place at the top to create a hinge so the white strip can be raised and lowered over the color fields. To determine your background and chip color, you will test a variety of color choices that, when you set the small chips on the two background fields, the chips appear visually to be two different colors. (Please refer to the attached diagram for a guide to the layout of this exercise.)

At the end of class, we will be hanging up the results of these in-class exercises. These exercises will then be turned in for your grade! So attendance and full participation is required. If you are not in class, you may make up these exercises for 1/2 the points credit.

Design 1: Creating the illusion of transparency

You will be creating an overall image area of 6” x 8” Choose at least 3 colors. Using at least 3 objects for “overlapping”, develop a composition that allows each of the objects to be on the background and overlap the other color field or objects. Where the 2 shapes overlap, choose an additional color that gives the appearance of transparency to your “overlapping” object. Vary the degree of transparency for each of the 3 objects by choosing a slightly different color for each “overlapped” area that gives the appearance that each of the 3 objects has different degrees of transparency. If you chose, you may use mixed paint for the overlapping “transparent” areas to achieve the subtle tints or shades required for your design.

Design 2: Color Vibration through repetition

Create the same 6” x 8” area. Using repeating forms, choose 2 colors that create a visual vibration. Create a composition us- ing these colors and forms that best demonstrates the vibration of 2 complementary hues.

ARTIST REFERENCE:

http://www.albersfoundation.org/Albers.php?inc=Galleries

GRADING CRITERIA: 4pts

1 pt for each exercise and design sample

DUE:  13 February 2012

NOTES: