PROJECT
Personal Pattern & Application using Optical Mixture
COURSE
Interdisciplinary, 2D
INSTRUCTOR
Amelia Carley
OUTCOMES
Inquiry/ Reflection
Synthesis/ Community
Optical Mixture
Pattern
MATERIALS/TOOLS
Photoshop/ Illustrator
RELEVANT ARTISTS
Yayoi Kusama
Anni Albers
Keith Haring
Mickalene Thomas
Jeffery Gibson
Nicolas Party
Image credit: Cass Brent-Nurse
ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION:
Students will conduct visual research and share 3 or more patterns that hold personal and/or cultural significance. Share these with your peers including 3-5 sentences
sharing the significance of the pattern either personally, culturally, and/or historically.
Considering your pattern research, create your own pattern swatch. Your design should have multiple locations showing quality examples of optical mixture within the design. Be sure in at least two or more locations a new color is being "mixed' visually through only optical mix. Utilizing any traditional or digital tools of your choice, develop a swatch for your pattern. Expand your swatch into a pattern using Photoshop or Illustrator for discussion.
Discuss the specific aesthetic qualities of your pattern design and consider how your unique pattern can, and should, be applied to specific forms. Consider the value, density, color, tone, and mood that your pattern evokes. Students will collaboratively discuss what types of objects/forms their pattern would be best suited to be applied.
Students will then apply their pattern to two objects using Photoshop. One smaller than their body, one larger than their body to share and discuss. Consider how the
effects of optical mix change with density/scale and how the significance of their pattern has evolved throughout the process.