Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus

Course number: FS103 (E) & (D)
Course Title: Color Theory

Class Meetings:
Section C Wednesday, 7:30 - 11:20 am 2950 Building, Room 308
Section D, Wednesday 12:30- 4:20pm 2950 Building Room 313
Session/Year: Summerr 2008
Instructor Name: Francisco Letelier
Email Address: Franlete@aol.com
Phone: (310) 399-5505
Instructor Availability Outside of Class: By appointment

Color Theory
Course Description:
In this course, students will explore color theory, including additive and subtractive color. Discussions of color and its relationship to composition, through harmony and contrast, will be explored.

Course Focus: The basic elements and principles of color. The student develops working skills with thinking and information of color design for a variety of visual effects. This course involves the development of color perception, expression, and application in traditional and digital imagery, using two dimensional formats through a series of problem solving exercises and projects.

Course Length: 11 Weeks
Contact Hours: 44 Hours
Lecture: 2 Hours per week
Lab: 2 Hours per week
Credit Values: 3 Quarter Credits

Course Competencies:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
• Compare and contrast hue, value, and saturation.
• Apply the concepts of unity, variety, contrast, dominance, appropriateness, balance, and harmony to their design.
• Compare and contrast additive and subtractive color theory.
• Distinguish the relative aspects of color perception (e.g., psychological and cultural aspects) as they apply to solving design problems.
• Differentiate between color used as symbol, as expression, and as description.
• Identify and define which color theories apply to different input/output devices.
• Identify color choices and ways.
• Demonstrate the design concept visually through sample boards, etc.

Course Prerequisites: None.

Method of Instruction: This course is taught using classroom and lab instruction employing lecture/demonstration, in-class exercises, student participation, lab activities, independent student projects and final exam.

Text(s): None.

Materials and Supplies:
Gouache (student grade) available in school store
Colored construction paper
glue
Bristol board 9 x 12 tablet
Mat board
Illustration board
Ruler, triangle, exacto knife
assorted graphite pencils
Brushes for wet media
(one fine point brush and one flat ¼ ")
Drawing Journal

Materials for each class announced at the end of the proceeding class.
A supply of 81/2” x 11” paper work surfaces must be brought to each class session.

Estimated Homework Hours: 2-3 Hours per week

Technology Needed: None

Grading Scale:
All assignments must have clear criteria and objectives to meet. All students shall be treated equitably. It will be that student’s right to know his/her grade at any reasonable point that information is requested by that student. The criteria for determining a student’s grade shall be as follows (on a percentage of total points basis):

A 100-93
A- 92-90
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79-77
C 76-73
C- 72-70
D+ 69-67
D 66-65
F 64 or below

Process for Evaluation:
Any student absents in class total of 18 hours will be suspended from the course and awarded a grade of F.
Break times are scheduled at the instructor’s discretion.

Daily Assignments/In-Class Exercises = 25%
Attendance = 25%
All projects/Tests = 50%

*Please note: Showing up to class and doing all assignments, without progress, does not constitute a passing grade.

Student Evaluation/Grading Policies:
• Class time will be spent in a productive manner.
• Grading will be done on a point system.
• Points for individual activities will be announced.
• All work must be received by the set deadlines.
• Late work receives a grade of zero.
• On-time projects may be redone with instructor approval.
• ABSOLUTELY NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE FINAL CLASS MEETS WEEK 11.


Department Attendance Policy: 3 Absences equals an F in the course.

School-wide Attendance Policy:
Students who do not attend any classes for fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days and fail to notify the Academic Affairs Department will be withdrawn from school. In addition, the student may be involuntarily withdrawn at the discretion of the Academic Director, and with the approval of the Dean of Academic Affairs, at any time.

Classroom Policy:
• No food allowed in class or lab at any time. Drinks in recloseable bottles allowed in classroom.
• Edible items brought to class or lab must be thrown out.
• If student elects to eat/drink outside class or lab door, missed time is recorded as absent.
• Attendance is taken hourly. Tardiness or absence is recorded in 15-minute increments.
• Break times are scheduled by the instructor at appropriate intervals.
• No private software is to be brought to lab or loaded onto school computers.
• No software games are allowed in lab (unless in course curriculum).
• Headphones are required if listening to music during lab. No headphones are allowed in lecture.
• Any student who has special needs that may affect his or her performance in this class is asked to identify his/her needs to the instructor in private by the end of the first day of class. Any resulting class performance problems that may arise for those who do not identify their needs will not receive any special grading considerations.

Plagiarism and Cheating (Student Handbook – pgs. 154-155)
Dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly supplying false information or deceiving the school and its officials is a violation of the student conduct policy. Any student who is found to have violated this policy is subject to disciplinary sanctions up to and including suspension or permanent dismissal. Please be aware that plagiarism is presenting another’s ideas as one’s own and includes paraphrasing as well as copying without proper citations or quotation marks.

Disability Policy Statement:
“It is our policy not to discriminate against qualified students with documented disabilities in our educational programs, activities, or services. If you have a disability-related need for adjustments or other accommodations in this class, contact Kimberly Clapp, Disabilities Coordinator at (310) 314-6181 kclapp@aii.edu or visit her office located on the 2nd floor of the 2950 building, room 230.
Course Outline

Week 1: Lecture: Primary Colors, additive and Subtractive color, printing systems, computer monitors.
Lab: Creation of color wheel – Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colors
Homework: Complete color wheel

Week 2: Lecture: Basic Color Theory -Itten and Munsell systems
Lab: monochrome study/grey scales
Homework: Create a composition using one of Itten's color contrasts

Week 3: Lecture: Color Relationships and Harmony
Lab: Layout and Transparency
Homework: Layout and transparency

Week 4: Lecture: Color symbolism
Lab: Symbolic color
Homework: Symbolic color

Week 5: Lecture: Grids, Rhythm, Unity
Lab: Grid Study using rhythmic color and set palette
Homework: Finish Study

Week 6: Lecture: Still Life: Cropping and Enlarging
Lab: Create a warm or cool color palette for your composition
Homework: Finish Still life and Cropping exercise. Bring in image of a landscape with a distant horizon for next class
Week 7: Lecture: Fauvism and Expressionism
Lab: Using color to imply distance
Homework: Based on photos taken (24) select one photo and create a landscape using the color theory of aerial perspective.

Week 8: Lecture: Pointillism
Lab: create a color scheme and a series of studies using pointillist technique
Homework: Pointillist Composition based on your studies
Bring in image of work by a modernist artist who employs color as a device.

Week 9: Lecture: Modernist Art/ Visual Color Movements
Lab: Using selected work as a model, create a study
Homework: Modernist composition

Week 10: Lecture: Psychological/ Cultural context of Color
Lab: Use handout to explore/ experiment with
various psychological aspects of color
Homework: Cultural/psychological image

Week 11: Final project critique