Cave Paintings | 35,000 years ago

What are cave paintings?
Beautiful detailed and colorful representations found on the inside of cave walls and ceilings
Name several common themes found in cave paintings?
Large animals such as bisons, horse, deer, tracings of human hands, and abstract patterns


How were these paintings created (tools, pigments)?
Water, plant juice, animal blood, soil, charcoal, and hematite (a form of iron oxide)


What is the most famous cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?
Post an example of cave painting(s) from this cave.
Lascaux; discovered in 1940 by 4 teenage boys


Why did this cave have to be closed? What was done to satisfy public curiosity?
Because the paintings were being damaged by the carbon dioxide emitted by tourists; the French government created Lascaux II - a man mad replica next to the original


In Altamira cave, why do most of the paintings have a red hue? Post an example of cave painting(s) from Altamira cave.
because of the red clay found in the soil


Who discovered this site? How old are the paintings confirmed to be?
discovered by Marceline Sanz de Sautuola and his daughter Maria; Nearly 19,000 years ago


What is the oldest known cave painting site? When was it discovered and by whom?
Post an example of cave painting(s) from this cave.
Chauvet-Point Arc; discovered in 1994 by Eliette Brunell Deschamps, Christian Hillaire, Jean-Marie Chauvet


What was different about the painting techniques at this site?
The walls were scraped clear of debris, a 3D effect was created by etching around the edges


What is "speleology"?
The scientific study of caves


What three reasons do archeologists and historians believe prehistoric man created cave paintings?

To tell a story or recount an event that already happened, as an instructional visual aid to help teach about hunting and techniques, and for magical or religious reasons that if an image of a desired event were painted it might come true

Assignment 13: Research & Inspiration

exquisite corpse: method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled from Wikipedia. (a game)
where it came from: The technique was invented by Surrealists and is similar to an old parlour game calledConsequences in which players write in turn on a sheet of paper, fold it to conceal part of the writing, and then pass it to the next player for a further contribution (Wikipedia) around 1925


surrealism: cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members. (Wikipedia) think of it as a dream, not realistic
The images together make an eye.  This is an example of surrealism.  I liked this because it forces your mind to form the image of the eye.  Good colors; green yellow blue

Good example of what
we will be doing.  Very
different, you can
tell it wasn't done by
the same person.

The Creative Process

Why do we need a creative process?
 - improves consistency
 - ability to plan and time your work
 - raise the quality of your work
 - communicate more effectively and in a more profesional way

Steps of the creative process:

1. Research: look online, in magazines, music, books, etc.                                                                            - The more you know, the easier the project will be.
2. Brainstorming/Inspiration: striving to be unique while following the trends; fresh and creative approach.  come up with adjectives                                                                                                       Questions to ask yourself:                                                                                                                      - What kind of message am I trying to communicate?                                                                           - Who is my audience?                                                                                                                          - What kind of color/style with work for this audience?
3. Sketching: draw out your ideas; thumbnails
4. Execution: combine type and imagery into a design.  use the research and brainstorming to create design.  If you get stuck, clear your head, walk away, start over if necessary.
5. Critique & Revise: take a step back, look at it from another angle.  Make sure all the designs are right and the colors work together.

Photo Composition

snapshot = a quick shot, often spontaneous, taken to record a moment in time

photograph = an image taken with care and thought

rule of thirds = imaginary lines drawn dividing the frame of your camera into thirds, both horizontal and vertically

- for a close up picture, fill up the entire frame

leading lines = use the lines created within the foreground or background of the composition to lead the viewer's eye through the photo

point of view = change the way your subject is perceived by changing the camera position

- to make something look tall: point the camera facing up

- to make something look smaller: point the camera facing down

simplicity = keep your background simple and clear of clutter

Review Week 17

At the end of the "Who Shot the Serif?" article it asks the reader a question: Have you learned anything?  I learned many new things about serifs.  Many people do not know how to define serifs.  They are basically the lines at the end of each letter.  Serifs are said to come from Rome.  Before anything was carved into stone, it was painted.  The paint brush left extra marks at the end of the letters, which were then carved into the stone.  This was the first form of serifs.  Two basic types of serifs are Adnate and Abrupt.  Abrupt serifs are simply strait lines whereas Adnate serifs curve off the letters.  This article gives the reader a good idea what serifs are and how they originated. 

Semester Reflection

When I signed up for graphic design I wasn't sure what to expect.  I am pretty good with computers but have never worked with Illustrator or Photoshop.  At first the programs were very hard to get used to but now that I know how to use them, they're a lot of fun.  The hardest thing to learn was the pen tool in Illustrator.  It was so hard to get used to but is very useful in designs.  My favorite assignment was the textures because we put a lot of time and effort into them and they turned out really well.  Next semester I would like to see a little more time for assignments.  It's very stressful during the days we have to work on them because I'm not sure if I'm going to finish and I feel rushed.  Other than that I feel the assignments and material has been great.  Next semester I would like to learn how to do more things in Photoshop and Illustrator.

Review Week 16

How many points are in an inch? How many points are in a pica?
72 pts in an inch; 12 pts in a pica
Of the seven classifications, which classification(s) would best work as body type? Why?
Sans serif because it is a simple font and easy to readIdentify the lowercase characters that have ascenders?
b, d, h, t, l, f.
Identify the lowercase characters that have descenders?
g, j, p, q, y


Classify the following typefaces and briefly explain why you believe it should be classified that way:

Old Style because of the
slanted edges of the letters.

Script because of the curvy lines
and some of the letters are connected.

Sans Serif because the letters are
plain and simple with no attachments
on the ends.

Decorative because of the shading
behind each letter.

Modern because of the thin type
and lines on the ends of the letters.

Sans Serif because of the strait
lines on the ends of the letters.

Blackletter because of the different
edges, lines, and curves on each letter.