Tasmanian School of Art Faculty of Arts
FSE120 Introduction to Digital Imaging Semester 3/2008 Unit Outline
Unit weight 12.5%
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Unit coordinator/lecturer: Bill Hart
Lecturers / Tutors Nancy Mauro-Flude mnmauro@utas.edu.au
Campus: Hobart, Centre for the Arts
office location E-Media computing (next to Aaron)
phone: 03 6226 4211 E-Media lab. Level 1
Unit description
An introductory course in computing digital imaging technologies, techniques
and aesthetics, focusing on art and design related applications.
The unit provides a practically orientated foundation in digital imaging principles, from image capture to output, developing image manipulation concepts and abilities. Projects and critiques will be structured appropriate to expectations of this unit, which is an introductory engagement with visual image production.
Teaching pattern
3 hr tutorial/workshop on December 9th & 11, 5-8pm ;
5 1/2 hr tutorial/workshop Sunday 14th December 10 - 4:30pm;
five days in January 7 - 9th and 15- 16th 10 am to 4:30pm
Pre and Co-requisites Basic computing skills
Assessment Folio or presentation of project work examined at the end of the semester.
Participation in class critiques and satisfactory attendance are essential.
Faculty web site http://fcms.its.utas.edu.au/arts/
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit, you should:
• have familiarity with basic image editing concepts
• be able to scan/capture, adjust and output digital images
• have developed an awareness of the potential of digital imaging as a tool for either
making finished images, or as an adjunct to other forms of image making
• be able to complete digital imaging projects with a considered approach towards
producing resolved images.
Generic graduate attributes
• Knowledge - have developed a body of practical knowledge about digital imaging
concepts: image size, tone and colour manipulation. Be aware of the general
development of artists' use of digital media, including non-print based origins and
outcomes e.g. video and related screen based outcomes.
• Communication skills - be able to express concepts visually and be able to explain
and critically assess concepts associated with visual imagery.
• Problem solving skills - image development requires a methodical, analytical
approach to construct successful images. Planning, experimentation and persistence
are all essential qualities.
• Social responsibility - be aware of social and ethical implications of art practice and
act accordingly.
Details of teaching arrangements
Lectures/Intensive sessions. A 3 hr lecture/workshop/critique session is held weekly with
the lecturer
Students are also expected to book access time in the computing lab and produce work outside of the scheduled session times.
Field trips may be scheduled in response to exhibitions, visiting artists or other events and
will be held in class time at venues that are walking distance from the School of Art.
Facilities and software
The production facilty for FSE120 is located in the E-Media lab and is MacIntosh Computer
based. A technician is available to assist subject to availablity. Core software is Adobe Photoshop CS3. Other software, such as Preview and Microsoft Powerpoint, GIMP, imagemagik, will also be used.
Much of the commercial software in use in teaching courses is expensive. The school
will not provide software for use on personal equipment, and there are serious legal
penalties for the having software that you do not own. Where possible information on
low cost or free open source alternatives to commercial software will be made
available.
Basic materials required
Students will will also require some form of removable storage for transport and backup of work. This could be a USB stick, iPod, CD or DVD. Students will also need to purchase paper for printing 2D works. Entrepot carries a range of papers and other options will be discussed in class.
Session Topic
Dec 9 5-8pm
Introduction to the unit, confirmation of accounts & discussion of
general expectations.
Seminar on digital imagery and contemporary art.
Introduction to collage and first project.
Introduction to Photoshop.
Introduction to on-line help, tutorials and blogging.
Dec 11 5-8pm
Manual collage project: presentation and critique.
Developing project 1 into digital format.
Scanning and Photoshop workshop.
Introduction to printing/online publishing
Dec 14 10-12
Continue developing project 1 into digital format.
Photoshop skills.
Introduction to Printing/online publishing.
Dec 14 1-4.30
Digital collage project: presentation and critique.
Introduction to artist presentation and narrative project.
Introduction to Preview & slideshow alternatives.
Jan 7 10-12
Artist presentation.
Individual consultations for Narrative project.
Photoshop and slideshow skills.
Jan 7 1-4.30
Artist presentation.
Individual consultations for Narrative project.
Photoshop skills.
Jan 8 10-12
Individual consultations for Narrative project.
Photoshop skills.
Jan 8 1-4.30
Presentation and critique of Narrative project.
Outline of Independent Project
Jan 9 10-12
Presentation and critique of ideas for Independent project.
Photoshop skills
Jan 9 1-4.30
Independent project development and individual appointments.
Gallery visit: TBA
11 Jan 15 10-12
Independent project development and individual appointments.
Review of requirements for final submission.
Presentation strategies
12 Independent project development and individual appointments.
Jan 15 1-4.30
Discussion of work for final submission.
Presentation strategies
13 Jan 16 10-4.30
Presentation and critique of Independent Project
Review of original expectation and skills development.
Note : At most sessions, the lecturer will also give a 5-10 minute presentation on the work of
a specific artist or a concept associated with image development.
Assessment details
Your assessment will be based on the completion of 4 projects as outlined below and the
submission of a journal (preferably an online blog ***), support material, and your level of
participation in class workshops, critiques and field trips. Note that you will need to work on
projects 2 and 3 simultaneously to meet the deadline for critiques.
1. Collage Project
This is a two part project that incorporates manual and digital collage. Manual collage uses
layering to create a sense of narrative. For part one of the project you will be required to
create a manual collage that maps the story of something you have strong convictions about.
You will need to collect and use a range of materials, objects and images that you feel best
convey your experiences and use these to create a collaged image that will be discussed in
class in week 2. The second part of the project requires that you transfer the narrative you
created manually to digital form using a scanner or digital camera and Photoshop and output
the result as a black and white digital print.
Due dates : Manual collage and critique: Session 2
worth 10%
Digital collage and critique : Session 4
worth 10%
Assessment Criteria
• Originality and visual distinctiveness: this does not necessarily mean doing something that has never been done before, but assesses whether the work has an authentic voice. Has the student made some effort to collect materials and construct manual and digital collages that convey an individual approach, or have they relied upon generic forms or copied commercial media elements?
• Resolution: the degree to which the work is resolved, both technically and conceptually as manual and digital collage. Is the work well made? Is it complete? Is it well resolved aesthetically? Has consideration been given to formal elements such as tone, texture, composition, perspective and scale? How successfully have the manual and digital collages conveyed a sense of narrative about the experience of a first week at university?
• Experimentation: to what extent has the student challenged his or her own abilities and shown evidence of attempts at experimentation with manual and digital collage, whether conceptually, formally or technically? Does the work reflect a process of inquiry and reflection and engagement with each medium?
2. Artist Presentation
You will be required to give a 5-10 minute presentation about the work of an artist whose practice has engaged in the tradition of collage, or montage, in 2D, 3D or digitally. You will need to discuss the conceptual concerns of the artist you have chosen and describe and analyse how these concerns are reflected in several art works, taking into consideration the form, content and context of the work. Your presentation will be accompanied by a 'slide show' in digital format using Preview or other appropriate software.
Note : This project will be assessed by your lecturer in class.
Due dates : Presentations will be rostered for Sessions 5 and 6 worth 10%
Assessment Criteria
• Research: The extent to which your presentation reveals a sound level of research
into the artist and artworks you have chosen to discuss. Is the choice of artist
relevant? Does the presentation give a good indication of the form, content and
context of the discussed art works?
• Resolution: the quality of the images and other information and how well they have
been presented in digital form. Are the images clearly presented in terms of scale and
resolution?
• Overall presentation: is the project presented clearly and concisely within the time
limit? Does it show evidence of planning and rehearsal?
3. Narrative Project
In addition to collage, a sense of narrative can be created by working in series or multiples. For this project you will be required to construct a series of black and white images, 3 minimum, that express a thematic narrative of your own choosing. You will need to consider how best to present your images to convey your ideas. This may include a horizontal format that is read from left to right, a vertical format that is read from top to bottom, a grid format, an erratic composition, or a book format.
Due date : Presentation and critique in Session 8 worth 30%
Assessment Criteria :
• Originality and visual distinctiveness: this does not necessarily mean doing something that has never been done before, but assesses whether the work has an authentic voice. Has the student made some effort to create a work that conveys an individual approach to narrative through the use of multiple digital images, or have they relied upon generic forms or copied commercial media elements?
• Resolution: the degree to which the work is resolved, both technically and conceptually as a project that conveys a thematic narrative. Is the work well made? Is it complete? Is it well resolved aesthetically? Has consideration been given to how the viewer will ‘read’ the narrative? How successfully has the intended narrative been conveyed through the imagery? Has consideration been given to formal elements such as tone, texture, composition, perspective and scale?
• Experimentation: to what extent has the student challenged his or her own abilities and shown evidence of attempts at experimentation, whether conceptually, formally or technically? Does the work reflect a process of inquiry and reflection and engagement with the concept of narrative and working in series or multiples? How has this been managed?
4. Independent Project
For this project you will be given the freedom to develop an image project on a theme and in a
format of your own choosing. You will be required to give a class presentation of about 5
minutes that outlines your project concept and how you intend to resolve it formally. The
project may take a variety of forms, including 2D prints, 3D objects, artist book, screen based
work or some other digital output. You may stick to b&w imagery or you can incorporate
colour. The appropriate output of your work will be discussed with the class when you give
your presentation and at individual consultations with your lecturer.
Due dates : Presentation and critique in Session 13
worth 40%
Assessment Criteria :
• Originality and visual distinctiveness: this does not necessarily mean doing something
that has never been done before, but assesses whether the work has an authentic
voice. Has the student made some effort to make the work their own, or have they
relied upon generic forms or copied commercial media elements? Does the project
theme and the approach to conveying it reflect an individual approach?
• Resolution: the degree to which the work is resolved, both technically and
conceptually. Is the work well made? Is it complete? Is it well resolved aesthetically?
How successfully have the concepts underlying the project been expressed through
the chosen format?
• Experimentation: to what extent has the student challenged his or her own abilities
and shown evidence of attempts at experimentation, whether conceptually, formally
or technically? Does the work reflect a process of inquiry and reflection and
engagement with the medium? How has this been managed?
Journal, support work and participation
Your final assessment will also also take into consideration your journal, support work and the
level and content of your participation in group critiques, class discussions and field trip
exercises.
You will be required to maintain a journal throughout the semester. Your journal is a personal
reference tool in which you record, sketch, design, plan and collect ideas, images, quotes,
information about artists and artworks etc, relevant to the projects you undertake for this unit.
It can take the form of a hardcopy book, a folder, a blog or other website, or it can be
combination of digital and hardcopy files.
Final Submission for Assessment
Requirements:
• A display of your 2D project work on the Atrium walls outside the E-Media lab. Screen based and 3D work will be displayed elsewhere by arrangement with the lecturer. You will be advised whereand when to display your work in the final weeks of the semester.
• A short, reflective statement of no more than 1 page that describes your submitted work. This should include the title of works, the medium used, the concepts underlying your work and the processes undergone to create it. You should also summarise your aims and achievements for the semester.
• Your journal plus any other support material such as models, scripts or documentation. This may also include documentation and sketches of work which did not achieve a satisfactory resolution. Please note that these need to be concise and well presented to carry weight in your assessment.
• A completed and signed assignment cover sheet.
Conditions
• Your submission should be discussed in detail with the lecturer teaching the course
before submission.
• Work submitted for this course cannot be submitted for assesment for any other
course in your degree.
• All work other than that which will be displayed on the walls outside E-Media, is to be
delivered to the lecturer or designated staff member as will be instructed in the final
weeks of the semester.
How the final result is determined
See the School of Art Student Information Handbook section on Assesment and Examination
Procedures.
School of Art Information Booklet
Contains important additional information relevant to this unit outline. It is available from
reception or from the school’s website http://www.arthbt.utas.edu.au/
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY
See the School of Art Information Handbook, in particular OH&S information related to using
IT technology.
LEARNING EXPECTATIONS AND STRATEGIES
See the School of Art Student Information Handbook sections on Attendance.
Submission Date : TBA
PENALTIES FOR LATE SUBMISSION & REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS
See the School of Art Student Information Handbook on Requests for Extension and Deferred
Examinations
PLAGIARISM
See the School of Art Student Information Handbook, section on Plagiarism
ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE
See the School of Art Student Information Handbook, sections on Sub-Deans and Catalyst -
Transition Support Service
UNIT FEEDBACK
See the School of Art Student Information Handbook, section on SETLs