Study Guide

Learning outcomes

Students are be able to
- use visual exercises to express colour theory and interrelations and also composition theory
- verbally describe the impressive, expressive and symbolic nature of colours and colour combinations, geometric forms and composition elements
- creatively apply the rules of colour interaction, forms and composition
- discuss the classical colour theories, composition theory and their application in fine arts and design.

Implementation and methods of teaching

The course is delivered at Mukkula campus, Lahti. The online material will be covered in lectures. Students can study the online material at their own convenience. The teaching will be primarily in the form of workshops and lectures at campus.

This is how you complete the Colour, Form and Composition course:
1. Attend the course contact meetings on campus and remotely
2. learn the course content on colour, form and composition through lectures and the teaching material in Moodle.
3. you will complete and return the assignments given in the course on the course's moodle platform

Timing and attendance

Mandatory attendance on contact days

Learning material and recommended literature

Martti Huttunen: Värit pintaa syvemmältä
Harald Arnkil: Värit Havaintojen maailmassa
Johannes Itten: Värit taiteessa
Josef Albers: Värien vuorovaikutus
Markus Heikkerö: Taiteilijan kuvakirja
Unto Pusa: Plastillinen sommittelu
Molly Bang: Picture this: How Pictures Work
David Batchelor: Chromophobia
David Batchelor: The Luminous and the Grey

in addition, the lecture material includes many in-depth online resources

Student time use and work load

5cr=130h student hours

Contents

Colour, Form and Composition is a basic course in visual thinking, consisting of the basics of composition and colour. These areas of knowledge are the core to visual expression through a variety of methods.

Composition is the basis for all visual work - from the layout of pictorial elements on a two-dimensional screen or canvas, to the massing of buildings, the design of control buttons and the look of a car. Through composition, a designer, designer or artist builds a visual story and meaning through the way they place elements of an image in a physical or virtual space.

This course explores the role of composition as a key element of visual work. Through lectures and exercises, the course will study the basics of image composition. Composition is considered as a medium of expression, through which the designer's idea is conveyed to the user, the experiencer and the viewer.

Learning content will include balance, contrast, focus, movement, pattern, unity, rhythm and proportion.
The colour section of the course covers colour theory and understanding through practical exercises and lectures based on existing colour knowledge. The educational content covered includes colour circles, colour spaces, colour contrasts, colour harmonies, the three properties of colour and colour interaction. These areas will also be addressed from the point of view of the fundamentals of expression; how different colour juxtapositions and colour schemes refer to other images, carrying and conveying meanings of emotions and moods.

The aim of this unit is to develop the student's basic colour skills. We will do colour exercises through digital and physical collage and painting. In addition, we will study the analysis of colours in images and the application of colour knowledge in our own work.

Colour skills are needed in all visual work and can be applied to the realisation of two-dimensional physical or digital images, colour solutions for three-dimensional objects or colour design and colour management of different spaces and environments.
The teaching of form is carried out in workshops and in conjunction with composition.

Assessment scale

1-5

Assessment criteria: level 1 (assessment scale 1–5)

- Assessment criteria: level 1: (rating scale 1-5)
- Can work according to instructions
- Can generate ideas based on the principles of composition and colour
- Can identify and describe the concepts and methods of colour, form and composition in a guided manner.
- Can participate in guided learning discussions
- Can search for professional information in his/her field

Assessment criteria: level 3 (assessment scale 1–5)

- Assessment criteria: level 3 (on a scale of 1-5)
- Is able to apply a wide range of options to his/her design work process
- Can implement colour, form and composition combinations based on their ideas in a guided and independent manner and develop their work on the basis of feedback
- Can independently identify and compare the concepts and methods of composition and colour used
- Can assess and justify their skills and set visual, content-related and technical development objectives
- Can follow and describe the professional debate in their field

Assessment criteria: level 5 (assessment scale 1–5)

- Assessment criteria: level 5 (on a scale of 1-5)
- Can apply and develop a wide range of options in their design work process
- Can use what they have learnt in a planned and creative way when implementing colour and composition schemes and apply the feedback received
- Can apply the methods used and analyse visual outputs
- Can assess, develop and extend visual, content and technical skills
- Able to participate in professional debates in their field