The Teaching Portfolio of Jim Rohal

2008-07-15T10:30:00.001-07:00

I have posted a series of classroom demonstration drawings at http://jrohaldemos.blogspot.com/

Introduction to Drawing, University of New Hampshire, Fall 2006

2008-06-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

1. Brittany Reid, Negative Shape Study, Pencil, 18 x 24"*

2. Ela Gasior, Negative Shape Study, Pencil, 18 x 24"
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3. Wren Kitz , Still Life, Charcoal, 24 x 18"
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4. Sarah Sebald, Still Life, Charcoal, 18 x 24"

5. Bradley Cotton, Perspective Study, Pencil, 18 x 24"

6. Brittany Reid, Perspective Study, Pencil, 18 x 24"

7. Katie Wiggin, Interior, Pencil, 24 x 18"

8. Raena Erickson, Interior, Pencil, 18 x 24"

9. Ela Gasior, Landscape, Inkwash, 11 x 15"

10. Sarah Sebald, Landscape, Inkwash, 11 x 15"
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11. Christina Connely, Still Life, Inkwash, 11 x 15"

12. Sarah Sebald, Figure in Interior, Inkwash, 15 x 22"

13. Wren Kitz, Masked Head, Pencil, 24 x 18"*
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14. Brittany Reid, Masked Head, Pencil, 24 x 18"*

15. Hillary Barrett, Figure, Charcoal, 24 x 18"*

16. Megan Arrow, Figure, Charcoal, 24 x 18"*

17. Raena Erickson, Self-Portrait, Charcoal, 22 x 22"

18. Collin Rymer, Self-Portrait, Pencil, 24 x 18"

19. Lauren Walstad, Final Drawing, Ebony Pencil, 20 x 20"

20. Natalie Saccoccia, Final Drawing, Ebony Pencil, 20 x 20"
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*These images are details of larger sheets.

Syllabus for Introduction to Drawing, UNH, Fall 2006

2008-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

ARTS 532

Introductory Drawing

M W 0910-1200 AM Paul Creative Arts Center room A305B

Instructor Jim Rohal

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is an introduction to the skills, concepts, and methods of perceptually-based illusionistic drawing. In plainer words, we will be learning how to draw what we see.
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MATERIALS: The last page of this packet is a list of the materials required for this course. These are available to purchase from the supplies store on the first floor of the PCAC. As you leave each class please be sure that you know what to bring next time.

ATTENDANCE: A regular work habit is a necessity in learning to draw. I allow two absences from class, which I recommend that students do not use. After two absences, your standing in the course will drop one letter grade for each absence. Six absences will therefore result in the failure of this course. Incidents of tardiness, unreasonably long breaks, or leaving class early will each count for half of an absence.

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CLASSROOM POLICIES: Make sure your cell phone is turned off before each class.
In general, you may listen to music during extended work periods. The volume should be kept low enough for you to know when I’m speaking to the class. Also, the people around you should not be able to hear anything from your headphones.

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Please use your own judgment to know when conversation during work is appropriate. If I believe it’s distracting you from your work I will ask you to stop. Please also recognize that anyone who can hear your conversation is part of your conversation.

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Food is banned from the classroom. I am adamant about food smells. Any food that emits an odor should be placed in one of the downstairs lockers before class.
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Drinking is acceptable, so long as you take responsibility for any spills.
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I expect students to return promptly from breaks. In other words, I’m not going to come and ask you to return to class. If you do not return on time you will be marked as tardy.
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GRADING: My objectives for each part of this course will be clearly stated. In each lesson, I will introduce the skill, concept, or method that is the purpose of the lesson. Your progress in the course will be determined largely by your demonstrations that you have succeeded in learning these lessons. The final grade will be based half on classroom participation and half on your out-of-class assignments, each of which is explained below.
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PARTICIPATION: Your grade in participation will reflect whether you come to class prepared to work, whether you concentrate on your in-class work, and whether you fulfill the expectations of the in-class assignments. You should pay particular attention if you hear me say, “You need to come to class prepared to work,” “You need to concentrate on your work,” or “You’re not making the drawing that I’ve asked you to make.” In general, though, if you come to class, work attentively, and follow the guidelines of the assignments, you won’t have anything to worry about when it comes to participation.
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However, sometimes even trying their best a student won’t learn a particular lesson the first time around. This happens in all subjects, and isn’t necessarily the fault of the student, but for the student’s sake the teacher may have to ask them to do extra work. If you are asked to repeat an assignment your grade for participation will depend on your choosing to do so.
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OUT-OF-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: This course will have about as much out-of-class work as your academic courses. Still, these assignments may feel very demanding, because the sort of work you’ll be doing for this course is unfamiliar to many of you. For many students, the actual work of making drawings is far less challenging than developing the working habits necessary to get them done.
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My recommendations are that you begin the assignments as soon as possible, find a place where you can work without distraction, and aim for the same level of concentration that you have in class. These things show in the quality of your work. By following good working habits you will do better work in less time and with much less stress.
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However, it should also be said that it will take different students varying amounts of time, effort, and concentration to accomplish the purpose of the assignments. If you are unsure about whether you have put enough work into an assignment, it may be useful to ask yourself: Have you demonstrated an understanding of the lesson? Is this drawing comparable in quality to the work you’ve done in class?
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A FEW ADDITIONAL ITEMS: We will spend several weeks in the second half of the semester drawing from the nude model. Any student not willing to work from the nude model for religious or other reasons should speak with me at the beginning of the semester. Models should be treated politely and with discretion.
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Any student wishing accommodation due to disability should discuss their needs with me during the first week of class. Or, they may contact the ACCESS office on campus to make any necessary arrangements.
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Your UNH ID will get you free admission to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The train which leaves from the middle of campus is a great way to go to Boston for the day.
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Please speak with me before or after class, or by appointment, if you are having difficulty with this course.
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COURSE SCHEDULE

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Aug 28 MON Introduction

Aug 30 WED Composition

Sep 4 MON LABOR DAY: university holiday

Sep 6 WED Techniques of Sight Measurement

Sep 11 MON Positive and Negative Shapes

Sep 13 WED Grouping Objects into Major Shapes

Sep 18 MON Value Charts

Sep 20 WED Measuring Relative Value- Shapes

Sep 25 MON Value Drawing from a Middle Tone

Sep 27 WED Atmospheric Perspective

Oct 2 MON Linear Perspective

Oct 4 WED Perspective Applied to Landscape

Oct 10 TUE* Perspective Applied to Value Drawing

Oct 11 WED Cumulative Midterm Drawing

Oct 16 MON Chiaroscuro– Modeling Form through Light

Oct 18 WED Contour Line Modeling

Oct 23 MON Introduction to Drawing from the Figure

Oct 25 WED Anatomy of the Head

Oct 30 MON Planar Portrait Drawing

Nov 1 WED Planar Figure Drawing and Perspective

Nov 6 MON Gestural Figure Drawing

Nov 8 WED Gestural Figure Drawing for Value: Inkwash

Nov 13 MON Figure in Interior Space: Inkwash, limited value range

Nov 15 WED Figure in Interior Space: Inkwash, full value range

Nov 20 MON Inkwash Landscape Drawing

Nov 22 WED NO CLASS– FRIDAY SCHEDULE

Nov 27 MON Single-Directional Hatching

Nov 29 WED Final Drawing Project

Dec 4 MON Final Drawing Project

Dec 6 WED Portfolio Review
*monday schedule
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PURCHASE THESE MATERIALS FROM THE FIRST-FLOOR ART STORE

1 “2B” Pencil

1 “H” Pencil

2 Plastic Erasers

2 Kneaded Erasers

2 Sticks “4B” Compressed Charcoal

1 Stick Red (or “Sanguine”) Conte Crayon

6 Sticks “Soft” Vine Charcoal

Brush for Ink (*details to be provided in class)

1 Pot Higgins “Non-Waterproof” Ink

1 Can of Spray Fixative

1 Drawing Pad, Strathmore Mega-Sketch, 120 Sheets, 18 by 24 inches

Portfolio, 20 by 24 inches

4 Large Bulldog Clips

1 Masonite Drawing Board
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THE FOLLOWING MAY BE PURCHASED ANYWHERE

Pencil Sharpener

1 Roll of Masking Tape (3/4 or 1 inch wide)

Scissors

1 Roll of Paper Towels

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***This list is incomplete. Rather than have you purchase materials you may not need, I’ve opted to ask for the minimum, which means that you will need to buy a few more small things, like pencils and charcoal sticks, later in the semester. You will also be asked to buy several sheets of high-quality paper for assignments later on. If you need an estimate, your future purchases probably won’t exceed twenty dollars.

2-D Design, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Spring 2007

2008-06-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

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1. Gillian Fournier, Positive-Negative Design, cut paper , 7 x 7"
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2. Alex Hill, Positive-Negative Design, cut paper, 7 x 7"
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3. Crystal Rowell, Transformation of Shapes, cut paper and ink, 7 x 7" each panel
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4. Katharyn Wonders, Transformation of Shapes, cut paper and ink, 7 x 7" each panel
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5. Elizabeth Cote, Transformation of Representational Shapes, ink, 5 x 3" each panel
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6. Crystal Rowell, Transformation of Representational Shapes, ink, 5 x 3" each panel
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7. Peter Fischer, All-Over Composition, ink, 9 x 8"
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8. Gillian Fournier, All-Over Composition, ink, 10 x 8"
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9. Peter Fischer, Pattern from Module, ink on vellum over paper, 10 x 10"
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10.Bethany deBettencourt, Pattern from Module, ink on vellum over paper, 10 x 10"
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11.Peter Fischer, Variation in Markmaking Self-Portraits, ink and collage, 17 x 11" each
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12.Amanda Come, Variation in Markmaking Self-Portraits, ink and collage, 17 x 11" each
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13.Katharyn Wonders, Variation in Markmaking, Self-Portraits, ink and collage, 17 x 11" each
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14.Bethany deBetterncourt, Study of Textures in a Work by Frida Kahlo, ink on vellum, 10 x 8"
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15.Elizabeth Cote, Study of Textures in a Work by Balthus, ink on vellum, 8 x 10"
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16.Crystal Rowell, Grid-Based Value Study of a Work by Grant Wood, acrylic, 10 x 8"
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17.Katharyn Wonders, Grid-Based Value Study of Work by Caravaggio, acrylic, 10 x 8"
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18.Bethany deBetterncourt, Final Project: Narrative, Photocollage, 12 x 20"
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19.Amanda Come, Final Project: Narrative, Photocollage, 20 x 20"
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20.Peter Fischer, Final Project: Narrative, Photocollage, 13 x 32"
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Syllabus for 2-D Design, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Spring 2007

2008-06-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Portions of the following syllabus were mandated by the school.

New Hampshire Institute of Art

FND 103A FOUNDATION 2D DESIGN

Spring 2007

Amherst Building

Monday and Wednesday, 9 to 11:50am
Instructor: Jim Rohal

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Goals: This course is an introduction to thinking in a visual language. You might find it helpful to equate this learning experience with the study of a new language, with its own vocabulary, grammar, and idioms. This is the common language of all visual artists.

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Objectives: This course focuses on the elements of two-dimensional image-making: line, shape, value, texture, color, and the principles by which they are organized: unity, variety, balance, harmony, rhythm, and emphasis. This course develops interpretive and compositional skills, and encourages creative problem-solving for communication and expression in two-dimensional images.
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Mechanics: For clarity this course uses easily accessible, and relatively economic, black and white materials: Bristol board, various forms of ink media, black and white acrylic paint, photocopying, and collage processes.
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Required Text: Mary Stewart’s Launching the Imagination, 2nd Edition
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Student Responsibilities: Students are to complete projects and homework on time, participate in class discussions, and maintain a visual journal as specified in class. In general, the purpose of this class is the acquisition of a visual language, and students should take responsibility for their own learning. This is to say that the student should not only ask themselves whether they are doing the assigned work. The student should ask whether they are learning.
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Attendance Policy: Good attendance is essential to keep up with the class. Lectures, group critiques, and analysis of individual design solutions play an invaluable role in one’s understanding of design principles, generating ideas and strengthening basic verbal and visual skills.
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Students who miss more than 3 out of 29 class sessions are subject to automatic failure, as specified on page 21 of the student handbook.
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It is important to attend class on time and to be ready to work at the beginning of class. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to have the appropriate materials for the next day. Students who come to class without the required materials will be considered absent. Students should expect their absences, and excessive tardiness, to be reflected on their grade.
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Homework: Students are responsible for handing all homework and project assignments in on time, regardless of whether class is missed. Failure to show up for class with an assignment that is due for critique is an especially egregious transgression. Late work will be penalized one grade for each class period that it is late. Missed critiques may be subject to further reduction.
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Readings: There will be regular readings assigned from Stewart’s Launching the Imagination, 2nd edition. Students should do the readings with a pad of paper to write down questions they have about the text. If the answers to these questions are still unclear when the reading is complete the student should rewrite the remaining questions clearly on a fresh sheet of paper and submit this sheet at the beginning of the next class.
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We may not always talk directly about the readings in the class for which they are due. Keep up with the readings regardless. It will become very clear if you fall behind with this material.
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Grades: A grade will be given for each assignment. The final grade will reflect the student’s progress by balancing project grades, the journal, and class participation. Roughly, assignments will make up 70% of the grade, the visual journal 15%, and class participation 15%, although these percentages may change due to absences and so forth.
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Remember that by taking this class for credit you have asked to be graded.
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Your teacher does not require you to be graded. Your school does not require you to be graded. After high school, your society does not require you to be graded. You have asked to be graded in order to receive credit from a degree-granting institution. We could avoid the problems of grading artistic endeavor, and focus entirely on learning to make art, if you were willing to take this class on a not-for-credit basis. Of course you have good reasons for wanting credit for your work, but in order to get it, you’ve got to do the work.
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I understand that life can be complicated. As your instructor, I’d like to know anything about you that will help me to teach you more effectively. Still, you have to understand that your grade is not a moral judgment. It reflects only whether you have accomplished the requirements of this course. Some of the best people I’ve ever met failed out of school, and deserved to. If you anticipate that you will be unable to fulfil the requirements of this course for personal reasons then you should change your status before the end of the registrar’s Add/Drop period.
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The assignments in this class will be given a letter grade. These grades will be tabulated for the midterm and final grades using the four-point system (An A is 4 points, an A- is 3.67, a B+ is 3.33, a B is 3, a B- is 2.67, a C+ is 2.33, a C is 2, a D+ is 1.67, a D is 1, a D- is .67, and an F is 0.) I use this system because it provides more stability in grading over the course of a semester. For an elaboration of the school’s larger grading criteria please refer to page 19 of the Student Handbook.
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Meetings: Please contact me at jen25@unh.edu to ask questions or set up an appointment to meet in person. Appointments will usually be made for the time immediately before or after the class. Please be aware that I will not be around the school on days when I am not teaching.
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Email Message List: I will be making an email list to provide you with occasional information about the class. I will also circulate a list so you can coordinate with each other on projects and so forth. If you prefer to keep your email address private then please let me know immediately.
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FOUNDATION 2D DESIGN, tentative Course Schedule, Spring 2007

Jan 8th, Introduction to the Course

Jan 10th, Composition

Jan 15th, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY, INSTITUTE CLOSED

Jan 17th, Shape Variation

Jan 22nd, Begin Storyboard Project

Jan 24th, Storyboard Work Session

Jan 29th, Storyboard Project Critique, Hatching

Jan 31st, Value-Based Composition (Hatching)

Feb 5th, Value-Based Composition (Hatching)

Feb 7th, Line Variation

Feb 12th, Pattern, Module-Based Patterns

Feb 14th, Module Work Session

Feb 19th, Pattern Project Introduced

Feb 21st, Pattern Project Work Session

Feb 26th, Pattern Project Critique, Collage

Feb 28th, Collage of Found Material

March 5th, Critique of Collages, Introduction to Compositional Analysis Project

March 7th, Analysis Work Session

WEEK OF MARCH 12 IS SPRING BREAK, NO CLASSES

March 19th, Analysis Work Session

March 21st, Analysis Presentations, Introduction to Texture in Composition

March 26th, Texture in Composition

March 28th, Critique of Texture in Composition assignment, Introduction to Value and Form

April 2nd and 4th, Value and Form assignment work session

April 9th, Critique of Value and Form Assignment, Final Project Assigned

April 11th, 16th and 18th, Final Project Work Sessions

April 23rd and 25th, Final Project Critiques
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Materials List (please refer to Health and Safety Statement in this packet):

Journal Sketchbook 9"x12"

11"x14" Bristol Board Pad, smooth surface

Kneaded Eraser

Micron Pigma Mechanical Pens, #05 and #08 pts.

Sharpie Black Felt Tip Markers: Fine and Medium

Quill Pen, 1 Wide Nib, 1 Thin Nib

Black India Ink

12" Ruler

Exacto Knife and Blades, or Scissors capable of making a fine paper cut

Rubber Cement

18" x 24" Portfolio (Cardboard, Foamcore, or Paper OK)

Soft Round Brushes, #3 or #6

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Always be prepared to take notes in class, especially concerning homework.

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Further purchases may be necessary later in the semester. The cost of these materials will be kept as low as possible. Black and White Acrylic Paint will be helpful. Copy privileges are provided.

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Health and Safety Statement:

The use of artist’s materials is potentially hazardous. This specific course avoids the use of paints and pastels that contain mercury, chromium, and other harmful chemicals, but wash your hands after using all art materials to avoid ingesting or absorbing anything hazardous through your skin, mouth, and eyes. Artists often wear disposable gloves when working with art materials. For reasons of safety all food is banned from the classroom and all drinks must be in closed containers. If you are pregnant or plan to be pregnant use particular caution.

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It is your obligation as an artist to understand the issues and to practice safe studio procedures when working with art materials.