Project No.01, Handout no.02, Generate a Library of Visual Elements

Identify Themes and Ideas

Based on the mind-map and other brainstorming you did during class (and feel free to continue those if you want or need to)—try to isolate three or four major ideas you have discovered are “hidden” or “embedded” in your object that you feel are relevant, interesting and important to communicate about. Limiting yourself in this way will help focus you—and it doesn’t mean that those ideas are the only ones that are valuable, just that they’re more valuable to you at this time. You can always change (replace, add to, or skew) ideas as you work—you’re never stuck with whatever you first decide—but you have to start somewhere.

Generate a Library of Visual Elements

As you define the ideas and concepts that you believe you’d like to communicate, gather and make visual material that you might be able to use in different combinations to represent those ideas. This “Elements Library” is basically a more extensive version of the small group of elements you collected for the “Same or Different” exercise—but now, open up your search to include as many kinds of elements as you can. Here are some suggestions for the kinds of things you might include (some of these overlap with each other), but feel free to add your own kinds of things if they make sense in support of the themes and ideas (narratives) you’re exploring:

Found objects (portable) Small items from your environment that you can carry: Sticks, wires, rocks, train tickets, receipts, small toys, buttons, small tools, clothing items, ball of string, etc.
Found objects (unportable) Large things, or items that would be impossible to bring to class—like architectural features or culptures, animals, cars, household appliances, furniture, and so on. Take pictures with your phone or download images from the Internet and print them out (if you know how); you can also photocopy them from books or magazines; or also take pictures of them in those sources and print them (if you’re printing, you’ll need to do that in the library)
Found pictorial images Photographs of people, places, scenes, activities, landscapes, etc. These can be photocopied or photographed with your phone and printed out, as above.
Original pictorial images Feel free to draw, paint, or collage images of your object or of other objects, scenes, and so on—using any medium. Original art works that you’ve already made (even for another class) are also fine, if they seem relevant to your ideas. you can bring the actual item, but it may be better to photocopy it or photograph/print it so you don’t harm the original.
Icons and symbols Graphical images like the recycling symbol, monetary symbols [$], DOT symbols, biohazard symbol, symbols on packing boxes, icons in computer interfaces, etc. Download from online or photograph and print, or photocopy them; if they’re part of a small object and can be removed (like the symbols on a packing box), bring them that way.
Patterns and textures Images or actual objects like wood grain, animal markings, architectural surfaces like grates or bricks, textiles, fancy papers, and so on. Again, these can be the actual items or photo/prints or photocopies.
Found typographic material This fits into the “found objects” category, but is sort of its own thing: Could be individual letters, snippets from newspaper, magazine or book, parking or train tickets, clothing labels, signs on buildings or in the train station, and so on: anything that’s made of type. Because type says stuff, be careful about what the words are that are visible; but also consider that the source (a bus schedule, a ticket, a street sign) is also an idea in itself.

Just as you did for the “Same or Different” exercise, think about the syntax (visual qualities) and the semantics (possible meanings) of the materials you add to your Elements Library... But, also just like written brainstorming, allow yourself to add things based on intuition, even if you don’t know why you’re adding it. Several different elements may suggest similar ideas; elements that are visually similar may suggest very different ideasl and vice versa.
For class, assemble a library of at least 50 elements—more if possible. The more you have, and the more kinds of things, the more options you will give yourself for free exploration later.

Tools and Materials

Elements Library / 50+ items, organized in envelopes, sleeves, boxes, as is most helpful
Mobile phone with camera
Laptop with Adobe Creative Suite
Studio knife (X-Acto or similar) and supply of blades
Rubber cement from Starter Kit
Drawing/painting media (any from Starter Kit)
One sheet 15 x 20” illustration board
Blank white drawing paper (any size or kind)
Gray construction paper from Starter Kit
Transparent tape and/or white artists’ tape
Steel ruler from Starter Kit