WEEK 11 - Understanding Visual Research
WEEK 10 - Understanding Patterns & Space
WEEK 09 - Photo Montage
WEEK 08 - Joseph Albers & Colour Studies
WEEK 07 - Visual Art & Art Critiques
WEEK 06 - Colour Theory & Practice
WEEK 05 - Understanding Form & Light
WEEK 04 - Understanding Tonality & Value in Shape & Form
WEEK 03 - Textures & Mark Making
WEEK 02 - Shape & Composition (Positive/Negative Space)
Course Introduction
The Psychology of Line
WEEK 01 - The Psychology of Line in Daily Life
FINE ARTS 1167: Visual Language and Culture
I took this course in the fall of 2024 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. This online journal will serve as a repository of the assignments, notes, and reflections I did throughout the course. Specifically, the course outline provided the following as an overview of what to expect from it…
In this course students will be introduced to the visual concepts and principles of constructing and analyzing two-dimensional images. Studio-based exercises and assignments will emphasize process, materials, and the exploration of formal principles, as well as investigate the workings of visual language in creating meaning. These projects will allow for students to begin to understand the visual relationships between formal elements, media, and content. Students will be introduced to the role of the artist as a producer of meaning through the use of historical and contemporary examples, including but not limited to film, design, fine arts and advertising.
Objectives:
Explain how artists construct and communicate meaning through visual relationships within an image;
Describe formal elements (e.g. line, shape, value, etc.) as they relate to the construction of two-dimensional images;
Critique and negotiate visual relationships between formal elements;
Develop skills for analyzing the visual language and organizational principles operating within a two-dimensional artwork;
Engage productively and creatively with process and materials in making and analyzing dimensional compositions;
Critically examine art and visual culture; and
Develop visual literacy or an ability to read visual information in the absence of verbal cues.
The course outline also strictly noted how: “The use of AI to generate imagery for this course is strictly forbidden. The purpose of the exercises is to strengthen your hand/eye coordination through observational drawing. The use of photography as a source from which to draw is also not allowed (unless specified as the requirement for an exercise).”
WEEK 01: The Psychology of Line in Daily Life
ARTIFACT 01 > Ocvirk, Otto, et al. The Vocabulary of Line. “Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice.” 12th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2013. (Page 98)
WEEK 01 Homework Assignment
Gather all necessary materials for the course.
Take five photos of ordinary moments in your daily life that line is the major element.
For each photo, write a paragraph describing the lines you observe—whether they are straight, curved, jagged, etc.
Reflect on the emotions these lines evoke in you. How do these lines influence the mood of the scene? post this in Portfolio #1 as a single PDF page and label it with the name of the assignment.
HEADER IMAGE: Lee, Steven. “Down.” 2025.