Six squares

Six squares

Six squares

Letterforms. Create a doc that contains five pages, each page with one large letterform uniquely different from the other four. I have it so that students can use one or as many of the five as they want.

Six squares

Composition by Jared Millar, AIGA/UCLA Workshop in Design Principles, 2011.

Contrast of Two Systems. This is the culmination exercise. Many/most if not all of the design principles and factors of unity are employed. I usually have them turn in three studies. It should actually be renamed, "Integration of Two Contrasting Systems" but that's another story.

Contrast of Two Systems

Contrast of Two Systems

Four Panels on a White Square

Tangram: Introduction of the Triangle. Two studies are actually created. Goal is to use all the shapes produced from three differently sized tangrams to produce two studies that appear to have "gen-like" qualities. The use of white (as a faceted highlight) is a vehicle to get them to think of negative space as a vital component in composition. The circle – or "portion of" – is used to create a linkage or a transition either between shapes or from a shape to the edge of the working area.

Tangram: Introduction of the Triangle

Introduction of the Circle

Introduction of the Circle

Study in the Creation of Simple Shapes (1st gen: one color no grays)

Six squares