Dram 2331 Intro to Design Course Synopsis
Intro to Design is team taught by myself and the scenic designer.
Our objective for this class is that over the course of the semester, you will:
Together we have a unique opportunity this semester to do some very challenging work. We expect your whole-hearted enthusiasm, effort, and ability to accompany you to class every single day. This class will be both fun and rewarding. You will be so proud of your accomplishments 15 weeks from now!
"Dream a better dream, then work to make it real."
Racer Max from Shark Boy and Lava Girl
Our objective for this class is that over the course of the semester, you will:
- turn off your inner critic and unblock your creativity
- learn to see like a designer
- learn to draw like an artist
- learn to skillfully manipulate the elements of design
- be able to recognize and analyze different historical periods and theatrical styles
- create your design/tech resume
- create your McLennan portfolio of design work
- successfully market yourself as a designer/technician
Together we have a unique opportunity this semester to do some very challenging work. We expect your whole-hearted enthusiasm, effort, and ability to accompany you to class every single day. This class will be both fun and rewarding. You will be so proud of your accomplishments 15 weeks from now!
"Dream a better dream, then work to make it real."
Racer Max from Shark Boy and Lava Girl
Syllabus
| syllabus.docx |
spring, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Unfortunately, this course has not made since the pandemic.
Student projects, 2020
The scripts used this semester were The Chairs, Marisol, and ? The pandemic interrupted our class.
Iconic character Project
Nick Marquez's work
Student Projects, 2018
The scripts used this semester were The Chairs by Ionesco, Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, and Marisol by Jose Rivera. Students will design scenery for The Chairs, costumes for Arcadia, and lighting and sound for Marisol.
sKETCHING
3D Design of a song Project
The students chose one song to visualize in three dimensions. Song choices were: "Rise to the Sun" by Alabama Shakes, "Foundations" by Kate Nash, "Wings" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, "Machine" by Regina Spektor, and "Woe" by Say Anything. Students had to write a concept statement and then visualize the song in any media with the finished project no smaller than 3 X3" and no larger than 2'X2'.
Scenery Project: The Chairs
Students had to design scenery for The Chairs. They had to write a concept statement.
Costume Project: Arcadia
Students had to design four characters from Arcadia: Bernard and Hannah from the present day of the play, 1993, as well as Septimus and Thomasina from the past, 1805.
Costumed figure Drawing
Students drew a period appropriate costume on a mannequin in class one day. The next class day we had a watercolor workshop to learn how to paint it before they started on their rendering for the costume design project. I used a dress we made for Sense and Sensibility two years ago that was something Thomasina might wear.
Costume Design
Lighting and Sound Design
Students had to design lighting and sound for Marisol. I don't have any photos to represent their projects unfortunately. It's hard to take photos of sound and the lights were in presentation format.
Student Projects, 2017
The scripts used in class this spring are:
The Tempest by Shakespeare
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
Argonautica by Mary Zimmerman
Students must select one script to design scenery, costumes, and lighting for. Check back often to see their progress!
The Tempest by Shakespeare
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
Argonautica by Mary Zimmerman
Students must select one script to design scenery, costumes, and lighting for. Check back often to see their progress!
Grid Projects
Costume Design Projects
Costumed Figure Drawing/Painting
Iconic Character Project
This is a project created by Joe Kurchowski from Tyranny of Style. He used to be one of the costume designers at Baylor. I borrowed it for the class this year. They are due March 17th on Saint Patrick's Day so I decided to use that to inspire my own Iconic Character to use as an example for the class.
Student Work
Scenery Projects
They had to design scenery for their play, either Eurydice, Argonautica, or The Tempest. The process is shown from thumbnail sketches, to color renderings, to a translation of their set into models for OAP.
Sketchbooks
Play Selections, 2016
Lysistrata Cameron
The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus Elizabeth
The School for Scandal Sara
Hedda Gabler Olivia
A Doll’s House Sam
Desdemona Keele
Marat/Sade Matthew
Galileo Lamec
Amadeus Josh
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead Lauren
The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus Elizabeth
The School for Scandal Sara
Hedda Gabler Olivia
A Doll’s House Sam
Desdemona Keele
Marat/Sade Matthew
Galileo Lamec
Amadeus Josh
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead Lauren
Sketchbooks, 2016
Students were asked to keep a sketchbook that they added to throughout the week on their own. Admission to class was three sketches. At the beginning of every class they were given an object to draw and 30 minutes of quiet time to do it in.
Grid Projects, 2016
The purpose of the grid project is to both study a professional designer's rendering technique as well as learn to enlarge something without the use of a copy machine. The original drawing is photocopied so that it is enlarged (or reduced) to an 8X10 paper. A grid is drawn on top of the original segmenting the drawing into tiny squares. A much larger paper is then used to recreate the drawing on, first by creating another, larger and proportional grid to the original. For example, if the original grid was done in 1/2" scale, the larger one might be done in 1" scale. That would produce a new drawing that was exactly twice as big as the original. For our project, the new drawing needed to fit comfortably on a 18X24 piece of paper, either landscape or portrait. Once the drawing is meticulously transferred square by square, the gridlines can be erased.
Scenic Design Projects, 2016
Students were asked to design scenery for their play. They had to build the PAC stage to scale and put scenery in it to scale.
Costume Design Projects, 2016
Students were asked to chose three characters from their play to design costumes for. Each rendering had to be 10" tall, on water color paper, fully colored, with titles, character names, and swatches, signed and dated.
Mclennan Scholar Day, 2015
Here's three of our best designers displaying their scenography projects from class. Jessica Phelps designed Joseph, Lacey Drew designed Triumph of Love, and Lauren Lowe designed Faust.
Grid Projects, Spring 2015
These are the grid projects. Students were asked to select a professional rendering, either a scenic or costume design and to reproduce it in a much larger scale by super imposing a grid onto the original and re-drawing the contents of each square onto the new larger board.
Sketchbooks, Spring 2015
These are their sketchbooks. Students were given something to draw at the beginning of every class. During the week, students were emailed a drawing prompt and then had to complete a drawing before the next class.
Scene Design Projects, Spring 2015
These are the students Scenic Design Projects. Students were asked to submit three play choices and Course Instructors selected one play for the students to design Scenery, Costumes, Lighting, and Sound for, for the entire course.
Costume Design Projects, Spring 2015
These are their costume design projects. Students were asked to chose three characters from their play to design costumes for. They did watercolor renderings with swatches.