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THIS ARTICLE BRIEFLY SHOWS HOW CERTAIN ASPECTS OF NAME DESIGN CAN MAKE IT LOOK MEMORABLE, YET APPROPRIATE AND BELONGING TO PERSON'S CHARCTERISTICS. AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN CREATING IT. CONSIDERATION OF COLOURS, SHAPES, LINES ALL HAVE IMPACT ON FINAL OUTCOME.

taken from: http://web.ebscohost.com.atlas.worc.ac.uk/ehost/detail?vid=10&hid=25&sid=852c876d-f29b-4d25-97d9-86aed16fd51c%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWF0aGVucyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d#db=a9h&AN=43918871


 name: Name Design
Arts & Activities; Sep2009, Vol. 146 Issue 1, p32-33, 2p
Kim, Nanyoung¹
 

 

Arts & Activities called "An Illustrated Name" by Teri Dexheimer Joyce that can also be used in the first class, because it too deals with a name design. I once tried her lesson instead of mine and had fantastic success. Ms. Joyce's lesson is about making a name esign assembled with images or symbols of things and events that represent each student.

My students are college-level education majors who are studying to become classroom teachers. Whether they had good art background or not, they immensely enjoyed this project because it does not require great drawing skill, and has self-expressive, storytelling components to which everybody can relate. My students promised to use this projectters, which immediately grabs their attention.Then I write my Korean name(which is pronounced the same) and explain how they are different. Chinese characters are ideograms containing one meaning for each character. Koreans have used Chinese words

and characters for centuries, even though the grammars of Korean and Chinese are totally different from each other. In the 15th century, a Korean king ordered the court scholars to invent Korean alphabets so that women and laypeople could easily learn them and communicate in writing. Korean alphabets are phonetic like English and Arabic alphabets, and very logically shaped.


In the introductory part, art teachers can include the different aspects of writing in various cultures throughout human civilization, such as when and where letters were first invented, where English alphabets came from, what is the difference between calligraphy and typography, etc. Especially effective is showing visuals from Medieval times,and Chinese and Arabic calligraphy. Next, I demonstrate writing my name in block letters on the black- when they became classroom teachers! The strength of Ms. Joyce's lesson is bringing personal interest and stories into the project. The final product can serve as a springboard for everyone toget to know each other.Tlie merit of my project is introducing design

in a nutshell project so it can be referred back to in later projects. Therefore, my project might be better suited to middle- or highschool aged students than to elementary children, but I have taught this to fourth-graders successfully.

Those who have artistic talent especially seem to enjoy this project. When I introduce this project to fourth-grade children.

I write my name on the blackboard in Chinese charac-board, with a series of questions. I ask the students what features keep appearinjïthrouj^hout the letters. There can be many: size of the letters, kind of shape (rounded, angled, plus all kinds of shape characteristics that defy verbal description), thickness of the letter shapes, the angle of slant, a certain repetitive uniqueness such as a slightly flared bottom, protruded comer, etc.

This is one way to teach how repetition makes a composition look harmonious and pleasing without even saying the word, and introduce the concept

oistyle that can later be expanded to appreciating different styles of artworks.Tbis analysis helps students greatly,because now they can use these aspects when they design their names. I require the students to do many sketches of possible designs on a sheet of newsprint.As I walk among them, I often ask questions to help them choose or improve their flnal design. Pushing up multiple solutions and doing in-process critiques are two common practices in any professional studio art class so why not use them with our students? The main part of the project consists of drawing the chosen design, outlining the drawing, decorating using repetitive patterns with color markers or other color media, and cutting and pasting it in an appropriate color background. For college students, I give a certain piïraineter for patterning, but for elementary children, I leave it to them and it usually turns out well. Because of the strong repetitive characteristics of letter shapes, even arbitrary application of pattern and color doesn't make the design too chaotic.

 

When the design is complete, the student cuts it out and pastes it on an apropriate color backgi'ound. Because this project is usually done in the first class of the semester, teaching color is not directly included in the instruction.

However, I encourage students to match their letter design to various colors of background paper and watch carefully how different colored backgrounds change the visual impression of their design.The ultimate goal of a background is to enhance the aesthetic effect of the design and, in this case, its legibility,just like a picture frame would do. Therefore, too bright colors usually don't serve well because they steal the viewer's attention from the main design. Most college students discover for themselves that contrasting or similar colors work well as a background,and begin to understand there is a subtle difference whenever color combination is changed.

A critique looking at all the classmates' work together can be a nice summary of the project. Because of the many steps involved and the effort given to each step, the overall quality of outcome is usually veiy high. While talented students produce excellent designs, other students also come up with a well-designed and well-crafted product. I reassure the

students that we all have aesthetic sensitivities and it is a matter of bringing them out. We don't have to be "artistically talented" to make an artwork. Meanwhile, I quickly memorize all the students' names. •

Dr. Nanyoung Kim is the Associate"