San Diego Jewish Academy Art Identifying Self

To the question, "what does this have to do with art?" The answer lies in my belief that artists represent the mirror of society and in order to truly reflect societies' successes, failures, foibles, and idiosyncrasies we must first look inward.

The process that allows us to see, think, create, and express, regardless of the endeavor, remains very similar. I use the term creative process, but semantics aside, the steps start with background research and lots of questions, a journey through the revision and editing process, and arrive in a final action. Throughout the process questions abound, some answered some promoting more questions, but always leading toward some end result. When allowed to flow, creativity becomes nothing more than following a systematic process, allowing random connections to take place, and using your intuition to develop unique solutions.

So, to the question, "what does this have to do with art?" This project provides the beginning tools for us to see, think, create, and express.

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Phase 1 - Identify ten adjective descriptors

• Ten adjective descriptors that describe your personality, traits, skills, interests
• Dictionary definition for each descriptor that does not use the word in the definition or other words that you don't understand
• One tangible (objective) piece of supporting evidence (AVOID: I think, sometimes, always, a lot of people say, etc. In other words objective facts that use numbers (number of: times, years, awards, GPA, etc.) and clear examples (1 point for each)
• Word processed with your name and class period at the top (5 points)
• Subtotal (15 points possible)

Phase 2 - From phase 1, select the three best adjective descriptors

• Two more tangible (objective) pieces of supporting evidence (1 point for each x's 3)
• Word processed with your name and class period at the top (4 points)
• Subtotal (10 points possible)

Phase 3 - Two thumbnails for each descriptor that include indicators:

• descriptor (1 point for each x's 6),
• dictionary definition (1 point for each x's 6)
• three tangible (objective) piece of supporting evidence (1 point for each x's 6),
• drawing that represents the descriptor (1 point for each x's 6),
• your signature (1 point for each x's 6), and
• (Optional) a quote that supports the descriptor (1 point of extra credit for each x's 6).
• Subtotal (30 points possible)

Phase 4 - On a piece of paper approximately 9" by 12" take one of the three words and:

• the descriptor in an appropriate typeface (5 points)
• dictionary definition (3 point)
• three tangible (objective) piece of supporting evidence (10 points)
• a drawing that shows the characteristic trait using the appropriate line, shape, and color (10 point for each)
• your signature, the one that you just created (5 point)
• (Optional) a quote that supports and embodies the use of your character trait, descriptor (5 point for each)
• neat, well organized, and clearly shows thought and effort (10 points)
• Subtotal (50 points possible)

Total (105 points)

You must include all drafts from each phase with your final project.

The way you present you final project should support what you want us to think about you, e.g., the descriptor, organized, should have a well organized presentation that might include a title page, table of contents, or other elements that show organization.

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Concept Development
(research, notes, brainstorming, sketching, prewriting, graphic organizers)

Draft Phase
(organize research and create coherent product) Ready for Response

Revision and Editing Phase
(further develop and refine, get more response, proofread)

Final
(tight and as perfect as possible within timeline and parameters) Ready for Assessment

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For some help on how to think about yourself, you might check out the following test sites (I wouldn't change my life because of these, but if nothing else, you may get entertained):

Personality tests - http://www.2h.com/personality-tests.html - provides of 20 different types of tests.

IQ and personality tests - http://www.davideck.com/online-tests.html - provides tests in the following areas: personality, IQ, love, health, career, and others.

UniverstiyofLife.com - http://universityoflife.com/serious.htm - Includes the following types of tests: IQ, EQ, personality, health, computer, career-education, and more.

Able Accepting Accomplished Accurate Active Adaptable Adept Adroit Adventurous Aggressive Agreeable Alert Ambitious Analytical Approachable Apt Articulate Artistic Assertive Astute Attentive Avid Aware Bilingual Bold Brave Bright Businesslike Busy Calm Candid Capable Careful Caring Cautious Charitable Cheerful

Clean Clear-thinking Committed Communicative Compassionate Competent Composed Confident Congenial Conscientious Considerate Consistent Constructive Conventional Convincing Cooperative Courageous Courteous Creative Curious Daring Decisive Dedicated Deft Demanding Democratic Dependable Detailed Determined Dexterous Dignified Diligent Diplomatic Direct Discerning Disciplined

Discreet Distinguished Dominant Dreamer Dynamic Eager Earnest Easygoing Educated Effective Efficacious Efficient Eloquent Energetic Enterprising Enthusiastic Equable Ethical Exacting Excited Experienced Expressive Extroverted Fair Fair-minded Far-sighted Fighter Firm Flexible Focused Forceful Forgiveness Forthright Frank

Friendly Frugal Fun-loving Funny Generous Gentle Genuine Goal-oriented Goal-setter Good listener Good-natured Gracious Gregarious Happy Hardworking Healthy Helpful Honest Humble Humorous Imaginative Incisive Independent Industrious Informed Innovative Insightful Inspiring Intelligent Intuitive

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Initiative Integrity-filled Inventive Investigative Joyful Just Keen Kind Knowledgeable Leader Learned Lighthearted Logical Lovable Loyal Mature Methodical Meticulous Modest Motivated Multilingual Natural Neat Objective Observant Optimistic Orderly Organized Original Outgoing

Passionate Patient Perceptive Persevering Persistent Personable Persuasive Pleasant Pleasing Poised Polite Positive Practical Praiseworthy Precise Problem-solver Productive Professional Proficient Progressive Prolific Prompt Prudent Punctual Purposeful Qualified Questioning Quick-thinking Quiet Realistic Reflective

Reliable Reserved Resilient Resolute Resourceful Respectful Responsible Risk-taker Self-confident Self-controlled Self-disciplined Self-reliant Sensitive Serious Simple Sincere Skillful Smart Social Solid Sound Spontaneous Sportsmanlike Stable Steady Stimulating Studious Successful Supportive Sympathetic Systematic

Tactful Talented Task-oriented Team-player Tenacious Thorough Thoughtful Thrifty Tireless Tolerant Trained Trusting Trustworthy Truthful Undaunted Understanding Unselfish Versatile Versed Vigorous Well-educated Whole Willing to learn Witty Youthful Zealous

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Because and other vague responses have never constituted acceptable answers to the question, why should I believe you? This project uses the creative process to develop evidence to minimize subjectivity and enhance clear, objective, and tangible evidence. You may not agree with me, but you cannot refute my evidence.

The process includes, gathering possible evidence, organizing and making sense of the evidence, revising and editing the evidence, and then putting the evidence into a final form, in short the creative process.

Examples:

Methodical - When I approach a project, I use a process that affords me structure to work toward my goal. As a specific example, I am creating a book of my family history. I started by collecting photos, articles, essays, and other research material in my possession and then asked my parents and brothers for similar materials. I scanned, typed, and organized everything so that I could develop a design format. Once I experimented with possible formats I proceeded to input the materials. As I would encounter functional challenges or opportunities I revised and edited the material and format. I worked on the book for four weeks during August and in its most current version consists of 171 pages that span a time period from 1874 to 2002.

or for more mundane examples of evidence:

• when I come home I put my keys, wallet, and money in the same bowl every day.
• When I go to school, I always park in the same row in the lot. Often in the same parking place.
• In my art studio, I have a place for my supplies. After use, every thing goes back to its place.
• When I use a pen or marker, I only take the cap off when I am actually drawing and the cap goes immediately back when I stop drawing, even if its only for a 30 seconds. Yes, I am anal rententive obsessive compulsive.

Remember: Start with an initial idea - ask questions, gather information - ask more questions, organize the information - ask even more questions, revise and edit until you have run out of questions or until the deadline dictates that you finalize your project and then, just do it.

Start with what you know.

In the case of developing your signature, start with different type variations of your name. The possibilities can get out of control, so keep it simple, unless of course you on a quest for the holy grail.

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1. DOUGLAS A KIPPERMAN - Full name, including middle initial in all caps
2. Douglas A Kipperman - Full name, including middle initial in upper and lower case
3. douglas a kipperman - Full name, including middle initial in all lower case
4. DOUGLAS KIPPERMAN - First and last name in all caps
5. Douglas Kipperman - First and last name in upper and lower case
6. douglas kipperman - First and last name in all lower case
7. D A KIPPERMAN - Initial of your first name, middle initial, and full last name in all caps
8. D A Kipperman - Initial of your first name, middle initial, and full last name in upper and lower case
9. d a kipperman - Initial of your first name, middle initial, and full last name in all lower case
10. DAK - First initials of full name in caps
11. dak - First initials of full name in lower case
12. DK - First initials for first and last name in caps
13. dk - First initials for first and last name in lower case

As I mentioned above you can get really carried away with possible variations, which is fine, but at some point you have to produce.

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Whenever you embark upon solving a visual-communication problem—or any problem, for that matter—you may fall prey to the usual response of looking for the answer. This habitual, knee-jerk reaction is the great pitfall of creative thinking and leads to hackneyed solutions that reside in the known. When you look for answers, you are mining the area of the brain that holds what you already know, and that, in itself, negates the creative act.

Curiously enough, if you move in the opposite direction and look not for answers but for questions, your possibilities can take root. For it is here and only here that new and innovative solutions arise. Resistance to finding the appropriate question lies in the fear of moving into the unknown. We are uncomfortable in this area. Fear of failure looms over us. We all succumb to the impulse of wanting immediate results, which the realm of answers provides.

Finding a meaningful question that ignites interest creates the condition that permits new solutions to arise. In essence, when you move into a state of questioning, creativity can flourish. This, in turn, leads to wonder, a state of openness in which new impressions take form. (http://www.cmykmag.com/magazine/issues/current/articles/feature/feature.html)

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What do I want my signature to say about me?

What overall mood/attitude do I want my signature to express?

When and on what am I going to use my signature?

What characters visually stand out?

Again, you could play this game for awhile, but problem solving requires you to solve the problem in a timely manner, so move on.

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Douglas A Kipperman

douglas a kipperman

d a kipperman

dk

Once you have selected possible variations "play" with them.

Look for the exceptions, the characters that stand out.

Use your natural writing motion to determine the flow, dimension, stress, angle, direction, etc. of the line to address the questions asked above.

Explore, experiment, play, and don't get trapped into doing what you always do.

Push yourself to try new possibilities. What may not feel natural at first, will after you have worked with it for a while.

Example:

This is one possible solution based on the variation to the left, but many more possibilities exist, and by the way, this is not my signature.

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Thumbnails represent scaled down versions of the final product. For this project where the final product size is 9" x 12", thumbnails might be approximately 2" x 2-2/3", large enough to show some detail, but small enough to work quickly.

Thumbnails enable you to make decisions about how you wish to present your content without investing a lot of time.

Make sure your thumbnails have the same proportions as the final product.

Include all of the elements - images, text, and other graphic devices that will make up the final product.

Keep in mind that even though thumbnails help you make decisions, changing scale to full size often changes the final layout.

Remember to enjoy the journey.

E-Mail Doug at mrdoug@aznet.net