Design Play – Lesson 4 – Freeing Our Inner Artist

Have you recognized the reason for last couple of exercises?  We all have an artist gene in us. The problem is that, from an early age we’ve been told that we have no talent; and worse still, we believed it. We may not paint like Holbein (Elizabeth I portraits) but there’s a little Picasso or Mondrian [...]

Design Play – Lesson 3 – More Drawing

Good afternoon. Today I’d like you to take a picture from a book or pamphlet and turn it upside down. Now, with the top of the picture closest to you, draw what you see. Don’t waste your time and energy worrying about making a mistake. It is hoped you will make mistakes, many mistakes so [...]

Design Play – Lesson 2 – Drawing 101

 
I know I promised in the last lesson that you wouldn’t be drawing but now you can draw.
‘But I don’t know how to draw.’  That belongs in kindergarden where you learned that nasty lesson.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, before the flood, in bible times, when I was a wee lass, my favourite [...]

Design Play – Lesson 1 – Look Around You

I am making an assumption that you are a rank rookie so the meaning of this lesson is to get you in touch with your 5 senses, your likes and dislikes. I know, it does sound a bit like pop-psychology or new age.
 Whatever you do, don’t write essays. That is way too formal for this [...]

Design Play – Introduction

Hiya, all. We are starting a new class. Today we begin playing with design. I am going to share some of the things I’ve observed, some things I’ve been taught myself, and some things I’ve learned all by myself.
We will be discussing colour and texture. And we will be discussing shapes and spaces. There will [...]