Form, Colour and Composition Analysis  (20361)

Degree/study: Bachelor's degree of Advertising and Public Relations.
Year: first
Term: third
Number of ECTS credits: 4 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 120 hours
Teaching language or languages: catalán
Teaching Staff: Pol Capdevila

1. Presentation of the subject

This course is part of the image theory and analysis module. It introduces students into practical images analysis -one of the of analysis levels complementing figurative, narrative and declarative reading-. The observable plastic qualities are a product derived both from physical image properties and perceptive projections interpreted by spectators and from symbolic forms inherited in our cultural context. Image analysis is therefore complex and it is essential to learn its languages, but it is not univocal and it covers a creative aspect. To introduce oneself into the image plastic dimension it is necessary to study its plastic elements and the perception processes and phenomena. We consider that a rigorous plastic analysis of the visual discourse can only be achieved by learning both aspects.

 

2. Competences to be attained

 

2.1. General competences

-    To start to neutralise prejudgements leading to believe it is easy to understand images, in order to glimpse their deep complexity.

-    To introduce oneself into the general parameters of visual perception. Visual alphabetisation.

-    To know the fundamental mechanisms of image plastic construction.

-    To develop the image analysis language in its visual dimension.

-    To exercise creativity.

 

2.2. Specific competences

-    To learn to recognise the main types of optical illusions.

-    To introduce oneself into the fundaments of perceptive categories, such as contrast, colour, form, visual field, tridimensionality and movement.

-    To exercise writing in several aspects (light, colour, form, etc.) regarding image plastic analysis.

-    To learn how to deepen the analysis of a specific plastic category through a research work in groups.

-    To make an oral presentation of the results of the group research and to argue the results of an image analysis.

 

3. Contents

 

Unit 1. Perception plasticity and creativity

Visual perception and optical illusions. The perceptive construction of the visual world.

  

Unit 2. Light

Optical aspects and psycho-cultural aspects. Light, bright, shadow.

 

Unit 3. Colour

Colour: physical definition. Physiological base and psychological perspective. Colour properties and meaning: tonality, clarity, saturation. Chromatic synesthesiae.

  

Unit 4. Form and figure

Background and figure segregation. Objectives laws of form. Main methods of form expression. Camouflage. Form properties and meaning: measurement, location, orientation. Syntagmatic form. Forms classification.

  

Unit 5. Composition

General organization of the visual field. Centricity and eccentricity. Composition schemes. Composition expressive tendencies.

 

Unit 6. Construction of the tridimensional space

Paradoxes of space perception. Primary and secondary keys in space perception. The perceptive ecology approach: gradients.

 

4. Assessment

The assessment of the course is in accordance with the theoretical and practical approach. A final exam at the end of the term will assess the achieved basic knowledge of visual perception and image analysis capacity (35%).

Students must learn to deepen one of the units, a goal that will be developed through the preparation of a unit and its oral presentation in class (35%).

In addition, students must do several assessed exercises in class (20%).

Finally, class participation is worth a 10% of the final grade.

The evaluation will consist of a continuous assessment and an exam. The continuous assessment will consist of three exercises: colour, form and composition (worth a total of 30%) and an oral presentation (35%). The exam is worth 25%. Participation in class is worth 10%.

 

5. Bibliography and teaching resources

5.1. Basic bibliography

Basic bibliography

Arnheim, R. Arte y percepción visual. Madrid: Alianza, 1979.

Arnheim, R., El poder del centro - versión definitiva-, Akal, 2003, Madrid.

Dondis, D.A., Sintaxis de la imagen, Barcelona, Gustavo Gili, 1990.

Goldstein, E. B. Sensación y percepción. Madrid: Debate, 1992.

Kanizsa, G. Gramática de la visión. Percepción y procesamiento. Barcelona: Paidós, 1986.

Ruiz Collantes, X. "El significado de la marca ". A: Formats, núm. 2, 1999. Barcelona: Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Online: <http://www.iua.upf.es/formats/formats2>.

Tornquist, Jorrit, Color y luz, Gustavo Gili, Barcelona, 2008.

Paul Zelanski y Mary Pat Fisher , Color, Blume 2001.

5.2. Complementary bibliography

 

Arnheim, R. El pensamiento visual. Paidós, 1986.

Bayo Margalef, J., Percepción, desarrollo cognitivo y artes visuales, Barcelona, Anthropos, 1987.

Bouleau, Charles, Tramas: la geometría secreta de los pintores, Publicación Madrid : Akal, cop. 1996

Bruce, V.; Green, P. R. Percepción visual. Barcelona: Paidós, 1994.

Gibson, J. J. La percepción del mundo visual, Buenos Aires, 1984.

Gombrich, E. H. Arte e ilusión. Madrid: Debate, 1998.

Gombrich, E. H. El sentido del orden. Madrid: Debate, 2004.

Groupe M. Tratado del signo visual. Madrid: Cátedra, 1993.

Heller, E. Psicología del color. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2006.

Lillo Jover, J. Psicología de la percepción. Madrid: Debate, 1993.

Prakel, D. Composición. Barcelona: Blume, 2007.

 

5.3. Teaching resources

- Audiovisual material.

- Exercises in practical classes.

- Readings:

1. Paul Zelanski y Mary Pat Fisher , Color, Blume 2001. Chosen chapters.

2.  Ruiz Collantes, X. "El significado de la marca ". A: Formats, núm. 2, 1999. Barcelona: Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Online: <http://www.iua.upf.es/formats/formats2>.

 

6. Metodology

Master classes with contents presentations of each unit.

Previous exercises on some of the units.

Exercises on the application of each perceptive category to specific images.

Encouragement of the students' autonomy with regard to information research of visual perception and image plastic analysis. This research will be carried out on the basis of bibliographic and website research, as well as the reading and preparation of specific contents of the unit about colour and form, which will be shared in a seminar.

Tutoring sessions about the oral presentations.

 

7. Planning of activities

7. Planning of activities	Activity in the classroom  Grouping / Type of activity			Activity outside the classroom
	Monday - Gr. 1+2	Wednesday  Group 101	Friday  Group 102
Week 1		11/04 Presentation of the course.   Propaedeutic exercises.	13/04 Presentation of the course.   Propaedeutic exercises.
Week 2	Mo 11/04 Unit 1: Perception.	18/04 Unit 2: Light.	20/04 Unit 2: Light.	Reading Color
Week 3	Sant Jordi.	25/04 Exercises. Unit 2. Lightings and symbology.	27/04 Analysis exercises. Unit 2. Lightings and symbology.	Reading 2 (X. Ruiz)
Week 4	Mo 30/04 - Gr. 1 +2 Unit 3: Colour.	2/05 - Group 1. Seminars on the book Color (Zelanski). Colour analysis exercise (1).	4/05 - Group 2. Seminars on the book Color (Zelanski). Colour analysis exercise (1).
Week 5	Mo 7/05 - Gr. 1+2 Unit 4: Form (1).	9/05 Presentations: Light and colour (1). Colour analysis exercise (2).	11/05 Presentations: Light and colour (1). Colour analysis exercise (2).
Week 6	Mo 14/05 - Gr 1+2 Unit 4: Form (2).	Wed 16/05 Group 1. Presentation: Colour (2). Exercise: Form 1 (X. Ruiz).	18/05 Group 2. Presentation: Colour (2). Exercise: Form 1 (X. Ruiz).
Week 7	21/05 - Gr. 1 +2 Unit 4: Form (2).	Wed 23/05 Group 1. Presentation: Form (1). Unit 5: Composition (1).	Fri 25/05 Group 1. Presentation: Form (1). Unit 5: Composition (1).
Week 8	Public holiday.	Wed 30/05 Group 1 + 2. Exercise: Form 2 (Gestalt). Presentation: Form 2.	Fri 1/06 Group 1 + 2. Exercise: Form 2 (Gestalt). Presentation: Form 2.
Week 9	04/06 - Group 1+2 Unit 5: Composition (2).	06/06 Group 1. Presentation: Composition. Schemes. Unit: space (1).	8/06 Group 2 . Presentation: Composition. Schemes. Unit: space (1).	Exercise: Poster composition(2). Individual.
Week 10	11/06 Unit 6: Space (2).	13/06  Group 1. Presentation: Space. Exercise: Space.	15/08 Group 2 Presentation: Space. Exercise: Space.
Week 11	18/06 Recap of the course.