Digital Media I

This is the first in a two-course sequence that introduces students to cultures of digital drawing and image production. The course is organized into a series of three 2-week-long modules (alternating with the analog drawing course). Each module explores a specific set of digital production techniques and the cultural context within which this production is situated. These modules are supplemented by weekly work sessions that build up skill and intuition for problems in spatial geometry and 2D projection.

Course pedagogy emphasizes three competencies: 1) facility and craftsmanship in the operation of 2D (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop) and 3D (Rhinoceros 3D) design software; 2) self-critical reception and evaluation of images, graphic devices and elements of composition and the role they play in visual perception and narrative formation; and 3) awareness of and analytical methods for considering the historical and cultural origins, biases and affordances of media and systems of representation. The course initiates students to discourses on visual culture and visual epistemology. It asks: How do systems of representation mediate what we know and how we communicate? The course consists of lectures on media theory and history, explanations of software interfaces and functions, in-class work time with assistance from TAs, TA help sessions, reading and reading discussions, as well as project-based applications.