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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AS 102-2"
COURSE NAME: "Foundations of 2D Art and Design"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Catherine Biocca
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: M12:30 PM 3:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This foundational course provides students with the knowledge and skills to explore and demonstrate a range of basic principles, research methods, observational interpretation, and self- expression relevant to introductory study in Art and Design. An emphasis is placed on the fundamental principles and elements of 2D Art and Design related to concepts, techniques, and material practices. Issues related to composition, layout, color, texture, and pattern are explored through a diverse range of briefs which will scaffold students’ ability to generate, develop, and resolve ideas visually. Students will engage with a range of traditional and contemporary methods of visualization, mark-making and design development.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Through in-class demonstrations students will gain familiarity with a variety of art-making techniques, both hands-on and digital. Lectures will develop a broader understanding of art and design, its historical importance, and contemporary concerns. Projects will address figure/ground relationships, perspective, value, color, scale, proportional transformation, and spatial illusion. Both digital and traditional methods of constructing compositions will be addressed. In addition to learning formal design strategies, students will also explore the historical and cultural context in which works of art and design are produced.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

— Demonstrate a range of both primary and secondary research strategies and effectively apply them in response to a specific brief or problem related to 2D principles

— Demonstrate the ability to engage with a variety of development processes and strategies related to composition.

— Demonstrate a clear uncerstanding of the creative process; research, idea generation, development and resolution.

— Demonstrate technical proficiency in the knowledge of techniques and material and evidence an ability to use them creatively.

— Demonstrate an ability to analyze and evaluate both the individual creative process and importantly the work and practice of other professional artists and designers.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Participation in class 20
final portfolio 70
attendance in class 10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality shows excellent mastery of the course content along with exceptional levels of technical skill, artistic awareness, originality, resourcefulness, commitment, quantity of work and improvement. There has been excellent collaboration and leadership in group projects, and there have been no attendance problems.
BA highly competent level of performance with work that directly addresses the content of the course, with a good quantity of work produced.
CAn acceptable level of performance: the work shows awareness of the course content, but is very limited in quantity, quality, commitment and skill.
DThe student lacks a coherent grasp of the course material and has failed to produce much work.
FNegligent in attendance, academic honesty, engagement with the course content, or production of work.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. Generally two or more unexcused absences will determine a grade deduction on the final grade.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

INTRO: What is 2 Dimensional Design?

 

• Introduction to 2D design principles, techniques, and applications.

• Historical overview

• Types of lines 

• Line direction, movement, and emotiveness 

• Assignment: Line Explorations

 

WEEK 2

COMPOSITION: Black and white

• Exploring space

• Black and white balance

• Positive / negative explorations

• Assignment: Fieldwork I

 

WEEK 3

COMPOSITION: Balance & Unity

• Analyzing compositional harmony

• Review different compositional strategies

• Assignment: Fieldwork II

 

WEEK 4

COMPOSITION: Deconstruction

• Analysys of composition in images and photographs

• Abstraction & Synthesis

• Assignment: Fieldwork III

 

WEEK 5

RHYTHM AND MULTIPLES

• Discussion of movement within 2D images

• Strategies for creating rhythm and movement

• Adobe Illustrator / Indesign / Photoshop skills

• Assignment: Visual Sonetto

 

WEEK 6

PATTERNS & TEXTURES

• Repetition and variations

• Geometric vs organic

• Adobe Illustrator / Indesign / Photoshop skills

• Assignment: Tiles Project

 

WEEK 7

MIDTERM REVIEW

• One to one sessions

 

WEEK 8

COLOUR

• Historical overview

• Review color wheel: primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.

• Introduce central color terms: saturation, hue, shades, and tints.

• Colour systems

• Assignment: Colore dal vero

• Assignment: Antiprimadonna

• Reading josef Albers ‘Interaction of Colour’

 

WEEK 9

IMAGES

• Historical overview

• Representation and mediation

• Reading through ‘Ways of Seeing’ by John Berger

• Assignment: Images Within Images 

 

WEEK 10

IMAGES

• Historical overview

• Representation and mediation

• Reading through ‘Ways of Seeing’ by John Berger

• Assignment: Images Within Images 

 

WEEK 11

TEXT & LANGUAGE

• Historical overview

• Introduction to typography

• The shape of letters

• Adobe Indesign: Type settings

• Assignment: Type as image

 

WEEK 12

TEXT & LANGUAGE

• Details in typography

• Type in space

• Adobe Indesign: Arranging and setting type

• Assignment: Type as image

 

WEEK 13

MONTAGE

• Historical / Critical overview 

• Association and pairings

• Indesign / Photoshop focus

• Assignment: Collages

 

WEEK 14

SEQUENCE

• Historical / Critical overview 

• From still to moving images

• Indesign focus

• Assignment: Editorial / Animation sequence 

 

WEEK 15

Final Critique