Design

Design is the foundation of all visual art making. The structure and arrangement of lines and tones in drawings, colors and shapes in paintings, spaces and surfaces in architecture and sculpture, placement and framing in photographs and staging and sequences in videos are all examples of design. These same visual elements and principles apply beyond Fine Arts in fashion, furniture, and web design to name a few. Everything man-made, by hand or with machines, is designed. Each semester introductory Design courses are offered in two-dimensional work and three-dimensional design.
 
In Design I (ARTS-1600) students learn to organize an image for effective communication of their subject and ideas. Projects are executed in ink, acrylic paint and other mediums. This course is a required foundational course for art majors and highly recommended to art minors and other students interested in understanding, making and using images. The use of color, line, value, texture, shapes and forms will be studied. Students will learn to evaluate and experiment with visual principles such as balance, rhythm, unity and focus. 

Design courses do not have a lab fee. Georgetown covers select materials, equipment maintenance and some classroom supplies. However, students still have to purchase some of their own art supplies. This expense is similar to the cost of books in other courses.

(For students interested in the use of the computer in graphic communication in fields such as advertising, magazine design, and product promotion and labeling, take a look at our Graphic Arts concentration.)