Graphics I, Fall 2019

Graphics I

First-Year Studio, Fall 2019

The first-year drawing class at Notre Dame is every undergraduate’s gateway into the world of architecture school. As a shared experience and an introduction to hand-created graphics, it has helped to shape hundreds of students that have passed through the program. For the incoming Class of 2025, the first dip into the pool of architecture will be led by Professor Giuseppe Mazzone. In this class, students will learn how to watercolor for the first time, a hallmark rendering technique of the school, or otherwise deepen their prowess in the medium. They will also learn the basics of sketching, one of the most crucial skills for an architect to have. Learning to see—and learning to put what is seen into a drawing—is a skill that many admire, but few have; under the tutelage of Professor Mazzone, pupils will develop this critical ability. Additionally, the students will attempt to master the new medium of graphite on Mylar: covering Mylar with graphite and erasing it to create the desired image in stunning contrast.

Graphics I is a stepping stone between high school and university, between pure art and full-fledged design, and between natural talent and hard-won skills. As the new students take their first steps into the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture, they will have begun a paradigm shift into their new reality as architecture students at Notre Dame. Someday, their houses, buildings, and towers will dot the towns, cities, and skylines of the world. And it all begins with one drawing class, with one line of a pencil.

Text by Michael Bursch

Ashley Straub

What was your biggest take-away in this class? What are some useful graphic techniques you have learned?

My biggest take-away was learning watercolor. I have worked with many mediums, but watercolor was not one of them, so I was happy to learn all the watercolor techniques. What role did this course play in your wider curriculum, and how will it inform your later

What was your favorite part throughout this specific course?

I personally loved how artistic the class was. I always looked forward to going to the classes. It helped with time management. It's not a and later projects that take up a considerable

How will this course benefit your architectural studies in the future?

It taught me the basics, so it will benefit me in every project I do! Did you maintain a better understanding of

What was your favorite project? How was it like to work on this project? Yes!

I liked the botanical study and the charcoal of watercolor renderings in architecture

project. It was less of an assignment and more for fun because I enjoyed working on it.

What graphic techniques did you employ to

For the charcoal, I used a lot of deciphering light, shadow and contrast. The botanical study was an amazing way to practice and layer with watercolor. In hindsight, what recommendations would you give to this year’s incoming first-year architecture students?

Don't be afraid to make mistakes! That is how you learn, especially with things like watercolor and techniques in his class.

learning experience at the University of Notre Dame? How did it fit into the ND SoA projects?

short class and requires work outside for sure. This helped me prepare for design studios amount of time.

design graphics?

Did this refine your understanding of traditional architecture? What do you think this final project?

designs?

Definitely. I think that the handmade architecture renderings in watercolor are one of a kind and superior to CAD or SketchUp generated designs. (That's all my opinion.) I feel like it is more a piece of art.

Have you been working on similar projects or practicing the design techniques?

Over the summer I have practiced watercolor and did some design projects.

Previous page: Flowers, graphite on Mylar, Ashley Straub

Portrait, Watercolor, David DeBacker

David DeBacker

What was your biggest take-away in this class? What are some useful graphic techniques you have learned?

My biggest take-away had to do with how much my time management differs between architecture projects and other academic assignments. I quickly realized that I needed to allot myself much more time than I initially curriculum, and how will it inform your later

thought. The most useful techniques have to do with watercolor. Flat washes in particular have proven to be especially valuable.

What was your favorite part throughout this specific course? As a foundational class in drawing techniques, this class and apply them to future work.

Professor Mazzone brought in a 10 lb. chocolate bar one day and hacked it apart for us with a hammer and chisel.

How will this course benefit your architecturdesign graphics?

al studies in the future?

I feel like the foundation of watercolor skills in the class will be exceptionally helpful for subsequent projects. Did this refine your understanding of designs?

What was your favorite project? How was it like to work on this project?

assignment at the end of the semester. It was stressful because of my perfectionism, but working on the final project was freeing because of the flexibility of subject matter and media Professor Mazzone gave us.

What graphic techniques did you employ to this final project?

I used different watercolor techniques like flat washes, layering, wet-on-wet mixing, etc. In hindsight, what recommendations would you give to this year’s incoming first-year architecture students?

Learning flat washes is the worst, but they’re so incredibly important and useful. You’re gonna feel like the bead is too big but I promise it's not.

What role did this course play in your wider learning experience at the University of Notre Dame? How did it fit into the ND SoA projects?

I felt like it was a strong base for the curriculum and that it introduced me to the school as a whole. I hope to build on the skills I learned in

Did you maintain a better understanding of

I’d say so.

traditional architecture? What do you think of watercolor renderings in architecture My favorite project was the summative

Our assignments weren’t particularly focused on buildings. However, I quickly saw how the techniques of the class were applied to more complex renderings and architectural drawings.

Have you been working on similar projects or practicing the design techniques?

I feel like I’ve definitely improved my skills and built on what I’ve learned from Giuseppe’s teaching. It definitely came in handy in our drafting class with Professor Mellor.

Jordan Fredricksen

My biggest takeaway from Design Graphics was learning how to be patient. Each skill that you learnt in the class was different from the next. Some skills came easily to me, while others took a lot more time and brain power. There were times where I would get frustrated with a watercolor wash, or hate my line work, but Giuseppe and the TAs were there to praise what I did correctly as well as teach me what I did wrong.

My favorite part of the course was the final project. For the final project we each got to choose a subject and render it with watercolor. This allowed each student to use the skills they had learned throughout the semester and put in their personal style into the assignment. I have always been fascinated by boats and water, so I fittingly painted a sailboat. Before Design Graphics, the way I saw color was limited to what was in a crayon box. When I looked at the clouds, they were white; when I looked at the water, it was blue. However, through Giuseppe’s lessons I could see hue, value, and saturation, broadening the way I perceived the environment around me. When it came time to begin my sailboat, the water was purple and gray, not blue. The color wheel assignments and the mediocre grades on various shade assignments paid off in the end, resulting in a beautiful, bright sailboat.

A Sail Boat, Watercolor, Jordan Fredricksen