Public Art Proposal

FOU 120 | 2D Form and Surface

Students proposed designs for painted electric boxes in downtown New Bedford, drawing inspiration from local history, community culture, and personal causes. Through research, surveys, and site observation, they developed concept sketches, color palettes, and scale models, translating 2D design principles into site-specific public art. The project emphasized the role of design in civic engagement, encouraging students to consider audience, place, and social impact beyond the classroom

A graphic design poster with four sections promoting diversity and cultural heritage. The first section features a woman's silhouette with natural hair, a moon headband, and figures of diverse people at the bottom, with the text 'We are here, we have been here, we will be here.' The second section shows a fish and text about Bedford's history. The third section displays a lighthouse with a woman and man facing each other, flanked by symbols of drums and shells, and the words 'Diversity is our strength.' The fourth section has ships and boats with the message 'Pretend this is a QR code'.
A rectangular box with illustrated designs including a woman's profile, a wind turbine, a sun, swirling clouds, and silhouettes of diverse people. The box features text saying "We are here, We have seen here, We will be here" and has additional messages and illustrations related to community and history.
A colorful box with folk art style illustrations and text that reads 'DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH'. The box features images of a lighthouse, two people's profiles, a drum, a shell, a sailing boat, and a ship, with decorative patterns and fireworks.
A collage of four panels promoting Black history and activism. The first panel features portraits of prominent Black leaders with text listing their names, including Frederick Douglass, Sylvia Williams, Elizabeth Carter Brennan, Dr. Myra Moore, and Lewis Temple. The second panel displays portraits of historical figures, a QR code, and imagery of a protest at a factory. The third panel shows a large silhouette of a woman with a flag, connected to the other panels by colorful ribbons. The fourth panel reads 'New Redford Black History Matters' with silhouettes of two women in traditional hairstyles on an orange background.
Book titled 'New Bedford Black History Matters' with orange background, illustrations of historical figures, and a map outline of the state of Massachusetts.
A woman painting a mural on a box-shaped structure near a Dunkin' Donuts store, with a painted fist and the words 'New Bedford Black History Makers'.
An orange packaging box featuring black and white illustrations of historical figures, a QR code, a building, and people protesting with American flags. Colorful lines connect the elements.
A person with long, curly hair wearing a black jacket and blue jeans is standing on a brick sidewalk, reaching into an orange utility box.

Intro to Illustrator Projects: Pattern Tile & Illustrated Box

FOU 140 | Digital Essentials

A two-part digital design sequence introducing students to pattern-making and applied vector illustration. Students first create seamless pattern tiles through geometric design, color harmony, and iterative refinement. They then integrate their pattern into a 3D illustrated tuck box, developing a unified design across surfaces while practicing composition, color integration, and craftsmanship in print assembly

Person in dark clothing carrying a festive red tote bag with gold and white decorative snowflake patterns, standing against a concrete wall with diagonal shadows.
Halloween-themed chocolate box with spider webs, spiders, and the word "Bites" on the front in a spooky style.
A seamless pattern featuring intricate spider webs and stars in warm tones of brown, red, gold, and beige.
A colorful abstract geometric pattern with triangles, circles, stripes, and lines in bright colors including blue, pink, yellow, black, and white.
A symmetrical illustration of a black cat curled up sleeping under a night sky with a large yellow moon, stars, and a grid-like fence. The background is dark blue, and the image features warm shades of yellow and orange.
A decorative quilt square featuring four large green four-leaf clovers, a central geometric diamond pattern, and a border designed with a piano keyboard pattern.
A red decorative box with Halloween-themed designs, including spiders, webs, and swirling patterns, labeled 'Bites'.
Symmetrical decorative pattern resembling a spider web with geometric shapes and swirling lines in shades of red, gold, beige, and black.
A symmetrical, decorative spider web design in shades of brown, gold, and cream with geometric patterns and small accents, creating a mandala-like appearance.
A decorative symmetrical pattern resembling a spider web with swirling lines and diamond-shaped elements on a maroon background.
A decorative box with a celestial and floral design, featuring a starry night sky, moon, and stylized animals on the sides and top.
A blue pencil with a decorative eraser and a rectangular sticker featuring a stylized blue cat under the moon and stars, against a white background.
A colorful cardboard box with a green theme, decorated with a cartoon shamrock, a character with an Irish hat, and text in a playful font.
Color palette featuring eight square designs with a four-leaf clover, each surrounded by a different color border and background pattern. The palettes include a variety of shades, with gaps of color swatches beneath each design.
Colorful box featuring a cartoon blue cat with an open mouth, surrounded by geometric patterns and exciting symbols, with the phrase 'It's What Your Cat's Been Velling For!' on the side.
Abstract pattern with geometric shapes and bold colors, including blue, red, yellow, black, white, and beige, arranged in a symmetrical design.
A colorful, geometric, abstract pattern with vertical stripes, circles, lines, and leaf shapes in navy blue, pink, yellow, teal, purple, white, and black.
Abstract pink and red geometric pattern with circles, stripes, and leaf shapes.
A stylized digital image of a black panther lying among green bushes with pink flowers, under a starry night sky with a large moon featuring an orange center, and a black wire fence in the background.
A person in a dark suit carries a blue tote bag with a design featuring two black cats facing each other, surrounded by stars and moon symbols, against a concrete wall with dark shadows.
Person wearing dark clothing carrying a green tote bag with a shamrock and geometric pattern, standing against a light-colored concrete wall with shadows.
Colorful St. Patrick's Day-themed packaging featuring a cartoon leprechaun with a green beard, large eyes, and a four-leaf clover in hand, decorated with shamrocks and the text "Lucky Pop!" in playful green and pink letters.

Site Research — Downtown New Bedford

FOU 120 | 2D Form and Space

Students conducted on-site visual research in downtown New Bedford and translated their observations into two refined compositions. Through sensory documentation, thumbnail sketching, and iterative abstraction, they explored 2D design principles, Gestalt theory, and figure–ground relationships. Beginning with black-and-white studies and progressing to multiple colorways, students learned to simplify complex environments into strong graphic compositions while considering form, mood, and spatial relationships

Stylized illustration of a golden eagle with outstretched wings perched on a cloud, with a background of red and blue geometric shapes and Greek key pattern at the bottom.
A street view of a vintage street lamp with a black and white checkered background.
Digital illustration of an old-fashioned streetlamp with yellow rays emanating in the background
Black and white illustration of the exterior of a Green Bean café with the logo visible on the window.
A stylized, grayscale illustration of a three-story building with large arched windows and a prominent entrance, featuring classic architectural details.
A pile of discarded, crumpled plastic bottles on a tiled floor in a corner.
Black and white illustration of a city street corner with a building numbered 740, two streetlights, traffic signals, a bench, and tall windows with multiple panes.
Black, gray, and white depiction of an eagle with outstretched wings perched on a decorative base.
Illustration of a golden eagle with wings spread, perched on a rock, against a two-tone background.
A white skeletal cat lying on its back against a black background, surrounded by gray star-like shapes and a gray ribcage pattern on the right.
Illustration of a multi-story building with arched windows and classical architectural details, rendered in muted purple and beige tones.
A stylized, purple-colored illustration of a multi-story building with large arched windows and classical architectural details.
Digital illustration of a stack of raw steak cuts with a reddish color, placed on a wooden floor with a pink background.
Colorful digital art of sliced green bell peppers on a tiled surface with a green background.
A stylized yellow eagle with purple outlines, perched on a green branch with pink clouds, against a colorful background of pink, green, and blue.
A colorful illustration of a bird with outstretched wings, perched on a cloud of smoke or flames, with a retro purple, green, and yellow background.
Illustration of a dinosaur skeleton, possibly a T-Rex, surrounded by stars on a dark background.
A black and white illustration of a vintage wall-mounted street lamp attached to a building wall.
A stylized illustration of a city street corner with a building at 740, lit in a red hue, featuring street lamps, billboards with images of people, and a bench.
A stylized illustration of a yellow building with three windows on each of its three floors, and an arched window on the ground floor, with a dark blue background.
Illustration of a multi-story historic building with large arched and rectangular windows, decorative columns, and ornate architectural details.
Stacked plastic water bottles on tiled floor against a bright teal background.
Digital art illustration of hollowed orange bell peppers on dark blue tiled floor with orange wall background.
Street intersection with traffic signal and street signs for Purchase Street and Union Street, with a city building background in black and white.
Street signs at the corner of Purchase Street and Union Street, with street lamps and a building in the background, depicted in a red-toned digital illustration.

Time-Based Project (Intro to Animation)

FOU 140 | Digital Essentials

For the final project, students created short time-based digital narratives using either vector animation or photo-based storytelling. Drawing on skills developed throughout the semester, they translated static imagery into motion, exploring rhythm, pacing, transformation, and visual storytelling. Through storyboarding, iterative design, and digital assembly, students investigated how time, sequence, and movement can build emotional or conceptual meaning in a dynamic visual format

Color Swap

FOU 120 | 2D Form and Space

In this project, students explore color harmony and value by recreating an iconic artwork using an entirely new palette sourced from a second image. After building a hand-painted color inventory, students trace and repaint the historical composition using only their selected colors, focusing on clarity, flat application, and balanced value relationships. The project deepens understanding of palette construction, color translation, and how shifts in hue and value can transform the emotional and visual impact of an artwork

A collection of art including a photograph of a woman with curly hair sitting and holding a vintage microphone, a Kandinsky-style colorful geometric abstract piece, a print of Vincent van Gogh's starry night, a large modern painting of a blue-skinned woman with green hair holding a sword, and four colored diamond-shaped paper cutouts.
A display of two skeleton-themed artworks, a color palette, and a painting of irises. The left artwork depicts a skeleton with a paintbrush in its mouth, set against a dark background. The right artwork shows a skeleton smoking a cigarette, rendered in vivid blue and green tones, with a green surrounding aura. The color palette features squares in yellow, orange, red, green, blue, and light blue.
Art display on a wall showing various colorful illustrations, including a portrait of a woman in a red dress with a crown, and characters from animated or cartoon styles, with color swatches and reference images.
Three black silhouettes of human figures interacting actively on swirled pink and blue ground and sky, with circle and wave patterns, and two red figures on a green ground with a dark background, and a whale in stylized clouds and waves.
Three paintings of coastal scenes with lighthouses. The top painting depicts a lighthouse and house on a grassy hill under a blue sky, with color swatches around it. The middle painting shows a lighthouse and house on a landscape with purple and yellow hues, with color swatches on the sides. The bottom painting is of a bridge over water with city buildings in the background, also with color swatches around it.
Person painting a watercolor of blue and purple flowers on paper, with color swatches, a reference photo, and art supplies scattered on a table.
Collection of three art pieces: a bright neon-like painting of a tree with orange branches and purple blossoms, a cartoon illustration of a chubby rabbit holding food with smaller animals, and a detailed painting of a blossoming tree with gold accents in a soft blue background; also includes six small color swatches in various shades of orange, red, pink, black, and dark teal.
Artwork of a window with stained glass featuring orange and yellow leaves and green vines on a blue frame, next to a photograph of a green leafy window scene, with color swatches of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and black.

Intro to Photoshop Projects: Reimagine a Poster

FOU 140 | Digital Essentials

In this project, students reimagine a movie, album, or song poster by creating a digital collage in Photoshop. Using multiple sourced images, students practice selections, transformations, blending, masking, and text integration to build a unified composition. The assignment emphasizes visual storytelling, creative experimentation, and technical fluency, supported by process documentation and a written reflection on concept and design choices

Illustration of characters from 'Little Goody Two Shoes' story, featuring animated characters with various costumes, a lantern, and decorative elements.
Framed poster of the animated series 'Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.' Features Ladybug and Cat Noir with Paris landmarks in the background, and the quote 'If bad luck knows who you are. Become someone else.'
A framed poster titled "Annihilation" with a vivid, surreal scene of mutated humanoid figures, a screaming woman, and a bear with a skull face, set against a colorful, swirling background. At the bottom, five soldiers with backpacks are depicted, and the phrase "One way in, no way out" is written.

Japanese Ukiyo-e Line Project

FOU 120 | 2D Form and Space

In this project, students researched Edo-period Ukiyo-e prints and created new line-based compositions inspired by their formal qualities. Working from tracings of historical woodblock prints, students explored variation in line weight, rhythm, and expressive mark-making while learning how traditional techniques can inform contemporary design. Through iterative drawing, inking, and careful presentation, the assignment emphasized the communicative potential of line and a thoughtful connection to art-historical sources

Three framed black-and-white line art illustrations of traditional Japanese scenes hanging on a white wall.
Three black and white landscape art prints featuring traditional Asian scenery with mountains, water, and a crane, displayed on a white wall.
A person with short, curly red hair, wearing a green sweater, stands in front of a white wall with artwork and yellow notes, thoughtfully observing the art display in an indoor setting.
Illustration of three moonlit scenes with figures and nature, including a woman with flowers, a full moon with clouds, and a woman smelling flowers.
Set of three black-and-white illustrations depicting women in traditional Asian attire and a garden scene with trees and a stone structure.
Black and white Japanese-style artwork displayed on a yellow wall, arranged on white and black boards.

Shape Project

FOU 120 | 2D Form and Space

In this project, students explored the expressive potential of shape through six cut-paper compositions (or an animation piece) based on a chosen word. Through research, mind-mapping, and extensive thumbnail ideation, students investigated how edges, material manipulation, and compositional choices can communicate meaning. By cutting, folding, tearing, bending, and arranging black paper on white grounds, students learned to construct clear visual narratives while refining craftsmanship, precision, and conceptual intent

A decorative black and white wall art piece with 16 square sections featuring various symbolic and nature-inspired cutout designs.
A collage of black and white drawings depicting various natural scenes, including the sun, clouds, rain, birds, flowers, a flowing river, and a forest, along with a small depiction of stuffed rabbits and headphones with music notes.