FUNDAMENTALS OF
2D DESIGN
taught at the University of Maryland
COLLAGE
COLLAGE
The first project in my 2D Design class is a collage assignment inspired by Danielle Krysa's book Collage. Krysa's publication features 30 artists, each of whom was challenged to incorporate the same image—Bill and Dan, a 1958 photograph by Jack Cumming—into their work. In a similar spirit, I used Midjourney to generate my own version of Bill and Dan, which I then provided to my students. Their task was to create three unique collages using this image, interpreting and integrating it in diverse ways in response to the following prompts: REPEAT IT, REFERENCE IT, and MAKE IT MONSTROUS. Below, you can see some of their creative responses to these prompts.
Bill and Dan, Jack Cumming, 1958
People Holding Goat(s), Dan Ortiz Leizman and Midjourney, 2024
OPTICAL ILLUSION
Bridget Riley, Josef Albers, M.C. Escher
OPTICAL ILLUSION
In the second unit of my 2D Design class, we explored the power of optical illusions by studying three influential artists. We began with Bridget Riley, whose use of repetition and contrast challenges the viewer’s perception. Students created sketches inspired by Riley's techniques to manipulate visual effects.
Next, we dove into Josef Albers’ exploration of color theory, focusing on his use of limited palettes to create illusions where one color appears as two.
Finally, we integrated these concepts into a tessellation project inspired by M.C. Escher. Here, students applied both repetition and color manipulation, blending Riley's and Albers' techniques to create intricate, mind-bending designs. Below are some examples of their work.
