When I made the decision to go back to school for graphic design, I was anxiously elated to dive headfirst into Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. To make posters, brand companies and utilize all the programs I had come to think that graphic designers used exclusively to craft the visual designs that permeate our eyes on a daily basis. I was seriously disappointed...at first.

Nearly all semester, all three of my classes strayed away from the confines of the computer. Instead, we used our hands. We painted and inked. We swished watercolor paints into both large and small brushstrokes. We ventured outside and took pictures. We bought a lot of expensive paints and materials (quinoa, chives and stencils, to name a few). And we created art! Beautifully unique pieces of art utilizing the basics: line and shape. Because little did I realize just how closely connected art and design are, kind of like conjoined twins and mullets & European men.

It was the best thing for me.

It slowed me down and forced me to hone my basics, which I honestly have lost some of since finishing my last art classes in undergrad nearly six years ago (yikes! SIX years...I can't even).

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class  Design Fundamentals
what  The Golden Rectangle

01  to create a b/w composition using the principles of the Golden Rectangle
02  to explore both line and shape
03  final composition will be made on an 11 x 17-inch white mat board using black ink

There are things I learned from this project. One, working with black ink is hard. Two, I am really really indecisive. And three, whether or not I like my composition (and I do really like this one), if my mom wants to frame it and put up in my parent's house, that's when I know it's successful.