Assignment: Design a proto-type for a cement tile using clay.
Design requirements: Tile should be an abstract or non-objective geometric or organic design. Tile must be a relief tile - meaning dimensional - having a raised or incised surface.
Relief is a sculptural technique where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term relief is from the Latin verb relevo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane. What is actually performed when a relief is cut in from a flat surface of stone (relief sculpture) or wood (relief carving) is a lowering of the field, leaving the unsculpted parts seemingly raised.
Tiles must be designed so that when repeated they fit together with no gaps or overlaps. Consider how your tile will repeat and look with repetition of itself.
Final dimensions of a single tile should be NO MORE THAN 4”x4” (after shrinkage) x max height 2” – you are not limited to a square shape. All edges must be of consistent height and same length. The individual tile design should be considered to be repeated 3 times for a final design that includes all 4 repetitions combined into one 8"x8" tile.
Monday / Tuesday : ASSIGNMENT PART A: Research geometric and organic inspired tile designs – see links on class website. You may combine or modify designs you see, do not copy exactly.
MAKE 6 possible sketches.
SELECT one you think is most effective and draw a plan or top view and a section or side view of the "topography" of the proposed design. Make some quick sketches of the design tiled so you can see how it will look all together.
Sketches are worth 15 points based on meeting the following criteria:
Rubric Tile Design Sketches reflect students ability to:
__________ /5 Create abstract, non-objective designs based on geometric or organic shapes.
___________/5 Develop a variety of possible solutions to the problem. (6 SKETCHES)
___________/5 Create a final drawing of one option that clearly illustrates the proposed design including a top/plan and section/side view of the object and that is to the proper scale given consideration for shrinkage
Some links for research:
Google - "geometric wall tiles"
Wednesday / Thursday ASSIGNMENT PART B: Get feedback, select your preferred design and create a final sketch to scale - you can sketch one 4x4 section, copy it three times to make a final plan (before firing). Trace the sketch onto bristol board so you can cut it out and up to use as a pattern. We will begin working on the clay tile proto-type on Monday - all sketches must be complete.
Monday / Tuesday : Begin working on tile
TILE TIPS
PREVENT WARPING
When you first cut clay from the block - out of the bag, place it on a piece of drywall. Once you have placed the clay slabs on your board, don’t move, lift or turn them. If you do move the clay, its “plastic memory” will kick in and it may warp, bend, or curl during drying and firing. Just trim the slabs in place, cutting them to the desired exterior dimensions using a trimming knife and a square.
When the tile is leather hard and stiff enough to handle without flexing you can begin carving, adding clay etc. Test a tile to see if it can be picked up safely. At this point, trim and smooth the edges. This is not absolutely necessary, but tiles tend to have sharp edges that can cause harm once they are high fired. Score the back of the tile with neat, evenly spaced strokes. Scoring helps the tile adhesive cling to the tile and hold it to the wall or floor during installation.
Once the tile is trimmed, place it directly onto the rigid metal rolling shelf. Because air circulates on all sides of the tile, it dries very
evenly and no warping occurs.