Paul Olson

Senior Critic - Illustration
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BFA, Rhode Island School of Design

Paul Olson is an illustrator and painter, who also began making bonsai pots in 2006 for his growing collection of trees. In addition to teaching at RISD, he is a visiting lecturer in the Illustration department at the Massachusetts College of Art. His bonsai pottery was featured at the Third National Juried Bonsai Pottery Exhibition at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC in 2015.

Courses

Fall 2023 Courses

ILLUS 2024-03 - PAINTING I: COLOR PERCEPTION AND EXPRESSION
Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

ILLUS 2024-03

PAINTING I: COLOR PERCEPTION AND EXPRESSION

Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: TH | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM Instructor(s): Paul Olson Location(s): Illustration Studies Building, Room 502 Enrolled / Capacity: 15 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

Students will gain an understanding of basic color characteristics and relationships through observational painting and color mixing exercises. Perceptual phenomena of space and light are directly connected with principles of color organization on the palette, color mixing procedures and adjustment of color interaction in compositions according to properties of hue, value and chromatic intensity. The associative properties of color rooted both in the natural world and in cultural precedent are explored in relation to expressive priorities. Students learn the use of the physical properties of the medium, gaining sensitivity to qualities of volume and depth, the textural character of the artwork and the sense of artistic facture. Painterly precedent from the history of art and contemporary practice will be studied for inspiration and technical insight. The primary medium for the course is oil paint, and students will be introduced to the complex layering and manipulations the medium makes possible. Water-based media such as casein or gouache will play a supporting role as vehicles for color studies and exercises in abstract color theory. The semester ends with an extended project allowing the combination of observed and invented elements and emphasizing compositional color adjustment in connection with the artist's expressive priorities.

Open to Sophomore Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

Spring 2024 Courses

ILLUS 2028-01 - PAINTING II: OBSERVATION AND IMAGINATION
Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

ILLUS 2028-01

PAINTING II: OBSERVATION AND IMAGINATION

Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: TH | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM Instructor(s): Paul Olson Location(s): Illustration Studies Building, Room 502 Enrolled / Capacity: 15 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

This course will continue the study of color organization and use of the oil medium begun in the fall semester, with increased emphasis on compositional structure and adjustment. Assignments will feature imaginative or hybrid compositions, combining observed and invented components. Using principles of color, directional light and spatial structure to solidify atmospheric unity, we will explore the implication and construction of narrative. Work in class will solidify the student's ability to evoke volume, space and light. We will examine the breadth of creative choice in representational color use to illuminate the expressive qualities of various options. Students will study the role for color in directing the viewer's navigation of a composite subject, or imbuing a simple image with depth and complexity. Color design is introduced as an abstract structure that underlies figurative imagery, providing an important expressive subtext. Quick compositional studies in casein or gouache of a work in progress will be used to focus atmospheric and spatial effect. The historical development of color use in painting and cultural associations of style will be explored in slide lectures and experimentation. A capstone assignment will tie the principles of color and composition to a large narrative painting combining diverse imagery from reference and imagination, and emphasizing clarity and subtlety of structure in service of personally determined content.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Preference is given to Sophomore Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Illustration

Image
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design