By Hanan Al Asadi, UCI Communications Assistant
Students in Associate Professor Jing Zhou’s Digital Illustration course recently designed a series of posters promoting real and fictitious events about the ocean and coastal ecosystems. With the support of a UCI mini-grant, Zhou purchased calligraphy tools and supplies and coached the students to incorporate calligraphical elements into their work. Zhou believes the project provided a valuable design lesson and contribution to the course.
Zhou said her inspiration for the project stemmed from a realization that many of today’s students struggle with performing handwriting illustrations in our modern age of technology. She feels that it is highly important for students to have an artistic appreciation for calligraphy and not to lose their handwriting abilities as the result of a reliance on digital tools.
“From a personal perspective, calligraphy is the aesthetic manifestation of languages and cultures created by hand,” she said.
When Zhou surveyed her students, the majority declared that they hadn’t been exposed to the art of calligraphy.
“It is sad for me to observe new generations who have lost the opportunity to practice writing by hand and, not to mention, the joy and satisfaction of creating tangible work, which is irreplaceable by digitally assisted productions,” Zhou said.
The students’ final posters were created using Adobe Illustrator. Scroll below to view samples of their work.
“Overfishing” by Lauren Haug
“Inked” by Jill Martin
“Stingray City” by Laura Kassin
“Draining Color” by Jenna Capitelli
“Spills” by Noah Rottler-Gurley
‘Climate Change and the Voiceless’ Talk Sept. 26 at Monmouth
August 21, 2019
Rechnitz Family/UCI Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy Randy Abate will discuss his upcoming book on the legal treatment of “voiceless” victims of climate change on Sept. 26 at Monmouth University. The event is free and open to the public.
