Professor: Warren Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 71 Total Enrollment: 116

Class Composition Froshs: 31 Sophs: 29 Jrs: 25 Srs: 28 Concs: 1 Non-Concs: 63 Don't Know: 7	Instructor Average: 1.70 Course Average: 2.04

"Perception, Illusion and Visual Art" aims to create an understanding of visual perception using art. Perception, illusions, and concepts and techniques of Visual Art are the main subjects of the course. Although there are no formal prerequisites, an artistic background helps to enjoy the class, and knowledge of basic concepts in neuroscience makes it easier to follow some of the more technical material.

Students found Professor Warren knowledgeable and interesting in class. He was organized and used clear examples, slides, videos and other demonstrations. Professor Warren's use of famous art to explain concepts helped make lectures interesting. Respondents appreciated his enthusiasm and receptiveness to students' comments. He was well attuned to the class's pace, often outlining important concepts on the blackboard and reviewing past material before re-applying them to new ideas. Outside of class, students found him relaxed, approachable and unpretentious.

The workload consisted of 12 sketch book assignments which repeated visual effects such as color contrast, perspective and motion blur. They were graded for demonstration of the concepts, not artistic merit. Some students were discouraged by the reading which they found dry and redundant. In addition, there was a midterm and final exam. On average, students spent 4 to 5 hours each week on this class.

Respondents found this class light, fun, and interesting. In the end, it made students see a lot of art they'd been exposed to from a very different perspective.

If you're looking for an interesting but not very difficult course that bridges art and science, this one's for you. Get ready to see great artwork and understand the perceptual basis behind it.

View CG/0046 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.