November 5, 2018
What’s Due?
- Phase 2: Define: Completed Collages (Narrow and Broad) using your portrait printouts. Post to the FYLC site, see guidelines.
- Come ready to work on your paintings.
Materials Needed:
- You will need paint materials for this class.
NOTE: Do not order online. Go to Blick or other art supply store. Do not buy expensive, professional-grade materials.- white and black gouache paints
- student grade, sable-type watercolor brushes (do not buy brushes for acrylic or oil)
- FLAT: 1/2″ angle, #4
- ROUND: #1, #5 (or similar)
- or a pack of brushes like this one
- two water containers (yogurt cups, soda bottles with tops cut off, soup cans)
- palette (round 10-well)
- cotton rags (old white t-shirts or scraps)
- Sketchbook, pencils, eraser, drafting tape
- bristol
Critique
Students will present completed (2) 9″x12″ collages to the class.
- (1) Narrow Value Range: either high-key or low-key
OR - (1) Broad Value Range
Do the compositions presented follow the guidelines?
Copy the following questions into your sketchbook:
- Is there a clear FOCAL POINT emphasized through the use of CONTRAST and changes in VALUE?
- Is VISUAL HIERARCHY used to direct the viewer to the FOCAL POINT? How?
- Is the entire compositional space (9″x12″ bristol) filled with collage pieces?
- Is there a stable figure-ground relationship?
- Does the composition follow the rule of thirds?
- Is the value range, narrow (high or low) or broad?
- Does it convey a certain mood? What?
- Is the work clean, neat, and thoughtfully presented?
Demo
Painting Prep:
- Take a photo of your finished collages.
- On a larger piece of paper (taken from the back of the room) outline the size of your collage (9″x12″) and divide the rectangle into nine even rectangles, like the rule of thirds. Extend these marks out from the rectangle about an inch.
- Temporarily mount your collage on the larger piece of paper. Put some tape on the back of your collage to secure it.
- Create a viewfinder frame, so that you only see one area at a time while you are working.
- Keep everything clean and neat.
Broad-Range Painting:
- With your collage as a visual reference, you will be using a viewfinder and grid to help paint each area in isolation (independently) from its neighbor.
- Use the viewfinder frame and the rule of thirds grid surrounding your collage to isolate each of the nine rectangles.
- Recreate (in gouache paint) each gridded area of your composition using a range of black, white, and gray values- achieving continuous tone in areas where highlight and shadow blend together. Use your Value Scale as a guide.
- Painting Tips:
- Do not worry about accurately rendering an eye, nose or ear, see/think only in terms of value and the boundaries of each value relationship.
- Notice how some values crossover shape boundaries into adjoining areas (open-value), while others are limited by the edges of the shape (closed-value).
- Remember to work on each rectangle independently and protect your finished painting with tracing paper as you work. Gouache is very delicate and can easily pick up the dirt and oils from your hands.
- Mix a very small amount of water thoroughly into the paint, for each value you create. The consistency should be like whole milk or cream. Before you apply paint to paper make sure it’s completely mixed in the palette to produce a flat consistent appearance. We want flat, blocks of paint with few streaks or brush marks.
- Keep two containers of water, use 1 for washing your brushes and 1 for adding water to paint.
- Wash your brush after each value is mixed and applied.
- Use a paper towel or rag to get excess paint and water off the brush before mixing a new value.
- When you have completed your composition carefully protect all elements with a piece of clean tracing paper and cardboard.
Homework
Due next class:
- Finished painting
Materials needed:
- Thumb drive with your original portrait
- Come prepared to complete a digital collage in photoshop.
