Class 16 | Portrait Painting Lab

Homework Due THIS CLASS

1. Complete the transfer of your posterized value portrait to Bristol.
2. Start painting! And come prepared to work in class on your painting.

Materials Needed THIS CLASS

• bristol pad
• tracing paper
• 2 small jars to hold paint
• brushes, if you have them.
• two water containers (yogurt cups, soda bottles with tops cut off, soup cans)
• palette (round 10-well) or plastic take-out container.
• cotton rags or paper towels (old white t-shirts or scraps)

Visual Library

Let’s designate a facilitator and take a look at your new Visual Library posts.

Lab: Painting

1. You should already have transferred your portrait to bristol.
2. Start or continue painting. Aim to have your painting completed by the end of class.

Painting on Bristol

1. With your posterized printout as a visual reference, paint each value area using a range of black, white, and gray values. Use your Value Scale as a guide for matching value steps.
   • NOTE: The paint will be lighter when it dries. Test your range of values on scrap bristol first.
2. When you have completed your composition carefully protect all elements with a piece of clean tracing paper.

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 protect your painting with tracing paper as you work. Paint is delicate and can easily pick up the dirt and oils from your hands.
• 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 without streaks or brush marks.
• Keep two containers of water, use 1 for washing your brushes and 1 for adding water to paint, if needed.
• 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.

Homework Due Next Class

• Finish your painting. Make sure it’s protected with tracing paper.
• Bring your original hi-res Value Portrait and Posterized Portrait (saved to thumb drive). We will be scanning your painted portrait and creating short videos with your original Value Portrait.
• If you didn’t contribute to the Visual Library yet this week, do so! You should have added at least 8 posts by next class. Consider adding an image that demonstrates: Contrast.

Materials Needed For Next Class

• original hi-res Value Portrait on thumb drive
• Posterized Value Portrait on thumb drive
• flash/thumb drive