Project Five: Self-Portrait, Complex Duel Color and Mark Making 

 

Objective:

To further demonstrate the elements of seeing, attaining proper proportions, identifying local colors, layering, working from the back of the drawing forward. You will be working with color soft pastels minus black. You will create an under drawing of the photograph I take of you, attaining the best possible proportions and perspectives. If you are uncomfortable with drawing yourself just notify me and I will give you another portrait to work from. You will utilize a simplistic grid technique for the under drawing keeping in mind value and shape. Then you will build a full dynamic color drawing that will focus on local color, value range, reflective light, shadow, edge quality and vibrancy. Create a drawing that demonstrates your increasing ability to work with color and soft pastels.

 

Directions:

Step 1: Take a 15" x 22” sheet of Canson paper and mount it on your drawing board in a vertical format. Then using a ruler and the measurements I give you, create a light H pencil grid on the photo image and on your larger drawing paper.

 

Step 2: I want a drawing that includes the entire environment in the photo touching all four edges of your drawing paper. Using a H pencil create the under drawing being mindful to keep the drawing surface as clean as possible. Utilize the sighting technique and some of the blocking off techniques I demonstrate. Correct proportions and perspectives are expected.

 

Step 3: Once your under drawing is complete, clean up all excess grid lines and take the knowledge gained from my demo and begin to block out large areas of the drawing in pastel keeping in mind local color, value range, reflective light, shadow, edge quality and vibrancy.

 

Step 4: Start working from the lighter values to mid-key hues from the back of the drawing to the darker values in the front.

 

Step 5: Move the pastel around the drawing in whatever manner you found most appealing from the demo. I do very much encourage you to consider gestural mark making. Keep in mind vibrancy, edge quality and value range. No black is allowed.

 

Step 6: Complete drawing to the best of your ability. Spray with fixative and hand in according to the outline in the syllabus.

 

 

Materials:

15" x 22" Canson, Soft Pastels, Pencils, Erasers, Ruler, Photograph (provided)