Holding Up The Wall

Grayscale Figure Painting

objective

To create an original work of art focusing on dynamic figures in an environment.

Process:

Personal photos will be used to create a grid drawing and we will focus on paint application and creation of 3D form as opposed to the color mixing. Artists will have the opportunity to include a pop of color to create variety and emphasis.

Step 1: Take a cool dynamic photo of

yourself or a friend in space.

If you don't want to try to paint someone's identity, you can hide the face.

This can then change the meaning of the work from

being a portrait of someone, to being about humanity.

Student examples below:

Tips for taking a dynamic figure photo:

Get Interesting camera angles by moving your camera away from how we normally see, maybe get very low or higher up.
Move or angle the limbs in exciting ways to activate the figure
Use a weight/ a sense of gravity to create interesting figure positions

Use gravity to help you make dynamic figure guestures.

Find interesting ways to interact with architecture.

Stretch your limbs and bend them at your joints to create something dynamic.

Getting low with your camera or moving the camera to spaces our eyes normally don't see from creates interesting angles.

Step 2: Edit your photo

Simply speaking, this is theoretically an easy editing job.

You will turn your work black and white, and you may increase the contrast, highlights, or shadows.

After turning the work black and white, if you wish to make things a bit easier on yourself if you don't have much practice with painting, you can posterize in photopea or photoshop to give it only 5 values. This way you can kind of turn your work into a paint by number. It's just a different way of breaking it down to make painting a bit easier.

Then you will put a grid on your work. This website will do that for you: https://www.photomultitool.com/grid

Step 3: Grid your paper for Painting

Step 4: Draw your work square by square. Think of your values as shapes.

Step 5: Create a painted value scale and or pre-mix your paints

Step 6: Begin Painting Your Work

Things that will help you:

You can make your paint more viscous by adding a tiny bit of water on the end of your brush
Don't have too much paint on the end of your brush, it can make it unwieldy to control
Work in layers, paint the background down first and build up
Pencil will show through lighter colors
Wet over dry painting will create clean lines and flat colors
Wet into Wet painting will blend and create textures
Dry brush looks best over a base layer, not just white paper
Have a variety of sizes of brushes to work with
If you have a lot of blacks, start with those
Make sure you are painting off onto scrap paper and not the tables

Rubric

Grid Method Used for Drawing (20pts)

Did you use the grid method to properly enlarge your proportions? Did you make developmentally appropriate choices like using postarization to simplify your values into shapes?

Values & Contrast (20pts): Did you create an illusion of 3D space using value, and emphasize what's important using contrast?

Paint Application (20pts): Are the textures created by your brushstrokes consistent (meaning similar, do they work together)? or if inconsistent does that inconsistency create emphasis or interest through variety?

Layering (20pts)

Did you work in layers with your acrylic paint? Did you use layering to build values and interest in your work?

Commitment to Quality (20pts)

Were you committed to doing your best and applying feedback?

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