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Double Silhouette
Double Silhouette
Areas of focus: contrast, emphasis, variety, unity, and scale.
Areas of focus: contrast, emphasis, variety, unity, and scale.
Goal: How does the juxtaposition of two images greater inform the meaning of both? Combine a portrait silhouette with the details of a scene in a compelling way.
Process:
- Look through your personal photo references and select a portrait or scene that you are drawn to. While looking through your references ask yourself: Why are you drawn to a particular photo? What message could this image convey when added to another to create a double exposure? How would the original photo’s content be changed or strengthened? What content or message are you going to strive for in your piece? If you do not have a photo in your reference collection at this time that you love for this assignment, have a friend or family pose as your subject matter.
*Hint* Content doesn’t alway have to be a deep earth shattering meaning. For this assignment, maybe ask in what environment/scene am I most likely to see this individual or vice versa? How does the way I depict this setting draw attention to specific things about this individual? OR by combining two images that seem less related, how do they take on a new meaning?
- After selecting your first image and reflecting on your desired content or message. Locate other reference photos to work from for your second photo. It is best to work from your own image collection when possible. If you need to pull references that are not your own, make sure to make modifications as you work. They should be used just to help you get ideas for things like proportions, details, and designs.
- Create several quick sketches in your sketchbook of how you might combine your two photos to compose your piece. In these sketches mark out with minimal detail which areas of the two photos you will make dominate or “pulling forward” and which will be falling back in your picture plain. This pull and push should vary from sketch to sketch as well as your overall layout using ideas such as the rule of thirds and leading lines. As you compose sketches think about how attention is drawn to different areas through the use of leading lines, emphasis, and figure ground. How can you manipulate your sketches to emphasize areas you want to be highlighted and to create unity in your entire piece?
- Once you have several sketches completed, conference with a classmate about which composition is your strongest. Ideas to consider: the use of figure ground, leading lines, emphasis, use of the entire picture plane, and content of images.
- Begin work on the final composition. It can be between 8"x10" to 18"x24" in size. It is suggested that this assignment is completed in a black and white drawing media. You may work on tone paper with white conte pencil, pen and ink, or graphite. Make sure the size you select to work in is large enough for details but small enough to complete in within your deadline. You can apply mixed media to the work if you can give a rationale to that choice and execute that choice with skill.
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