Posterized Value Portraits/Value assignments

Post date: Feb 17, 2014 12:03:42 AM

If you've been reading posts here or are in northern Illinois, you will already know that the weather we've been having lately is... well, unforgiving. Lots of cancellations. Which is terrible for curriculum, we have short weeks, the kids don't want to do anything. It's a mess. And I understand, it's not exactly how I like to tackle curriculum, I want it to be consistent and follow through with things in a timely fashion. So, that brings me to my value paintings. The class did very well, they had a choice between posterized portraits and a simple monochromatic still life. Not surprisingly, an awful lot of them did the posterized portrait and I let them pretty much paint anything they wanted, it didn't have to be a portrait.

It was nice to see them kind of get into the whole choice thing and see who picked what. First things first, the monochromatic still life's were very few, and the students who did them seemed to do well with them. A good first exercise and probably more humbling than reassuring. Which is why I didn't force anyone or pressure anyone out of their choice. I figured since I knew each student I would let them make their choices and they would surprise or underwhelm me, either way they would get a great first sense of painting in general. What I found out was that it was just good to see them struggle no matter who it was, of the few that did struggle there was only one that I would have guessed would struggle, the rest seemed to happen upon it through no incredible folly of their own but rather a commitment to the rigidity of the assignment. And I must say, those experiences I hope were teachable. The one in fact that I'm helping resurrect their painting, should turn out fine. The other might just have to walk away from it and move on despite the struggle but has learned a great deal of from play hopefully as this particular student seems to put little intention in their strokes. Perhaps I should have pressured this particular students choice between the assignments.

I say all of this publicly in vagaries simply to satisfy my need to reflect and get my thoughts in cement. As I am sometimes want for going against my instinct for the sake of experiments with students. This time the experiment has proved somewhat of a mixed success much like others. The student kind of did what I expected after doing what I didn't expect, which happens everyday in this profession. I just need to file this away and be done with it, cause it bothers me when I don't make the exact perfect right choices for students when I feel something instinctual coming through, which happens more an more lately this third year of teaching. I can sense treachery easily, and I know when to push success a little better than last time around.

Below are examples to student work as well as a link to the presentation, check the project folders via the classes link on the left to see the posterization tutorial.