Sketchbook Practice: Lesson 5 1 In this lesson we are going to play catch-up a bit. First we re going to do something with the black and wash pieces you made last week, then something with the thumbnail sketches you did the week before. After that we ll start something new: self-portraits! Activity 1: Collage on Black and Wash Choose several of your black and wash pieces from the last lesson and gather collage papers, including some of the large scribble paintings you did last week. On each black and wash piece, add one piece of collage. Then add one more thing: a mark with a drawing tool, another pieces of collage, more paint, a stamp or stencil. Consider how the first collage piece relates to the black and wash. Let the third element make an even stronger connection between the black and wash, and the collage piece. Here are some examples. The circle (cut off) in the lower right is collage. Then I did the ink circle with the straw technique to unite the collage piece with the original black paint and wash. I collaged the red circle, then, to unify it with the paint and wash, I stamped the dots over it with the eraser end of a pencil.
Sketchbook Practice: Lesson 5 2 The horizontal band just below center is collage. Then I did a wash of quinacridone gold to unify some of the elements. I collaged the circle from one of my scribble papers, upper right, then made the circle in the lower area in white gel pen. I collaged the red negative circle, then spattered the turquoise paint with a toothbrush to unify the piece. The rectangular shape on the right is collage. I then scribbled over it with red Tulip Slick paint.
Sketchbook Practice: Lesson 5 3 Activity 2: Paint and Wash In Color Just in case you enjoyed the last activity, but were dying for some color, here is an optional activity to fill that need. 1. Make paint shapes in one color, using the paint more or less straight out of the bottle or mixed with a little medium. Then do the wash in the same color. 2. Do another application of paint and wash in a different color, after the first layer has dried. 3. Optional: add line work to these paint-wash pieces. Naples Yellow and Diarilyde Yellow Sap Green and Quinacridone Gold Quinacridone Burnt Orange and Quinacridone Magenta Blue-Green and Quinacridone Gold
Sketchbook Practice: Lesson 5 4 Activity 3: Working From Thumbnail Sketches Take out your thumbnail sketches from Lesson 3, and choose a few that look like potentially interesting compositions. Choose one to start with. Make a collage-painting (you can use paint, collage, or both, and drawing) based on this thumbnail sketch. Replicate it as closely as possible (this is exactly what I tell you not to do in the Composition class). This is not the place to play with different arrangements of the elements; you did that in the thumbnail sketches. Keep the composition the same; vary the color, materials, textures, values, etc. Work at whatever size is comfortable for you, either in your sketchbook or on separate sheets of paper. This is the thumbnail sketch I chose. Collage vertical piece, acrylic paint circle, and India ink line. On this one I used a paper doughnut as a mask, and painted around it. This is acrylic paint except for the vertical lines, which are Pitt pen.
Sketchbook Practice: Lesson 5 5 Acrylic paint, collage (the red circle), and white oil pastel. I veiled the left section of the red circle with a gray acrylic glaze. I used one of my scribble papers for the collage, then Tulip Slick paint for the circle, and oil pastel for the gray line. I painted the negative space in black acrylic, watered down. I first made a background with acrylic wash, then built the image in oil pastel. I scribbled a bit in the vertical piece with graphite.
Sketchbook Practice: Lesson 5 6 Activity 4: Blind One-Liner Self-Portraits Remember the blind contour drawings we did in Lesson 1? Well, we re going back to that exercise, only this time we re doing self-portraits. As one-liners. Get yourself a mirror, a drawing implement, and your sketchbook. And DRAW! Do two or three slowly, looking at each contour of your face carefully as you draw. Consider your hand an extension of your eyes. Don t take your drawing tool off the page. If you are moving from one area to another, make a line. Do several quick ones. Change drawing tools: try heavy markers, or fine pen; try watercolor pencils and then go over it with water. Layer one blind self-portrait over another, or do several on a page. If you like, paint into one or more of your self-portraits. Try a blind one-liner with white crayon on watercolor paper, then paint over it in watercolor. (See link: Letting Go of Looking Good on the blog). The examples below include student work as well as my own. Have fun!
Sketchbook Practice: Lesson 5 7