Due:
Part 1: One week (Steps 1 - 6 below)
Part 2: Second week
Project:
Create a narrative composition that uses subject and color to express a mood. You are telling part of a "story" of some kind. This is to be a completely original, well-designed and well-crafted portfolio piece, rich in color and refined in technique.
Medium:
- Primarily oil pastels, but you may also include paint, color tissue paper, and/or other materials (may include "unusual" materials)
- Work large, up to 18 x 24" - Paper could be white, toned, or color
- First draft with pencil
Objectives:
- Generate ideas/theme for personally expressive artwork.
- Improve your skills with composition to grab and hold people's attention.
- Use color expressively. Create a mood through color.
- Experiment with design, with materials and technique, and with style. Try things out. Take risks.
To Start (Complete these 6 steps during the first week.):
- Think about subjects that might create strong feelings (You may refer to the "Psychology of Color in Film" Cheatsheet below for possible feelings/emotions to express, then come up with a subject that could illustrate that feeling in a powerful way.).
- Define your Subject and the Feeling/Emotion.
- Jot down visual ideas.
- Design your page by drawing at least 3 thumbnail sketches.
- Develop your best thumbnail sketch into a well-designed full-size rough draft.
- Make color studies using some type of color medium (watercolors, color pencils, oil pastels, etc.)
Tip:
Think about how SIZE and PLACEMENT can help to emphasize the most important things in your narrative.
Restrictions:
- Do NOT write words to describe the feeling.
- Do NOT use hearts and other cliche symbols to symbolize feelings.
- Think of your composition as the frame of a movie you have written and directed. What color scheme would the cinematographer use to denote the emotions you would like the audience to feel?
Time Commitment and Planning:
This should take a few hours to complete over the next week. Begin it today.
Notice how these artists use color expressively. Before beginning your own artwork, look up these artists and read about their work.
(Below) These are all oil paintings from Pablo Picasso's Blue Period:
(Below) These are from Picasso's Rose Period:
(Below) Oil paintings by Henri Matisse:
(Below) Oil paintings by Marc Chagall:
Within each color are a multitude of hues you can break down to specifically hone in on the exact level of emotion you're seeking.
- RED – anger, passion, rage, desire, excitement, energy, speed, strength, power, heat, love, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence
- PINK – love, innocence, healthy, happy, content, romantic, charming, playfulness, soft, delicate, feminine
- YELLOW – wisdom, knowledge, relaxation, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard
- ORANGE – humor, energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant
- GREEN – healing, soothing, perseverance, tenacity, self-awareness, proud, unchanging nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy
- BLUE – faith, spirituality, contentment, loyalty, fulfillment peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, sky, water, cold, technology, depression
- PURPLE/VIOLET – royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning, power, sensitive, intimacy
- BROWN – materialistic, sensation, earth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, stability, simplicity
- BLACK – No, power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger
- WHITE – Yes, protection, love, reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical, sterile
- SILVER – riches, glamorous, distinguished, earthy, natural, sleek, elegant, high-tech
- GOLD – precious, riches, extravagance. warm, wealth, prosperity, grandeur