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2D Foundations

Value PaintingFor centuries, artists have used various tools of technology to create theillusion of reality. Early examples included tools such as grids and thecamera obscura to render central perspective. However, with the adventof the film camera and the possibility for mechanical reproduction, the

role of painting within Western culture underwent radical change. Thepainting was no longer the most accurate depiction of reality, and onedid not need to be an artist to render a perfectly accurate portrait.Therefore, the primary function of painting began to rely less on realismand more on the act of looking and of being human as exemplified bymovements such as Impressionism in the nineteenth century and AbstractExpressionism in the mid-twentieth century. In the contemporary era,many artists have continued to comment on the changing nature ofpictorial representation brought on by technology by making paintingsthat explicitly show the use of the camera or other imaging technologies.In an age of digital media and mass distribution of imagery, it is worth

considering what the role of painting might be today.

In this assignment, you will be creating a grayscale painting of a photocollage made from your own photographs. We will begin by printingphotographs, cutting them into uniform squares, and composing thesquares into a gridded composition. In your final painting, you willincrease the scale of your photo collage by at least 200% and paint eachsquare according to its corresponding gray scale value. Therefore, yourfinal painting will bear the traces of the photographic process as well asthe manipulation of the photograph by your own hands via collage.

In terms of form and application of design principles, your composition

should aim to generate eye movement by considering how each squaresrelative valuewhen juxtaposed next to another can createcontrast,repetition, rhythmand points of visual focus or emphasis.

In terms of content, think about how the meaning of your photographicsubject will be altered by being fractured and broken up into parts tocompose the whole, and choose your subject accordingly. Likewise, yoursubject will be subjected to and transformed by the grid, and theproportions can be manipulated. You will have freedom again in terms ofthe level of representation (abstract, non-objective, representational);however, be aware of your tonal range.

ResearchCartesian gridHistorical techniques & mechanical aids for artists: camera obscura,camera lucida, Albertis grid, Vermeers use of under-painting valueCubism representation from multiple rather single, centered perspectiveDavid Hockneys photo collagesChuck Close thumbnail grid portraits

MaterialsValue studies: charcoal drawing materials, sketch paper9-step value scale & final painting: water container, titanium white &mars black acrylic (2 oz. tube minimum), mixing tray/paper palettes, flatbrushes, palette knife, low-tack artists tape (3M brand recommended),straightedge, canvas paper (provided in class), substrate of your choicePhotocollage: camera (Instructional Media Services in Watzek loanscameras for 24 hours), sketch paper, X-acto, straightedge, glue stick

Parameters

9-step value scale:- clean & crisp with even contrast between each incremental value shift- each rectangle should be 2x1! forming a 2x13 ! strip centered oncanvas paper (distributed in class)

Preliminary photo collage:- print 3-5 separate photos of same subject at various scales- each print should be cut into 1x1 inch squares- mix & match squares to make a composition at least 5 x 6 inches- focus on the difference in proportion & value between squares to createcontrast, repetition, rhythm, and eye movement- experiment with composition

Final photo collage:- must reflect same thoughtful treatment as preliminary collage- 1x1 inch squares in 5x6 inch composition (minimum)

Value scale painting:- based off a 5x6 inch photo collage, your painting should have 2x2 inchsquares to make a 10x12 inch grid (minimum)- composition must account for any intentional borders and spacingbetween squares- must display tonal range of at least 5 values

Project due at the start of class on Thursday, March 13th

8/10/2019 2014 Value Painting

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Portfolio1 view of charcoal studies1 view of 9-step value scale1 view of preliminary photo collage1 view of final photo collage (if different)2 views of final painting (entire image & detail)

ProcessWe will begin with value studies in charcoal, including a still lifeexercise focusing on shape and a 5-step value range: highlight, light area,shadow area, reflected light, cast shadow.

Reading: Chap. 2, Exploring the Basics of Drawingby Victoria Vebell.

Next, we will make a 9-step value scale mixing only black and whiteacrylic to produce an even value shift between each color.

This will be followed by an in-class printing and collage workshop. Youwill need to take 3-5 photos of the same subject and then print eachphoto at different sizes from each other. For example, print one at 4x6,5x7, 8x10 inches. Once you cut up each print into 1x1 inch squares, youwill mix and match pieces from different photos into a 5x6 inchcomposition that focuses on the differences in value, perspective andproportion.

It is important to think of this step as necessary experimentation.

Even if you eventually choose not to make your final photo collage asabstracted as the collage shown below, you can see in this example thatmany interesting patterns of repetition emerge when you use differentsized prints.

For example, A2 and C3 are essentially the same shot, but because one isscaled larger than the other due to the different sized prints from which

they originated, there is a subtle shift in proportion that allows visualrepetition to occur without the use of an exact duplicate.

Now that you have a sense of how your final image might appear basedon your initial photo collage, take pictures or gather photographic imagesto use for your final collage that youll use for your painting.

Finally, make a grid on your substrate that corresponds to your finalphoto collage. Scale your image up at least 200% so that the 1inchsquares in your collage now become 2x2 inch squares in your painting.In the example above, this will make a final image 10 x 12 inches. Payattention to the borders you want to include or avoid (bleed edge) in yourfinal composition. Transfer the grey scale information from your photocollage into your painting. Moving from square to square, focus on the

shapes and value range much like our preliminary still life exercises incharcoal.