Y is for Yellow! “K” May 27, 2016

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome to Lesson “K,” our first lesson of Session 2!

For our drawing exercise we will work on drawings in the style of

Kathe Kollwitz

For our mixed-media exercise we will work in watercolor on

Paul Klee Color Grid Paintings

Let’s get started! (But first...)

^

keep

kelp

knock

knowledge

kick

kerosine

kachina

keen

kingdom

kidnap

knee

kibble

knuckle

keyboard

kerchief

king

kitten

keystone

knock

kvell

kind

K is for . . .

key

kit ‘n’ kaboodle

kookaburra

kosher

knockknockout

killjoy

kidding

kinaesthetic

kewpie

kindergartenerknucklehead

knickers

koala

kindrid

kaput

knight

kiss

kids

kitchen

kite

kaleidoscope

Print out and add your own “K” words in the spaces in-between those listed here!

Artists . . .

Frida Kahlo

Jeff Koons

Kathe Kollwitz

Wassily Kandinsky

Franz Kline

Gustav Klimt

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Wolf Kahn

Paul Klee

Willem de Kooning

Add your own names to those listed here!

Paul Klee

“Color possesses me.

I don’t have to pursue it.

It will possess me always, I know it.

That is the meaning of this happy hour:

Color and I are one. I am a painter.”

Drawing Assignment

Kathe Kollwitz Drawings

Supplies Needed

• sketchbook• black crayon or charcoal• references of Kathe Kollwitz drawings (if you can find a book at the library, this would be better than the internet for this particular assignment. If not, no worries!)• photo references of people (you can use Wes!)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For the “K” drawing assignment, you will do six draw-ings in the style of Prussian artist Kathe Kollwitz.

Let’s get started!

This assignment is half looking, half drawing.

Gather your supplies. Look at the drawings of Kathe Kollwitz for about 2-3 minutes. Just look and notice er-rant lines, erasures, the way she makes her marks, lights and darks, etc.

Then, when ready, immediately start drawing your first portrait. Be gentle with yourself as you make your first marks; it’s a scary thing, drawing, and the first mark is rarely right! Just keep looking and adjusting and cor-recting. Spend about 3-8 minutes per drawing.

Assignment

1. Do two sets of three portrait drawings (total = 6). This should be done on two different days.

2. Draw in your sketchbook “K” things for 10-15 minutes on two other days; “Blind Contour Kitchens,” “Contour Kittens,” “One-liner kachina dolls,” etc. (It’s your choice how you would like to draw.)

Thank you to Wes Sonheim

for his cheerful modeling (his 4th

year-long class cameo!)

Mixed-Media Assignment

Klee Inspired Color Grid PaintingsSupplies Needed

• watercolor paper (hot press or cold press, 140#), about 8”x8”• pencil• watercolors• brushes (a #12 round or a small flat)• references of images of some of Paul Klee’s color grid paintings• masking tape/artist’s tape• optional: heat gun• classical music

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step by StepStep 1Find references of several “grid paintings” by Paul Klee and put on some Mozart or Beethoven (as a nod to Klee, an accomplished violinist).

Step 2On your watercolor paper, mask off a square with masking tape; press tape down firmly on the inside edges, as the watercolor can seep through. (Test this on a scrap piece of paper to make sure the tape doesn’t rip your paper when pulled off.)

Step 3Lightly in pencil, design your grid. It can be simple or complicated; refer to Klee’s work for ideas.

Step 4Begin paint your first layer in watercolor. We are work-ing in light, transparent layers, and will build up inten-sity with 2-3 more layers. You must let each layer dry completely before adding subsequent layers. (A heat gun can come in handy here.)

Also, to avoid bleeding, take care not to fill in areas next to other areas that are still wet.

If you are getting streaks, add more water.

If you have added too much water, you can lift off the excess with your brush.

Step 5As you add layers, think about keeping some rectangles lighter in value and some darker. You will have a limi-tation/guide for each painting (see next page), but hold the assignment loosely and let your intuition tell you when to break out of the limitations. Look to Paul Klee’s examples for ideas (such as making two or three squares be pure, saturated color, left).

Step 6When you feel you have a nice balance of lights, darks, and hues, remove your tape carefully.

____________________________________________

Assignment

Complete 3 small color grid paintings:

1. One with warm colors in the center and cool colors on the outer edges.

2. One with a limited color palette -- just three colors.

3. And one using whatever colors you would like to use (truly, have fun with this one! See what happens).

____________________________________________