SILHOUETTE REVOLUTION PROJECT

MATERIALS:

Choose from the following (or combination):

1.  Paints: Acrylic paints (black & white), brushes, palette, palette knife, pencil, Scotch Magic Tape, xacto knife, matte medium

2.  Paper: black & various gray-toned papers (painted Bristol paper), xacto knife

3.  Photoshop

REVIEW:

“MOVEMENT {principle of design}”, “EMPHASIS {principle of design}”, and “SPACE {element of design}” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

1 composition using silhouettes to create an active image of a revolution; there should be a sense of movement in the final piece

silhouette: the outline of a form filled in with a solid color (no interior information)

Rules

- choose a contemporary or historical revolutionary event (this could be social, political, scientific, personal, etc.)

- use silhouettes of figures/objects to create your design

- use multiple values to create your composition

- achieve a sense of movement and depth

To Consider

- suggest movement in one of two ways: 1) through the active gestures of your figures’ silhouettes (see ex. #1);  OR 2) through the repetition and rotation of silhouettes (see ex. #2); OR both

- suggest depth through the use of value (high contrast comes forward, low contrast recedes), and altering the size of your silhouettes (large shapes come forward, small shapes recede) (see ex. #3)

-  silhouettes should be the main focus of your design, but you may also choose to incorporate black & white collaged images as your background (see ex. #4) or include text in your composition as well – be creative!

PREPARATION:

Google image search for images related to your chosen REVOLUTION; images with full-length figures/subjects are best.

Print or photocopy your images at various sizes to experiment with scale and layering.

Do several drafts in your sketchbook, transferring the images via transfer paper, and playing with scale, repetition and placement of images.

Do value studies of these drafts using pencils.

Use your Scotch Magic tape and xacto knife to paint the detailed edges of your silhouettes.

PRESENTATION:

One 11” x 14” composition on 14” x 17” illustration board (1.5” border around composition)

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT:

Discuss the work of Kara Walker and how it informed your silhouette project.  How does the silhouette differ from a three-dimensional rendering when communicating an image or story?  Does your final piece evoke a revolution?  How did you accomplish a sense of movement and action?  Is there a sense of depth?  Is there an emotion or feeling you get from the finished design and why?  What could you change to achieve any of these effects more successfully?

DATES (subject to change):

STUDIO: Mon 5/5, Wed 5/7 (bring in all images), Mon 5/12 (2 draft designs due for critique), Wed 5/14

DUE: Mon 5/19