No me for you this week!

Ok, so this is our only art class this week, and it fell on a day where I am out at a meeting for the day. To make things all the more complicated half of you missed the last class when we got the latest painting started. I had really hoped to be with you each day we worked our way through these pieces, but we have to play the cards we are dealt, so to speak.

First of all, each student who was here will pair with a student who was not. You are to mentor your peer through the stages that they missed. this will take a little time, but you can get them started and then just keep tabs on them as the rest of the class progresses. The steps, if you recall are as follows;

1. Toning the canvas. Whether you tone it with what you expect will be a predominant color of the finished piece, or something that sets the tone pardon the pun) of the painting in terms of warmer or cooloer scenes is up to you. Confused? Ask your mentor.

2. Underpainting. Block in the basic shapes in the basic colors with a watered down, thinner version of the colors you expect to use. This allows you to judge size and placement as well as approximate color choice before you get to far in.

3. Then we’ll get in to some thicker paint, building up a little form, base this on the source images you have chosen, I don’t want to see unrealistic shapes on the canvas when you have realistic references. Also, focus on objects in the background first and move your way forward as you go

4. The mentors are still on step three (and have a little ways to go) but when they are done that it’s time to add detail and push the range of value further than it is right now.

5. Develop a sense of light and shadow throughout the piece – this may not happen till next class

Also, it has not gone unnoticed that only one of you did the homework online that was due yesterday. Get it done tonight. No excuses.

Composition with Red, Yellow, Blue

Piet Mondrian

I never had time in my rush in class today to tell you guys about our exhibition plans. We are going to display our art next week in the library classroom for three days. We’ll need to set up afterschool on Tueday I guess, since we haven’t got a morning class on Wednesday and I don’t have the room booked for Tuesday when we do. We’ll open the room at lunchtimes for people to come in and have a look (supervised by us of course). All the school will be welcome, but we’ll invite teachers and IB students to come Wednesday at lunch to our “opening”, and r. Toms has agreed to play guitar for a little ambience. I got permission to have food in there too, but have no food plans as of yet. Any thoughts?

I am also planning on contacting the Grey IBers to see if they want to come up and have a look, if you guys approve. We will also need to create labels for proper display I think. Perhaps I need a volunteer to “curate”, any one interested in the job?

See you friday! Don’t forget to get your blog together a bit.

A little early for a change.

This is for our first week back, but don’t let that stop you from getting the jump on this right away.

The article deals with a popular theory that Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece is in fact a self-portrait. This based on another self-portrait of the artists, Da Vinci’s fascination with riddles, and his homosexuality.

These people also have a posible solution, that they think will settle the issue. Check it out; here

Gorillas drinking coffee.

Lavanna Martin

I believe we once discussed the pros and cons of what I labelled “Guerilla Photography”. Taking pictures of people, either unaware, or at the very least, without permission. There were a number of different sides to the argument. This week I’d like you to reconsider your stance, and take into account a more involved style of Guerilla art in the form of the work presented on Lavanna Martin’s blog: http://lavanna.com/2010/01/18/conducting-business-at-epoch-coffee/

the earlier examples of “Guerrila Photography can be found here, or here.

Coming up with an interesting title is hard.

Richard Haines

Alright, times have been a little hectic over the last couple weeks, and that’s not going to stop anytime too soon.

I missed last week’s final post, where I reviewed what I should see from your sketchbook. But that is simple enough to fix; first, remember that you are to find two artists whose work is in some way similar to your own (but only one of which may derive from popular culture). Secondly, remember to do work for your own sake. If there is a third, it might be something like a response to the film we have been watching in class.

This week we will discuss our ink drawings, do some more independant work and introduce the final drawing before we strike of into a new media. Excited? Excellent.

 

Also try having a look at this, it’s just neat;

http://i.imgur.com/CLvcc.gif

I like opportunites to view the effect color has on our perceptions. For more info about that, check here;

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