Color Portraits

For our final project of the 2010-2011 school year, Drawing & Painting students spent time working in acrylics and developing their own personal relationship with the paint - experimenting with brush stroke, blending, color and style while focusing on the value, form and proportion of their face.  These portraits are not only images of the students, but an example of their personal styles as well as their personal growth as an artist.  What a year!

Movement

Painting students study the human figure and the design principle of MOVEMENT...and through this have created these vibrant watercolor paintings.

Applied Color Theory

After studying the basics of color theory...

painting students applied a specific color scheme to create value and form, using tints and shades, in their first acrylic painting of the year!

 Achromatic

 Analogous

 Analogous

 Monochromatic

Triad

Scholarships!

Kenny Taylor

Emma Chibli

Two students received generous CCD Scholarships through the statewide Scholastics Art Competition for their submitted portfolios which competed against all Colorado high schools!  These winning pieces made THE BIGS and were shown at the Denver Art Museum...

Spring Fever

 The air is getting warmer, but students are staying focused as they work on their first acrylic painting...applying color theory!

FIELD TRIP: Denver Art Museum

As to Be in Plain Sight, Lawrence Weiner 

Field trip days are the best days.  Advanced drawing and painting students explored the Denver Art Museum with a focus on studying how the human figure is used in art work.  We also had a great time observing the large scale murals and installations...

 

The Last to Know, Matthew Brannon

Fox Games, Sandy Skoglund

 

Student observing the figure in artwork.

Figure studies

Blind Contour Fun

Students practice the blind contour drawing method by creating a portrait of a fellow student.  The students draw "blind" with their eyes open, but their drawing surface covered...which is also the inside of a paper grocery bag (big thanks to Whole Foods for the donation).  This demands that students carefully observe the face they are drawing by tracing it with their eyes and translating what they see through their hand.  Without lifting the drawing tool, using one continuous line, the students create an expressive portrait.  This exercise teaches students to carefully concentrate and observe as well as loosen up and allow drawings to be expressive...the end results are abstracted, interesting faces!

Pastel Compositions

 

After discussing the importance of composition in art work, students use view finders to identify an interesting and strong composition from a photograph of their face.  Once chosen, the students expressively use color pastels to create form and value to make their face come alive.