Prompt:
Use of Value, Texture both Real and Implied for Representation of Self and Identity
MATERIALS:
— digital photography
— pencil rubbings / drawings on paper
— textured papers, fabrics, found discarded materials
— illustrator renderings of textures
— 15 x 20 in. black or white illustration board, scissors, x-acto knife and glue stick
DIGITAL TOOLS:
— various cut digital printouts from Illustrator and/or Photoshop
SUBJECT:
— Self Portrait as a Place –
MERGING your current existence in NYC with YOUR past Geographical Identity
METHOD: — CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONAL TEXTURE ENCYLOPEDIA
— take a walk around the city, this could be your daily walk from home to class or a special
walk you have been wanting to take. Centrl Pk, Wall St, Times, Sq., Brklyn Waterfront, etc….
— take photographs of 20 textures –10 urban / 10 natural
— take rubbings of the same 20 textures — 10 urban / 10 natural
— find physical texture materials, papers, vinyl, fabric, discarded items – 5
— invent textures in Illustrator – 5
— import, scan into Photoshop
— choose ONE COLOR (HUE) and use a MONOCHROMATIC Approach as well as grayscale
— Choose a shape for an overall silhouette, perhaps from where you come from? Or something
from your past? A building? A park? A natural wonder? An icon? –that says something about where
you are from, your culture, experiences and your personal identity
— Choose something MEANINGFUL to you!
— EDIT and Place the textures and values within that shape digitally and physically, cut the forms into
smaller shapes of your choosing at neatly overlap using your own created unique system.
— carefully cut the around the silhouette
SPECIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:
— create a dynamic composition unique to you
— Use brightness, contrast tools, levels, dodge, burn, transparency w/ color (will demonstrate in class)
— Consider the use of design principles and elements in your composition. Make conscious choices.
FORMAL CONSIDERATIONS:
— Pay close attention to the elements and principles of design.
— How are you utilizing line, shape, texture, color, value, etc., specifically?
— Are you experimenting with ideas of tension, weight, balance, unity, variance, etc…?
FINAL PRESENTATION:
— Mount composition a 15×20 black or white illustration board
— Impeccable consideration of craft and construction will be required
— Please be neat, with cutting, seams, glue, mounting etc..
Concept:
I chose a spot at home that was dear to me: a gas station. I have a lot of memories centered around the spot. Across the street sits a giant lawn chair that I would sit in, staring at the cars crossing the street and running to the gas station for drinks. It is a bittersweet place for me because I have lovely memories there, but my life has changed tremendously since. I was inspired by Edward Hopper and his way of creating solemnity through color and composition. I wanted to make the piece exude a sweet sadness, a need for a deeper understanding but a residual feeling of grief for the past. I used images of gas stations in Manhattan to create the piece, because gas stations in New York are a very rare occurrence, just like the times I spent at the gas station in Missouri.
I took photographs of close-ups of two NYC gas stations, then edited them in Photoshop to maintain a blue color scheme. I then printed those out in various sizes. To create my composition, I printed out the color-mapped image and pasted it onto an illustration board, then covered it entirely with texture papers, using Mod Podge and paint to create the texture shown.
Progress:
Final:
