HOW CAN CONTOUR LINE LEAD INTO ABSTRACTION?
Modified Contour Line Drawing -
Today we start Modified Contour line drawing. Similar to blind contour line,
but occasionally glancing at your paper.
The focus is still on training your hand to follow your eye. We will do a series of drawings this week and then select one to develop into a finished abstract piece by adding color and texture via collage and mixed media.
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Abstract art: art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures. Can reference a realistic subject but does not seek to imitate it exactly.
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ARTISTIC VOCABULARY
image credit: https://bluedewdesign.com/blindcontourdrawing/
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Collage: an artistic composition made of various materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface cut pictures from magazines to make a collage; a creative work that resembles such a composition in incorporating various materials or elements
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Media: the physical materials used to create an artwork: examples include but are not limited to graphite, acrylic paint, oil paint, watercolor paint, oil pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, clay, wood, cement, plastic, fabric, yarn, metal, etc.
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Mixed media: combining one or more media to create a work of art.
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Senecio (Head of a Man) (1922) Paul Klee, Public domain, via Wikimedia
MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE
ASSIGNMENT:
Create a mixed media collage based on one or more of your blind and modified contour line drawings. Consider the elements and principles of art as you compose your collage- PICK 2 ELEMENTS AND 2 PRINCIPLES THAT YOU WILL INTENTIONALLY FOCUS ON OR INCORPORATE IN YOUR COLLAGE.
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Collage art is an art form which is made up of overlapping pieces of paper or other materials. These might include drawings, photographs, colored and textured papers, fabric, or other forms of mixed media. ​
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The process of collage focuses on the act of selecting materials, cutting or tearing them into the desired shape, and then arranging them. Collages are arranged for visual interest and generally designed to communicate a message or feeling.​ Adapted from riseart.com
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Let's discover how artist and teacher Todd Stahl utilizes blind and modified contour line drawing as a base for his mixed media collages:
MAKING MORE MODIFIED CONTOUR LINE DRAWINGS
DAY 1
Revisit plants - warm up in sketchbook first with a blind contour line drawing. then switch to a larger 9x12 paper for single or multiple modified contour line
drawings. Use variety of colored pencils. Rotate tables.
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DAY 2,3,4
Watch this video on making collage.
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ASSIGNMENT: Collage/mixed media at least one piece at least 8" x 8" or 8" x 10".
Start by making a plan in your sketchbook.
Go through images you've created so far.
Consider:
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Which drawings have interesting elements - perhaps some identifiable features, an interesting gesture or sensitive line. Is there one you want to work with as base, or are there two or more you might consider combining?
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Do you have a theme, concept or idea you want to elaborate on? These are essentially portraits - so you may just choose to play with color and texture to convey a feeling or mood, or you may add other visual elements - magazine clippings, patterned or textured papers, text, etc. Consider any other of the drawings you have done including still life that you might want to include. Consider how the colors and patterns impact the mood of the piece. You can experiment with this in your sketchbook.
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Your piece should include 2 or more cut/torn contour drawings (or parts of drawings) from the past week. It must also include other cut/torn collage papers AND at least one additional drawing media
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​Artvee is an example of a website that has public domain paintings, posters and illustrations - even though they are public domain, you want to be careful to only utilize parts or pieces from borrowed imagery and integrate it into your own work giving it new context.
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You may use the following media: pencil, colored pencil, marker, oil pastel, colored/textured/patterned paper, newspaper, found paper
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Use bristol board ( a heavy weight card stock) as your base, or something you provide (a piece of wood, or some other base on which to collage).
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Consider composition. Images should fill the space in a way that considers visual balance and mood. Try variations of your composition before gluing anything down.
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In your sketchbook: Make a sketch and notes indicating the composition, size, media and other materials needed. List the 2 elements and 2 principles you will focus on in your collage. Collect the materials. Begin layering pieces playing with placement. Consider cut vs torn edges. Photograph your piece before you begin gluing so that you can see which layers to build upon.
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Execute your piece - paying attention to craftsmanship.
DAY 5 ASSIGNMENT: REFLECTION
Create a 2 slide powerpoint.
Slide 1: Photograph your finished piece and post to the first slide.
Slide 2: Write a paragraph reflection in narrative form including the following:
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Description of the purpose and value of this exercise (Drawing what you see, training your hand to record what you see in order to keep your attention on your subject)
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Description of the process of making these drawings - guidelines you learned (don't look at paper - focus on subject , or glancing at paper, one line, eye following contour edges and hand recording observation, not labeling but focusing on edges, etc)
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Utilize appropriate terminology you learned - contour line, abstract, pencil pressure, line sensitivity, collage, mixed media
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Any other learning or growth you experienced - challenges, how you overcame challenges, surprises, discoveries.
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Describe why you chose the images you did and how you combined and unified using repeated and related color, pattern, texture.
Submit to Dropbox titled Contour Collage, and to this Padlet
