Domesticated Nomad: master artist

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Art Adventure: Cubism

Many people know that Pablo Picasso invented Cubism, but he didn't do it alone. Georges Braque also helped develop cubism.

The idea is that to get a complete picture of any object (or person), you have to show all sides and aspects of the object. Just showing what a vase of flowers looks like from the front is not the whole "truth" of the vase of flowers. We need to look at every part.

After deconstructing the elements of an image, they then used them like building blocks to reconstruct the image.

Cubist Pictures

Supplies:

paper
scissors
pencil
pastels, paint, crayons or colored pencils (your choice)

It's confusing enough to think about all parts of an object, so first fold a sheet of paper into six equal sections and then unfold.

Use the creases as a guide to cut the paper into rectangles.

Pick an object or group of objects that are interesting. It could be a musical instrument, flowers, or something from the kitchen. I'm going to show you a ketchup bottle.

Use only one little rectangle at a time. Draw some part of the ketchup bottle. It could be the whole thing, or just a little part.

Ideas: looking down on the bottle, just a little part of the label, from the front, from the side, just the cap, just the ketchup.

Fill up each little rectangle with some part of the object.

Then once they are all done, assemble all the pieces. Move them around until you like how they look and glue them down to another sheet of paper.

It's challenging for kids to think about drawing something from many different perspectives. But the results are usually exciting.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Tuesday's Art Adventure: Action Jackson

Here's an adventure into the work of a master artist: Jackson Pollock.

Number One 1948, Terrain Gallery

Not only do I love Pollock's work, but I love showing him to kids (and adults for that matter) because their first reaction is usually, "Well, I can do that!" Heh. Heh. It's not as easy as it looks to create a great composition, but it sure is fun trying!

Jackson Pollock was an Abstract Expressionist. This movement was more about a shared attitude rather than a shared style, but in Pollock's case this means that his works of art did not represent an identifiable image (like a tree or a person), but his works were still full of emotion, impact and action. He created large works by fixing his canvas to the floor.

Source

Then he would use brushes and other objects to drip and splash paint across the canvas. He did not care about what side was "up." He walked all around the canvas painting from all sides.

Source

Because of the movement both visually in the painting and the way in which he painted them these paintings are known as action painting. He began painting in this style in 1947.

Supplies:

tempera paint (I suggest picking 3 colors max)
large sheets of paper
shoestrings
water
large bowls, buckets, or containers
drop cloth (optional)

This is going to get messy. I like to do it outside for that reason, because I'm going to let you in a on little secret: your lawn doesn't really mind getting painted. It's true. But if you are stuck indoors, just put a drop cloth down.

Tempera paint cleans up pretty easily and it's affordable, but it's really too thick, so add one color to one bowl

and stir water in until you have a runny, watery paint.

It could be a bit thicker than this if you wanted. Just a guide, not an absolute.

Do this with each color you are planning to use.

Cut the fluglebinders (remember that from "Cocktail"?), the little plastic things, from the ends of your shoe strings

and dunk one in each color, leaving a bit clean so you have something to hold.

Set up the paper. (I had to use some sticks to hold the paper down because it was a bit windy.) Use the strings to drip, slap, slosh, and pull the paint all across the paper.