Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Assignment #1


Stevenson Painting II
Assignment #1: Emotive Self Portrait
You are to make a self-portrait painting (that is no smaller than 16x20) on any appropriate support, in which you depict yourself displaying a very high degree of emotion.  The subject should include at least the whole head, neck and shoulders, plus at least one hand. The emotion that you displaying is entirely up to you, although your depiction should leave no doubt as to what your painted self is feeling.  Anger, excitement, pain, shame, ecstasy, shock, grief, are just some of the many possibilities available to you to examine.  The key is that your painted self should have as far from a neutral expression as possible.
It will help to examine what constitutes an emotional expression on the human face.  What are the “parts” that are most expressive?  Mainly the eyes and the mouth, plus their surrounding structures.  Areas like the cheeks and forehead can certainly display emotion (and should therefore be used as such), but in my mind are part of the supporting structures to the mouth and eyes.
Body language can also be extremely expressive.  How can the angle or point of view of the head serve your purpose?  The way the lower body relates to the upper body?  Can the hands be employed to augment the expression?  How about the background or overall color scheme? Dramatic lighting?
In making this painting you are to attempt to paint as realistically as possible.  I am not interested in a cartoon or caricatured version of yourself.  Use any approach to painting as necessary to achieve your purpose.  Have fun and good luck!

No comments:

Post a Comment