Artswork Logo
Copyright © 2002 by Arizona State University and the Arizona Board of Regents.
Students > Expressionism > Lesson 3 > Assignment 3

Assignment 3

Materials:
Computer draw or paint program, paper, scanner. I used Claris Draw and scanned it into PhotoShop. You can use Photoshop, the GIMP, Painter, Illustrator, Color It, Corel Draw or Dabbler.

Instructions:
1. Photograph yourself. Include two symbolic things along with yourself:

student example
"Memories of Turkey: Me, My Puppet
and My Tapestry"

a. Symbols that represent your interests. Symbols can be human, animal, or an object. Add symbols of things that define your feelings. For instance, I've included my Turkish tapestry. The rug makes me think of how I sadly miss my friends. The medallion designs on the rug seem to float away as do my memories. My memories are like the frayed ends on the rug.

b. The entire picture becomes a metaphor for your experience. A metaphor is a figure that stands for something else. For instance, I've drawn myself with objects (a carpet and a puppet) I brought back from Turkey. I taught in Turkey and enjoyed the friends, but had mixed feelings about my experience. The puppet is a metaphor for me as a teacher in Turkey.

2. Scan in the photograph. Repeat it four times. If you use Adobe Photoshop or something equally as good, you can distort the image in several ways. Try playing around with the possibilities.

If you don't have a scanner to scan your photograph onto the computer, you can make a drawing of youself in relationship to another person or thing and add symbols. How about trying to draw yourself on the computer! I did.

student example
"Feeling Blue"

student example
"Hot-Headed Tapestry"

 

3. Add color to make the work more expressive by using the following color theories:

a. Monochromatic. Choose one color and make lighter and darker tones of that color. For example, use a variety of light blues and dark blues with different patterns. The color will suggest a mood. It will be an expression of your feelings.

b. Complementary. Try mixing two colors that are opposite on the color wheel. What happens if you mix blue and orange? yellow with purple? Green with red? When you overlap strokes they turn some shade of gray or grown giving a dull effect. You can use some colors in their full brightness. EXAGGERATE YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSION. See "Dulled Life Tapestry"

c. Analogous. For example, mixing two primary colors such as blue and red will make blue violet, violet and a red violet painting. What mood is created if you change to blue and green? Some combinations are warm and others are cold.

"HOT-HEADED TAPESTRY"

4. Save the work. Copy it and then write your Self Evaluation.5. If you have questions, check out the Student Model