Complete the Assignment by using following directions:
Directions for Part 1 - Create a Portrait Photograph
Successful completion of this assignment will require you to create a portrait using black and white photography. You may decide to use a black and white setting on a digital camera, or take your image in color and change it to black and white using a photo-editing program on your computer. Take some time to decide whom you would like to photograph and why. Ask yourself about the connection you have to that person and what you want to reveal or conceal about them. This should be somebody who is willing to be part of this assignment. Consider the various options that you have in photographing that person and the best way you would like to portray them. Remember that to have an effective portrait it is not necessary to show your model's face. Stieglitz, along with other photographers, often utilized this technique.
Please Note: it is your responsibility to submit a respectful image that does not undermine the model in the photograph in any way.
Please use the steps below to help you through the creation process of your portrait:
1. Locate a photo portrait by a recognized artist from the online chapter that intrigues you. Why is it striking to you? What makes it work? How could you borrow the technique?
2. Make several sketches to get a better idea of how you would like to approach your subject matter. Keep in mind the importance of composition. Do not submit these; they are for planning purposes only.
3. Photograph your model from various angles. You may include animals in your photograph, but there should also be a person in it. You may not use an animal as your sole subject.
4. Shoot a variety of portraits, bearing in mind that in the end you will submit three images - they can be of the same person, but from different angles/settings. You must indicate which one of the three is your best image, the one on which you will be evaluated. Find the most effective lighting, angle, and composition to reflect his or her personality. Is the model looking straight at the camera? Is the model concealed? How much of the background is visible and what function does it have in the artwork? Do hand gestures, body language, clothing, or backdrops play an important role in the image?
5. Consider the importance of lighting and the range of values and textures visible in the portrait. For example, do you want a dark background with intense shadows, or a bright image with subtle shadows? These values not only play a major role in enhancing the emotional statement of the image, but also demonstrate your understanding of black, white, and the grays in-between. A wide range of values and textures makes a portrait memorable in its execution and appearance.
6. If you used black and white film, have your image developed and scan it onto your computer. If you used a digital camera, simply change the color to black and white using your computer photo-editing program.
7. Pay close attention to the composition and the photo quality of your image. It should demonstrate good craftsmanship, which means having clear images and cropping any unnecessary background not meant to be part of your portrait.
8. From what you shot, choose (3) of the images to submit and indicate which image you consider your best (this is the image you will be graded on). Also, please provide (2) close-ups of the image you chose to recreate as a collage.
Directions for Part 2 - Create a Newsprint Collage
Once you have selected your best photograph, (taking into consideration both the formal qualities and the conceptual intrigue) you will analyze the photograph's value patterns. If you were to squint your eyes at the photograph how many different values would you see? Be sure to look at the subtleties of the grey-scale within your photograph. Do you have pure black? Pure white? How many gray values in between? Once you have accessed your photograph, make a tracing of the contours of each value pattern (sometimes these contours will follow the edge of a shape but sometimes the contours cross over perceived forms i. e. Roy DeCarva's Coltrane and Elvin, New York). You will then paste different values of newsprint onto a sheet of Bristol board to recreate the image using the collage technique.
Please use the steps below to help you through the creation process of your collage:
1. Trace the important contours of the shapes within your image. You can either use tracing paper or tape your photograph to a window and tape a thin sheet, such as computer paper, on top of your photograph in order to see the contours.
2. Collect black and white newspapers. This will be your source for the values that you "paint" with.
3. Glue your tracing down to a more substantial substrate such as Bristol board.
4. Using your collected newspaper as your "palette", tear or cut bits of paper to "paint" or collage with.
5. Paste small bits of paper onto the substrate with either glue or a glue stick. It is recommended that the paper pieces should be no larger then 1" square.
6. Step back and look at your work from distance. This will help you see whether your collage needs a wider range values or details.
7. You should provide (1) full-view image and (2) close-up images of your collage. All of them should be different.
8. When photographing your work, aim the camera straight down at your image. If you still have some visible background, crop your image in Photoshop.
9. Please review these tips on photographing your art: Download Photographing Art
Recreate the areas of lights and darks that you perceive in your photograph with different values of newsprint. When combined, these values will create an "impression" of the tonal range of which you are trying achieve. For instance a paragraph of newspaper type might be seen as a 60% grey value in your collage. Don't be afraid to rework an area. Too dark? Add small bits of light. This approach to seeing value is called Optical Mixing. It is what the master painters of the Impressionist movement (Monet, Bonnard, Renoir...Impressionism) used to create impressions of color and value. Pay close attention to the construction of your work.
Demonstrate good craftsmanship, which means no excess glue or wrinkles in the paper, etc.
Directions for Narrative Paper
Write a narrative paper that is at least 650-800 words in length (you are welcome to write much more), using at least a 12-pt font. This narrative paper should compare and contrast your work with the work of a Portrait Photographer from the online chapter. Some suggestions to help you begin writing are listed below. For further assistance on how to write a narrative paper, reference the additional resources in the Course Orientation.
Compare and contrast your work to a recognized Portrait Photographer's work
•Identify the artist's name, title of photograph, year it was executed, and type of photography.
•Provide some historical background of the artist and the black and white photography movement.
•Conduct personal research of the artist and artwork you are discussing in your narrative. It's crucial that you learn more about the artist than what is provided on the course website and reflect that knowledge in your writing.
•Describe why you chose that work to compare and contrast to your own.
- What is the relationship between the artist and his or her subject matter?
- What is the relationship between the artwork and the audience?
- What does a portrait mean to you?
- How can you portray one's personality through black and white photography and newsprint collage?
- What kind of relationship do you have to your model?
- How can you convey one's personality though your images?
- What is the role of values and textures in a black and white portrait?
- How does your photograph change when it is transformed into the collage medium?
•Explain what you find especially interesting, inspiring, or disturbing about this artist's work.
•Discuss how the artist's work relates to the ideas and goals of your own work and how they differ.
•Explain how you made your artwork and what techniques, materials, and concepts you used.
•Describe the relationship between you and your artwork and the relationship between your artwork and the audience.
•Address how this relationship is similar or different to the work of the artist that you've selected.
•Use at least 7 vocabulary terms from the assigned reading. Make sure to type vocabulary in ALL CAPS.
•Follow the intro, body, and conclusion format to organize your writing. Tips on structuring your narrative can be found in the Course Orientation under "Creating an Outline".
•Make sure to cite all of your sources (books, internet, etc) in a Works Cited/Bibliography page at the end of your narrative. You should have at least (3) reliable, scholarly sources such as books, art magazines, as well as online museums, art publications, etc. Wikipedia is not encouraged as one of your main sources. In order to get credit for the "citing" portion of the grading rubric, you must list all of your researched sources in the "Works Cited/Bibliography" section (even if you didn't include any quotes from those sources in your writing). Please see directions on how to cite books and online sources in the Course Orientation.
•Please include your narrative's word count at the end of your paper (ex: Word Count: 767 words).
•Finally, thoughtfully select a title for your assignment.