Friday, December 6, 2013

MIXED-MEDIA sketchbook


Intro Drawing and Painting
 



At a recent teacher workshop I was given a hand-out that contained a lot of information.  As the speaker presented I was looking over the hand-out and spotted words that resonated with me.  I underlined these words, drew designs around them, and began to doodle pictures that came to mind.  My doodling helped me better understand what the speaker was trying to get across and I was inspired to create a collage.  I first ripped and cut the words out from the hand-out then I used mod-podge (acrylic gel medium) to glue them to Bristol board.  I then began to layer pastels, mixing them with mod-podge.  The piece was spontaneous, like a doodle. Try this for a sketchbook assignment-you can add photographs, use marker, pastel, ink...etc.  Over the next week think about words your hear or see…maybe you will be inspired by words in a song or during a lecture in school. 

You will be creating a work of art that has a theme.  The theme will be up to you. This piece should have colored pencil and/or pastel pencil,  typed words, written words, pencil and/or ink. Photograph from a magazine. You should compose all the elements in your  piece so that the eyes flow from one area to the next.  How do you do this?  Maybe the corner of one element points another.  Or you can place similar colors around the piece so your eye jumps from place to another.  MOVEMENT is an important principle of design. We want it in this piece.  ALSO think about texture.  How can words make texture?  How does the use of different media create an interesting work of art?  How do you create balance in this piece?  Think about it, but not to much you want to have fun and let the creative juices flow. 



A book I find inspirational is:
Unfurling, A Mixed-Media Workshop with Misty Mawn: Inspiration and Techniques for Self-Expression through Art. The collages below are examples of her work.  Her work is multi-faceted and so much fun to look at.  I especially enjoy the way she incorporates a still-life into this collage. 



More Mixed-Media Pieces...