Portraits - outside the square
This portrait by Rupert Shrive shows the idea of representing someone in a portrait does not have to be a basic square or rectangle.
So lets explore a few different ways you could do a portrait.
- Project or draw directly a photo of someone on to crumpled paper, draw the image and then smooth out the paper.
- Get a bunch of images of your subject then print them in Black and white on paper in a printer, then use coloured pencils to draw around the images and present them in a row. Try different papers like tracing paper for a different approach.
- Overlap multiple images of the person on one page, then draw more heavily, the interesting parts and see what happens.
- Get a 3D mask (often in craft shops) and project and draw or draw directly onto the mask then paint.
- Overlap a range of paper shapes, project image, draw then separate the paper, and play with various compositions. perhaps try photocopying a range of compositions and re work these to suit.
- Scan any of the above images into your computer and put text in the background of the image which relates to the person. It could be a story or poem, or even just a bunch of words which relates to the person.
- Project images on to a box and draw that, what happens when that’s flattened out?
- Do a “straight” portrait, copy it a few times, now abstract stylise, simplify or simply alter the colours with paint or pencils, how do they look in a row? What happens if you alter the order of them…
These are just starting points to work from, but once you have tried these, think about doing a straight portrait, do you think it will be easy? Perhaps it might seem too bland as a process and ask yourself which one really portrays the subject matter the best…. Enjoy!
March 2, 2010 | Filed Under Art activities and techniques
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