UNIT 3: ZOOM PAINTINGS

UNIT 3: Zooms

DUE: Monday, March 5th

You will be creating a progression of 3 paintings beginning with a crop of an image that is interesting to you. This can be something from any print source or it could be a section of the painting you just completed. You may choose to use a crop you explored in our Unit 2 assignment. When choosing a crop, choose a section that is interesting to you. “Zoom” in on something fascinating or pleasing or even gross or boring. What you focus on is your choice. We are going to try and think both conceptually and abstractly for this project, so be willing to make a weird or surprising decision. As we move from one painting to the next, we will make choices based on the paintings that came before to get to an image, an object, and paintings that are an abstraction born from exploring representation.

Your paintings for this project may be completed on gessoed paper, Masonite, or canvas. I recommend paper for the first 2 and a sturdier surface for the last one.

Painting 1: 12 in x 12in or something similar (Small)

The first painting you make will be a direct and naturalistic painting of whichever zoom or crop you choose.

This first painting will be completed in class on February 21^st.

Painting 2: 16in x 16in or something similar (slightly larger)

Your second painting will be based off of the first painting. You will use the first painting of the set as a source, and zoom in somewhere on this painting and get very interested in what you see. Be aware of marks and the material of your paint. Be aware of textures present. Explore your painting to find the next one.

You can make choices that make the pictorial information more apparent. You can exaggerate, reduce, minimize, accentuate, repeat, and refine. Choose to approach this painting in a way that expands your idea about what a painting is and how you get to a painting.

The second painting will be completed over the weekend, and start the third one.

Painting 3: 36in x 36in or something similar (much larger than previous two)

Your 3^rd painting is based off of the second painting. Take it a step further, zoom a little closer, and riff off what you discovered in painting 2. In this stage you will further exaggerate, reduce, minimize, accentuate, repeat, and refine. You can make decisions that vary greatly from your second painting, and are inspired by some aspect of it, such as composition, texture, pattern etc.

DUE AFTER SPRING BREAK

Approximately 4’ x 5’ canvas made in the wood shop, stretched, gessoed, and ready to go. Please plan and do this on your own time. The wood shop will not be open over Spring Break.

Then, please also consider making some other canvases with your left over material--- these can be used for your final project in the course. However, these are not needed complete until after the Big Portrait assignment.