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Assemble a Portrait

Use what you’ve learned about materials to represent someone you admire

©Heather Weston Photographs.

Assemble a Portrait

Project Prompt:

  • Make a portrait of an individual from real life or fiction who inspires you.
  • Use unexpected materials to assemble your portrait as a collage.


Parameters:

  • Work out your composition by making a series of simple sketches.
  • Jot down notes about materials you might use.
  • How can the materials support your ideas about the subject?
  • Consider how difficult it might be to obtain and/or work with the materials before finalizing your design.
  • Lightly sketch the outlines, identifying the main shapes.
  • As you attach the materials, think about how you can use color, tonality, texture, and pattern to add visual interest.


Experiment at Home:

You might be surprised by the materials available at home. Look for dried beans or pasta in the pantry, nuts and bolts in the garage, or old magazines in the recycling bin.


Before you begin, check out these examples by Wook Choi and Justin Rhee’s students at Oogie Art in New York, New York!


Upcycled Art With a Message

Objectives: 


Students will craft a message that is important to them and then create an artwork using upcycled materials to express their message.

Preparation: 


Introduce students to the artist El Anatsui and discuss his artwork shown in On the World Stage. Explain that he uses upcycled materials to share a message about consumerism and its effects on the environment. Tell students that they will create their own upcycled artworks with a message using old compact discs. When they are finished, they will work together to create a class tapestry using all the CDs.


Before you begin, check out these examples by Cassondra Smith and Stacey Cramer’s students at Maple Grove Primary School in Battle Ground, Washington!

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