Collage to Pastel Abstraction Project

My solo show is up, the work for my curated show is on the way, and all that is left is to write my curator's statement.  This gave me a chance to catch up with grading and get a really neat student project I developed posted here.

This was a particularly fun project to teach.  I had the chance to integrate collage, abstract compositional elements, color theory, and techniques with pastel.

In this project we explored collage as a vehicle to color abstraction.  Students were asked to find colorful source material from magazines and create a random assemblage of a diversity of images.  I asked that they make these with a multitude of shapes and sizes, and strong shifts in warm and cool colors throughout.  

Once completed we took our viewfinders and scanned the collaged images for an exciting abstract composition.  We tried vertical, horizontal, and diagonal views, and thin and wide aspect ratios.   Then they made small colored pencil sketches to collect dynamic and interesting possibilities.

Students then chose one image to recreate in a full-chroma pastel drawing.  They fixed their viewfinders over the final section on the collage, and recreated what they saw using their pastel kit.  They were asked to try a variety of mark-making methods, blending tools, and layering effects to make the final piece go beyond the photographic sources it draws from.  They were also asked to push contrasts in color temperature, value, and tactile texture- things pastel is especially effective at.

Overall there were many strong examples of the final products.  Here are a few, some with examples of the collage they were derived from. A very exciting and rich assignment!