Stick & Ink Drawings w/ Watercolor & Collage

I love showing off the results of this project because the assignment just keeps evolving and changing with each year that we do it.  It started off as a simple pen & ink work that grew into including ink washes, then watercolor, then collage.  What happens is a student will ask permission to try something outside the framework of the assignment, I say sure, go ahead; and then it turns out so well, I feel inspired to try it with the whole group the next year.

These works are done by my Intermediate 2-D kids.  They were allowed to pick their own subject matter, and then draw it in Modified Contour (again a Betty Edward's Right Brain thing) using only a thin wood dowel sharpened and dipped in india ink (my idea :).  So no pencil, no erasing.  This really freaks them out at first, so we do a practice piece before the original.  Then they find they love the technique, and off they go.

After the ink drawing they must mix up 3 values of ink wash and brush those in their appropriate places to create shadows.  Two more techniques remain.  Collage and watercolor to finish them off with in any order they want.  I do usually recommend collage before the watercolor though.

Now senior Belinda Wu (above and below) has taken her piece even one step farther by puncturing pin holes into her paper and sewing the heart with red thread.  Brilliant piece kiddo!  And get this, it's Belinda's first time watercoloring and look at how she took to it like a duck to water in her little mouse below.  A very talented young woman who is in the process of applying to Art Center and Rhode Island School of Design.  Should be a piece of cake for you, they will probably be fighting over you Belinda  LOL  

In this next one by senior Halah Elsahhar I really feel she has created a sensitive, lovely mood with her work.  Every time I see it I just kind of go ahhhhhh and relax.  :)

The students were required to frame out their pieces as well, and one of my favorite frames was made by senior Kevin Tang.  Plus I love his piece he created as well. The eucalyptus leaves are such a nice touch.

Junior Megan Fong belongs to this next one.  Sorry Megan that I shot it tilted.  Beautiful layers of collaged tissue with gold flecks surround her flower.  Megan totally got what I wanted with the ink washes used to shade the piece with.

And this last one was done by junior Michaela Platt, and again, I'm so sorry Michaela that it's out of focus.  I really need to work on photography skills.  :)  Look at the value range she has achieved with her tissue collage in the foreground, and her lovely use of watercolor.  Such a pretty piece.