WHO'S LURKING IN THE SHADOWS?

SHAPES OF SHADOWS

INTERMEDIATE 2-D ART

india ink on smooth bristol board w/ watercolor & collage accents

Senior Ylia Matayag was gracious enough to agree to be our model for this assignment.

We sat her in a dark corner of the room and shone a bright light on her upper body 

to bring out the shape of the shadows on her face, hair and shoulder area.

The kids sat in a semi-circle around her so they each had a slightly different point of view.

They used graphite first to lightly draw in ONLY the shapes of the shadows cast on her.

This was very difficult for the students to grasp 

even though we had done a very similar prior assignment.

Once drawn they used a soft watercolor brush and India Ink to paint those shadows in.

Then they had a choice,

to bring in watercolor or collage accents. 

We all really liked what senior Sarah Oh did with her watercolors,

but at first she had only done it in the background.

But after the critique we convinced her to also bring some into the face and shoulders

for a super cool piece.

Senior Tiffany Chen also used a watercolor accent and painted it all the way thru the portrait.

I love that she turned it into a fabulous landscape complete with castle.

I also really liked the fine felt marker she brought in to pop it and to add the birds.

William Tan, senior, choose watercolor as well.  

He had her frontal as his point of view.

I love the quiet, contented sense of self he brought into her face 

by capturing her with her head at a bit of a tilt backwards with eyes closed. 

Brilliant!

And then the watercolor dripping over top her is a marvelous finish.

It was a favorite by the others.

In each of these poses Ylia seems to take on a different nationality.

Here she seems to be taking on characteristics of the Indigenous people of North America.

I love the dynamic collage backdrop that contrasts with the soft stoic face of Ylia.

This was done by junior Angelica Luza.

But it was this one that took my breath away.

Powerful Native American Woman I want to call this.

Senior Mary Kim has brought in both collage and watercolor for a remarkable portrait.

This work was probably one of the most outstanding pieces on display at Open House last year.