Color Pencil Food Abstraction (Drawing & Design)

Learning Objectives: This project will provide an opportunity to use color pencils accurately to render a hyper-realistic drawing of a close-up view of food. Students will

• Gain an understanding and awareness composition and color choices • Know how to use a grid properly and for distortion • Practice proper use of colored pencils, such as layering, blending, and burnishing • Develop skills in shading to show values with a wide variety of colors.

Instructions:

1. Looking through hardcopies of books and magazine, students find a close-up view of food, color theory and composition are considered carefully.

2. Students use their phones or other device to photograph the image and crop to 3” x 4” proportions, then print the cropped image to 4.5” x 6” hard copy.

3. Students then draw a ½” grid onto the hardcopy to obtain 9 x 12 square sections.

4. On rough draft paper, 9” x 12”, student draw a second distorted grid. This new grid needs to show 9 x 12 sections, however, these section are irregular. All sections along edges of paper and grid are labeled.

5. Considerations: Enlarge interesting areas, such as detailed sections of the food,

e.g. berries, pattern on dishes, etc. Minimize empty of non-interesting areas, such as backgrounds, table-tops, etc. Consider wavy grid lines to off-set straight lines in the original picture, or “fish-bowl” view to enlarge sections for interest.

6. Carefully transfer the image into the new grid. Take your time and trust that the

final outcome will look interesting and food will still be recognizable. If you rush this process, you will draw what you think looks accurate, and the distortion will be less effective!

7. Trace the outlines (not the grid) onto the final paper with a light colored pencil. Begin coloring, using proper techniques…layer, blend, burnish for opaque and bright application. Assessment: Composition/Design/Planning

1. Level of understanding about instructions and concepts (elements and principles of art) used in project.

2. Understanding of successful compositional theories such as the Rule of Thirds and Focal Points.

Craftsmanship/Use of Materials

1. The control, adaptations, and understanding of the chosen medium. 2. Technique understanding. 3. Colored pencils -light pressure, small strokes, and layering create effective results.

Creativity/ Challenge

1. Inventiveness, expression of ideas and imagination portrayed in the construction of project, especially with grid creation.

2. Challenge level of the project. Behavior/Effort

Work ethic; the time dedicated to the project inside and if needed out of class.