Creating a Posterized Print Easily

Want to make a cool and different picture/portrait painting like I've been making but don't know how to start? Here is a tutorial to get you started.

Just click on the picture below to start the slideshow on how to make a posterized picture using picmonkey a free online photo editing site.

How to create a posterized picture by emilymclemore

Once you have created your picture, you are moments from creating your painting!

How to paint a portrait in an afternoon by emilymclemore

Making a colored pencil "old master"

I love the look of the Old Master's painting. I really like Jean-Batpiste-Simeon Chardin's works.

http://www.jean-baptiste-simeon-chardin.org/

 

 

And as much as I would love to have student's work in oils, there is not enough time or money to devote to oil painting.. at least not for Art 1 and 2 students. So, after seeing a process last year at art teacher convention that used India ink and Lyra pencils, I have created my own, "Old Masters" lesson using lower cost supplies and addresses multiple art standards. It has become a keeper lesson!

 

The first thing I have students do is draw a still life from observation. This is done on just normal paper that you would do a colored pencil drawing. You can use the good stuff or just tag board. This takes a while. They must color the drawing in its entirety and need to have at least 10 layers of pencil wax. I like using a number of colors on each item as well. While the bottle is green, it has many shades of green, blue, purple, yellow and white in it. This is the easiest way to build up layers of wax, by building up layers of color.

 

 

Once the drawing is complete. TAKE A PICTURE OF IT. Or scan it. Because it won't look like this again! And if the student's haven't used enough layers of pencil, the piece is going to be ruined in the next step!

Take India ink and some cotton or gauze and rub ink over the BACK of the drawing. Completely coat the paper.

 

It should look like this.

 

 Flip the paper over and now coat the front. Yes, you are covering up your drawing!

 

 Now take a clean piece of gauze/cotton and rub off the ink.

Once you have rubbed off all the ink you want off, go back in with colored pencils or wax crayons or oil pastels and add color back in areas of the drawing.

 

These are the supplies that I used.

 

Here is a close up of the finished piece.



 

And there you have it. My "old master" colored pencil still life!

 

Want to make one for yourself or have your class do this project? Click on the image below to take you to my Snapguide! This let's you view the in depth tutorial on your smartphone, ipad or computer! (I've even included a couple of video segments!)

http://snapguide.com/guides/create-an-old-master-mixed-media-drawing/?_exp=02&utm_expid=69945963-37&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fsnapguide.com%2F%3F_exp%3D02

 

Enjoy!



Posterized 3 tone Watercolor Tutorial

I'm always on the lookout for new or different projects to add to my art 1 curriculum. Recently I came across a nice watercolor project that uses 2 tones, but I wanted my project to be a little different. I see lots of 2 tone projects.

So taking what I like from the 2 tone "posterized" project and ramping it up a little, here is the 3 tone project that my students will be working on after they finish their packing tape sculptures!!

Personally, I love how this came out! And it was SUPER easy!! Like 30 minutes from start to finish!! (It will take longer for students I realize, but it will still be a fast and easy project for them!)

Step one: Find a photo that you want to play with.

 Step 2: Using photoshop or a free site like picmonkey, posterize your photo to 3 layers.

 Step 3: Print it out. And either free hand the drawing onto your watercolor paper or trace it using a carbon or light box or just rub graphite on the back and trace it onto the page.

 Step 4: I am using watercolor pencils for this project as I wanted something easy. I have lots and lots of cheap watercolor pencils that my students can use to play. I like using watercolor pencils at this point in the year as they are feeling confident with the colored pencils by now, but watercolors still seem scary. This is a nice bridge project.

 Step 5: Once you have the two basic areas completed, go back over the lines with a darker colored pencil. I used purple for this.

Step 6: Using a TINY amount of water and a preferably decent brush, paint on the water and your pencil becomes watercolor. I love watercolor pencils!!

And that's it. Thirty minutes from start to finish. Enjoy.

An Interactive Color Wheel

The Virtual Instructor is a website that I love and use in my classroom a lot. 

Here is the interactive color wheel!  Click on the above image to take you to his website.

And while you are there, check out his art lessons as well.  They are free!!

Enjoy.