Image © Aaron Blum
TMI PHOTOGRAPHY II
Project 2: COLOR
GOAL: For this project, you will make photographs that utilize 3 different color schemes. This project is divided into 2 parts: Still Life and Portrait.
For a quick lesson on COLOR, go HERE.
For a quick lesson on COLOR, go HERE.
Color Schemes to Be Used:
Monochromatic — Contains a variety of lights and darks of the same hue
Analogous — Uses all three analogous colors in one photograph
Complimentary — Uses two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel
https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/ - AWESOME website to research color relationships.
You will make STILL LIFES and PORTRAITS using each of these color schemes.
Traditionally in Art History, Still Life paintings showed an arrangement of objects with symbolic meaning, dramatic and beautiful lighting (usually window light or other diffused light from one direction), and a dark and shadowed background or wall. Still lifes were intended to display status (for instance, expensive linens and perishable items such as fruits and cheese were seen as luxury items only owned by the wealthy and elite). Still lifes were also intended to inspire contemplation on the transience of life (for instance, skulls and dead animals were often displayed as reminders that we are all meant to die, and flowers bloom but then wilt). Still life images are poetic, simple, and packed with meaning and symbolism.
Monochromatic — Contains a variety of lights and darks of the same hue
Analogous — Uses all three analogous colors in one photograph
Complimentary — Uses two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel
https://color.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/ - AWESOME website to research color relationships.
You will make STILL LIFES and PORTRAITS using each of these color schemes.
Traditionally in Art History, Still Life paintings showed an arrangement of objects with symbolic meaning, dramatic and beautiful lighting (usually window light or other diffused light from one direction), and a dark and shadowed background or wall. Still lifes were intended to display status (for instance, expensive linens and perishable items such as fruits and cheese were seen as luxury items only owned by the wealthy and elite). Still lifes were also intended to inspire contemplation on the transience of life (for instance, skulls and dead animals were often displayed as reminders that we are all meant to die, and flowers bloom but then wilt). Still life images are poetic, simple, and packed with meaning and symbolism.
Project 5A: Colored Still Lifes
You will arrange and shoot your own still life images: Some using a monochromatic color scheme, some using an analogous color scheme, and some using a complementary color scheme. These are not just photographs of objects, rather, they are photographs of objects that are arranged by you on a surface and in relation to each other. For instance, do not simply shoot an image of a flower. You must take the flower, arrange it among other objects or fabrics that enhance the symbolic meaning of the flower, and set up a space and surface with directional lighting (window light is your friend!).
Your still life images do not have to conform to the traditional still life ideals: you are not required to use fruit, flowers, food, etc. What would a contemporary still life look like? What objects could you include? See below for examples.
DUE: Monday, October 19th
250 images using each of still life using the the three color schemes described above—one monochromatic, one analogous, one complimentary. Create a contact sheet and label it lastname_firstname_color_still_life_cs. Upload to Google Drive under your Project 2 folder.
DUE: Friday, November 6th
3 final still life images — turned in as PSDs through Google Drive. Label them as such:
You will arrange and shoot your own still life images: Some using a monochromatic color scheme, some using an analogous color scheme, and some using a complementary color scheme. These are not just photographs of objects, rather, they are photographs of objects that are arranged by you on a surface and in relation to each other. For instance, do not simply shoot an image of a flower. You must take the flower, arrange it among other objects or fabrics that enhance the symbolic meaning of the flower, and set up a space and surface with directional lighting (window light is your friend!).
Your still life images do not have to conform to the traditional still life ideals: you are not required to use fruit, flowers, food, etc. What would a contemporary still life look like? What objects could you include? See below for examples.
DUE: Monday, October 19th
250 images using each of still life using the the three color schemes described above—one monochromatic, one analogous, one complimentary. Create a contact sheet and label it lastname_firstname_color_still_life_cs. Upload to Google Drive under your Project 2 folder.
DUE: Friday, November 6th
3 final still life images — turned in as PSDs through Google Drive. Label them as such:
- lastname_firstname_color_still_life_complementary
- lastname_firstname_color_still_life_analogous
- lastname_firstname_color_still_life_monochromatic
Project 5B: Colored Portraits:
You will make portraits using and emphasizing color as a main story-telling element. Remember the goal of the portrait -- to portray a person's essence, their humanity, a truth and authenticity about who they are. These are not photojournalistic types of portraits— the subject must be aware of you photographing them, and they are meant to be created by you, not just observed.
This means you will need to spend time and focus setting up your shots, paying extra attention to how color will enhance your portrait. For many of these, you will need to set up a background of color, or find an environment with the correct color, in order to match the colors you will be using (see examples below). Pay attention to your lighting, composition, and focus.
DUE: Monday, October 26th
300 images using each of the three color schemes described above—one monochromatic, one analogous, one complimentary. Create a contact sheet and label it lastname_firstname_color_portrait_cs. Upload to Google Drive under your Project 2 folder.
DUE: Friday, November 6th
3 final portraits — turned in as PSD through Google Drive. Label them as such:
Final critique will be on Friday, 11/6/2020. Be sure to budget yourself enough time to print your work. On that day, you will turn in:
DUE: 6 Prints and digital files turned into your Project 2 folder on Google Drive
You will make portraits using and emphasizing color as a main story-telling element. Remember the goal of the portrait -- to portray a person's essence, their humanity, a truth and authenticity about who they are. These are not photojournalistic types of portraits— the subject must be aware of you photographing them, and they are meant to be created by you, not just observed.
This means you will need to spend time and focus setting up your shots, paying extra attention to how color will enhance your portrait. For many of these, you will need to set up a background of color, or find an environment with the correct color, in order to match the colors you will be using (see examples below). Pay attention to your lighting, composition, and focus.
DUE: Monday, October 26th
300 images using each of the three color schemes described above—one monochromatic, one analogous, one complimentary. Create a contact sheet and label it lastname_firstname_color_portrait_cs. Upload to Google Drive under your Project 2 folder.
DUE: Friday, November 6th
3 final portraits — turned in as PSD through Google Drive. Label them as such:
- lastname_firstname_color_portrait_complementary
- lastname_firstname_color_portrait_analogous
- lastname_firstname_color_portrait_monochromatic
Final critique will be on Friday, 11/6/2020. Be sure to budget yourself enough time to print your work. On that day, you will turn in:
DUE: 6 Prints and digital files turned into your Project 2 folder on Google Drive
- 3 colored still lifes, each using the complementary, analogous, and monochromatic color schemes
- 3 colored portraits, each using the complementary, analogous, and monochromatic color schemes
See below for more examples of artists who use color in an interesting way.