Samples: Assignment: Portfolio Project: Modigliani-esque Painting

Portfolio Project
4.B. Modigliani-esque Painting

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Diyame With Arm Over Head, acrylics, Cea Winter 2008

In this project, you get to play with reality by experimenting with the African art influenced style of Amadeo Modigliani. You will paint yourself or a favorite person as Modigliani might have.

Every portrait that is painted with feeling
is a portrait of the artist, not the sitter.

Oscar Wilde

[Time: 1.5 hrs.]

Materials

Heavy weight painting paper (half of piece)
Pencil
Acrylic paint
Paint brushes

If you have not already investigated Modigliani’s work, take a look at some of his famous portraits: http://www.espo-modigliani.net/1.cfm or google “Modigliani, paintings”

These are not realistic representations of the people whose portraits he painted. He uses some elements inspired by African art. Can you recognize these elements? [Hint: compare his portrait, “Jeanne seated in chair” or “Jeanne with her left arm raised” with the woman in, “Sketch of Wood & Shell African Carving,” (below).] If you cannot find “Jeanne”, compare “Diyame” with the woman in “Sketch of Wood & Shell African Carving” below.

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What are 3 things you notice they have in common? (Type this into the edit box below.)

1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________

Draw: Draw a portrait (head to ribs) of yourself or someone you know in this sort of elongated simplified style. [The eyes become almond shaped, the nose longer (features exaggerated). The neck is elongated and the shoulders slope down.]

Add color: Modigliani used fairly simple flat swathes of color for the clothing and background. There seems to be a thin dark outline to mark the edges of the features. Add any other details you have noticed, from his paintings, to make this painting more Modigliani-esque. Notice he uses subdued rather than bright colors.

Here’s a chance to play. His style is not only more curious than realistic painting, it can be easier too. Since his work is characterized by simple line drawings, you can relax after creating your stylized outline. Allow yourself to be absorbed by (enjoy) painting each color inside the lines. The more fun you have, the better it will probably look.

Submitting Your Work

To submit your painting, save an image of your painting on your computer. (Remember to compress your file to less than 100KB.) Then in the Draft submission section below click

. A browse window will open up. Find the file you saved and click

.

Enter your 3 answers to the question above in the Notes section. Click

at the bottom of the page to open the edit box . Type your response in the edit box and click

when you’re done. (Remember to put the title of the assignment at the top of the page.)

Once both your painting and 3 answers are uploaded and entered, click the

button.

Evaluation Criteria:

Must see:

Question answered: “What 3 things do they have in common?”
Painting

Student:

Identifies 3 things in common between the African Carved Woman and Modigliani’s style	/ 3
Sketches & explores own most essential characteristics	/ 7
Sketches reflecting Modigliani’s style (almond eyes, (exaggerated features) longer nose, elongated neck & sloping shoulders	/ 5
Successfully uses emphasis or exaggeration of features to express their importance in the painting	/ 8
Chooses colors to create a thoughtful subdued mood as Modigliani’s palette does	/ 7

Total: / 30

Available from:	Monday, 15 December 2008, 09:35 PM
Due date:	Tuesday, 22 December 2020, 09:35 PM

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