Class Fourteen

Study of Colored Object for Project 3

Project 3 will be a still-life project that will be rendered in pencil with 1 colored object which will be rendered with watercolor. The colored object will be the point of focus within the composition because it will be set against a monochrome setting. This project is a way to study and experiment with 19th Century Poster techniques that were originally rendered through a printmaking process. Today’s lesson focuses exclusively on the object that we wish to render in watercolor. It will give us an opportunity to practice and to make good color choices. When we work on Project 3, we will use this study to help us render again, the colored object in its new setting.

In this exercise, I want you to choose something from your cupboard that has a brightly colored label such as hot sauce, Mexican beans, Italian sauce, mustard etc. Look for something that has a distinct triad of color like yellow, orange, green or red, blue, green. I would like you to look at that object through the lens of 3 main colors- this is what painter’s call an Analogy.

Materials

  • Hot sauce, or can of Mexican food or Goya product, Italian, Chinese or Latino food. I am looking for a colorful and interesting design on a label. A jar of mustard might work because we can see the yellow mustard inside the jar and there is usually a red accent to the label design.
  • Multi-media Pad
  • Pencil set, HB pencil
  • Gum eraser/or white eraser
  • Watercolor set
  • #8 Brush (that is with the kit)
  • Water in container
  • Paper towels

Assignment

  • In this assignment, you will create a color study of the point of focus in your composition. All other elements in the composition will be in monochrome.
  • Place your jar/can on your table. Make sure it is lit well with partial shadow and cast shadow. Include the cast shadow in the design.
  • Render the jar lightly in HB pencil. This is the time to make sure you know how to construct your object i.e. ellipses and symmetrical curves.
  • Next, focus on rendering the color that you have in front of you. Choose 3 colors that are the most important in your can/jar.
  • Use these colors to render the object. Remember, if you choose a complementary pair and one other color, you should be able to get the greys and neutrals with this combination.

Upload 2 things: The watercolor of the colored object and a photo of this object.

Due: M/W Wednesday, March 10 before 11:59 AM.

T/TH Thursday, March 11 before 11:59 AM.

Secondly, Please watch the Video/questions, “Color”. Due: M/W Monday, March 15 before 11:59 AM. T/TH Tuesday, March 16 before 11:59 AM.

Begin with a simple sketch of your object. Here is a mustard jar. It is a cylinder and I follow the rules for constructing a cylinder- you need symmetry left to right: use a center line to get each side accurate and symmetrical. I used horizontal lines to align certain points on each side. Drawing the top ellipse: an ellipse can be inscribed in a rectangle. Make each quadrant symmetrical to its opposite side. The label follows a cross contour lines. Make the label simple- do not overwork it. You will need the color design and a couple of letters.
I used the complements of Yellow and Purple with the added color of Red to complete the triad. Every combination in the painting of this image is derived from these 3 colors. I did not add any other colors. The brown is made from mixing Yellow and Purple together. If your label has 4 major colors, first choose the triad that is closest and then add the 4th color. Do not create any mixes with the 4th color- stick to the major triad.