Altered Ego Self Portraits

Started this project in 1997 while teaching in Los Angeles.  Most restaurants, dry cleaners and small businesses had sign head shots of the stars.  This was always a hit with my students and remains so today!

The lesson plan...

Create an alter ego.  Shoot a portrait of this home made super star you ego maniac.   This character needs to be connected to pop culture(sports personality, movie star, politician, book antagonist/protagonist, musician, etc.) or your dream career.

The magical number for DPI/PPI in image size is 177.   Photoshop automatically sets pictures at 72  ppi, be aware and cognizant of that.

Two projects are due by _________________

1.  Famous Person/Pop Culture Star

a.  Shoot the portrait. 

b.  Get rid of the background.  

c.  Turn it black and white. 

d.  Save as a different name, and as a jpeg, with BW in the name

( e.g.  eddiejoeBW.jpeg)

e.   Print it and sign with both your signature and a phrase or quote of your making.

            f.  Hang it in place of your name drawing on the wall.

The examples...

Working impasto with Drawing/Painting 3



We used Troy Stith, a Columbus Artist whose work I admire, as our key artist.

http://troystith.com/a-study-of-presence-#/id/i9344622

The project was to find photo versions of great hair.   Draw and then paint them.  Then apply thick layers of paint, focusing on some facial features but mostly with color application in thick applications.  Finally, to add washes to finish the work.  We focused on knife and brush application.

Computer art drawing project and examples

YOu are creating two different contour drawings on photoshop....

I have created step by step photo instructions below.

Take a picture.  Open in in photoshop.  Add another layer over it.    Using the paint brush and a small brush, copy over every edge line you can see.  Real edges and shadow shapes.  Follow every river , stream, valley, hill, mountain, highlight, shadow, plateau etc.  Every smidgen of detail..  Keep the line as continous as possible, like a topographic map.  Then  start to fill the shapes using the bucket tool.  Also, Add lines, shapes, gradients, to create  a bright, eclectic work.