Day One: (Tuesday) Introduction to Kehinde Wiley and his work/
Questions on Google Classroom
setting up portrait: start grid process
First: Read about the artist and watch video on KW. At the end, answer the questions on GC.
About the artist:
Kehinde Wiley is a contemporary African-American painter, best known for his realistic images of African-Americans, many posed like historic images of kings or other people of privilege and power. Sometimes his portraits feature famous people such as President Obama, but other times he uses models of strangers he meets on city streets from around the globe. Growing up in a challenging neighborhood in LA in the 1980’s, Kehinde developed an interest in art from a young age. He went on to get a MFA degree in Art from prestigious Yale University.
“In 2015 Wiley was the recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts. Two years later former president Barack Obama selected Wiley to paint his official portrait for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The painting revealed a mixture of convention and invention when it was unveiled in 2018. Obama, wearing a traditional black suit, sits forward on a mahogany chair with a determined expression on his face and his elbows on his knees. The figure is set against a riotous pattern, but, unlike Wiley’s other portraits, the motif is more subdued with leafy greens and flowers symbolizing Kenya, Hawaii, and Chicago. The portrait was the first representation of an African American and first painting by an African American in the presidential portrait collection.” (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
Questions on Google Classroom
setting up portrait: start grid process
First: Read about the artist and watch video on KW. At the end, answer the questions on GC.
About the artist:
Kehinde Wiley is a contemporary African-American painter, best known for his realistic images of African-Americans, many posed like historic images of kings or other people of privilege and power. Sometimes his portraits feature famous people such as President Obama, but other times he uses models of strangers he meets on city streets from around the globe. Growing up in a challenging neighborhood in LA in the 1980’s, Kehinde developed an interest in art from a young age. He went on to get a MFA degree in Art from prestigious Yale University.
“In 2015 Wiley was the recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts. Two years later former president Barack Obama selected Wiley to paint his official portrait for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The painting revealed a mixture of convention and invention when it was unveiled in 2018. Obama, wearing a traditional black suit, sits forward on a mahogany chair with a determined expression on his face and his elbows on his knees. The figure is set against a riotous pattern, but, unlike Wiley’s other portraits, the motif is more subdued with leafy greens and flowers symbolizing Kenya, Hawaii, and Chicago. The portrait was the first representation of an African American and first painting by an African American in the presidential portrait collection.” (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
Wiley often appropriates, or re-uses, recognizable art history images and tropes, such as portraits of Napoleon, or heroic sea paintings. He does this as a way to critique art historical norms.
Wiley made a name for himself for his naturalistic, brightly colored portraits of young black men, often with dramatic flowery backgrounds. With black masculinity often framed as synonymous with fear and violence in the USA, his generous and vibrant portraits challenge viewers' preconceptions of their subjects and bring young men, and people, of color into the galleries and museums they are so woefully underrepresented in.
-source: www.theartstory.org/artist/wiley-kehinde/
Wiley made a name for himself for his naturalistic, brightly colored portraits of young black men, often with dramatic flowery backgrounds. With black masculinity often framed as synonymous with fear and violence in the USA, his generous and vibrant portraits challenge viewers' preconceptions of their subjects and bring young men, and people, of color into the galleries and museums they are so woefully underrepresented in.
-source: www.theartstory.org/artist/wiley-kehinde/
Kehinde Wiley's Obama Portrait
Kehinde Wiley was the first African-American artist commissioned to paint an official presidential portrait. He painted the first African-American president of the United States. In fact, there were many firsts about Wiley's portrait of Barack Obama. To appreciate this, let's first look at the legacy of presidential portraits that go all the way back to the country's founding father, President George Washington.
Scroll through past presidential portraits by clicking here
Notice the colors used in each of the presidential portraits. Do you notice similar colors in all of them? How do their expressions and positioning make you feel about them? In most of the paintings, there are objects that create symbolism. It might be a book or a flag, or a background landscape.
Now, look at the picture of Barack Obama. What is the difference? Why do you think Kehinde Wiley painted him this way?
Now, look at the picture of Barack Obama. What is the difference? Why do you think Kehinde Wiley painted him this way?
CHOOSING YOUR PORTRAIT/painting
You should have already emailed me a portrait of you. Make sure it is a CLEAR and up close portrait. (NO FILTERS)
I will take this photo, and in photoshop, use a tool called "posterize" and will make your picture into shapes.
You will take this photo, printed to an 8x10, and enlarge it to a 16x20 by using the grid process.
1. Draw your grid boxes on your printed paper and your drawing paper. (1" squares, 2"squares)
2. Use a marker to outline the lines as you draw. (example: mark the "outline" of you. after that is drawn, work on another set of lines.)
3. you are only gridding YOU- not the background.
choose your color. The photo of you will be painted in a MONOCHROMATIC color scheme. (this means: one color) Think about what you want in your background and think of a contrasting color or vice versa.
Once you have a color choice, in your sketchbook create a value scale of that color using the hue, white, and black. You will need at least five colors, underneath the boxes, number them in order.
Look at your printed picture, and number the values in order from lightest to darkest on your grid. (DRAW LIGHTLY)
Paint in order!
I will take this photo, and in photoshop, use a tool called "posterize" and will make your picture into shapes.
You will take this photo, printed to an 8x10, and enlarge it to a 16x20 by using the grid process.
1. Draw your grid boxes on your printed paper and your drawing paper. (1" squares, 2"squares)
2. Use a marker to outline the lines as you draw. (example: mark the "outline" of you. after that is drawn, work on another set of lines.)
3. you are only gridding YOU- not the background.
choose your color. The photo of you will be painted in a MONOCHROMATIC color scheme. (this means: one color) Think about what you want in your background and think of a contrasting color or vice versa.
Once you have a color choice, in your sketchbook create a value scale of that color using the hue, white, and black. You will need at least five colors, underneath the boxes, number them in order.
Look at your printed picture, and number the values in order from lightest to darkest on your grid. (DRAW LIGHTLY)
Paint in order!
background
Reflecting back on KW, his backgrounds were vibrant, colorful, and were often in a pattern with symbolism. You are to create a "motif" that will repeat in your background.
In your sketchbook, draw out three designs that could be repeated as a motif.
Choose the best one and draw it on an index card.
Use the index card and the light-box to trace this motif in the background.
Once you have your background drawn, practice using brush markers.
watch the video below on how to use brush markers:
In your sketchbook, draw out three designs that could be repeated as a motif.
Choose the best one and draw it on an index card.
Use the index card and the light-box to trace this motif in the background.
Once you have your background drawn, practice using brush markers.
watch the video below on how to use brush markers:
Finishing up
Once you have completed your project- look through the following rubric to make sure you have everything
portrait: monochrome color scheme (20)
background: motif with symbolism(25)
craftsmanship: (10)
originality: (20)
time management: (10)
care of materials: (15)
KW reflection (beginning)
Project reflection (end)
Sketchbook: value scale, motif (3), prompt
portrait: monochrome color scheme (20)
background: motif with symbolism(25)
craftsmanship: (10)
originality: (20)
time management: (10)
care of materials: (15)
KW reflection (beginning)
Project reflection (end)
Sketchbook: value scale, motif (3), prompt