Project #3
Hand-Colored Blind Contour Portraits:

Overview: Create a digital portrait from an analog blind contour sketch. Consider the following visual elements in your overall design: line, movement, space, color, tone, scale, contrast, color and mood. You must keep some of the lines from the original drawing visible in this project.  You can add additional imagery, texture and drawings.

PART 1: Create the blind contour drawing
1) Using a pen, sketch a portrait of your partner WITHOUT EVER LOOKING AT THE DRAWING SURFACE and WITHOUT STOPPING THE MOVEMENT OF YOUR PEN.

You will probably want to do three or more drawings and then select the most interesting one to scan into the computer.

In your journal, research 5 artist’s portraits that you find interesting. Write a small paragraph on each portrait and discuss your choices. How does this research influence your portrait or relate to your contour drawings?  Include a printed or scanned image with each paragraph.

PART 2: Digitizing the drawing.
A) Scan your drawing (color mode) into the computer as demonstrated in class. Make sure you are scanning at 300 dpi (dots per inch) and in color mode. Make your images 11x15 inches (rectangular format) or 11x11 inches (square format). Make sure you save one copy of the original scan. (name the file something like yourname_original.psd).

Once your scan is visible in Photoshop window, go to Image, then Adjust, and select Levels. Play with the sliders in the histogram to create varying amounts of black and white pixels in your scan. Utilize layers in creating your portrait in order to be able to edit later.

DUE: 10-07

PART 3: Hand-painting the portrait (CMYK Mode)
Use any combination of tools, imagery and filters to hand color the portrait. You may add additional imagery. If you scan imagery, you need to scan at 300 dpi at the size you need it be within a 11x15 or 11x11 document. You should not have to scale the image in Photoshop. I will review this in class. DO NOT use imagery from the web. It is not high enough resolution.

1. Create a feeling or emotion in the portrait itself using existing line and invented color, movement, etc.
2. Try to capture something interesting about your partner’s face, personality, mood or style.
3. The original contour drawing must be present in portrait.  It is up to you how much it shows through. 
4. Title your portrait
5. Be prepared to discuss your process and choices behind your portrait.

In Progress Critique: 10-14

DUE: 10-19

Grading Criteria:
Research, Creativity and Process
Visual complexity and sophistication
Overall coherence and communication of idea
Conceptual Development
Technical ability

Examples: