Learning Objectives

Students will be able to produce a cohesive work of art from a variety of source materials using different types of media. Students will be able to demonstrate competency in how they use their chosen media and in the arrangement of their composition.

Materials

3′ x 4′ masonite or panel board (3/16″ thick)
Your choice of – Colored Pencils, Colored Markers, Colored Inks, Oil and/or Chalk Pastels, Acrylic or Watercolor as a base for other drawing materials, Graphite

Homework

Research Surrealism
Work in Sketchbook

Process

Complete one large drawing (3 x 4 feet minimum) with numerous small studies/preliminary works. This assignment is in many ways about trying to combine (and or collage) as many types of styles, images and sensibilities as possible but in a unified manner that is both complex and unique. These styles, images and sensibilities should come from a variety of cultural, historical and contemporary contexts.

Image sources in the Combination Assignment should include a combinations of all points listed below:
1) representational (realistic) drawing from observation
2) abstraction and mark making
3) pop art styles and advertising
4) graphic design and or illustration drawing styles
5) drafted diagrams and or drawn images of objects, or machines, or architecture
6) drawing that interprets media imagery from television, movies, magazines and the internet (interpretation of lens based mediums such as photography, video, and film)
7) drawing styles and images from art history, or folk art or arts and crafts
8) drawing that present imagery and styles of drawing from non western cultures such as Asian, African, South American or Aboriginal cultures

The purpose of the studies is to assist you in the investigation of this assignment. The studies are not about making something small and then duplicating that small study at a large scale. Instead the studies and the larger work should feed off each other. During the process there should be a back and forth of working between the studies and the large work (especially at the beginning stages of the drawing). Studies may include manipulations of digital photos of the large work taken while in progress.

In general it is strongly recommended that you photograph the work in progress and periodically make some inexpensive prints at home to work on in order to consider all potential directions to develop the work. Experiment and investigate various options thoroughly with the studies and the large work.

Considerations

Avoid having every formal and conceptual component of your drawing pre-planned or “figured out” before you begin. This will eventually suffocate any desire to work, because it is almost impossible to pre-plan every step in the process and get positive results. If you are stuck with no ideas it is best to immediately start drawing with vague ideas and some random organic and geometric shapes such as in some of the examples posted below. Prepare yourself mentally for a process of risk, unexpected direction, layering, reworking, researching, making small preliminary works, applying criticism, and experimentation and you will have a very successful work or series of works.

Resources

John Cage and Leo Steinberg on Art of Robert Rauschenberg
PBS American Masters: Robert Rauschenberg
Ink Jet Image Transfer
YouTube Video on Ink Jet Transfer
Matthew Ritchie
Kojo Griffin
David Salle (contains adult content)
Jeff Koons (contains adult content)