ASAP: Chuck Close Pattern Hand

DISCUSSION: All Student Art Project (ASAP)

what is it?

How does it work

All Student means that every student that takes art class has participated in some way in the final product. Often times in art class the final project is used to generate funding for art supplies, etc.

Other Discussion topics: Pattern, printmaking, warm and cool colors

ARTIST: Chuck Close

Born July 5, 1940, American Artist

He is a painter, photographer, and printmaker. 

Close is a builder who, in his words, builds "painting experiences for the viewer." 

Close is also a master printmaker, who has, over the course of more than 30 years, pushed the boundaries of traditional printmaking in remarkable ways.

Almost all of Close’s work is based on the use of a grid as an underlying basis for the representation of an image. 

This simple but surprisingly versatile structure provides the means for "a creative process that could be interrupted repeatedly without…damaging the final product, in which the segmented structure was never intended to be disguised." 

It is important to note that none of Close's images are created digitally or photo-mechanically. 

All his work is made the old-fashioned way—by hand.

While a painting can occupy Close for many months, it is not unusual for one print to take upward of two years to complete. 

Close has complete respect for, and trust in, the technical processes—and the collaboration with master printers—essential to the creation of his prints. 

The creative process is as important to Close as the finished product. "Process and collaboration" are two words that are essential to any conversation about Close’s prints.
For additional information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Close

PREPARATION: 
Step 1: Pick a hand drawing of one of the students and blow it up on a canvas

Step 2: Draw a grid over the whole canvas numbering the same # of students

PROJECT: 

Step 1: Students should pick their grid piece.

Step 2:Have Chuck Close’s work on hand for students to look at when deciding how to fill in their grid. 

Step 3: First, Draw in the pattern with pencil

Step 4: when the student is ready to paint: Warm Colors should make up the inside of the hand and cool colors should make up the background. 

MATERIALS: 

Canvas

Acrylic paint

This project was completed with students from K-8th grade. I did encourage the little ones to pick grid pieces that were either warm or cool and not both. I saved those for the oldest students to complete.  We sold this piece during our annual art show. It was done as a silent auction. 

2011 example of a chuck close Cheetah done by the students at LDV for the Cheetah Wildlife foundation

this is the same piece in progress