Name Abstraction in Complementary Colors

 

This is my example for the 2nd project for the summer watermedia class at Riverside Arts Center in Wapakoneta, Ohio.  The lesson is to use the letters of your name, first or last, to create a linear design by overlapping the letters and varying the sizes from large to small.  I had the students due a series of thumbnails first selecting the best for the project.  Then, using a charcoal pencil, they enlarged the design on a  1/4 sheet of  140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper.  After deciding on a complementary color design, they painted the areas with acrylic paint, balancing the colors and values.  They were encouraged to mix the colors, shading with the complementary.  After painting, the shapes were outlined in stick charcoal, and smoothed with Q-tips, and then the composition was sprayed with a fixative spray.  My complementary color scheme was purples and yellows, and of course, my name is Barbara.