"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Tangled Bottles ( An Art Lesson for You!)

I designed this combination watercolor and zentangle project as a lesson for the class I am teaching at the Riverside Arts Center. The students are to overlap bottles creating an abstract composition. Using analagous colors (I used variations of blues), they will start at the right side and paint the first whole shape - in this case the tall sky blue bottle. Then they skip a shape (the wine glass) and paint in the next shape (the jug shape). Then they would skip the turquoise bottle shape and paint in the round bottle. They should try to shade with the watercolors, making the bottles appear round.

They should then dry the bottles with a hair dryer, and paint the remaining shapes, making two of them in a contrasting color (the red-violet.) They will be overlapping the original bottles where the shapes overlap - taking care to lightly lay in the watercolor so as to not disturb the original paint underneath.
Now, with a thin black marker, they will fill in shapes with "tangles," but not bottle shapes, but the shapes that have been created by overlapping the bottles, using a different "tangle" design for every shape. I have a source sheet of designs I have compiled, but they may design their own (preferred!) Some shapes should be left empty for contrast. I also added some black shadow-like abstract shapes around the edges to complete the composition.

I used another sheet of the Rivas BFK printmaking paper which is smooth and perfect for the ink designs. The watercolor goes on it nicely, also.

10 comments:

Autumn Leaves said...

Interesting exercise, Barb. What do they learn with this process, if you don't mind my asking? I sure like the way it all came out!

Watercolors by Susan Roper said...

I have so many zentangle friends here in my community art club, it is like an addiction! This is wonderfully done and very interesting. I will forward it to their leader, who I am sure will be interested.

Margaret Ann said...

Susan sent me...and I came running right over...what a delightful projuct...Love the contemporary/abstract feel to this. I must give it a go one of these days...Can't wait to see the results! Thanks so much for sharing...:)

Ginny Stiles said...

Crazy delighted to see this interesting Zentangle!
I've been tangling for about 5 months now and it IS addictive. http://ginnystiles.blogspot.com

Christiane Kingsley said...

Oh, this will have to go on my "to try" list:-) I love the results.

Barb Sailor said...

Sherry - in my opinion, the most important thing that they learn is that your can take simple objects/shapes and overlap them to create shapes, ultimately creating an abstract composition. This is also a lesson in color...recognition of warm and
cool colors and finially - the icing on the cake- the Zentangles, which are really a lesson all itself.

Barb Sailor said...

Susan - I am glad you like it enough to send your friends to look at it. My friend, Ginny Stiles, says it is Zentangle inspired Art. It is addicting. We haven't done this yet in my class - that comes next week. I also "stole" an idea from Ginny for a Zentangle Inspired Art project which I will probably post tomorrow. Thanks for allowing me to use it, Ginny! Thanks, Susan, for your comment.

Barb Sailor said...

Margaret Ann - thanks so much for your wonderful comments - I hope you enjoy your experience with this project...it is nice to have your visit to my blog and hope you come back!

Barb Sailor said...

Ginny - thanks for your comment and thanks for being so generous with your help in the project which is coming up tomorrow. I had my class do a version of your watering can project and I will post the 2 I did tomorrow and the student's projects next Monday or Tuesday. Their work was amazing - much better then mine as you all will see. I just love the Zentangles!

Barb Sailor said...

Christiane - You will LOVE doing this project - it is sooooo fun! Have fun!