1) Select a color photograph from a magazine that’s at least 7.5 x 10”. Choose an image that can be abstracted into larger shapes, (Avoid images with a lot of small details). Use tracing paper to trace the basic contours of the subjects in the photo. Include shapes that define shadows and plane changes.
2) On 8.5 x 11” Bristol Paper, use removable tape to protect 1/2” borders around the format.
3) Use the graphite paper transfer method to create cartoon of the shapes from your photograph onto the Bristol Paper.
4) Using acrylic paint and brushes, choose a color palette to completely change the emotional character of the original image. Add as much detail from the original image as is necessary to complete the composition to your satisfaction. Think about your brush strokes, their direction and thickness. How do they add to the general feeling of the work. Also, consider how changes in value and saturation change spatial relationships. (Most Expressionist work tends to use stronger colors, driving negative shapes forward and flattening the overall sense of space.)