Value Self-Portrait

Exhibition: In The Moment

Artist: AFA Permanent Collection - Various Artists


Overview

Looking at Black and White photographs is a great way to learn about values.  When colour is removed from a photograph, the monotone values make it much easier to focus on a single element, such as contrast and values of light.  Participants will explore value by creating a self-portrait collage using graduated value paper.


Objectives

  • Learn to distinguish the difference between high value (white) and low value (black)

  • Gain understanding of a simple 4-6 step value scale

  • Observe how light translates to value

  • Develop a representational collage


Materials

Camera

Photo editing software such as Photoshop or Microsoft Word

Plain white printer paper 8.5 x 11”

Transparency or vellum

Tape

Graduated black to white construction paper (pre-bought values or collected and torn out of newspapers or magazines)

Reference value scale 

Scissors

Stick Glue


Instructions:


Step One

Take a head-shot (close up photograph) of each participant.  Using photo editing software discard the colour and create a grayscale image. Next, apply a “Cutout” filter located in your editing softwares filter gallery (Also available in Microsoft Word).  Select the number of value shades, between 4-6. The number of shades you select will be the range of shades of paper you will need for your collage. For younger participants, select fewer shades. 

Scale the portrait to fit the whole page and then print on plain white paper.


Step Two

Gather your black to white collage material; construction paper, newspaper etc and have participants start ripping small pieces and sort in piles according to their value scale.

In The Moment Lesson A_1.jpg

Step Three

Tape the paper portrait on to your work surface, you will be using this as a value guide when creating your collage.  Take a single sheet of Transparency and tape on top of the paper.  Working from your sorted piles of ripped paper, start matching value shades from your portrait.  Glue ripped paper on to the transparency until your portrait is complete and transparency is completely covered with collage material.

In The Moment Lesson A_2.jpg
In The Moment Lesson A_3.jpg
In The Moment Lesson A_4.jpg

Variations

For older participants, using black & white magazines or newspaper will encourage them to extend their value knowledge further as they have to search for the desired values.

Print a value scale that each participant can use as a reference guide while sorting their collage material.  You can print online by Googling “value scale” and include the appropriate steps that correspond with what you have chosen when printing your photograph. Ie. “value scale 5 step”.

Alternatively, you can have them shade their own reference value scale using pencil.

For younger participants, use solid construction paper in desired number of values. Ie. Black, dark grey, light grey, white.

Divide participants in to 4 groups and assign one value per group.  This way they don’t have to do the sorting of all 4 shades. They will rip paper for their assigned shade and once the ripping is complete, the instructor can divide the 4 shades amongst each participant.



Jennifer Demke-Lange