Intro to Painting
Assignment 2
Monochromatic Still Life
Student examples
Monochromatic color schemes are derived from a single base hue and extended using its shades, tones and tints. Tints are achieved by adding white and shades and tones are achieved by adding a darker color, gray or black. Monochromatic color schemes provide opportunities in art and visual communications design as they allow for a greater range of contrasting tones that can be used to attract attention, create focus and support legibility. The use of a monochromatic color provides a strong sense of visual cohesion and can help support communication objectives through the use of connotative color.
Monochromatic scale examples

Image 1 Create a value scales using 9 values of one color. Use the value scale from assignment 1 as a model. The size of the scale should be 1” x 9”. See examples below. Please use water color paper for the value scale and glue it in your sketch book.
Red monochromatic
Example 1
Black with no color
Blue monochromatic
Example 2
White with no color
Black with no color
Tint -A color with white Shade -A color with black
White with no color
Image 2 Create a blending strip (soft edges).
The size of the strip should be
3” x 5”.
See example below.
Please use water color paper for the blending strip and glue it in sketch book.
Hard edges before softening transitions Blending strip with soft edges

Image 3 Still Life
Create a painting with two to three inanimate objects and incorporate monochromatic opaque color with flat and/or painterly brush strokes.
Materials: acrylic paint (black, white and one color), 16” x 20” canvas board, paint brushes (hog hair), vine charcoal, spray fixative
Things to think about:
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Consider the negative space around the objects (flat color, painterly color, texture, interesting shapes)
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How many objects will you include in your painting?
How close or how far will the objects be to the edge of the painting?
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How will you use, horizontal, vertical and diagonal directional lines, edges and or shapes?
For your sketch book: a. Create two pencil studies before you start painting.
Is it necessary to plan a painting in thorough detail before you start, or should you let it develop as you go along?
Planning a painting can be a help as you know exactly what you're going to do, but it could also inhibit spontaneity.
Letting a painting evolve as you work is very free and lets you be spontaneous, but also leaves you open to the possibility that the painting won't go anywhere and you'll end up with a mess.
Ultimately the degree to which you plan out a painting depends on your personality; some people find it essential and others a hindrance. But regardless of how detailed you like to plan (or not), there are numerous decisions that have to be made before you to start to paint. b. Take a color
4” x 6”
digital image of the final painting and place into the sketch book. The digital image of your painting can be made at the Regis copy center. Make sure your digital image is in focus, squared off and color and value are comparable to original painting. c. Describe your painting in a typed paragraph and place into your sketch book. You will make observations about what you see. You have to be objective. For this part please make no inferences or express opinions. You are going to create a list of what you see. List only the facts about the artwork and write a paragraph base on this list:
Subject matter : still life, inanimate objects
Medium: acrylic, charcoal or mixed media
Style: hard edge, realistic, stylize, abstracted/simplified
Technique: opaque, painterly, flat color, combination, etc. d. Analyze your painting in a typed paragraph and place into your sketch book. How do you compose or design
(organize) your painting? This is where your knowledge of the elements of design and the principles of design play an important role. The combinations of these, elements and principles help the artist create the mood of the work or express a particular point of view or message. Base this paragraph on this list:
Design elements: line, shape, value, color, size, direction, texture, focal point
Design Principles: repetition and rhythm, dominance and subordination, unity and variety, contrast, balance, emphasis, scale and proportion
Student examples: