Chiaroscuro Dramatic High Contrast Portraits What is chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro Dramatic, High Contrast Portraits

What is chiaroscuro? Chiaroscuro is an Italian word, literally meaning “light-dark”. In art the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modeling of the subjects depicted. The technique originates in the Italian Renaissance. Three-dimensional volume is suggested by the gradation of color and the division of light and shadow shapes (often called ‘shading’). Particularly popular during the Mannerism & Baroque periods but still often used today for a highly dramatic composition. Useful for creating a sense of ‘high drama’ in a work of art.

Artist’s using chiaroscuro Caravaggio Rembrandt Van Honthorst De la Tour Rubens Joseph Wright of Derby Film: Stanley Kubrick

Artist’s using self-portrait Rembrandt Cindy Sherman Chuck Close Frida Kahlo Albrecht Durer Van Gogh Rubens

Examples of portraits Mona Lisa Da Vinci

Photograph Artist unknown

Chuck Close Self-portraits

Cindy Sherman Untitled film stills

Rembrandt Self-portraits

Caravaggio Crucifixion of Peter

Judith Beheading Holofernes

David with the Head of Goliath

St. Jerome

La Vocazione di San Matteo

Georges de la Tour Magdalen with the Smoking Flame

Baglione Sacred & Profane Love

Wright of Derby The Orrery

Van Honthorst The Matchmaker

El Greco Allegory, Boy Lighting Candle in Company of Ape and Fool

Stanley Kubrick Film still from Barry Lyndon (many scenes were shot using only candlelight)

High Contrast Self-Portrait For this project, you are to use the technique of chiaroscuro to create a highly dramatic self-portrait. You may work from a photo for this assignment. Use candlelight or any kind of strong and focused light source. Do not use overhead lighting. Point the light source directly at one side of your face so that the other side is cast in dark shadow. Using a room that is also mostly dark will help create more chiaroscuro. It should appear as though part your face is emerging from the dark. Make it dramatic and mysterious!!! If needed, use Photoshop to increase the contrast, but do not rely too heavily on it as it will become too unnatural.

Notes Use white illustration paper or illustration board. Media options: oil pastels, chalk pastels, charcoal acrylics, watercolor, colored pencil DUE: 2 weeks!

References http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chiaroscuro http: //www. google. com. hk/search? hl=en&safe=strict&biw=1 280&bih=604&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=cindy+sherma n&oq=cindy+sherman&aq=f&aqi=g 7 gs 1 g 2&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=3250 l 5969 l 0 l 6641 l 13 l 11 l 0 l 3 l 3 l 0 l 359 l 1827 l 0. 3. 3. 2 l 8 l 0 http: //www. google. com. hk/search? tbm=isch&hl=en&source =hp&biw=1280&bih=604&q=chuck+close&gbv=2&oq=ch uck+close&aq=f&aqi=g 10&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=132 8 l 4094 l 0 l 4235 l 15 l 9 l 0 l 1 l 1 l 0 l 625 l 5 -1 l 1 l 0 http: //www. gis. net/~scatt/self_portraits. html