Pattern Painting Exercise

Ever since I did that "pattern painting" this summer 

(after learning about if from a Peggi Kroll Roberts DVD)

I have wanted to try it as an exercise for my students.

The idea is to get them to think ONLY about design and composition
and to ignore any light and shadow pattern. 

It's just line and flat shapes arranged to make an

interesting "pattern".  

So for class yesterday, we set up this simple still life

(without a spot light)  

then did quick bold three value sketches first. 

This is key in planning what value to make the "local" color 

when filling in those shapes!

Only two of our gang were able to come yesterday, 

and they were good sports to try this out with me! 

Christine's simple big shapes look so Matisse- Van Gogh -like.

 I love it! 

This was a challenge for Paula 

as she likes to "blend" her strokes. 

She used lots of paint and got this great result! 

This is a totally different approach to painting than the one I teach,

and can be a real brain teaser! 

I think it is a valuable lesson though because 

 it forces you to THINK more ABSTRACTLY 

and for those of us who take things literally,  

that is a GOOD thing! 

Here are a few more I did from photos as experiments: