AP PhotographySelf Portrait

TriptychWeekend shooting assignment

A triptych is a work of art that is divided into three sections. It arises from Christian Art and was a popular format for alter paintings in the

Middle Ages and beyond.

The Annunciation Triptych, Altarpiece, ca. 1425 Robert Campin and Assistant (South Netherlandish [Tournai], active by 1406, died 1444) South Netherlandish; Made in Tournai The Cloisters Collection, 1956 (56.70)

Your Assignment is to make a Self Portrait Triptych.Here are the project criteria:

•The image files you will work with are due on Tuesday, Sept. 4. •The images must be in some way about you.•You must explain how the images are about you to the class. •The number of images you shoot is up to you. In the end you will only use three of them for your triptych, but you might want more so that you can see what works together.•You will have the four days next week to construct the triptych with the images you have taken over the weekend. •You will also be working on your summer homework presentation next week. •You will put the self-portrait triptych at the end of your summer homework presentation.These two projects must be presented to the class on Sept 10-12.

2-D Design Goals: Unity, Variety, Dominance & Balance•The three images will be viewed together

and must have a sense of UNITY, or look as if they go together and relate to one another. •There should also be VARIETY, so that there are some surprises in the composition or things that are different--don’t want things to get too monotonous.•There should be a DOMINANT area of the triptych, that is an area that stands out.•And when viewed as a whole, the three images should have a sense of BALANCE. The Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

Like in your first assignment, I want you to strive to be original and fresh. I

encourage exploration and artistic risk-taking.

Let’s look at some triptychs and how they achieve unity, variety, dominance and

balance.

Unity: The piece looks like to goes together.

Some things that help unify a piece are: repetition, overlapping, continuity

Variety: The piece has some surprises, some things that are different, so it has

some life and does not get too monotonous.

Some things that help add variety to a piece are:

changes in size, shape, tone, color, placement, direction and scale

Dominance: One Part of the piece stands out and seems more

important

Some things that help make a dominant part are: placement within the frame, size,

visual weight, color or tone, difference compared with the whole and subject

matter.

Balance: The visual weight appears evenly distributed. There are two basic kinds of balance, symmetrical & asymmetrical.

Text

Symmetrical balance is when one side is a mirror image of the other, so the visual weight on one side obviously balances the visual weight on the

other side. Symmetrical balance is more predictable and suggesting stability and security.

Asymmetrical balance is when one side is different than the other, but the

apparent visual weight still appears balanced. Asymmetrical balance is

more active and exciting suggesting movement.

Let’s analyze this image based on our criteria.

•What unifies this image?

•What adds variety?

•Which area is dominant? Why?

•Does the image have a feeling of visual balance? •What kind of

balance?•How does it achieve that

balance?

Resources to learn more about the Principles of 2D Design:

http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/http://www.johnlovett.com/test.htm

Books:Principles of 2D Design by Wucius Wong

Launching the Imagination by Mary Stewart Websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elements_and_principles

http://www.educ.kent.edu/community/vlo/design/principles/index.html