GENERAL INFORMATION 

This page provides information about the mid-term and final projects for Painting II students at Cumberland County College.

MID-TERM PROJECT

Due: Week 7

General Description: Complete a symbolic self-portrait painting and related essay as described below.

The Painting:

• Complete an approximately 18" X 24" or larger painting.
• The subject is to be a self-portrait in which there is no image of you. Instead, choose subject matter that represents you.
• Some of the devices you may use include graphic symbols, depiction of objects or environments, incorporation of actual physical objects into the painting (collage), unusual materials or substances, expressive use of material, or any other method that seems appropriate to the subject and goals of the work.
• Recognizable elements in the picture are to be based upon direct observation or photographs of existing things or places; they are not to be made up.
• The painting may be illusionistic, an abstract treatment, an expressive interpretation, or some other approach. The approach you use must be relevant to the project.
• Any painting medium of combination of media with paint is acceptable, provided your choices reflect the aims of the project.
• You may incorporate non-traditional materials into the work when they are appropriate to the intent of the picture. Examples are human or animal hair, tar, metal scraps, dirt, food stuffs, and so on.
• Choice of materials and how they are used should expressively reflect the meaning of the painting. This includes how paint is applied to canvas or some other surface (i.e. vigorously or with care, severe marks or no marks, bold or sedate color, etc.).
• This is to be an independently executed work, although you may bring it to class for guidance from the instructor while the work is in progress.
• The finished work is to demonstrate an understanding of the principles of composition and painting that have been discussed and demonstrated in class, as well as a creative interpretation of the project.

The Essay:

Write a 250-500 word essay (1-2 pages typed, 2-4 pages hand written) that explains:

• What it is about you that the picture represents.
• In what manner the painting is a portrait of you
  (significance of symbols, materials, etc. and their relationship to your character).
• The rationale behind your choices of materials, scale, methods, imagery and so forth.
• Brief mention of any artists, paintings, musical or literary works, or other resources you referred to for guidance or inspiration and how you drew upon them.



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FINAL PROJECT

Essay Due: Week 14

Painting Due: Week 14

General Description: Complete a narrative painting and related essay as described below.

The Painting:

• Complete an approximately 18" X 24" or larger painting. This may be a single or multi-panel work.
• Your painting may address any topic – personal, topical, political, religious, cultural – but must be in narrative form.
• Any technique, aesthetic, and materials are acceptable within the context of painting.
  - You may combine
    paint with other
    substances such as
    sand, wood, metal,
    etc.
  - Combining painting
    with other art forms
    such as sculpture is
    allowed.
  - Experimentation
    with painting
    methods is
    permitted and
    encouraged.
• The work may be realistic, expressionistic or abstracted, provided that the narrative aspect is evident.

Painting Evaluation Criteria:

• Creative interpretation of the project; painting must be in the narrative form.
• Effective compositional structure.
• Demonstrates mastery of the material(s) and methods employed.
• Understanding of color mixing and color theory is apparent.
• Depictions of recognizable subjects are believable.
• Painting has a sense of light and mass.
• Effective value and spatial structures.

The Essay:

Write a 500-750 word essay (2-3 pages typed, 4-6 pages hand written) that discusses:

• Describe the narrative and explain how that narrative is represented.
• How painting materials and methods are relevant to the narrative.
• Explain how the format (single panel, multiple panels, size of painting, etc.) relate to the narrative.
• Cite and provide background on your reference sources (photographs, art historical masterworks, literature, news stories, and so on).
• Describe the manner in which your picture communicates the intended story.
• Explain the creative process that led up to the final painting.
• Tell about the meanings and purposes of all pictorial elements.

Essay Evaluation Criteria:

• Grammar, spelling, clarity, conciseness, expressiveness, and structure.
• Explains well the issues listed under “The Essay”



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