Baroque Mr. Potato Heads: A Lesson in Chiaroscuro

Introduction: In seventeenth century Europe, with the spiritual change in the Counter-Reformation Catholic Church, a revolutionary new style of art, the Baroque, developed. Paintings of the Italian Baroque exhibited unprecedented drama and intensity Artists including Artemisa Gentileschi and Caravaggio used the technique of chiaroscuro to render their subjects with theatrical flair.

Project Objective: As a means of introducing students to the effectiveness of the chiaroscuro technique in Baroque Painting, the idea is put into practice. The victims: the innocent Mr. and Ms. Potato Heads. Still-life setups of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys were placed on white tables in the studio. Small clamp lights were used to cast melodramatic shadows on one side of the toys. The dark shadows created by the lights seemed to reveal the toys’ angst that is hidden beneath their plastic coating.

Materials:

·       9” x 12” or 11” x 14” painting surface

·       Acrylic paint including the following colors; Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, Titanium White, Pthalo Blue, Ivory Black

·       Brushes

This project may also be completed as a drawing assignment: You will need:

·       Drawing surface ranging from 8”x10” to 11”x14”

·       Charcoal or graphite pencils

·      Erasers

Steps:

·       Set Up a still life of Mr. And Ms. Potato Heads dolls using clamp lights or other devices to light the objects on one side, creating dramatic shadows. Turn off overhead classroom lights.

·       Students should begin by drawing in the outline and basic shapes of the Potato Head, trying to fill as much of the negative space as possible.

·       Ask students to take a minute to notice to differences in lights and darks that take place across the surface of the Potato Head. Does this change the emotional quality of the toy? Does it make it more theatrical?   Look for the darkest areas of the toy and block those in with a dark value.

·       Continue painting the toy, applying the darker values first and building up to the lighter values. It may help to squint your eyes to more easily identify the breakdown of lights and darks on the toy.

·       Try to create at least seven value changes in your painting.

·       Students may choose to add a horizon line in the background to identify the edge of the table.

·       Remember that the shadow that is cast on the table increases the drama of the setting. Shadows tend to be darker closer to the subject and get lighter as they move away.

·      Render the subject carefully, taking your time to be as accurate as possible. 

·      Try to make the Mr./Mrs. Potato Head toy appear scary or mysterious, applying a new identity to the playful doll.

Tips when completing the assignment as a Drawing:

·       Students may being by using a soft piece of charcoal to darken the entire surface of the drawing paper to a medium value.

·       Next, use a dark charcoal line to render to Potato Head.

·       Continue to add dark and light values by blending with a tortillon (blending stump) or using a hatching technique, and using an eraser to identify highlight.

Optional Additional assignment:

Ask students to complete a value scale before they render the Potato Head. On a small sheet of paper, have students draw seven one-inch squares. After allowing the first square to remain white and making the last square completely black, fill in the scale with appropriate values in between. Students can then use these scales as a reference when completing the Mr./Mrs. Potato Head project.

Vocabulary:

Baroque Art: Style of artistic expression in the seventeenth century which created a pattern of contrasting areas of light and shadow that give a look of dynamic, continuous movement. The works of this period suggest drama, vitality, movement, tension, and emotional exuberance.

Chiaroscuro: Italian for “light-dark.” Dramatic light and shadow, specifically using hard edge cast shadows, that helps create the illusion of three-dimensionality.

Value: Lightness or darkness

Gradations: Gradual passing from one tint to another.

Composition: The organization all of the elements of a work of art into a harmoniously unified whole.

Positive Space: The area defining the primary subject matter.

Negative Space: The area void of primary subject matter.

Aesthetics: The theory of beauty in art.

Medium (plural - media): The material of which an artwork is made (oil paint, charcoal, etc.)

Picture Plane: The surface area of a two-dimensional piece of art.

Criteria for Assessment:

·       Make your image large by filling up most of the negative space with subject matter.

·       Each drawing must have at least seven value changes, ranging from white to the darkest black

·       Drawings must be executed with as much care and precision as possible. Craftsmanship is always a consideration.

·      The drawing must make a clear attempt at achieving the drama and intensity that characterizes Baroque Art.