Photo Realism Drawing

Term: 2 Year: 2007

Photo Realism Drawing 6
Photo Realism Drawing 5
Photo Realism Drawing 4
Photo Realism Drawing 3
Photo Realism Drawing 2
Photo Realism Drawing 1
Photo Realism Drawing 7

Students were introduced to the style Photo Realism (also known as New Realism, Superrealism and Hyperrealism).

We began by discussing the name and what we could predict about the focus of the style. Students were shown a range of artworks
by the Photo Realists: Malcolm Morley, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, Chuck Close and Duane Hanson. The features of
Photo-Realism were discussed:

  • Owed a debt to Pop Art in the images used.
  • Large canvases used to confront the viewer.
  • Saw artists copying the qualities of the photograph:  depth of field etc.
  • Stressed the careful disguising of brushwork.
  • Moved away from abstraction and returned to the figure in art
  • Artists focused on their technical skills: technique reigned over subject
  • From An Introduction to Western Art from Caves to Canvas by Donald Williams and Barbara Vance Wilson McGraw
    Hill.

Following the above, the practical tasks were introduced. Students were required to:

  • Choose a colour photographic image to reproduce under the influence of Photo-Realism. The image was to be approximately
    A4 in size.
  • Black and white photocopy taken of the image
  • Tracing paper placed over the photocopy and students required to trace the image using various grades of lead
    pencil. (A short class recapping tonal working with lead pencils was given).
  • Tracing paper placed over the colour image and students required to trace the image using colour pencil. (A
    short class recapping colour pencil techniques was given).
  • Both pieces window mounted
  • Self evaluation undertaken

Janine Doyle
Thomastown Secondary College