Semi-Abstract Art refers to a style of painting or sculpture in which the subject remains recognizable although the forms are highly stylized in a manner derived from abstract art. so, basically, it is the art of simplifying an image to say “more” with “less” detail

Abstraction of a tree through 3 stages, by famous artist, Mondrian

Assignment – Mini Abstraction Series Vocabulary: balance, negative space, composition, unity, abstract Project: Create a semi-abstracted painting Process: Using a viewfinder or cropping “L’s”, you will select 5 pleasing compositions from any source to abstract, then paint. Here are some tips for good composition as you move the viewfinder around the picture: Look for interesting lines, shapes and patterns in the picture. Establish purposeful balance (formal or informal) in your composition. Pay careful attention to the negative space in the design. All spaces should be interesting. Parts of your image will bleed off all sides of the paper; lines should hug the surface and take the direction of the object or shape. Show all planning in your sketchbook. Tips: Use 3 main values—one should dominate for emphasis. Selecting a good color scheme ensures unity. Watch edges and craftsmanship as you paint. Draw 5 boxes in your sketchbook that correspond, in size, to your selected compositions. Next, draw the small compositions you created inside the boxes you created in your sketchbook.. Enlarge the 3 best compositions on another page Test 3 different color schemes on your enlarged thumbnails before choosing the one you wish to use on canvas. Re-draw your final selection (to approximately ½ the size of a page in your sketchbook). Color your final sketch using your selected color scheme (the one that best expresses the mood you wish to convey ). Redraw final sketch on canvas and paint! Rubric: ____________25 planning (minimum 5 sketches, 3 quick color studies testing different schemes) ____________10 color enlargement of final selection in sketchbook ____________50 execution of final painting ____________10 time management + effort ____________05 clean up (care of materials and classroom) ____________/100

One way to abstract an image: Start with a realistic imagery. Abstract the images through a series of steps. Begin by selecting small portions of the whole picture. Further simplify each image through a series of thumbnails. Examples of what an initial thumbnails might look like

Planning thumbnail Simplified painting with planned color scheme

Semi Abstract Art http://www.samfischer.net/bio.html Check out his gallery of paintings on his webpage. http://www.samfischer.net/paintings/paintings.html

Can you guess the color schemes in the following works? Give it a try.

Another Abstract Artist: Rolina van Vliet Rolina van Vliet’s book gives helpful exercises and suggestions for painting abstract art. There is a copy of her book in the classroom for your use.