Construction

We have reached the home stretch of the first project of the Spring Semester. This weekend, mostly Sunday, was a busy one. It was the day that the model was built. This was not an easy task. 

It was not easy due to the amount of angles that are involved in this model. Out of the nine parts that make up this model only two are solid pieces. All off the other parts are made up of a minimum of three separate parts due to the angles. 

Here is one of the two parts that are completely solid. 

It was possible to build this one as one parts because the table saw blade can be angled at the proper angle for this piece. The rest, except for one other, had to be made up of multiple parts. 

Here are the two solid parts placed together. 

The second long panel that makes up the "V" of the model had to be made up of nine separate parts. This is due to the fact that the blade on the table saw does not turn in the direction that we needed the slots to be. So the technique we used on the first two parts would not be possible from here on out. 

Here it is, post-cut and pre-glue. 

This method had to be used for the rest of the parts. 

Here are two of the tall panels being put together. 

Here are more of the tall panels sitting while the spackle was drying. 

Here's a photo of the not-so-pretty process of sanding away the unneeded spackle. This is the second panel that makes up the "V", the one made up of nine parts.

Here's another photo of that wonderful process. 

The model, slowly but surely fitting together. 

Here are all the parts drying with primer. 

The end of the construction process. Here is the model being put together for one last fitting before the painting begins. The other three tall panels are not yet placed on in this photo. 

Semester 2. Studio II. Assignment 1: Color Study.

It has been an extremely busy start right back into the world of studio work here in Crown Hall and IIT. I have new classes, a new professor, and a new studio group.

This project has been ongoing since the very first day of Studio when our professor showed us a selection of paintings in which each group of two had to choose from in order to start this project.

My partner and I selected Vincent and Tony by the painter Alex Katz.
It is a very large painting of Alex Katz's son, Vincent and his boyhood friend, Tony.

Luckily, this painting is kept in the Art Institute of Chicago so I was able to look at it up close and in person.

Here is a photo I took of the painting.

We first had to take a digital copy of the photo and make pixel studies of it to see what colors show up and how they related to each other. I did 12 in total.
Here are a few.

Both my partner and I started to pick up on the use of four major colors. These being Orange, Blue, Brown, and Beige.

The two I used as my main focus were these two.

From there we had to make two collages based off of our studies. One from magazine samples and the other from paint. Mine are still in the construction stage right now.  My focus for both is the varying tones of the four colors.

The final step of this project, the step we are on now, is the construction of making a three dimensional model of an abstract interpretation of the painting. This turned out to be a big challenge because we wanted to show that the painting is both two separate boys but one large work. So that became our goal. A model that showed both being two separate parts but one whole model. 

Here is a Sketchup model of what is being built right now.

The one on the left is shown with color to help us with our desk review with our professor, the colors will not be exactly like that. The one on the right is an edited version with slightly different measurements.

Finally, two things to help explain our idea. A little model. I built this little study model to show how the tall panels and the short ones will interlock. 

And the many color options that are being considered for the final full-scale model.