Andy Warhol: Torn-Paper Collage

How about something totally different and a little abstract? This is the last week of class in Misty Mawn's Portrait workshop and we are supposed to be working on self-portraits. I haven't worked up the nerve for that yet. But another lesson that I have been wanting to try was the collaged portrait.

One of my all-time favorite artists is Andy Warhol. I'm a little obsessed with him right now and have been reading everything I can find about him. I decided to do a torn-paper collage of him using some of my CitraSolv background papers. I tore a few different sheets into strips and started piecing together the collage onto a 9 x 12 canvas.

Here is the original portrait that I used as a model:

It's supposed to have an abstract look to it and mine is a little more abstract than I would like. But I have been wanting to try this lesson and now I've done it. I will be doing more of these. They are a little messy...all of those strips of paper and gel medium gets a little sticky.

Then you just use your graphite pencil to bring out some details. You can go as realistic or abstract as you'd like. I would like to try a more realistic one at some point. I have a lot of colors in my CitraSolv papers and could probably do a color version of something. I think it would be fun to try.

There are still a few lessons that I haven't been able to get a satisfactory piece out of and I'm working on those this week as well as starting the self-portrait. I think I'll use one of the older photos of myself. I don't have many that I like so it's hard to find something.

So that is what's on the agenda this week. Wrapping up the lessons I need to finish and then ending with the self-portrait assignments. We shall see what comes of it...