Watergraphs: exploring the world of art with instant photography - Photographic expression - art projects

Arts & Activities, April, 2003 by Rzadko Rzadko-Henry

MATERIALS

* Polaroid 600 Write-On film

* Watercolor pencils or water-based pastels, pen and ink, oil pastels

* Glue stick

* Mounting board, mat board, metallic papers and tissue paper

THE PROCESS

* After taking the photo, paint directly on the surface of the Write-On Film with water-soluble oil-pastel crayons, or watercolor pencils/tube paints.

* Use brushes, cotton swabs and toothpicks to blend colors and add texture.

* Start with the background, painting over it with the lightest colors. Then work toward the foreground, strengthening the pigments as you move forward.

* Wash diluted pigment over the face, neck and arms, to create the desired effect, while retaining the likeness and features of the subject.

* Experiment with colors and shadows; wipe mistakes right off the photo.

What exactly is a "watergraph"? It's a watercolor rendering painted over an instant photographic image. Experimenting with my Polaroid[R] camera and film, I discovered this process in my quest to find a method to help students explore art history.

By interpreting a painting or style using this simple, hands-on process, my students developed a greater appreciation for and understanding of art. And, the more I experimented with this process, the more I discovered what a great tool this could be for any classroom teacher.

In fact, teachers across the country have refined and expanded on the original concept, developing new projects for their own students. These teachers have encouraged their students to learn, explore and challenge themselves through art. The results have been remarkable.

The process is simple. Using a Polaroid instant camera and 600 Write-On Film, students paint directly on the photographic image to achieve a desired effect. The process enables teachers to introduce basic concepts in photographic composition, color theory and design principles. This simple and foolproof technique ensures that every student will experience the excitement of creating a successful work of art.

Following are projects created by teachers who have used the process to great success with their students.

ALL DRESSED UP: THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES For third-grade teacher, Mary Beth Bauernschub, of Kingsford Elementary School in Mitchellville, Md., the watergraph process presented a perfect opportunity to integrate visual arts into her regular academic lesson. After discovering the process, Mary Beth thought the watergraph project would make a great addition to her students' discussion on royalty and monarchs in history.

After reading her class "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Andersen, Mary Beth had students research portraits of European monarchs between the 16th and 19th centuries using online resources or reproductions found in books. Students were then asked to choose a monarch they could identify with and write a description of his or her clothing, noting the styles of the time, favorite colors, materials or accessories worn. They also were asked to write a brief historical account of this monarch.

Next, students assumed the monarch's pose, and two photographs were taken. One of the photos served as a "before" image to be compared to the finished watergraph art at the end of the exercise. Keeping their faces visible, each student painted a costume onto the Write-On Film with watercolor pencils and/or water-based pastels.

Students relaxed with the technique because, if they made a mistake or didn't like what they had done, they could simply wipe off the paint and redo it.

Once finished, students used a glue stick to mount their portraits to mat board or poster board, which was decorated to look like a fancy frame. They then presented their finished portraits to the class and gave a brief talk about the monarch and his or her costume.

CREATIVE STORYTELLING THROUGH MIXED-MEDIA ART Ruth Purdy, an art teacher at Bay Middle School in Bay Village, Ohio, chose the watergraph process as a way to introduce her eighth-graders to the basics of photographic composition, while incorporating the disciplines of color theory and principles of design.

Her students first researched the lives and works of such photographers as Ansel Adams, Margaret Bourke-White, Annie Leibovitz and Sandy Skoglund. Next, each student completed a sketchbook assignment that required them to collect 10 photographs--either from magazines or printed from the Internet--that demonstrated principles of photographic techniques. Doing this helped them come to the project with forethought. They considered contrast, center of interest, using interesting angles, and incorporating the rule of thirds.

For the photo shoot, students used Polaroid cameras and 600 Write-On Film to take up to five photos. They then altered their photos by drawing directly on them using watercolor pencils, dipping the pencils in water and using short strokes. Students were encouraged to try blending colors and to take risks with this project. The watergraph process enabled the class to apply their study of color theory--primary, secondary, intermediate, analogous and complementary.