American Black History (Final)

American Black History (I decided on the term black versus African American because it can include people who more closely identify with Mexico or the Caribbean rather than Africa and may be called "black.") Mixed Media

So, not too long ago I posted about this very project. I shared the final drawing (the step just before this finished piece) and some of the process that got me to that point. You can see how this piece was thought up here.

 A Note on Color Choices

 I resolved to make the root, faces and all, a similar color with varying tones to emphasize their connectedness as a root. I chose a slightly orange leaning brown and then accented it with purples and greens that allow the browns to stand out.

 Textures

To help give the feeling of a root and tie in the subject matter with the background space I chose to use textured papers both in the background and under the painted faces so that the paint could bring out any embedded fibers from one face to another. This choice increased the piece's atmosphere and emotion. I also included some hatching (a series of parallel lines) with colored pencils to carry a texture throughout the faces. This is simply another incarnation of my mixed media technique.