Rothko Project

Rothko was an artist who explored the
relationship between colors. His work speaks to the subtle spirituality of
paint. This project explores color's implications in the digital
world.

Step 1 Look at the painting at the right.
Think about the way the yellow and orange look does the yellow make you think of the sun? or fire? does the painting make you feel any unusual way?

Step 2 Google search for more images by Rothko and his contemporaries Adolph Gottleib and Helen Frankenthaller.

Step 3 open Photoshop, Go to File, pull down New, enter the following settings:

W: 400
H: 600
Resolution: 72 pixels/inch
Color Mode: RGB

Step 4 Save it as Name_rothko1.jpg

Step 5 fill the background with a bright, vibrant color

Step 6 Double Click on the Background Layer to rename it Layer 0

Step 7 Manipulate the image, use the following examples for ideas

A. Make a rectangle

B. Select--Modify--Smooth

C. Fill with a color that has a dynamic interaction with the background
color

D. Make a rectangle

E. Select--Modify--Smooth

F. Fill with another color (this is the important part of the project)

G. Select--Modify--Border

H. Fill with another color

I. Modify the image using a variety of Filter and Distortion Techniques.

J. Try using Filter>Liquify to smudge and smear the image.

K. Save your different options by using File--Save a Copy and naming
it Name_rothko#.jpg

L. Image--Adjust--Hue/Saturation

M. Slide the bar to see the difference that color relation makes on the
subject

N. Make three different copies with different
color relations

Do

use a variety of filters and color manipulation techniques

change the color of the image in many radical, creative ways to see the
differences in relative color

think about how Rothko would have used the medium to analyze color

Don't

add subject beyond shape and color

twirl it (I'm tired of looking at these)

be afraid of trying new things