Encore—Collage Portraits: Romare Bearden

Overview

In this lesson, you will look closely at a collage portrait by Romare Bearden for inspiration and explore how gesture, color, and details can convey a subject in your own collage portrait.

Grade Level

3-12

Media

Collage

Teaching Guide

Materials and Tools

Two-sided fadeless colored paper
OR construction paper, old magazines, newspapers, scrap paper, fabric, found materials
Scissors
Glue

Activities

Close Looking: Romare Bearden

What can gesture, color, and details tell us about a character in an artwork?

Let’s look at a collage artwork by Romare Bearden for inspiration.

Romare Bearden (1911–1988), *Encore*, 1980, collage of various papers with acrylic on Masonite, 18 x 13 7/8 inches / 45.7 x 35.2 cm, signed; © Romare Bearden Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY

What do you notice about the person in this artwork?
What do you think the person might be doing? What makes you think that?
What colors do you see? What kind of mood do these colors create?
What details stand out in the person or in the background?
What materials do you think the artist, Romare Bearden, used to make this collage? How can you tell?

Romare Bearden’s artworks celebrate African American life, music, and culture. Encore, a portrait of a female blues singer, is based on the Jazz Age—a period in the 1920s and 1930s when jazz music and dance gained worldwide popularity. This artwork is part of Bearden’s Jazz series, which reflects the energy and culture of the time.

Born in 1911, Bearden lived through the Jazz Age, growing up in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance. Surrounded by jazz and blues, this cultural environment inspired him to capture the rhythm, improvisation, and vibrancy of the music in his collages.

Why do you think Romare Bearden chose to make a portrait of a Jazz Age singer?
This collage is titled Encore. Why do you think Romare Bearden chose this for the title?

Collage Portraits

Romare Bearden was known for his work with collage, cutting shapes from paper and other materials. When making a collage, artists can explore different possibilities for their artwork before finalizing their compositions. Collages, like Bearden’s, often have many layers, with large shapes added first and smaller details added on top.

To learn more about collage, explore our resources.

Planning Your Collage

Who would you like to make a collage portrait of? It could be someone you know or an important person that you don’t know.
What will this person be doing in your collage?
What colors remind you of this person?
What clothing or accessories are important to represent them?
What other details can you include to show their personality?

Cut and Arrange

Step 1: Cut the Large Shapes
Start with the large shapes of the body and clothes.

What papers will you use for the body and clothing?
Will the body parts and clothes be made of geometric shapes or organic, curvy ones?
With collage, we can always try again if we don’t like something. Sometimes, the shapes we make accidentally can surprise us and turn out to be perfect for part of our collage!
Tip: To cut two of the same shape at once, stack two pieces of paper together.

Step 2: Arrange the Composition
Once you’ve cut all the shapes you need, arrange them on your background paper.

How will you show what this person is doing?
Think about how their body will bend (knees, elbows, hips). Will they be holding something, standing still, or moving?
Experiment with different arrangements before you glue.

Step 3: Glue the Pieces
Once you’re happy with the arrangement, glue your shapes down, making sure to spread the glue to the edges.

Step 4: Layer Details
After gluing the large shapes, add smaller details to show more about this person.

What expression will they have? Play with arranging small shapes to create an expression you like.
What hairstyle will you give them? What paper and shapes will you use for the hair?
Add more details to the clothing or background. Will you include patterns, jewelry, glasses, or other accessories? What shapes and materials will you use?
After arranging, glue your small shapes down.

Reflection

Take a look at your collage and think about these questions:

Who did you choose for your portrait?
How did you show who this person is?
What is this person doing in your collage?
What colors did you choose, and why?
What details did you include to show more about them?

Resources

For more inspiration, explore Romare Bearden’s work in Romare Bearden & Nancy Grossman: Collage in Dialogue on the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery website or in New York City from September 5 – November 9, 2024.

Credits

Written By:
Andrea Burgay, Director of Digital Learning