For the past few weeks, several of my classes have been working on a project based on the illustrations in the book, This Jazz Man. The illustrations depict famous jazz musicians using mixed media collage. Collage looks deceptively easy. It actually requires a lot of planning ahead and thinking of shapes in a different way. It really is a brain work-out.

Aside from scrap papers, we used watercolor, watercolor crayons, paint pens, and Sharpies. We painted a stage for our musicians first and then created the figures from cut paper shapes and watercolor. I was really impressed by how students were able to capture the gesture of the musicians playing their instruments. Their final details really made all the difference.

To inspire us, we listened to jazz while we worked. I had a playlist with the musicians listed in the book: Dizzie Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Fats Waller, Art Blakely, etc… Such a fun project!