2. History
Romare Bearden was born on
September 2, 1911, in North
Carolina, into a middle-class,
African-American family.
When he was three, his family
moved to Harlem, New York
City's center of black culture.
Bearden called New York his
home, but for most of his
youth continued to visit
relatives in North Carolina and
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Beardenís memories of past
events and favorite places all
became inspiration for his
artwork.
3. His Influences
He was influenced
by the art of the
Cubists, such as
Pablo Picasso,
Georges Braque,
and Juan Gris and
by the work of his
friends and fellow
jazz lovers, Stuart
Davis and Jacob
Lawrence.
4. His Contributions
Bearden enjoyed
working in many
media, including oil
painting, collage,
watercolor, public
murals, cover art for
writers and
publishers, poetry,
music, and even
children's books. His
works are in major
collections and
museums around
the world.
5.
6. What You Will Need
11x17 Paper for your Composition
Magazine Cut Outs
Colored Paper
Scissors
Glue
Colored Pencils
7. Develop Your Plan
Before beginning your composition, picture your
house, and neighborhood. What do the buildings
look like? What colors are they? Does the
neighborhood have streets? Sidewalks? What do
your neighbors look like? Do they have pets? Do
other animals live there?
Pick a time of day, morning or evening.
8. Before you begin!
On top of your paper,
block out the page with
colored paper building
shapes, the size of
your hand or slightly
larger. Keep layering
cut-out paper to make
windows, streets,
shades, streetlights,
bridges and building
details.
9. Next…
Glue all the paper
down. You can also
use paint or
markers to create
blocks of color or
details like bricks,
stones, flowers and
details on trees.
10. Details
Add cut outs from
magazines of
animals, birds, cars,
and people. Glue
them on top of what
you have laid out
with the colored
paper.
