DUH!
After I posted this activity, I began receiving inquiries as to exactly what a NORMAL exquisite corpse is. I was just finishing up the following explanation when I realized that my knowledge of the original literary exquisite corpse's history is skimpy, so I did a search for "exquisite corpse" on Dogpile.com and got back quite a few returns, including several very good sites that are and have been creating corpses on the web. Rather than compile a list of links here, I direct you to Dogpile.com. You will find some very interesting sites. Please don't ask me why I did not think to search the web before now - your guess is as good as mine.

HOWEVER, I did not find one that is creating anything like the SEMI-EXQUISITE CORPSE! So there.

Exquisite Corpse Defined

The technique I will describe is the technique I prefer. There are no doubt countless variations, but the basic premise is that two artists create a drawing collaboratively, each unaware of exactly what the other has done. The example used is a corpse created by Jim Woodring and me.

a   Fold a sheet of paper into quarters. Jim draws a head on the top quarter, and extends the neck slightly into the next quarter (see pink circle). Jim refolds the paper so that Mark cannot see what he has drawn.

b   Working from the neck, Mark draws the upper trunk, slightly extending the chest and arms into the third quarter.

c   Jim adds the remainder of the arms and hands. He creates the lower trunk and crotch area, slightly extending the legs (and in this example, a tail) into the fourth quarter.

d   Mark draws the legs and feet. The paper is unfolded and the corpse is revealed...   


Here is the finished corpse.
FYI - in1992, Jim and I produced an 8-page booklet of Exquisite Corpses. I still have a few of these booklets. If you would like to buy one, contact mark@markmartin.net.