This lesson introduces students to portraiture. Student will examine a variety of portraits and distinguish them from other art forms. They will discuss why artists make portraits. They will examine and analyze what visual clues reveal about the people in a variety of portraits. By creating their own portraits and including visual information about their subject,s they will practice communicating through their art. Students will also experience the artistic process of brainstorming, sketching, revising and producing a final artwork.
If you have a computer with Internet access in your classroom, you can introduce your students to portraiture online. A Lifetime of ColorTM web site (www.lifetimeofcolor.com ) offers interactive ArtEdventures, hands-on activities, and teachers resources about portraits. These include:
- Technique Demos:
- Try This! Hands-on Activities:
- ArtEdventures:
Students will:
- perceive and identify a variety of portrait examples
- perceive and discuss visual information in portraiture
- understand that artists communicate ideas visually
- experience the artistic process of planning, revising and finalizing an artwork
- portrait
- landscape
- still life
- realistic
- abstract
- sketch
- background
Teaching Materials/Resources
- examples of realistic and abstract portraits throughout history
- examples of contrasting art forms (landscapes, still lifes, genre paintings, abstract works...)
- a previously prepared portrait example about someone you know
- suggested supporting resources (at bottom of this page)
Student Materials/Resources
- scratch paper
- Paper Mate® American® pencils
- Pink Pearl® erasers
- 9 x12” (23 x30 cm) drawing paper
- Col-erase® erasable colored pencils, Mr. Sketch® markers and watercolor paints
Schedule
One or two class periods.
Set-up
- Gather and display examples of realistic and abstract portraits.
- Gather examples of other artworks to contrast with portraits (landscapes, still lifes...)
- Prepare a sample portrait about someone you know.
- Gather studio materials.
- Arrange classroom furniture to create a discussion area to ensure maximum participation and ability to see visuals.
Introduction: Goup discussion
Introduce portraiture as an art form. Ask students to describe what makes a portrait a portrait. Compare and contrast portraits with examples of landscapes, still lifes, genre paintings or abstract artworks. Ask them to identify portraits from a group of still lifes, landscapes, genre paintings, abstracts etc. (You can use 2-D and 3-D examples of all works of art.)
Brainstorm with your class the reasons artists create portraits. Focus on the idea that portraits tell about people. Have them tell you what they know about the people in one of your portrait examples. Ask questions like:
- How old is the person?
- When did he/she live?
- Was he/she rich or poor?
- Are there any objects in the portrait? (a pet, jewelry, book...) Why did the artist include them?
- What mood was the person in when the portrait was made?
- Do students think the portrait looks like the person? (it may be abstract or idealized)
- How does the portrait make you think or feel about the person?
- Summarize what you learned about the person just by looking at his/her portrait.
Tell your students that they will be making a portrait about someone they know. They will include clues about what that person is like in their portraits. When other people look at their portrait they can get to know the person.
Show them the portrait you made. Tell them a little about the person and why you made the portrait the way you did. Here’s an example:
"My Aunt Tessie is very cheerful and brave. She has brownish-blonde hair and bright blue eyes just like me. She’s been a fire fighter for three years—that’s what the number on her hat means. She has a tiny little scar on her chin that she got rescuing a dog from a burning apartment! She also grows a beautiful garden so I tucked a flower behind her ear. On weekends and vacations, Aunt Tessie takes me birdwatching. She keeps a pair of binoculars with her in the car and likes to pull over to look at the hawks and ducks she sees driving around town. She even gave me my own binoculars for my birthday last year! Tessie is my favorite aunt!"
Demonstration
Artists make studies or practice sketches before they make final works of art. Model how to brainstorm ideas for a portrait. For example:
"I want to make a portrait of my son. He is two years old and has brown hair and eyes. But I want people to know more about him than just how he looks. So I want to include some clues about what he likes in the portrait. He loves books, rockets, trains and cars. How can I show these ideas?" Create a sketch of the portrait incorporating your students’ ideas. Show them how to work quickly and not worry about mistakes. Draw large shapes—fill your paper.
Studio Experience: Making Sketches
Have students go to work stations and distribute pencils, scratch paper and erasers. Ask them to brainstorm the ideas for their portrait, then draw a sketch or two. Remind them to draw large and fill the paper. Encourage them to sketch lightly and quickly. Urge them to include clues about their subject in the background, clothing and other objects.
Demonstration
Have students return to the demonstration/discussion area. Now you will begin creating a final portrait. Have them examine the sketch again and ask them if there is anything you should change. Make a few minor changes and talk about how artists often make lots of revisions before they are satisfied. Now sketch lightly on drawing paper. Emphasize the importance of drawing lightly—it is easier to make changes and the pencil won’t show through the final media.
Studio Experience: Sketching the Final Portrait
Have students return to their work, make revisions and sketch their portrait on drawing paper.
Demonstration
Call students back for a demonstration of the final media you want them to use to add color. They could finish their portraits with Col-erase® erasable colored pencils, Mr. Sketch® markers and watercolor paints. Here's one idea that works well:
Crayon Resist
Have students go over the pencil outlines with Colorific erasable crayons. They should press firmly to get saturated, dark lines. They can color in small areas like the lips, irises, and pupils. They may want to add crayon lines and shapes to create texture and patterns in the hair and clothing. They can also add an interesting pattern in the background. Then have students paint their portraits with a wash of watercolor paints. You may need to give a demonstration on mixing skin tones. Have them try out colors on one of their old sketches or on scratch paper. The portrait of Aunt Tessie, above, is an example of crayon resist.
Studio Experience: Coloring the Final Portrait
Have students complete their portraits with your choice of media and technique. Mount portraits on colored construction paper and have students title and sign their artwork. You might want them to write a short paragraph about their portrait to be hung next to the portrait.
Group Critique
Display students' artworks or invite them up to share. See if other students can figure out the visual clues. Allow the artist to tell about the person in the portrait and what they wanted to show. Also see Tips for Successful Critiques, below.
Tips for Successful CritiquesTips for Successful Critiques
Learning to critique or assess art is a vital part of an artist’s growth. Teach your students how to critique themselves, with a partner, in small groups and in large groups. It takes practice and modeling to ensure respectful, beneficial critiquing.
Display the artworks. Pin or tape them to a board so you can get a good look. Be sure everyone has a good view. For a large group display, you may choose to critique anonymously. Be aware that some students may be uncomfortable displaying their artworks. You may want to begin by invitation. After the critique process feels safe and friendly, more students will want to participate.
Set the ground rules for the style of questions, comments and suggestions that are courteous and constructive. Encourage positive phrasing and focus on each artwork’s strengths. Be inclusive and try to address each artwork. Avoid words like "favorite," "the best"... Focus on the objectives! Emphasize the learning process rather than the final result.
When you are first starting, have students brainstorm and practice appropriate phrasing. Use one of your demos to practice with. Here are some phrases that might help students get started.
- What really caught my eye was ________.
- That artwork shows ______ really well.
- I think _______ would improve that artwork.
- I'd like to see more of __________.
- That artist is really skilled at _________.
- I am a little confused by ________.
At first, you may spend more time on the critiquing process than the actual critique, but it is essential to build an atmosphere of trust and encouragement.
The following National Visual Art Standards can be applied to this lesson:
Kindergarten-Fourth Grade
Content Standard #1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
- Achievement Standard: Students use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner
Content Standard #2: Using knowledge of structures and functions
- Achievement Standard: Students use visual structures and functions of art to communicate ideas
Content Standard #3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
- Achievement Standards:
- Students explore and understand prospective content for works of art
- Students select and use subject matter, symbols, and ideas to communicate meaning
Content Standard #5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
- Achievement Standard: Students understand there are various purposes for creating works of visual art
Use a variety of portraiture examples. Choose art from other times, cultures and styles to contrast. Shorewood reproductions are owned by many schools or can be ordered from Shorewood Fine Art Reproductions, Inc., Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Another source for art images is ArtToday, a Web-based subscription service of royalty-free images at www.arttoday.com.
Suggested Shorewood reproductions to show realistic portraiture:
- Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494), The Old Man and His Grandson
- Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa (ca. 1603-1605)
- Rembrandt van Rijn, The Man with the Golden Helmet (c. 1650)
- Thomas Sully (1783-1872), The Torn Hat
Suggested Shorewood reproductions to show abstract portraiture:
- Henri Matisse (1869-1954), The Purple Robe
- Paul Klee (1879-1940), Senecio: Head of a Man
Portraiture Web Sites:
National Portrait Gallery, London
www.npg.org.uk
British portraits
National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C.
www.npg.si.edu
3093 portraits, searchable catalog
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