Self Portraits Part One: Line Drawings

Objective

Students will create a self portrait using a black marker and a photo of themselves.

Supplies

• Cardstock: to discourage tracing and to hold up to future painting.
• Black markers: if you use Sharpies, put something under the paper to protect desks!
• Printed out photos of students: against a white backdrop

The Steps

Part One: Setup

1. Show examples of self portraits – here's Wikipedia's page or try this tournament of Van Gogh portraits.
2. Take photos of students against a white backdrop.
3. Download photos to computer.
4. If possible, adjust contrast and brightness to make photo almost purely black and white, with little grey.
5. Print out the photos. This may take longer than you expect! Do it after school.

Part Two: Demonstrate

You have to model it first or kids will be reluctant to even try. Emphasize that a self-portrait is not a photo; perfect realism is not the goal.

1. Outline the essential lines of your face with sharpie.
2. Fold traced photo into four quarters.
3. Think out loud while drawing essential lines onto blank paper
4. Completing the four quadrants

Part Three: Students Draw

1. Set the stage: silence with calm background music
2. Pass out photos (facedown to avoid student embarrassment!)
3. Go over initial directions and reinforce the need to go slowly and carefully
4. I give students one do-over in case they really botch it. Otherwise, the mistakes are part of the magic!