PORTRAYING

IDENTITY
STUDENT RESOURCE PACKAGE

What makes a Portrait?

Portraits can be seen everywhere; they are a style of art that can be made in many
ways. The “subject” is the person/animal being painted,
drawn, photographed or engraved.
WATCH THIS
CLIP
1
This video clip from the National Gallery of Victoria explains the art of portraiture

ARTS: LIVE, FACE TIME, 2018 https://create.artslive.com.au/explore/visual-art-starters/portray-yourself/lessons

Portraiture
Portraits have been a key form of art throughout history. Artists are able to show
emotions and feelings as well as develop an identity, culture and community
through portraiture.

+ Think, Record, Pair & Share

What is in portrait?

Can you see any portraiture now?

Arts Elements
Who makes portraits? Have you ever created a portrait?

We can learn more about portraits by understanding what elements are used to
make them. When we look at and make art, we need to understand and use some of
the elements of Art.

Source: Virelle’s Art Room, Elements and Principles of Design, 2014.

3
 What do you see?
Let’s break down what you see in this portrait from
the video you watched earlier…

What is the first thing you What colour stands out What types of lines do
notice? the most? you see?

What does the What do you think

texture in the the artist used?
painting add to the
artwork?

Image Source: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/75908

What two things would you like to How do you feel when you look at this
know? e.g. where is the man from? portrait? Why do you feel this way?
1.

2.

4
 Creating Line Portraits
Now that you have reflected on
Portrait drawing styles: the previous portrait, it is time to
create your own.
A Contour line drawing is the outline of the shape being drawn.

Blind contour portrait:

Close your eyes and with your
pencil in the box to the right,
use your other hand to feel
around your face. Draw what
you feel and try not to lift you
pencil off the paper to keep
the one line going!

Continuous line contour

portrait:
This time you can look at the
paper! Remember to keep
your pencil moving with the
one line, so there are no
breaks.

Use a mirror or photo

of yourself to help

5
Example of Line Portraits

Blind contour portrait

Continuous line portrait

6
 Adding to Portraits
To add more emotion/feeling and identity to your portrait you
can to add colour, pattern and texture. This can be done during
the creation of the artwork or added to an existing piece.

Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn),

1967
Source:
https://news.masterworksfineart.com

Andy Warhol was a famous Pop

Artist who created some of the most iconic images of the 20th century.
He took popular subjects and portraits and used the medium of
silkscreen printmaking to create his art. In this print Warhol used bright
colours to reflect Marilyn’s big personality. Her iconic lips are boldly
coloured a deep red. The colours are used to bring to life the portrait and
the subjects identity (Artsy, 2018).

Discuss with a partner

How this artwork makes you feel

Enhancing Portraits
What visual conventions you think are used

7
Take a photo of a portrait you created in the last activity. Using a media
art App you will create your own artwork inspired by Andy Warhol’s Pop
Art.
For this activity you will require a tablet device.

STEPS:
1. Open the ‘Go Art’ App and choose the portrait photo from your
camera roll.

2. Scroll through the different filter option along the bottom of the
screen. Test out different filters, remember to use colours, patterns and
textures that suit you and show who you are and what you like.

3. When you have picked your final design, download and save the
image by clicking the icon in the top right corner. Make sure to write
down the name of the filter you are chosen.

Examples of Enhanced Portraits

Portraits created using the GoArt App

Final Product

8
The title of my artwork it ___________________________
Explain why:
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

W
ha
t

Artist Statement
Go Art Filter did you use? _______________________
Look back on Activity 1.1 for help with what to write

9
I created this work of art by (How and why did you make it? What did
you use?)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

The parts that stand out are

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

The emotions or feelings that are shown in the artwork are

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

What art elements did you use?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

What are the similarities and differences between your creation, the
Andy Warhol portrait and the Arthur Body portrait?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Identifying You
______________________________________________________

Look back at your self portrait.

How do you know it is you?

10
How can you “identify” yourself?
What makes you, you?

Write down your answers:

Talk to your elbow partner about what identity means to you.

Is it your face, age, hair colour, gender, interests, personality, what you
wear, family?
How do we tell the difference between two people?

Write down what you think:

Everyone has a different face! We show a lot our identity in our faces!

Facial Features:
Eye Colour
Eyes
Nose
Hair Colour
Investigating IdentityMouth
in Portraits
Ears
Hair Styles

11
 Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-15/giant-portraits-draw-attention-to-indigenous-
issues/7513272

“HOME” by Matt Adnate

Matt uses spray paint to create his realistic style of art.
His has been influenced by “Chiaroscuro of Renaissance painters”.
These painters wanted to engage their viewers. This is done by using
light and shadow to give life and drama to their paintings.

Murals are art works created on a

Matt uses portraiture in his murals of wall (Oxford Dictionary, 2018)

Aboriginal Australians in cities in

Australia and around the world. He wants to show stories and
emotions of his subjects. Matt wants viewers to feel the art and use
Subjects
are the their own experience.
people
being
Information taken from Adnate: https://www.adnate.com.au/bio/
painted

Investigating Identity in Portraits

Have a close look at the portrait on the last page

What can we tell about the identity of the person in the artwork?

Make notes about what you think:

12
This portrait is of a young Aboriginal Australian. Another big part of our
identity is our family history/ culture and where we come from. Our
culture shapes the way we look too.

How does the portrait make you feel? What emotions can you see? Is
the portrait trying to tell us something? How has the Artist used colour?
Why do you think he has picked those colours?

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Expression, feelings & Colour

You use facial expressions to show the way you are feeling. Artists do
that too. Draw four quick faces with different expressions below and
explain how they are feeling. Using a coloured pencil that matches each
emotion add one colour to each picture.

13
_____________________ _____________________
_____________________ _____________________

_____________________ ____________________
_____________________ ____________________

Responding to Picasso

14
 Girl Before A Mirror, 1932 by Pablo Picasso
Source: https://www.pablopicasso.org/girl-before-mirror.jsp

Pablo Picasso (October 25, 1881 to April 8, 1973) was a Spanish artist
who is considered one of the greatest to date. He is also one of the co-
creator of Cubism. Cubism is type of art where parts are broken apart
and put back together in an abstract or different way. This shows off the
different shapes and makes the art have multiple viewpoints. Picasso
was known as a brave and bold artist; in this work he used bright colours
and patterns (Biography.com, 2018).

Reflective Questions

Look that the woman’s face, it is painted from the side profile and from
a frontal view. Could this show different sides of her identity?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

See the light and darkest in the painting, what do you think it is
showing?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Describe the shapes you can see and types of lines used
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

What do you think the artist was trying to represent?

15
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

What visual conventions have been used?

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Making you Picasso

Now it is your turn to have a go. Use what you have learnt from
looking at and learning about the ‘cubism’ artwork “Girl Before
a Mirror”. Follow the steps below to create your own.

Be sure to use colours, shapes and

patterns that make this work you. Materials Needed:
4 x different
STEPS: coloured A4 paper
1. On to one of the coloured pieces
of paper draw the outline of your face, neck and
small mirror
hair using a lead pencil. Use a mirror if needed. Draw on lines oil pastels
across the face to break the face up into sections or
pieces. lead pencil

2. On a different piece of paper draw an eye from front

glue stick on
black marker
(outwards) and colour it in.

3. On a new piece of paper draw an eye from the side and colour it
in.

4. On the last piece draw the lips and colour in.

5. Cut out the eyes and lips and glue on the face.

16
6. Using the black marker go over the pencil lines to outline the pieces of the face.

7. Colour in the sections of the face, neck and hair using different oil pastels. Use
bright colours that link to your personality.

8. Fill in the boarder with patterns that make the artwork more like you.

Adapted from: https://www.teachstarter.com/blog/8-classroom-art-activities-inspired-famous-

artists/

17
 Final Product
TITLE ______________________ ARTIST __________________________

18
 Artist Statement

Questions to think about - How does this artwork represent you? What
art elements have you used and how? What other materials could you have
used? How do the colours used affect the meaning of the artwork?

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

19