skip to main content
Open Schooling Navigator
HomeOpen Schooling MaterialsThe Art in STEAM: Transitions from 2D to 3D
2
Research
Preparation time: 30 min
Teaching time: 60 min

Realistic self-portrait

Students will explore and reflect on the experience of creating a self-portrait. They will make a realistic self-portrait following the example of a selfie. By the end of the lesson, students will understand relevant drawing concepts, skills and techniques, such as composition and proportion.

Format

  • Discussion
  • Hands on activity

Age

  • 6-8

What

The possible connections with your curriculum

  • Art
  • Design

Who

The people who take up the teacher role

  • Teacher

Where

The locations where learning takes place

  • Classroom
  • Other spaces in school

With

The community stakeholders to collaborate with

  • Academy

Ready for action?

Resources

Web links

Tangible Resources

Tablet or digital camera for selfies if students don’t have phones, printer, art materials such as paper, pencils, rulers and rubbers.

Human Resources

Art teacher

Preparation

Liaise with art teachers from local secondary school to learn portraiture techniques; prepare materials.

Goals, messages & concepts

Specific goals

  • To create a realistic self-portrait.
  • To experiment with using different artistic mediums (pencil, photography).

Specific messages

  • You can use construction lines to help get the proportions of your drawing accurate.
  • A realistic self-portrait requires careful observation.

Main terms

  • analysis
  • self-portrait
  • selfie
  • proportion
  • construction lines

Practices & skills

STEM practices

  • Analysing and interpreting data

Soft skills

  • Learning failure is a part of learning

Management skills

  • Use of resources

Course of activity

step 1

Introduce the lesson and reflect on the homework assignment ‘Dinner Talk’ survey. What have they learned from others at home? What does your family think of when thinking about art? Who decides what art is?

step 2

Ask students what they think a self portrait is. Discuss what an artist would use to make one (i.e. mirrors). Introduce the theory of drawing in proportion (face, eyes, nose, ears) and using construction lines.

step 3

Create selfies using the instant medium of photography, for comparison against drawing a self-portrait as an artistic medium.

step 4

Students will then draw their own self-portraits.

step 5

Reflect on the drawings:

  • What does the word realistic mean?
  • What is the opposite of realistic?
  • Is your drawing realistic or abstract and why?
  • What part did you start to draw first? Whas it difficult to start?
  • What do you like about your drawing?
  • How does drawing compare to photography?
  • Can you give your drawing a title?