Exploring Self-Portraits

Year Group: Year 9

Subject: Art and Design

Focus: Self-Portrait Project (Lesson 1 of Term Progression Series)

Length: 45 minutes

Curriculum Area: Key Stage 3, Art & Design

National Curriculum for England Aims met:

• Produce creative work, exploring ideas and recording experiences.
• Develop proficiency in drawing techniques.
• Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art.
• Know about great artists, craft makers, and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

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Lesson Objective

To build foundational self-portrait drawing skills through observation, proportion, and tonal shading, alongside critical engagement with self-portrait examples from significant artists.

Key Questions

• What is a self-portrait, and why do artists create them?
• How do proportion and observation enhance realism?
• Can self-portraits communicate emotions or ideas beyond physical appearance?

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Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students should:

1. Understand and identify key proportions of the face (e.g., eye level, facial symmetry).
2. Begin a self-portrait sketch with tentative lines and light shading.
3. Discuss the work of one relevant artist and consider how their self-portrait conveys emotion or personality.

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Resources Required

• A4 Sketchbooks
• Graphite pencils (varied grades, e.g., HB, 2B, 4B)
• Erasers and sharpeners
• Printed image resources of self-portraits by Frida Kahlo, Van Gogh, Chuck Close, and Kehinde Wiley
• Printed graphic handout for facial proportions
• Mirrors for self-observation

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Starter (5-7 minutes)

Stimulus Discussion with Visual Examples

1. Begin by showing visual examples of self-portraits by Frida Kahlo, Van Gogh, Chuck Close, and Kehinde Wiley.

   • Briefly describe each artist's unique style (e.g., Kahlo’s emotional symbolism, Van Gogh’s textured brushstrokes, Close’s hyper-realism, Wiley’s modern reinterpretations).
   • Question for reflection: "What do these self-portraits suggest about the personality or emotions of the artist?"

2. Encourage students to think of a self-portrait as not just a realistic image, but also a creative way to express themselves.

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Main Activity (30 minutes)

Step 1: Understanding Facial Proportions (10 minutes)

Teacher-Led Demonstration

• Distribute the printed proportion handouts. Show students how to map out facial proportions lightly on their page:

  1. Vertical and horizontal guidelines for facial symmetry.
  2. Eye line horizontally drawn halfway down the face.
  3. Placement of nose, mouth, and ears in proportion to the eyes.

• Emphasise starting with light sketch lines to leave room for adjustment as they work on proportions.

Student Application

• Students practice drawing just the guideline structure for their own faces using mirrors as references.
• Teacher circulates to give immediate, targeted feedback.

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Step 2: Observational Drawing and Focusing on Detail (20 minutes)

Teacher-Led Instructions

• Guide students to start sketching their own features within the mapped guidelines.
• Prompt them to carefully observe shapes and contour lines (e.g., eye shape is not a perfect oval; lips have a subtle curve).
• Introduce basic tonal shading, demonstrating how light and shadow give dimension by building strokes gradually. Use simple hatching or crosshatching techniques based on skill levels.

Independent Work with Teacher Guidance

• Students sketch their faces, focusing on one feature at a time (e.g., start with the eyes, move to the nose, then lips).
• Teacher provides formative feedback to individual students, giving encouragement alongside technical tips (e.g., “Focus on the shape of the mouth’s shadow—this will make it look more three-dimensional”).

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Plenary (8 minutes)

Group Reflection and Discussion

1. Ask students to stop and place their work in the centre of the table to view collectively. Each student gives a brief comment about their progress or a challenge they encountered.

   • Example prompts:
     • “What part of the face do you feel you captured well today?”
     • “Which step was hardest to attempt, and why?”

2. Teacher summarises: self-portraiture is not about perfection but careful observation and creative expression. Highlight how each student is building skills foundational to future lessons.

Link to Next Lesson:

• Explain that in the next session, students will further refine their sketches and begin experimenting with expressive techniques to convey emotion or mood in their portraits.

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Differentiation

• For Advanced Learners: Encourage exploration of more accurate shading techniques, such as layering tonal values. Discuss how to stylise their self-portrait if they’re confident with realism.
• For Students Needing Support: Provide more teacher guidance during the proportion/drawing stages. Use simplified step-by-step language when explaining concepts.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through observation and one-to-one feedback during the activity.
• Peer discussion in the plenary to gauge understanding of challenges and successes.
• Informal evaluation of initial sketches to track progress for subsequent lessons.

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Homework/Extension (Optional)

Ask students to research another self-portrait artist of their choice (e.g., Lucian Freud or Cindy Sherman) and write one paragraph about the style, mood, and meaning behind the artist’s work.

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This lesson plan aligns with the Key Stage 3 Art & Design Framework, helping students build technical skills, analytical thinking about art, and confidence in exploring their own identity through creative expression. The focus on foundational skills in this session ensures that students are well-prepared to tackle more challenging aspects of self-portraiture later in the term.