SELF PORTRAIT



    MATERIALS NEEDED


  • pencil
  • paper
  • eraser
  • mirror



    OBJECTIVES
    Use some simple rules to draw a realistic self portrait



    DIRECTIONS

    STEP 1
    WHAT TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE BEGINNING

  • Before beginning, look around you at all the faces you see. Everyone has basically the same combination of features. Faces are composed of a pair of eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears and a thatch of hair. It is because of these similarities that we recognize each other as human beings and not as chickens or gazelles.

    But, that is where the similarity stops and people become individuals. Everyone has a slightly different arrangement of nose, eyes and mouth. Notice how some people have long thin faces, some have rather round faces. Other faces are narrow at the bottom and wider across the forehead. Younger people have very smooth skin and older people have lines around their eyes and mouth.

    Some people have small smiles and others have big,wide smiles. Finally, it is the hair that often makes a definite statement about a person.

  • Before the camera was invented, it was the job of the artist to preserve the image of a person. Sitting for a portrait was a lengthy and expensive way to preserve a face in history. But, many well-to-do people did just that. Often the portrait included not only the head and shoulders of the person but also a few objects or even a landscape that had particular meaning to the subject of the painting.

    STEP 2
    First look in the mirror and decide if your face is basically round or oval shaped. Is your skin smooth or lined? Does your hair fall over your forehead or is it pulled away from your face?

    STEP 3

    As you look in the mirror think about the following. Your eyes are approximately half way from the top of your head to your chin. Measure this if you do not believe it.

    You will notice these same proportions. The distance between the eyes is approximately as wide as one of the eyes. The mouth is in the lower quarter of the face. The ears are located roughly between the midpoint of the eye and the midline of the lips.

    Notice how these proportions are true even in this abstract portrait.

    STEP 4
    Draw an oval to represent your face. It should take up most of your paper and be about the same size as your real head. Draw a cylindrical shape under your head to represent your neck. It should be almost as wide as your head. Remember that your head is the heaviest part of your body. It is full of so many brains. Therefore, it needs a good strong neck to hold it up. Draw two curved lines to represent your shoulders. They should be under the cylindar Make these lines go off the paper. Your shoulders are wide, and they should appear to be big and strong.

    STEP 5
    Draw a light line across the midpoint of this oval that you have drawn for your face. On the line draw your eyes. Remember that there should not be more than one eye width between them. Look again at the mirror. Are you drawing what your eyes look like or what you think they look like? Divide the space between your eyes and your chin in half. Draw another light line across the oval. Under this line draw your mouth. Look again at the mirror. Is your mouth large and full or are your lips thin?

    STEP 6
    Look at your nose in the mirror. Compare the size of your nose to your mouth. Approximately where is it located in relation to your eyes and your mouth? Does your nose have a line all around it? It doesn't and you do not have to draw a line around it. You can define the sides of your nose with shading. The bridge of your nose is the highest point on your face and catches the most light. It will stay the lightest and the sides of the nose will be shaded in.

    STEP 7
    Begin to draw your hair. Don't get sloppy at this point. Carefully draw in the hair that you see. Your hair is your "crowning glory." It makes a statement that sets you apart from everyone else. Draw it carefully. Have you combed your hair lately? Even if you have, notice that the hairs do not all go the same way. Draw what you see not what you think you see.

    STEP 8
    Add shading to define your features. Notice the shadows on your mouth, under your eyes, and on the sides of your nose. Notice that the lightest places are the bridge of your nose and the tip of your chin. Make all other areas shades of gray. Look at how the light changes the look of your hair. How can you shade this to make it look the same way? Shade the area on your neck under your face slightly darker than your face because it is shaded by your chin.

    STEP 9
    You are almost finished. These are the final details. Add a collar and complete the portrait by drawing the fabric of your shirt. Draw and shade the wrinkles just as you did your backpack.


    RESOURCES

    Find examples of portraits by the following artists:
  • REMBRANT:
  • DA VINCI:
  • THE MONA LISA BY DA VINCI:
  • MODIGLIANI

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