LHS Art Foundations: Self Portraits

STEPS

1. #INQUIRE - RESEARCH Romare Bearden and one more artist that created self-portraits.

Recommendations: Chuck Close, Matisse, Kahlo, Picasso, Van Gogh, Cassatt, Chagall, Monet...

When did they live? What did they create? What does their artwork look like?

Describe, in detail, their art (use the elements and principles and your art vocabulary). #INQUIRE

2. #DESIGN - PLAN your portrait. What expression will you have, and why? What will you wear? What symbolism will you use (color, background, clothing...)?

3. Ms. Rapp takes a photo of you, and prints it. You will use this photo for reference.

You may create a grid with it (or not). #DESIGN

4. PRACTICE in your sketchbook: Facial features & face in proportion. Grid Handout. #DESIGN

5. DRAW in pencil, your portrait. You may use the grid or trace methods. #CREATE

6. Now, comes the fun part! Play with the MEDIA and TECHNIQUES you have learned! #CREATE

Collage, paint, ink, pencil, colored pencil, charcoal.

Combine elements to express who you are!

What COLORS represent your current mood?

What SYMBOLS represent who you are?

What MEDIA can you use?

7. Fill out the REFLECT RUBRIC and participate in a critique. #REFLECT

The Imaginative Self- Portrait

The Self-portrait as a self-study

Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican painter who was married to the muralist, Diego Rivera. When she was a teenager she was in a horrible accident. In her short lifetime she had over thirty surgeries. Much of the time she was bed-ridden, so she created dozens of self-portraits. A focus on self-portraits may have been because of the closeness of her subject, but it was also to sort out strong emotions regarding her husband and the pain she endured. Her work is very expressive, open, and while it is imaginative, it is brutally honest.

Rembrandt was the first artist to intensely study the self through art, he sketched his own face thousands of times and created 60 self portraits to depict HIS own history.

*Remember: there were no cameras back then, so the only way to capture the self image was through ART: painting, drawing and sculpting.

Vincent Van Gogh's portraits were mostly painted over a span of two years. His portraits may portray him as a man struggling with life, and searching for answers through his paintings. Each of his portraits portray shock, disturbance, tranquility or confusion. Here is his portrait with his infamous bandaged ear. What emotions is he showing?

Throughout the world identity and relationships are expressed through representation.

Lee Quede

Egon Schiele

LaToya Hobbs

borrowed from http://userpages.umbc.edu/~ivy/selfportrait/study.html

Symbolism?

Facial expression? Background?

Cultural Identity - Sense of Self

Sketchbook Work #INQUIRE #DESIGN

How do people in our culture express identity?

Can people have multiple identities? No identity?

Brainstorm symbols for YOUR IDENTITY. Who are you? What represents you? Religion? Clothing? Friend group? Interests? Plans? Family?

Why self-portraits?

The Self-Portrait as a presentation of self

Our project...

Mixed Media Self-Portraits!

Why do artists create self-portraits?

Our Artist: Romare Bearden

What do you imagine for YOUR self-portrait?

Albert Hule

How real is a self-portrait?

Juliette Jourdain

Tai-Shan Schierenberg

Paul Gauguin

REQUIREMENTS

Romare Bearden was an African-American artist that is known for his mixed media artwork. That's our medium for this project!

Student Examples

* These portraits show more of what's on the outside, than what is on the inside.

1. Mixed Media Portrait.

2. Value & Texture - Use value & texture to create detail and form.

3. Symbolism - Include at least one meaningful symbol. COLOR can be a symbol if used intentionally.

4. Mixed Media - Use at least two different kinds of media: pencil, ink, sharpie, colored pencil, paint, collage.

5. HALF of your portrait must be DRAWN and the other HALF must be mixed media. The WHOLE paper must be filled.

No white space unless intentional/painted in (use of negative space).

6. Craftsmanship - Attention to detail, erase pencil marks, no folds or creases in paper. Complete. Best effort and use of class time.

"The Dove" was created in 1964 by Romare Bearden.

During his lifetime, while living in the south, he experienced the unjustness of the "Jim Crow Laws." His family, along with many others, migrated north.

This collage has lot of components. We see the busy, everyday life in a neighborhood.

"Maudell Sleet’s Magic Garden"

Romare Bearden fondly remembers a neighbor and her gardening in this collage. Notice the contrast between the warm and cool colors.

Bearden celebrates folk music and the blues with this collage. Notice the many colors, patterns, and shapes!

Technique: The GRID!

THE SELF-PORTRAIT

The Figurative Self- Portrait

But... I don't know how to draw!

Never fear! That's why you are here! There are techniques you can learn that help you draw realistically! We've already learned about gridding, and it's a technique you can use in this project. You may also use face mapping, shading, and all the other techniques learned.

Jackson Pollock took abstraction to a new level.

Human figures are no longer represented, but this work is still deeply emotional and revealing.

The scatter and drippings of the paint are thrown on in such a way, we can catch a glimpse of Pollock's feelings.

Deep Thoughts...

REVIEW

Value: Hatching/Cross-Hatching/Stippling

* What emotions is Pollock trying to convey in this piece? Would you say he was happy while creating this piece? What about this painting gives you clues to his emotions?

What is a selfie?

What is the difference

between a self-portrait

and a selfie?

What is personal expression?