Self-Portrait Pattern Collage

[3–4 classes, 80 min each]

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students will create a "Self-Portrait Pattern Collage" using a photo of themselves as the foundation, combined with other images and hand-drawn patterns to express a hidden side of themselves — something not immediately visible to others. The photo stays grounded in likeness, while everything built around it becomes symbolic: broken into shapes filled with pattern, imagery, and color that reveal something deeper about who the student is. This is an experimental, improvisational project — rather than working from thumbnail sketches, students will design and refine their imagery as they go, drawing on techniques and materials built up over the semester.

Lesson Objectives

Create a finished "Self-Portrait Pattern Collage" that combines a self-photo with imagery expressing a hidden or lesser-known side of yourself.
Use pattern, image selection, and color symbolically, rather than just decoratively.
Experiment with new ideas, techniques, and materials in an unplanned, improvisational way.
Combine and apply a range of art techniques learned throughout the semester into one cohesive piece.

Picasso, Multiple Viewpoints, and the Hidden Self

This project takes its spirit from Picasso's Cubist portraits, which famously show a face from several angles or viewpoints at once — as if no single perspective could capture the whole truth of a person. This lesson borrows that idea and turns it inward: your photographic self is only one visible layer, so the rest of the piece is built from images and patterns that reveal a side of you a photo alone can't show — a private interest, a feeling, a memory, a part of your personality others might not expect. Like Picasso breaking a face into simultaneous perspectives, you'll be breaking your portrait into a real likeness and a hidden, symbolic one, shown side by side in the same piece.

Builds on: Ink Pattern Illustration, Portrait Drawing

Discussion Brainstorm

What's a side of yourself that most people don't see right away — an interest, a feeling, a memory, or a trait? Why do you think it stays hidden?
If that hidden side of you were a color, pattern, or texture, what would it look like?
What images — from magazines, photos, or your own drawings — might represent that hidden side symbolically, without spelling it out directly?
Which parts of your photographic self do you want to keep clearly visible, and which parts do you want to break apart or cover with pattern and imagery?
How do you feel about working without preliminary sketches? Do you think it will make the process feel more free, or more challenging?
What materials and techniques are you most excited to use? Why do they appeal to you, and how might they help express this hidden side?

You'll Need

Project sketchbook
A photo of yourself
Magazines or other printed images (for cutouts representing your hidden side)
Black permanent markers
Color markers
Colored paper
Paint
Utility knife and cutting mat
Glue stick or adhesive

What to Do

This is a deliberately unplanned project — no thumbnails, no preliminary sketches. Work directly on your final piece and let the patterns develop as you go.

Photo and Layout. Choose a photo of yourself and lay it out on your illustration paper. This photo is your visible, recognizable self — the anchor for the rest of the piece.
Identify Your Hidden Side. Using your brainstorm answers, decide what hidden side of yourself you want to express, and which parts of your photo you'll keep exposed versus cover or break apart.
Background and Shape Design. Draw a background and additional shapes around (and possibly over) your photo, breaking the composition into distinct sections. These shapes are where your hidden side will come through.
Gather and Place Images. Search magazines or other printed sources for images that symbolically represent your hidden side. Cut them out and test different placements around and over your photo before gluing anything down.
Pattern Drawing. Outline your remaining shapes in marker and fill them with hand-drawn pattern, using imagery and motifs that reinforce the hidden side you're expressing. Test each pattern on scrap paper first.
Adding Color. Add color with markers or paint, choosing colors that reinforce the mood or meaning of your hidden side.
Experiment and Improvise. Keep experimenting as you go — layer in more cutouts, try new pattern ideas, or bring in other materials. Test anything new on scrap paper before adding it to your final piece.

Final Notes

Embrace the experimental nature of this project. Some ideas will work well, others won't — the goal is to explore and learn from the process itself. Stay open to unexpected outcomes; the final piece should be a unique blend of your own skills and creativity.

Terminology

Collage — An artistic composition made by gluing various materials, like paper, photos, or fabric, onto a surface.
Mixed Media — Artwork composed from a combination of different media or materials.
Pattern — A repeated or coordinated decorative design.
Improvisation — The act of creating spontaneously, without pre-planning.
Symbolism — The use of images, colors, or forms to represent deeper meanings.
Outline — Drawing the external edges of a shape or figure.
Medium — The materials or tools an artist uses to create a work of art.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse