Impressionistic Self-Portrait

Lesson Summary

In this project, students will illustrate a self-portrait in an impressionistic painting style. They will learn how to identify characteristics of impressionistic artwork and demonstrate craftsmanship through the application of the painting technique. Self-portrait painting is an advanced academic art exercise that is introduced to art students later in their teenage years.

Lesson Objectives

Students will paint a self-portrait that depicts a deep likeness of themselves. They will practice mindfulness to gain self-awareness of their thoughts and feelings. They will paint their self-portraits using visible strokes of colors to communicate emotional depth. The aim is to convey a deeper likeness of themselves that cannot be captured in a photograph.

Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, Vincent Van Gogh created about 2,100 artworks. Over the course of 10 years, van Gogh created more than 43 self-portraits. "I am looking for a deeper likeness than that obtained by a photographer," he wrote to his sister

About Impressionism

Impressionism is a 19th-century art movement characterized by small, thin, visible brush strokes. It puts emphasis on an accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities. Impressionism originated with a group of Paris-based artists during the 1870s and 1880s.

Self-Reflection

Close your eyes for a minute and calmly pay attention to your body. How are you feeling right now? Happy, excited, angry or worried?
Is there a strong emotion inside of you that you have difficulty in expressing ? What kind of feeling is it?
What feelings do you want to convey in your self-portrait? What colors best express those emotions?

Materials Needed

color paper
oil pastels
color pencils

What to do

Composition. Lightly sketch the layout of your self-portrait. Make sure it includes your entire head and some of your upper torso.
Sketch in your facial features. Lightly sketch your facial features until you get the lines the way you want. Do not overly focus on a single part of the face such as the eyes, nose or mouth. Instead, focus on the entire head. Make sure your face expression conveys the emotion that you want.
Refine your pencil lines. Once you are satisfied with your drawing, darken your pencil lines and erase any unwanted ones.
Paint. Apply many short, small strokes that follows the contours of your face. Use colors to help reflect the emotions that you want to convey.
Background. Paint a background to enhance the mood by applying a similar technique.
Refinement. Take a step back to critique your artwork. Where can you make improvements? Add more colors if you think it will help you convey the feelings that you want.

Student Work: Portrait Pattern Collage

Terminology (Edit)

Collage: An artistic composition made by gluing various materials like paper, photos, or fabric onto a surface.
Mixed Media: Artworks composed from a combination of different media or materials.
Pattern: A repeated decorative design.
Improvisation: The act of creating spontaneously without pre-planning.
Outline: Drawing the external edges of a shape or figure.
Medium: The materials or tools used by an artist to create a work of art.

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