Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling great.

My name's Ms. Afzal and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

Our lesson is going to be quite interesting, I hope you'll find, because we are exploring portraits through paint.

Our lesson is called "Exploring portraits through paint" and it comes from the unit of work "Identity: exploring portraiture." So we're gonna be exploring, which will require some curiosity, some focus, some enthusiasm, and of course, some paint.

So, if you have those things ready, we'll begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can use a limited colour palette to paint a portrait.

Yes, we are going to be painting portraits.

We have some keywords in our lesson today, let's go through them.

Subject, mood, and proportion.

So, what do these words mean? Subject is the focus, topic, or image of an artwork.

E.

g.

in a portrait, the subject is the person who has been painted.

Mood, the feeling or emotion a piece of art gives you, like happy, calm, or sad.

Proportion, the size of one part of something compared to another part, especially how facial features, body parts, or objects fit together.

So these are our keywords, subject, mood, and proportion.

Let's look out and listen out for them.

Our lesson is called "Exploring portraits through paint" and it consists of three learning cycles.

First of all, "Experimenting with paint qualities." Next, "Interpreting the face." And finally, "Expressing mood with limited colour." Are you ready to begin? "Experimenting with paint qualities." The painted portrait is understood to have originated in Ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago, and we can see some restored wall paintings in Tutankhamun's tomb, wow.

Portraits have evolved through art from realistic depictions to more emotional representations of a subject.

Paint allows artists to explore texture, colour, and form; emotion, mood, and personality.

The versatility of paint means artists can create both realistic and abstract interpretations of the same subject.

Do you know any local portrait artists? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding, true or false? The painted portrait only focuses on realism and proportion when depicting the subject.

Pause the video and decide whether this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

Now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause the video while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

While many portraits aim for realism, painting also allows for abstract and emotional interpretations, capturing the subject's personality, mood, and deeper meaning beyond physical appearance.

Well done for sharing your ideas.

So what types of paints do artists use and what makes each one unique? Pause the video and share with someone any different kinds of paint that you know about.

Thanks for sharing, we're gonna hear more about some different kinds of paint.

Alex says, "I've used ink paint before.

It's fun, but kind of hard to control." Good point, and Jun.

"I've heard of acrylic and watercolour paint, but I'm not sure what the difference is." Well done if you had some of these ideas as well.

So, what makes each paint type special? Acrylic, this is a plastic-based and water-soluble paint.

It dries quickly and works well for both thin layers and thick textures.

Watercolour, this is transparent and fluid, great for soft washes and layering light colours.

Ink, water or alcohol-based, great for fluid brush technique and bold lines.

And water mixable oil.

Paint looks like traditional oil paint, but can be mixed and cleaned with water instead of harsh chemicals.

Pause the video and share with someone, have you used any of these paint types? And if so, which was your favourite? Thanks for sharing your ideas and preferences.

I really love all of them, but I very much enjoyed working with ink.

Let's have a check for understanding.

The qualities of acrylic paint are, A, transparent and fluid, great for soft washes and layering light colours; B, thick, takes a long time to dry, and allows artists to create rich colours and detailed layers; C, plastic-based and water-soluble, dries quickly and works well for both thin layers and thick textures.

Pause the video while you decide which of these describes the qualities of acrylic paint.

Well done if you selected C.

Indeed, acrylic paint is plastic-based, it's water-soluble, it dries quickly and it works well for both thin layers and thick textures.

Well done if you selected this answer.

Which techniques could you use to express a subject's emotions using paint? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Let's hear some, here's Aisha.

"I think using bold, messy brushstrokes could show strong emotions, like anger or frustration." And Jacob, "You could change the colours to match the mood, like cooler tones for sadness, or bright warm colours for happiness." Some great ideas, I wonder if they were similar to yours.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to choose a paint medium to work with, such as acrylic, watercolour, or ink.

Experiment with brushes.

Try both flat and round brushes in different sizes.

See what kind of marks they make.

Use a limited colour palette.

Choose two colours only and explore how many tones you can make from light to dark.

Play with brushstrokes by try scrubbing, smooth strokes, thin lines, and thick lines.

Noticing how pressure, brush shape, and paint thickness change the look.

Pause the video while you have a go at choosing a paint medium to work with and experimenting.

I'll see you when you're finished.

All right, it's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with choosing a paint medium to work with such as acrylic, watercolour, or ink? Your work may have looked like this, look at these fantastic experimentations.

Here's Sam, "I used burnt umber and yellow acrylic paint.

I enjoyed testing how I could create different tones using just two colours." I love that.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, "Interpreting the face." Izzy and Alex are discussing what artists often consider when creating a portrait.

"Making the proportions of the portrait look lifelike, like it could move." Great point, "And trying to capture the subject's unique characteristics." Love those ideas.

All drawing and painting involves choice.

Before creating a portrait, deciding what and how to paint can be challenging.

Each artist's goal can be different.

Some focus on capturing a likeness, others on expressing personality, mood, or even deeper ideas.

Pause the video and share with someone.

If you were to create a portrait, what would you be more interested in doing? Capturing a likeness, expressing personality, mood, or deeper ideas? Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding, true or false? There's no single correct way to make a portrait.

Pause the video while you decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause the video while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

There are many different ways to create a portrait.

It depends on the artist's intention, style, and approach.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, artists developed tools to help them draw more lifelike images.

Artists used tools like the camera obscura and camera lucida to help them draw more accurately.

The camera obscura, we can see one on the screen there, projected a scene onto a surface to trace, while the camera lucida let artists see the subject and paper at once to guide their drawing.

Today, artists use tools such as digital tools and drawing apps, projectors and tracing techniques.

In creative careers such as scenic art, where an artist paints huge backdrops for theatre or film, projection is a very useful tool that is used to save time and help scale up images onto large areas.

Another common tool artists use is facial guidelines, simple lines that help position features in proportion to each other.

These guidelines provide a framework.

For example, the eyes are typically positioned halfway down the head, with the space between them roughly equal to the width of one eye.

A framework can be really helpful when learning to draw faces.

But frameworks can oversimplify the face and many come from a Western tradition, so they might not reflect every face accurately.

And if not adapted carefully, portraits can end up looking flat or too formulaic.

So there's pros and cons.

Check for understanding.

What is a possible limitation of using a portrait framework? Is it A, it helps artists draw more accurately; B, it can make portraits look more realistic; C, it can oversimplify the face with formulaic results; or D, it reflects all cultural traditions equally? Pause the video while you decide what is a possible limitation of using a portrait framework.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Indeed, using a portrait framework can oversimplify the face with formulaic results.

While many artists use these methods to maintain balance and accuracy, it's important to note that these methods are not static.

Artists may approach creating a portrait by breaking down the face into simple shapes, adjusting proportions based on their artistic vision.

Artists breaking or bending conventions include Joy Labinjo, who uses bold colours and simplified shapes to explore personal and cultural themes, often moving away from strict realism.

Barbara Walker, who creates large-scale drawings that fade or distort features to highlight absence, identity, and overlooked histories.

Jonathan Yeo, who's a portrait painter and often judges on the competition "Portrait Artist of the Year." He combines realistic portraiture with expressive brushwork, showing that a likeness doesn't have to mean detail.

There's a number of artists who are breaking or bending conventions when it comes to portraiture.

Many portraits fall between traditional methods and expressive personal approaches.

It's a good idea to experiment and find the techniques that suit you best.

Remember, you don't have to draw the entire head.

Feel free to focus on individual features, such as eyes, noses, or mouths.

You can also use digital programmes to simplify shapes and shadows in your portrait.

The threshold tool in digital image editing software can help break down complex facial features into clear contrasts.

So you just need to upload your photo and select threshold.

Check for understanding.

What advice would you give to someone starting their first portrait? Is it A, always copy someone else's style exactly; B, only use one method because changing techniques can ruin your work; or C, it's a good idea to experiment and find the techniques that suit you best.

Pause the video while you decide what advice you would give to someone starting their first portrait.

Well done if you selected answer C.

Yes, it's a good idea to experiment and find the techniques that suit you best when you're starting out in portraiture.

And now it's time for your task.

I would like you to sketch out your chosen portrait using a method that suits you.

You might choose to use freehand drawing, facial guidelines, digital apps, projection, or tracing.

And next I'd like you to reflect on which portrait method you chose and any challenges you overcame.

So pause the video while you have a go at this task.

Okay, it's good to be back with you.

How did you get on with your tasks, sketching out your chosen portrait using a method that suits you? Your work may have looked like this, fantastic portrait.

And here's Sofia.

"I drew my portrait by starting with a lightly-drawn facial frame.

I looked carefully at my reference photo to record the proportions and individual characteristics." Did a great job there.

"I also tried an editing programme to simplify my portrait before tracing it.

Some details were hard to see, so I held the printout against a window to help.

Others traced straight from a computer screen or used a light box." And now we're onto our final learning cycle, "Expressing mood with limited colour." Izzy and Alex are discussing what portraits can tell us about a person besides their appearance.

What do you think? Pause the video and share with someone.

Here's some ideas.

"Portraits can show how someone feels and what kind of person they are." "A portrait can tell us about the mood of the subject and how the artist sees the subject." Perhaps you had ideas like these.

Using just two colours in a portrait can create striking results.

Limiting your colour palette helps focus on tone, contrast, and can reflect the mood of the subject.

Which colours best express these different emotions? Calm, anger, joy, or sadness.

Pause the video and share with someone.

Laura says, "I think this could be different for everyone, but a calm and joyful colour for me is yellow." Yeah, really nice for sharing that.

Calm, sometimes people can find green quite calming, anger is often represented by red, and sadness can sometimes be blue.

But also I find blue quite calming as well, so, as Laura said, these can be different for everyone.

Leonardo da Vinci used limited colours to make his portrait of the "Mona Lisa" feel more realistic and emotional and to help viewers focus on expression and mood.

So here are some of the techniques used in "Mona Lisa." Soft, warm tones create a calm and peaceful effect.

Sfumato, gentle shading, makes her look dreamy and lifelike.

And no harsh lines or bright colours create a quiet, mysterious feeling.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following is not a reason an artist might choose to use only two colours in a portrait? A, to focus on tone and contrast.

B, to create a specific mood or emotional atmosphere.

C, to make the portrait look more realistic.

Pause the video while you decide which of these is not a reason an artist might choose to use only two colours in a portrait.

Well done if you selected answer C, to make the portrait look more realistic.

Painting in stages can help build your portrait using a limited colour palette.

First of all, block in the background.

Choose a colour that supports the mood.

Block in the darkest areas.

Look at where the shadows fall and start with big shapes.

And then add more shadow detail.

Use brushstrokes that follow the shape of the face.

Consider direction and flow.

So here we are, first of all, block in the background.

Choose a colour that supports the mood.

Mix your paint to create a midtone of your chosen colour.

And experiment with different brush sizes and apply the paint in different directions.

Using a scrubbing motion can be especially effective.

Next, block in the darkest areas.

Look at where the shadows fall and start with big shapes.

Establish the darkest areas using a single raw colour.

Where tones are very similar, keep them as one solid shape instead of trying to separate them.

And next, fill in areas of light and shade.

Use a smaller brush to add details to the face.

Add midtones to soften the shadows and suggest the form of the face.

Use brushstrokes that follow the shape of the face, consider direction and flow.

Check for understanding.

Painting in stages can help build your portrait using a limited colour palette.

Put these stages in the correct order.

Add more shadow detail.

Block in the background.

Block in the darkest areas.

Pause the video while you put these stages in the correct order.

So here's the correct order.

First of all, block in the background.

Next, block in the darkest areas.

And finally, add more shadow detail.

Well done if you put them in this order.

And now it's time for your final task.

I would like you to develop your portrait from Task B by applying a limited colour palette.

Choose two colours and paint your portrait in layers.

First of all, start with the background.

Next, build up dark tones.

And then, add shadow with brush direction in mind.

When you've completed your portrait, I would like you to reflect, which two colours did you choose and why? And what mood and emotion did they bring to your portrait? So pause here while you have a go at developing your portrait.

I'll see you when you're finished.

So how did you get on with developing your portrait from Task B by applying a limited colour palette? Your work may have looked fabulous, like this one here on the screen, here's Sofia.

"I chose to work on my digitally-manipulated portrait and used burnt umber and yellow as my limited colour scheme to create an old-fashioned, nostalgic mood." Oh yes, I think you've captured that, Sofia, and well done, everyone, for having a go at this task.

In our lesson "Exploring portraits through paint" we've covered the following.

Painted portraits have a long history and help artists express the subject's personality, identity and story.

Artists use mood, colour, and brushwork to create feeling and emotion in a portrait.

Proportion helps guide facial placement but can be adapted for personal or expressive effect.

There's no single correct way to paint a portrait.

Experimenting with tools, colour, and style helps you find your own approach.

Well done, everyone, for finding your approach and painting your portrait the way that you chose to.

It was great to explore the long history of portraiture, looking at some of the different kinds of paint that can be used and looking at proportion, and then coming up with your final portrait.

I'm proud of what you've done, I hope you're feeling that way too, and I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.