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Year 9

Using portraiture to reveal and conceal identities

I can play with negative space and mark-making to create an expressive portrait.

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New
New
Year 9

Using portraiture to reveal and conceal identities

I can play with negative space and mark-making to create an expressive portrait.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Portraits often reveal how a person looks, but artists can also create portraits that conceal their physical appearance.
  2. Portraits can challenge us to look at people from different perspectives rather than traditional representations.
  3. Negative space portraits can help to reveal other aspects of identity.
  4. Playing with materials to express emotions can bring our feelings to the forefront of our portraits.

Keywords

  • Conceal - to hide or obscure parts of something

  • Reveal - to show or uncover something that might not be obvious

  • Positive space - the area occupied by the main subject

  • Negative space - the empty area around or within a subject in an artwork

  • Silhouette - a dark shape or outline usually filled with black

Common misconception

Negative space just means there’s nothing there — it’s empty or unfinished

Negative space may look ‘empty,’ but artists use it intentionally to draw attention elsewhere — it helps us focus on shape, emotion, or story without showing everything. It’s a powerful choice, not a mistake.


To help you plan your year 9 art and design lesson on: Using portraiture to reveal and conceal identities, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage students to focus on shape over detail when working with silhouettes and negative space — this helps shift their thinking from “drawing a person” to “observing shapes,” which can improve observation and creativity.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Paper, scissors, glue sticks, black paint or ink, brushes, water pots, palettes, pencils, coloured pencils, felt tips, collage materials, optional unusual materials (e.g. coffee, tea), silhouettes.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Portraits can tells us about the without including a figure or face.
Correct Answer: subject, sitter, model, person
Q2.
Match the following definitions with the correct terms.
Correct Answer:positive space,the area occupied by the main subject

the area occupied by the main subject

Correct Answer:negative space,the empty area around or within a subject in an artwork

the empty area around or within a subject in an artwork

Correct Answer:conceal,to hide or obscure parts of something

to hide or obscure parts of something

Correct Answer:reveal,to show or uncover something that might not be obvious

to show or uncover something that might not be obvious

Q3.
What is the definition of a silhouette?
a detailed drawing of a person’s face
Correct answer: a dark shape or outline filled with black
a colourful portrait with visible features
a background pattern in a painting
Q4.
What does it mean to interpret an artwork?
to copy the style or technique used by the artist in the artwork
to describe the visual elements in the work without offering deeper meaning
Correct answer: to explore the meaning or message behind the artwork in your own way
to present the art work in a gallery or museum for exhibition
Q5.
What does the term 'composition' refer to in visual art?
the artist’s technique for blending colours
the choice of materials used in an artwork
the emotional theme or message of the artwork
Correct answer: the way artists arrange visual elements within the artwork
Q6.
How does the composition of an artwork affect its meaning?
It determines the colour palette used.
Correct answer: It guides the viewer's eye to what stands out.
It has no effect on how the viewer interprets the work.
It only affects the size of the artwork.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Traditional portraits show a person’s face and mood through their ...
Correct Answer: expression, body language, background, clothing, pose
Q2.
By manipulating what to conceal or reveal artists can challenge traditional ...
Correct Answer: stereotypes, generalisations, bias, viewpoints
Q3.
How does layering serve as a method for exploring portraiture?
by focusing on realistic depictions of the subject's face
by emphasising only the subject's physical features
Correct answer: by concealing and revealing aspects of identity through materials
by using abstract shapes to convey emotional expression
Q4.
What is the impact of a background on an expressive portrait?
It fills empty space with colour.
It distracts from the main figure.
Correct answer: It can add mood, context, or story.
It always shows where the person is.
Q5.
What is a visual cue in art?
a written label next to an artwork
a sound that helps explain the piece
Correct answer: something we can see that gives us information
a texture you can touch on the surface
Q6.
What is the difference between positive and negative space in art?
Positive space moves; negative space stays still.
Positive space is where the artist makes mistakes.
Positive space is colourful; negative space is black.
Correct answer: Positive space is the subject; negative space is the background.

Additional material

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