Self Portrait Paintings

Proportional drawings using the grid system

Objective:

Learn to mix and apply paint by painting a color wheel.

Supplies:

Color wheel hand out, paint, brush, water cup, pallet, and paper towels.

Vocabulary:

 Inch - A unit of distance measurement equal to 1/12 of a foot, or 1/36 of a yard. To convert inches into centimeters, multiply them by 2.54. To convert square inches into square centimeters, multiply them by 6.4516. To convert cubic inches into cubic centimeters, multiply them by 16.3871. A unit of measurement equal to a thousandth of an inch is a mil. Inch is abbreviated in. or with a " (feet is abbreviated as ft. or with a ').

Proportion - A principle of design, proportion refers to the comparative, proper, or harmonious relationship of one part to another or to the whole with respect to size, quantity, or degree; a ratio. Often proportion is allied with another principle of art, emphasis. For example, if there is a greater number of intense hues than dull hues in a work, emphasis is suggested. For another example, if one figure is made to look larger compared to other figures in a composition, it is said to be out of proportion and is given greater importance.

Grid - A framework or pattern of criss-crossed or parallel lines. A lattice. When criss-crossed, lines are conventionally horizontal and vertical; and when lines are diagonal, they are usually at right angles to each other. Typically graph paper is a grid of lines. Things which are often gridded: tiles, tesselations, wire screens, chess boards, maps, graphs, charts, calendars, and modern street plans.

Parallel - Two or more straight lines or edges on the same plane that do not intersect. Parallel lines have the same direction.

Craftsmanship-A person who practices a craft with great skill; The technique, style, and quality of working. Having a high degree of excellence. The quality of a thing tends to be increased the more care its maker puts into its making.

Target skills:

Craftsmanship

Patience

Rubric: Microsoft Word format

Work Sheets: The Grid Worksheet

Full Instructions

Step #1

Take a close-up photo of the subject. Convert that photo into black and white using a computer program like Photoshop. If using Photoshop, use the "cutout" filter to reduce the amount of shade in the photo. Make the size of the photo a 5x7. Print the photo.

Step #2

Draw a 1/4 inch grid on top of the photo.

Step #3

On a white sheet of paper, draw a grid that has a 1-4 ratio with the photo. If you used 1/4" squares on the photo, use 1" squares on the white paper. Make sure that you draw the grid very lightly.

Step #4

 On the side and top of the girded paper number the squares.

Square by square transfer the information (from the photo) to the larger grid.

By breaking down the drawing into smaller parts, you should be able to make an accurate proportional drawing.

Step #5

Erase the grid lines on the larger version. 

Step #6

Use tempera paints to paint the portrait in a monochromatic color scheme.