Submitted by: Kim Sheek,
Montezuma-Cortez High School, Cortez,
Colorado
UNIT: Drawing - Portrait
Lesson: Tribal (or Ethnic) Self Portrait
Grade Level: High School (may be adapted to middle
school)
See Portrait
Gallery from Saline High School
click images for larger views
Resource:
Kim
Philipsen - Danish born Australian artist. Portraits of
native people. Show for discussion after the art making experience
- connection to contemporary art/artist.
BASIC PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In
this portrait project, you will depict yourself as a member of a
tribe of which you are not actually a member. You will work from a
digital photograph of yourself as well as images that are taken
from an actual tribe, such as the Maasai, the Zulus, etc. Research
the tribe you wish to identify with. By adding features such as
piercings, tattoos, body adornments, hairstyles, etc. that are
indicative of that tribe, you will become a “member” in your
drawing. Why do you identify with that particular cultural group?
What do you admire about these people?
Variation:
Research their own ancestry and do a self portrait reflecting
their own cultural heritage. Students could even invent their own
"tribal look" based on research.
S
STEPS:
This
instructs you step by step on the procedures to follow so you may
successfully complete this project.
1)
Select images from the Internet that you want to use as reference
materials for the additions you are going to make to your
self-portrait. On a search engine such as google.com try words
like, African Tribal Photographs or Universal Tribal Photographs.
Remember when using a search engine, if you don’t find what you
want fairly quickly, alter your choice of words in some way and
then try again. Print the images that you want to use. You will to
use them when drawing your portrait.
2)
Decide what type of expression you want to have on your face. You
might get an idea by looking again at the images you found either
on the net or in a book from the library. It is helpful to look at
the expression right before you are photographed so you can
envision it on your face. You also need to decide how your
face/head need to be positioned before we shot your photograph.
Several shots will be taken.
3)
Do some small, quick, non-detailed thumbnail sketches of your
composite face. This helps you plan it out ahead of time so you
will create the best composition. Remember this is a portrait.
This means head, neck and some shoulder showing.
4)
Once you have completed the previous steps and are ready to start
on your final, lightly sketch the entire composition onto your
final paper. Make sure that you have the correct proportions. This is a realistic portrait. You may want to grid part of
your face to get it just right. The adornments and additions need
to be drawn just as accurately. Use great care and observation in
this step. If you don’t get it correct here, it will not be
correct when it is completed.
5)
Lay in all the correct values. There should be complete whites,
complete blacks and all the values in between. It should look as
close to a photograph when you are done as possible.
6)
Complete the written portion of your SMARTEE*
sheet. Follow the directions so you get credit for your
writing.
7)
Complete the rubric and give yourself a letter grade.
M
MEDIA
materials
used: reference materials (National Geographic, Internet, books),
digital photographs, Bristol board,
Drawing pencils, kneaded erasers
A
ART TERMS
composite,
reference materials, research, value, cultural identity, adornment
R
REQUIREMENTS:
Check
this often to make sure your project includes ALL
of the requirements.
1)
Use reference materials from other tribal cultures.
2) Accurate rendering
throughout the drawing.
3) Self-portrait and
additions work together successfully.
4) The drawing is a portrait only (head, neck and shoulders).
5) There is a complete
range of correct values throughout the drawing.
6) There are smooth
blended transitions between value changes.
7) Written portion of
SMARTEE is completed according to the directions.
8) Rubric is filled out
and a written grade is given.
T
TIME FRAME
Approximately
10 class blocks as well as hours working outside of class.
E
EVALUATION:
Read
the following paragraph and then answer the questions using all
the new terminology in such a way that it is clear you
understand the meaning of each word.
Make sure you actually answer the question that is asked. The
student must complete this section. In this section you write
directly about your work. You should talk about the strengths and
weaknesses; things you could do better; things that are done
exceptionally well.
It
must be legible, both in terms of the actual writing as well as
the intended meaning. Spelling is also important, make sure it is
correct. Your answer tells me about your artwork and your
understanding of the project. Defend
your statements. Just writing phrases such as, “I like
it.” is not good
enough. Why do you like it? You must also give yourself a written
grade. You must use the rubrics provided to help you determine
what grade you deserve. In your writing, you must use complete
sentences.
NEW
TERMS: composite and reference materials
Artists
have done self-portraits for hundreds of years. Artists have
different reasons for working on self-portraits. One reason may be
that if you are an artist, using yourself as the model is easy as
well as cheap. You still get the benefit of learning how to draw a
human face as well as exploring different expressions.
Some
artists depict themselves differently with each portrait. Cindy
Sherman, a contemporary photographer, uses costumes (sometimes
quite elaborate) and takes pictures of herself in ways she feels
women are stereotyped in our society. Her first series of
photographs were less shocking than the type of work she currently
has been doing.
Self-portraits
also are the most challenging for artists. They must look at
themselves and see the “naked truth”. If the portrait is meant
to be recognizable, the artist can not his/her altar physical
features. You must look at yourself and try to disconnect your
feelings about whom you are and what you think you look like. Draw
what you actually see.
1)
Why is it difficult to draw a self-portrait?
2)
What is the most outstanding part of your self-portrait?
Why?
3)
What part are you the least pleased with? Why?
4)
How could you improve this drawing?
E
EVALUATION
Teacher
evaluation: Most comments will be noted on the rubric specifically
designed for and attached to each project’s individual SMARTEE
sheet.
|
Assessment Rubric
|
|
Student Name:
|
Class Period:
|
|
Assignment:
Tribal
Self Portrait
|
Date Completed:
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Circle the
number in pencil that
best shows how well you feel that you completed that
criterion for the assignment.
|
Excellent
|
Good
|
Average
|
Needs
Improvement
|
Rate
Yourself
|
Teacher’s
Rating
|
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Criteria 1 – Collection of reference
material - research
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10
|
9 – 8
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7
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6 or less
|
|
|
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Criteria 2 – Composition - reflecting
culture - authentic adornment
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10
|
9 – 8
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7
|
6 or less
|
|
|
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Criteria 3 – Value rendering - full
range of values - approaches realism
|
10
|
9 – 8
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7
|
6 or less
|
|
|
|
Criteria 4 – Effort: took time to
develop idea & complete project? (Didn’t rush.) Good
use of class time?
|
10
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9 – 8
|
7
|
6 or less
|
|
|
|
Criteria 5 – Craftsmanship – Neat, clean & complete? Skillful use of the
art tools & media?
|
10
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9 – 8
|
7
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6 or less
|
|
|
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Total:
50
(possible
points)
|
Grade:
|
|
|
|
|
Your Total
|
Teacher Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Student
Comments:
Teacher
Comments:
COLORADO
VISUAL ARTS STATE STANDARDS
1)
STUDENTS RECOGNIZE AND USE THE VISUAL ARTS AS A FORM OF
COMMUNICATION.
2) STUDENTS KNOW & APPLY ELEMENTS OF ART, PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
& SENSORY & EXPRESSIVE FEATURES OF VISUAL ARTS.
3) STUDENTS KNOW & APPLY VISUAL ARTS MATERIALS, TOOLS,
TECHNIQUES & PROCESSES.
4)
STUDENTS RELATE THE VISUAL ARTS TO VARIOUS HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL
TRADITIONS.
5)STUDENTS
ANALYZE & EVALUATE THE CHARACTERISTICS, MERITS & MEANINGS
OF WORKS
OF
ART
* SMARTEE
= Steps - Media - Art Vocabulary - Requirements
- Time Frame - Evaluation (student) - Evaluation
(teacher).
NOTE:
If you feel Tribal Self Portraits will offend, change the
title. Kim teaches both Mountain Ute and Navajo Native
Americans and the title did not offend them. The idea is for
students to find distinguishing costuming, markings, hair, body
ornamentation, etc from tribes from around the world that they will use in creating a
self-portrait that depicts them in a new way.
The images sent were all done by juniors in her Advanced Placement
Art 3 class. In AP Three they work on the Breadth portion of the
portfolio.
National
Standards
| 1.
Understanding and applying media, techniques, and
processes |
2.
Using knowledge of structures and functions |
3.
Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter,
symbols, and ideas |
5.
Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and
merits of their work and the work of others |
| Students
apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient
skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions
are carried out in their artworks |
Students
demonstrate the ability to form and defend judgments about
the characteristics and structures to accomplish
commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of art |
Students
reflect on how artworks differ visually, spatially,
temporally, and functionally, and describe how these are
related to history and culture |
Students
identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore
the implications of various purposes, and justify their
analyses of purposes in particular works |
| Students
conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate
an understanding of how the communication of their ideas
relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use |
Students
evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in terms of
organizational structures and functions |
Students
apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and
use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life |
Students
describe meanings of artworks by analyzing how specific
works are created and how they relate to historical and
cultural contexts |
| |
Students
create artworks that use organizational principles and
functions to solve specific visual arts problems |
(Advanced)
Students describe the origins of specific images and ideas
and explain why they are of value in their artwork and in
the work of others |
|
| |
|
Students
evaluate and defend the validity of sources for content
and the manner in which subject matter, symbols, and
images are used in the students' works and in significant
works by others |
|
TRIBAL
SELF-PORTRAITS –Kimberley Sheek © 2005
Added
by Jessica Tackett:
The kids liked the aspect of becoming someone
else through adornment.
Hint: Parallel this lesson with the work of
Chuck Close. There's a video on him painting and using the
grid. I had my kids grid up the digital photo I took and
then quadruple the size of the portrait. They researched,
learned about an artist, and worked on value technique.
(There are other very nice photos on Peter
Gasser's website too).
Note from Kim:
The idea behind this project was not to
create a multi-cultural project. So for those who feel this
doesn't adequately address cultural issues, that's great. That
was not the intention.
By studying people who looked vastly different from themselves,
through tattoos, scarification, body adornment, hair, and even
the expressions, etc. it helped my students to see a way to
depict themselves in some way they had not conceived of before.
I don't think it is that different than the work Cindy Sherman
has done. She is using herself to show the role of women.
Although her work is not intended to be a self-portrait, she
is placing herself in different settings with "props"
to communicate an idea. Obviously this project is not as
conceptual as that but it makes the kids start to think. That is
what I want my kids to do, begin thinking.
This also is not a "grid" project. If students felt
that there was a small area they couldn't get quite right, they
were allowed to grid it if they chose to do so. Most do
not. However, I have been teaching long enough that I am
not an "absolute" or "purist" kind of
person. I let my students experiment and try "what if I did
this" kind of thing. If you, as a teacher, are offended by
a student gridding his/her eye, that's okay. Personally I would
say lighten up and don't take yourself so seriously. Put
yourself back in high school or even your early years of
college. Kids are still struggling with their art and especially
if it is their desire to create a self-portrait that actually
looks like themselves.
If some teachers out there have students that have already
mastered realistic drawing at the end of middle school, that is
awesome. You are very lucky to have students that skilled when
you get them in classes. We do not have art in our school system
until kids are in sixth grade. I often get students in 9th grade
who have had less than one year of very basic art in their
lives. My beginning students still are yearning to just know how
to draw something that is fairly representative. I teach
anything and everything I can to help my students begin to feel
like they love art and are becoming "artists". Art is
wonderful and there is no one who should feel excluded from
being an artist because we create strict rules that not everyone
can adhere to.
[HIGH SCHOOL LESSON PLANS]
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