Self-portraits

A self-portrait is a picture or some kind of representation of yourself. Almost any media can be used. Most artists have depicted themselves in self-portraits during their lives. These portraits often do more than simply show us what the artists look like "visually" and they can say many other things about an artist - what his mood is, what he thinks of himself, what he would like himself to be, for instance. Drawing a picture of yourself can be a very worthwhile experience. You are a readily available artist's model. One way to do it can be with just a pencil or a crayon, some paper and a mirror. Other ways can be with materials such as clay, plaster, or by not even using a mirror, but by touching our own faces.

Trying doing it the easy way. Look at your face closely in the mirror. The things that make you look individual are the shape of your nose, creases and hollows in your face, the shape your eyes and your hair. Your eyes are about midway between the top of your head and the bottom of your chin. In fact, the face part is quite small.

A good way to start is from the centre of your face. Draw your nose. This can be done by leaving one side blank and just a line down the other side and at the bottom where the nostrils are. It can be joined to one of the curves of your eyebrows. Then keep looking at your face; don't guess what you look like in this kind of self-portrait. Try to do the outlines first rather than detail, and remember the proportions. You can shade parts in by making the light come from one side with a lamp or by standing near a window.

When your self-portrait is complete, look at it closely. Does it look like you? If so, why and if not why not? Write your name and the date on it. See if your friends recognise you. Remember, though, that this is not the only way we see ourselves. The mirror does not give a true image anyway. It gives the reverse, and if we are about half a metre from it, it sows us about half size, due to perspective. Some of the world's well-known artists have made many self-portraits - Van Gogh, for example, painted over 30. Picasso saw himself very differently when painting his self-portrait. Look at these to get some ideas.

See the Dfee web site for essential information on the QCA standards on self-portraits: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/art/art1a

The web site of the National Portrait Gallery in London, contains images and reference material on self-portraits. www.npg.org.uk.