Paint an Identity Portrait
Use what you’ve learned about contemporary painting to develop a portrait with personality
You’ve seen how artists like Njideka Akunyili Crosby create paintings that explore their experiences in today’s world. Now it’s your turn to paint a portrait using contemporary painting techniques.
cell phone (with camera) or digital camera
watercolor paper
watercolor paint
paintbrushes
computer
printer
Step 1: Compose a Black-and-White Study
How does the artist who made this painting use gesture to show the subject's personality?
Photograph an important person in your life. How can you capture his or her personality? Take several color photographs of your subject with your cell phone or digital camera. Experiment with different poses, backgrounds, and lighting. Be sure to include props that emphasize your subject’s character traits. Select the photograph that most successfully captures your model’s identity. Print the photo in color and set it aside. Then convert the digital photo to black and white and print this version. Compose a monochromatic study of your black-and-white photo using watercolors. This study will help you identify the lightest and darkest areas in the scene. Experiment with both painterly and realistic styles. Emphasize the details that visually represent your subject’s personality.
Tip: Apply the paint using a variety of brush sizes.
Step 2: Develop a Color Palette
Create a palette study in your sketchbook, using your color photo and monochromatic study as references. The study will be a guide when you make your final painting. Mix a full range of colors, tints, and shades. Experiment with warm and cool color schemes to emphasize the mood or emotion in your portrait. Think about which colors best represent your subject’s personality. Don’t be afraid to work with colors that don’t appear in the photograph. Remember to mix colors for your subject’s skin tone before you begin painting your color portrait.
Tip: Take notes in your sketchbook about how you mixed each color so you can re-create them later.
Step 3: Paint a Color Portrait
The subject's strong eye contact makes a bold statement in this painting.
Use watercolor paint to begin making your final portrait. Don’t forget to use your monochromatic study, color photograph, and color palette as references. To start, lightly sketch your composition using watered-down paint. Focus only on the major shapes. You’ll add the details later. Focus on the range of values in the image, just like you practiced in your monochromatic study. Paint the highlights first, working toward the shadows. Experiment with pattern and layering. When you are satisfied with your work, exhibit your black-and-white photo, your monochromatic study, and your color photo with your final portrait. Discuss your work with your classmates. What do the details in your classmates’ portraits reveal about their subjects?
Tip: Work slowly, allowing time for each layer of paint to dry.
Prepared by: Heather Drayzen, Salk School of Science, New York, New York
Image Credits: ©Joe Polillio Productions LLC for Scholastic Inc.
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