Character Portrait

Craft a portrait. Convey a story about the subject. Who is the person? What should viewers know about the subject?

• Choose your subject. You might feature a friend or family member, or you might choose to make a self-portrait.
• Introduce details to help viewers interpret the subject’s identity and personality.
• Consider how the composition can support your narrative.
• Use color to set the mood.
• Explore elements like repetition, rhythm, and scale to emphasize an idea.

• Play with mixed media. Draw your portrait and then add details using collage.
• Try experimenting with the viewer’s point of view.

Before you begin, check out these examples by the students at the Salk School of Science in New York, New York!

Prepared by Heather Drayzen, Salk School of Science, New York, New York