CEM Prize: Understanding Portraits

Portraits are more than just capturing the likeness of a person, they are glimpse the worlds of others. Artists create portriats for so many different reasons. It could be the record a moment in time, a precious loved one, to reveal mood or the character of another, to show inner worlds through a self portrait.

When we look at a portrait, it's important to consider: 

• Pose & Expression: Look at how the person is positioned and what their face shows. Are they serious, smiling, looking straight ahead, or shown in profile? Consider how their posture and expression communicate personality, attitude, or emotion. What might the artist be trying to tell you about them?

• Medium & Colour: Notice the materials and colours the artist has used. Is the portrait realistic, like a photograph, or more expressive and stylised? How do the choice of colours, brushstrokes, or lines affect the mood and how you feel about the person?

• Background & Setting: Examine what is behind the subject. Is it plain, simple, or full of detail? Does it include objects, places, or symbols? Think about how the background adds meaning or context to the portrait and the story it helps tell.

• Mood & Atmosphere: Consider the overall feeling of the portrait. Does it feel calm, joyful, tense, or mysterious? How does the combination of pose, colour, and background influence your emotional response? What does it make you wonder about the subject?

Quick Activity:

• Compare three portraits. Which feels most personal? Which feels most formal? 

• Try creating an artwork of a friend using only line, then again using only colour. How do the two artworks feel different?

• How would you change the pose, expression, or background to make your portrait tell a different story?

Our hope is that this resource will get you thinking about how you might make your own Portrait!