Framing portraiture

Artmaking

• 4.1 A student uses a range of strategies to explore different artmaking conventions and procedures to make artworks.

• 4.3 A student makes artworks that involve some understanding of the frames.

• 4.4 A student recognises and uses aspects of the world as a source of ideas, concepts and subject matter in the visual arts.

• 4.5 A student investigates ways to develop meaning in their artworks.

Critical and historical studies

• 4.8 A student explores the function of and relationships between the artist - artwork - world - audience.

• 4.9 A student begins to acknowledge that art can be interpreted from different points of view.

The first lesson, 'Technical drawing practice' contains a range of introductory artmaking activities for students to learn about the conventions of portraiture, and to develop and improve their drawing skills. The following lessons consider portraits from the perspective of each of the four frames - subjective, structural, cultural and postmodern. Each frames lesson contains a reading, writing and artmaking activities related to that frame. Teachers can select which activities or lessons to set for their students.

Teachers can work through each lesson with students. Teachers could interact with students and provide feedback using a shared online platform as students progress through the content in this site.

Students should complete the activities digitally using Microsoft Word or Google Docs, and share their completed activities with their teacher.

Teachers can add resources and/or feedback to support the tasks, and to differentiate learning, and can set more specific timelines for student work.

Each lesson might take longer than an hour, and artmaking tasks might take several hours. Teachers should advise students on how much time to spend on each activity, and how to submit their completed activities for feedback.

In this module, you will explore the genre of portraiture using the perspectives offered by the frames, guided by the questions below.

• Technical practice - what are the rules and conventions of portraits?

• Subjective frame - how can portraits represent personal experiences of the world?

• Structural frame - how do artists use visual language to represent the subjects of their portraits?

• Cultural frame - how can portraits reflect the cultural background of the artist and their subject?

• Postmodern frame - how do artists challenge artmaking traditions to make unconventional portraits?

For further information on how to apply the frames as perspectives for investigating ideas in art, refer to the resource Introduction to the frames.

To complete the artmaking activities, you will need access to some items.

• Your visual arts diary, or some plain drawing paper.

• Essential drawing materials - a graphite pencil (2B or HB are preferred) and an eraser.

• Optional artmaking materials - you might use a combination of coloured pencils, pens, charcoal, pastels or markers to extend and refine your artworks.

• Access to a computer or device for viewing and editing images. Photoshop is available for free to NSW public school students via OnTheHub.

• A digital camera or camera-equipped device like smartphone or tablet.

• Household objects and items of clothing to use as props and costumes.