Self- Portrait What is a self-portrait? It is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist - Basically the artist is the main subject or important characters in the artwork. Self- Portrait

? Why We Paint Ourselves? Self –awareness and realization Introspective art form Individuality and unique style ? Why artist paint themselves? Is it to tell people how pretty or handsome they are? The most important reason is because the creative process where you discover and realize your “Self” This makes self-portrait a very introspective art form since one of the requirement for great art should be individuality and uniqueness of style What is introspective – Being able to think of who you are and why you are the way you are, why you choose something, and why you feel that way. You get to analyze your thoughts about yourself. And think of your own self identity But why do we need to learn and discover about ourselves? (SEL: Self- awareness) Only when we begin to learn about ourselves, we can learn to manage ourselves better and therefore, we begin to regulate our thoughts and our actions, be reflective and in turn, able to improvise ourselves and be a better person who is able to work with others.

FAMOUS ARTISTS & THEIR SELF-PORTRAITS So there’s three things I need you to look out for, one is the style of their painting not just in terms of how they paint, but also what they wear, what is their distinct facial features that you can distinguish?Secondly, the mood, if you look at a particular self-portrait, does the painting somehow make you feel like the artist is a depressed or sad person? Can you feel their story even before you read about them? And lastly, I need you to look at the things they paint, what are they? Is it the way the artist includes a certain animal? Or a certain accessory?

Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889, Oil on canvas, Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890) Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889, Oil on canvas, 51 × 45 cm Van Gogh used a mirror to paint himself, therefore, his right side in the image is in reality the left side of his face.” Style- Sombre colours, quite dull Mood- Depressed (eyes), pale skin, upturn lips, sunken face Iconic elements- hats, coats, beard, He painted over 30 self-portraits between the years 1886 and 1889. His collection of self-portraits places him among the most prolific self-portraitists of all time. Van Gogh used portrait painting as a method of introspection, method of developing his skills as an artist and also a method to make money, as he did not have money to pay models to pose for portraits nor did he have many people commissioning him to do portraits, so Van Gogh painted his own portrait.

Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940, Frida Kahlo (1907 – 1954)  Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940, Oil on canvas, 62.2x48.3cm Background info: She wanted to be a doctor but she ended up as a painter. She suffered polio when she was six had has deformity in her legs. Kahlo had a volatile marriage with the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. She suffered lifelong health problems. Many of her health problems were the result of a traffic accident she survived as a teenager. Recovering from her injuries isolated her from other people and this isolation influenced her works, many of which are self-portraits of one sort or another. Kahlo suggested, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.“ She also stated, "I was born a bitch. I was born a painter." Mexican painter. Her cultural tradition are important in her work, which has been sometimes characterized as Naïve art or folk art. Her style is also surrealistic, and imaginative. The background is of a rainforest scene, with a monkey and a wildcat above her shoulders. The woman is wearing a necklace make of thorns with a hummingbird attached at the centre. Dragonflies and butterflies surround her head, which has a cloth “crown” on it. She is wearing the traditional Tehuana costume that Diego greatly admired. She painted herself wearing it to attract Diego and entice him closer. The roots of the leaves which she wears in her hair suggest the pattern of a spider's web in which she seeks to trap her prey... Diego. 

Soft Self- portrait with Fried Bacon, 1941,oil on canvas, Salvador Dali (1904 –1989) Soft Self- portrait with Fried Bacon, 1941,oil on canvas, 61.3x50.8cm Spanish surrealist painter – famous for his painting, the persistence of a memory(melting clocks) Very imaginative, skilled draughtsman known for his striking and bizarre images, portraying himself in a melting mask of sorts, recalling his iconic melting watches. Numerous crutches – a favorite element in Dali’s arsenal of surrealist props – help support his melting face. Dali loves food- so the bacon also adds a secondary ingredient of humor to this painting. And of course his famous handlebar moustache. He said ““Instead of painting the soul, the inside, I wanted to paint solely the outside, the envelope, the glove of myself.”

Ron Mueck (1958-present) Mask II, Sculpture

Activity 1: PAIRWORK (10 mins) LET’S CREATE! Activity 1: PAIRWORK (10 mins) Find a partner. Name yourselves A and B. A: Observe the shape of B’s facial features. Draw B’s face. Now it is B’s turn to draw A’s face! ACTIVITY 1: Grab a partner and draw her/her face in 3 mins. (favorite things,etc) Observe and draw as many details as you can in your sketchbook. Ask n interview your partner. *optional* : write down your reflection on this exercise. How does this helps you in understanding yourself n others?

BLIND DRAWING OPTIONAL: Activity 2: blind drawing Teacher to do a demonstration for 1 min Students to try out blind drawing their friend.

NEXT WEEK’S LESSON TO BRING: A recent photograph of yourself Stick glue Papers- Magazines, newspapers, fancy paper. Reminder for class for next week lesson Teachers to: L2- RECAP on what is self- portrait, why and who. L2 – Colours & collage (students can bring home and finish doing up the overall face shape and hair but not the details such as eyes, eyebrows, mouth, ears, etc.) L3- finish up collage with details