UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE Art ED 3601(F) Spring 2018

Art Education Unit Template

Title of Unit Portraiture Grade Level 10,20,30

Teacher Taylor Lapierre Number of Lesson and Classes 4 Lessons,
2-3 weeks

Overview of Unit
Clear and concise description. Be clear about the theme of the unit and the various components of the unit.

This Unit analyzes the role and form of art and how it differs through time. We are looking specifically at portraiture. The theme “portraiture” is rather
open ended, allowing students to develop work that is unique, shows creativity, and demonstrates their interests.
Each of the first three lessons are organized around a different style of portraiture – beginning with historical foundations, moving through abstraction, and
leading toward photography. Students use these works of art to develop their first project – a portrait. This portrait can be of any type and can portray
whatever subject the student chooses. Once students complete this assignment, we will move into their final project for this unit – a self-portrait. I chose
to have this at the end of this unit in order to scaffold. Students who might not have experience working with the figure are given the opportunity to
practice during our first project. They will then take their skills one step further by, not only depicting their subject, exploring personal meaning within their
work. (The lessons are set up generally as discussions, more active learning could be a part of various aspects. The goal of this assignment is to increase
students' familiarity with 1) The diverse ways in which portraits can be created and understood, 2) Iconic works of art and 3) Contemporary artists who
might be unknown to them.)

Rationale: Identify what the learning objectives, what will students learn?

Students will
1. explore the diverse ways in which portraits can be created and understood
2. examine iconic works of art
3. discuss contemporary artists who might be unknown to them
4. develop personal style and meaning

Statement of Inquiry/Unit Question

A question that students should be able to answer at the end of the unit. This question is connected with learning outcomes.
How can artists express meaning through control of visual relationships?
In what ways can portraiture be created and understood?
UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE Art ED 3601(F) Spring 2018

Alberta Program of Study

Goals and Objectives
Compositions
Relationships - STUDENTS WILL ANALYZE THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG COMPONENTS OF IMAGES.
Art 10 – use the vocabulary of art criticism to develop and accept analyses of their own works
Art 20 – use the vocabulary and techniques of art criticism to interpret and evaluate both their own works and the works of others
Art 30 - use the vocabulary and techniques of art criticism to analyze and evaluate their own works in relation to the works of professional artists

Organizations - STUDENTS WILL EXPRESS MEANING THROUGH CONTROL OF VISUAL RELATIONSHIPS

Art 10 – be conscious of the emotional impact that is caused and shaped by a work of art
Art 20 – demonstrate control over various components of compositions
Art 30 – develop a portfolio of works that will represent their personal style

Encounters
Transformations Through Time - STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THE ROLE AND FORM OF ART DIFFERS THROUGH TIME AND ACROSS CULTURES
Art 10 − compare the image content of certain periods
Art 20 − investigate the impact of technology on the intentions and productions of the artist
Art 30 − analyze the factors that generate a work of art, or an artistic movement: the experiences of the artists and the impact of the culture

Summary of Lessons Learning Experiences

Demonstrate scaffolding and transitions. How are the students going
Part 1 – Historical Foundations and a Definition to learn the content (ex.
1. Lead them towards a definition of what a portrait has historically been understood as: “a painting, completing a graphic
drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders.” organizer, small group
(Source: Oxford English Dictionary.) Acknowledge that there are other forms of portraits, such as group discussion, research; explain
how and resources used,
portraits, portraits of couples and families as well as self-portraits, but explain you’ll be focusing on the
critique; explain the process.
individual portrait, which has historically been implied by just saying “portrait.”
2. Next, show them a few important historical examples of portraits:
• Leonardo da Vinci, Vitruvian Man, ca. 1409
• Raphael, Count Baldassare Castiglione, 1514-1515
• Michelangelo Buonarroti, David, 1501-1504
3. While keeping these works in front of your students, introduce some terms to evaluate them by, such as
realism, mimesis, ideal or icon. Then think about raising other questions, such as whether portraits have to be of
real individuals or if a portrait has to be made from real life? Also ask who is being depicted. Are they famous
UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE Art ED 3601(F) Spring 2018

people or people without power? Make a list of the terms you would use to describe such subjects, and to think
about the function of portraiture, such as: persons of significance; commissions; royalty; religious figures;
historic conventions; symbols of power and privilege.

Part II – Abstract Portraiture

4. Show your students Picasso's La Rêve [The Dream] (1932) or Henri Matisse’s Woman with a Hat (1905).
Ask them what might be different about these works from the previous set. For example, compare the
brushwork of Vermeer to Matisse as well as the use of color, perspective and proportions used by Picasso.
5. Follow this up by asking students if they know what Abstract Art is. Arrive at a general definition. Use the
definition (cited above) as a general jumping-off point. Present the different ways in which abstract art since
Impressionism dealt with the portrait differently from historical works. Some suggested artists to discuss:
• Pablo Picasso
• Chuck Close
6. Discuss some "extremes" of abstract portraiture. Ask when a picture of a person is no longer a portrait. Is
this portrait without a face by Pablo Picasso still a portrait? Can you make a portrait out of a pile of candy, as is
suggested by this work by Felix Gonzalez-Torres? Henri Matisse.

Part III – Photography and the Portrait

7. Show some contemporary photographic portraits—since photography is now the major means through
which portraits are now made. Some suggestions:
• Catherine Opie
• Alec Soth
• Steve McCurry
8. Ask your students who is being depicted in works by these artists compared to the historical portraits.
Discuss the ways in which photography has greatly opened up access to portraiture, especially now, when so
many people have access to a camera. Compare contemporary photographic portraits to discuss the various
ways of making a portrait with a camera. Bring up the question of whether photography offers as many options
to the portraitist as painting. Possibly discuss photoshop and its capabilities. Also potentially bring up the
differences in poses and the timing of a photograph—the candid versus the highly-posed,
9. As a final step, open up the lesson to show how Individual Portraits are just one of various types of
portraiture. Explain how they can be family portraits, group portraits, couples, self-portraits and even animal
portraits! Explore them on Artsy:
• Animal Portrait
• Contemporary Portrait Painting
UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE Art ED 3601(F) Spring 2018

• Contemporary Portrait Photography

• Contemporary Realist Portraiture
• Group Portraits
• Group of Portraits
• Individual Portraits
• Portraits
• Portraits without a Face
• Self-Portraits
10. Assignment 1: Create a Portrait - Think about all the different works you have discussed in class and
seen and to create one portrait, this can be in any style. (You can pick the subjects of their portraits but
ideally, they will not be self-portraits, so you can have practice with a subject/sitter. You might want to pair
up.) Use different kinds of media or—if you are using a camera—be inventive with how you present yourself,
i.e. you could use costumes or Photoshop. When presenting the finished works, you will compare and
contrast them (and potentially think about what categories they might fall into) in order to continue to use
the various terminology and to help continue to think critically about the images. This assignment will lead
into our next one which will be based on self-portraiture.
11. Assignment 2: Create a Self-Portrait - For this assignment, you will create a self-portrait. You may use
different kinds of media or—if you are using a camera—be inventive with how they present yourself, i.e. you
could use costumes or Photoshop. Some aspects to consider when developing your self-portraits are
narrative, symbolism and color. We know that portraits often have a strong sense of narrative. Don’t be afraid
to show your personality and interests through use of symbolism, purposeful color, and even script. Think
about how you want to portray yourself – everything has a meaning. You will spend the first couple of classes
planning your portrait. During this time, you may choose to take some images of yourself (or have someone
photograph you) for reference. There should be clear evidence of in-depth thinking before you move onto
your final piece.

Part IIII – How to Critique

We will go over what a critique is, how to give helpful comments, and how to receive comments – both positive
and suggestions. A handout will be given to ensure conversations stay on task, as well to help provide an overall
structure to the class.
We will also go over key terminology that we have covered in previous lessons. What was the assignment, how
was it done successfully, how could it be better? Terminology more specifically to critiques will also be covered. I
will encourage students to use descriptive words when critiquing a piece, words such as “Subtle, Contrasting,
Muted, and Dramatic”.
UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE Art ED 3601(F) Spring 2018

Teaching Strategies Assessment Assessment

Methods Weighting
Be explicit with your teaching strategies. Example: direct instruction, workshop, whole group teaching led discussion etc.
Sketchbook 10%
Direct instruction, workshop, group discussion, whole group teaching, self-reflection, work periods, and small group critiques.
Portrait 1 40%

Self-Portrait 40%

Critique 10%

Resources Required
https://www.artsy.net/article/theartgenomeproject-lesson-plan-number-1-the-portrait

Professional Reflections
This typically is completed during the unfolding of the unit and at the end