Level: Beginner

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.3

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 59.56
Drawspace Curriculum 1.1.A3 - 2 Pages and 3 Illustrations

Sketch a
Self-Portrait
Document your current drawing skills by
creating a drawing of yourself

Figure 1
Supplies: paper, pencil, mirror
ArtSpeak
Once upon a time, a prehistoric
woman saw the reflection of Sketch: A simple drawing
that captures the integral
her face in a pool of water and aspects of a subject quickly
used a stick to sketch what and efficiently.
she saw in the sand. Sadly, her Portrait: An artwork
self-portrait was washed away depicting a likeness to the
by rain. face, head, and/or the body
of a person or animal.
Many years later, a guy named
Leo also drew a self-portrait
Figure 2
and eventually became
famous.
Although the identity of the bearded
man in Figure 1 has been debated, it’s
generally considered to be a self-portrait
of Leo (aka Leonardo da Vinci).
Today, even animals are drawing self-
portraits (Figure 2). Is there anything
animals can’t do on the Internet?

ISBN 978-0-9878229-7-0
1.1.A3 Sketch a Self-Portrait, Copyright © 2018 Brenda Hoddinott. Individuals: No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any
means without the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott. Educators: Permission to copy and distribute is limited to classroom use only.
2 1.1.A3 Sketch a Self-Portrait

1. Sit or stand in front of (and close to) a mirror until you

can clearly see the reflection of your face and head.
ArtSpeak
2. Arrange your drawing paper so you can simultaneously
Proportion: The
see your reflection and draw what you see. relationship in size
between two or more
Examine your reflection in search of clues to help you
components of an
accurately draw your portrait. To get you started: artwork.
Cranium: The bones
Figure 3 (a) Note the horizontal location
of the skull that cover
of your eyes and identify and protect the brain.
the midpoint between your
Skull: The skeletal
eyes. part of the head
(b) Compare the length of your made up of the
bones of the face and
cranium (from this midpoint cranium.
upward to the top of the
Style: An artist’s
cranium) to the length individual approach
of your face (from this to his or her own art.
midpoint downward to the
bottom of the face/chin.
(c) Is your skull longer than your face? Is your face
longer than your skull? Are your face and skull the
same length?
(d) Identify the shapes of your cranium and face.
(e) Identify the shapes of your eyes, eyebrows, nose,
mouth, ears, and chin.
Before you put pencil to paper, check out the portraits in
Figure 3 and note the many different shapes and sizes
of their heads, faces, and facial features. Also note the
various drawing styles.
Plan to spend no more than 30 minutes. Use whatever
drawing skills you currently have in your repertoire.

3. Draw a portrait of yourself as accurately as

possible.
This sketch is meant to record your current drawing
abilities so you can later document your progress.
So, don’t worry if your sketch isn’t a masterpiece ‒
just do your best!

ISBN 978-0-9878229-7-0
1.1.A3 Sketch a Self-Portrait, Copyright © 2018 Brenda Hoddinott. Individuals: No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any
means without the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott. Educators: Permission to copy and distribute is limited to classroom use only.