Print my Portrait

Simply described, a portrait is a representation of a person. Traditionally, portraits have been drawings, paintings, photographs, or sculptures, but artists can use any materials to represent the likeness or truth of a person. The face is often the focus of a portrait as facial expressions can give the audience clues about someone’s personality or emotional state. Though it is common for faces to be shown in profile or frontal view, sometimes portraits are painted in such an abstract style that what’s the front, side or back might not be important at all. When an artist portrays themselves, it is called a self-portrait.

There are many portraits in The Picasso Century. Each of them tells a unique story. We are going to be looking at several as inspiration for the creation of our own portraits.

Consider three portraits painted by Pablo Picasso, titled Mother and child (1907), Portrait of Olga in an armchair (1918) and Portrait of a woman (1938). Even though each of these are painted by the same artist, they are different from one another.

• How are they different, and how are they the same?  
• How would you describe each of these?  
• In what way might these portraits show Picasso’s development as an artist over time? 

Now consider the two portraits of Picasso made by Valentine Hugo (Portrait of Pablo Picasso, 1934-48) and Dora Maar (Portrait of Picasso, at his studio at 29 rue d’Astorg, 1935-6). Even though they portray the same person, they are quite different.

• What are some of the similarities and differences you can see? 
• Which do you think is the most like Picasso and why?  
• What do you think they tell us about Picasso as a person? 

• coloured tissue paper
• glue stick
• scissors
• white A4 card
• 2 x white A4 paper for sketching and inking roller
• grey lead pencil
• ice-cream stick
• bamboo skewer
• A5 foam plate
• block ink
• roller
• teaspoon

Work individually to create your own portrait inspired by works in The Picasso Century.

Idea development

• Show students some examples of the ‘Print my Portrait’ artwork they will be making. Ask them to examine the construction of the background (coloured tissue paper collage) and foreground (ink print of a face).
• Then show students the artwork Abduction by André Masson. This artwork will be the inspiration for the tissue paper collage component of the background of the portrait.

• Ask them to reflect on what shapes and colours they can see in this artwork
• Ask them to consider how the colour used in this work conveys mood or personality.
• Now show students the works of art Weeping Woman, 1937 and Small bust of a woman, 1964 (held in the NGV’s Collection – https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/145447/), both by Picasso.
• Ask them to identify which is a profile view, and which is a frontal view. How does this change the feeling of the portrait?
• Ask students to then consider how Picasso has conveyed emotion and mood in his depiction of these individuals.

Looking at the broader collection of portraits in the exhibition, students should consider the type of portrait they want to now create.

Make – Instructions for students:

• Let’s print our own portraits! The first step is to make a pencil sketch of your portrait on a scrap piece of A4 paper. Consider whether you want to draw in profile or frontal view, and the emotion you want to convey in the expression.
• The second step is to construct the background of your portrait, using scissors, coloured tissue paper, glue stick and white A4 card.
• Use scissors or your hands to cut or tear the coloured tissue. Consider the shape of the pieces, the colour palette you would like to use that reflects the mood of your pencil sketch, and the placement of the paper. You may want to overlap the tissue paper to create different shades and textures.
• The third step is to take the A5 foam plate and the grey lead pencil and sketch your portrait onto the foam.
• Then, using the paddle-pop stick and/or bamboo skewer, trace the grey-lead lines and create a deep indent into the foam, taking care not to cut through it entirely. Reference Picasso’s Small bust of a woman to consider the shapes and patterns you would like to include in the background of your portrait.
• The fourth step is printing. Using an ice cream stick or teaspoon, scoop some of the black ink onto a piece of A4 paper.
• Take the roller and spread the ink over the page, ensuring that the roller is evenly coated in ink.
• Then run the roller over the foam plate, making sure every section is covered in black ink.
• Take the collaged card and, carefully flipping the foam plate over so that the ink side is facing the collaged paper, center the foam and then press downwards using your hands. Make sure every part of the foam plate is pressed onto the collage card, so that the ink transfer is even.
• Remove the piece of foam plate and leave the portrait to dry. You have successfully created a printed portrait inspired by works from The Picasso Century!

• Which portrait from The Picasso Century most inspired you? Why did you choose this one?
• How did it inspire the creation of your own portrait?
• How would you describe the mood of your portrait?
• Which part of the activity did you most enjoy and why?