“Someone You Know”
final course project:a portrait in any media
Glenn Hirsch, Instructor
The assignment:
A portrait of someone you know (living or deceased)
Portrait must be personal – convey something about the person being
portrayed.
Any size, any media, from a photo or from life.
first, let’s think about answers to these questions:
Why do a drawing or paintingin an age of photography and digital reproduction?
(because it’s handmade and personal)
We know it’s personal because the portrait says the artist cares.
We know the artist cares because of the effort that goes into details
Margreta McKeown
What is the "true portrait" of an individual? Can one image capture everything?
Hilevi Lipson
Draw firstGet to know your subject in a variety of poses and with a variety of your ideas
What is the place of simple "description" and what of evocative "theater?"
Colleen McCrystal
What part does the beauty of drawing and color – all by itself -- play in portraiture?
Mary MacDonald
If it’s someone you know in frail health, then put the person in the ‘best light.’
Flatter them with the truth: color, light, pattern and personal details.
Use class assignment ideas you’ve learned as possibilities
for your project
Cynthia Kanios
Chiaroscuro old master lighting
Allison Ferenstein
Elizabeth McDonald
Naomi Southard
portrait at home
Lorraine Wilson Peters
Suzanna Fry
after William Waterhouse
A portrait in a master’s style
Kristin Bradley after Vincent
Jia Pu
portrait inspired
by fantasy
and theater
Doreen Delgado
portraits of children
Patricia Languedoc
Betsy Crouch
remember that gesture and ‘body language’ is a powerful tool
Elizabeth McDonald
Peggy Millar
What if the portrait is larger
than life?
Lina JanusasCarrie Donovan
these are done on a roll of white paper
the last assignment
Show your ambition
Show that you’ve learned something
Show that you care