Kat’s portrait tutorial PARTS 6 to 8: Final project! #arttherapy

This project was designed for my drawing workshop at this year’s Savary Island Art Trip for youth (12 young women, 4 female staff and 1 Papa Bear artist-teacher). The results are extraordinary both in the execution and the honesty. I encourage you to do all parts of the tutorial before diving in to the final parts. The process is important for getting into the right mind-set and turning off the inner critic.

Recommended supplies:

• orange, red and black china markers

• newsprint (minimum 12″ x 18″)

• eraser (not for fixing, but for drawing!)

• scissors

• glue stick

• foam board (minimum 12″ x 18″)

• mirror

PART 6

a. As in Part 5, where I had you draw a frame around the entire workspace, draw a red frame on your foam board and fill it in deeply and rich.

b. Then draw some black in each corner on the inside of the frame and smudge the black towards the centre. This will give the illusion of a frame and shadow.

c. Using the eraser, etch out some white highlights in each frame corner to give the illusion of light.

See steps a, b and c in the drawing I did of my student:

PART 7

Using a mirror, draw a self-portrait on newsprint using the techniques you’ve learned here (drawing lightly first, fill in, use shadow techniques etc.) or in any style you like. Ideally you want to draw and head and shoulder shot like my sample above. Cut out the finished newsprint self-portrait. Lay aside.

PART 8

On your foam board, write anything you like- stream of consciousness, poems, gibberish- whatever. It could be writing about yourself, could be legible or illegible. Just do it! Write across the page and fill the space.

Glue the cutout self-portrait on top of the writing (as in my sample above) and voila! You have completed this tutorial!

REMEMBER: you are FREE to do whatever YOU want! There is no right or wrong. If you wonder, “Is it ok if I…?” the answer is YES!

Here are GLORIOUS examples by my students: