High School

Portrait of Victoria by Alexis O.

The Essential Question
How can traditional art-making processes be updated and combined with contemporary trends, images, and ideas?

Objective
Students will create a charcoal portrait that shows the classic chiaroscuro technique and incorporates contemporary art trends.

Materials
9 x 12" (23 x 30 cm) tinted paper, charcoal pencils, blenders or tortillons

Procedures
1. Students take self-portraits (a selfie) using a single light source (flashlight app or spotlight).
2. Next, show students Baroque paintings from artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi and Caravaggio. Discuss characteristics of Baroque paintings, emphasizing the use of light and dark shadows.
3. Explain the chiaroscuro technique of using light and dark values to create a sense of volume. Then show students Leonardo da Vinciʼs sfumato technique for making subtle transitions from light to dark.
4. Students then brainstorm contemporary art trends, referring to resources such as Hi-Fructose magazine and Colossal.
5. Review rules of proportion for a three-quarter view face. Students create thumbnail studies for a composition check, then begin their charcoal work on tinted paper. Students incorporate a contemporary idea, image, or trend in their final piece.

Assessment
Display the finished works. Assign each work a number and do a class “post-it” critique. Each student writes two “glow” statements, followed by a “grow” statement. The teacher assesses the work after taking student comments into consideration.

Trish Klenow is an art teacher at Green Level High School in Apex, North Carolina.