Lower 5th Charcoal Self Portraits

All members of the L5th who are taking Art GCSE completed a charcoal self-portrait this January. This exercise was designed to teach the pupils drawing skills and to introduce them to the medium of Charcoal. Some of the portraits were made using a photograph as reference and applying a grid to make an accurate rendition of the artist's profile. Other portraits were drawn freehand using a mirror, producing a less accurate but in some ways more personal image.

The pupils were asked to choose a background which reflected their character or which had something about it which was important to them. It is revealing to note that no one chose to draw a school scene - an environment in which they spend a great deal of their time, and that many pupils drew themselves in a landscape experienced only briefly whilst on holiday. There are some fantastically inventive portraits - such as Rory McKeown's 'Space-man', Catherine Anderson's 'Forest Dweller' and Max Pope's spiritual 'Boy at Stonehenge'.

As a viewer, when you look at these portraits, it is interesting to ask yourself if the resulting picture has captured not only a likeness of the artist, but also a trace of their character and personality. Some of the artists' accompanying 'Statements' provide a detailed explanation as to why they chose to depict themselves as they have, but ultimately it is your own interpretation, as teacher, classmate or friend that is the most important.