In order to practice the new painting and drawing techniques they learned, students in Art I  are creating portraits of themselves. This project has been ongoing for three weeks.

“They had to take a selfie, and they have to do a grid drawing so they are learning to draw not only themselves but they are learning how to draw using a grid,” Art teacher Rachel Meadow said. “So they have a smaller drawing and then have to blow it up with the grid and draw it exactly how it shows.”

Students first took a selfie of themselves, which they then transformed into a sketch. From there, students created a larger scale drawing using the grid technique they learned previously and then painted it. The students were taught to draw what they see in the selfie they took rather than from memory. 

“I am trying to teach them to draw what they see rather than what they know, so you are not drawing from memory and you are drawing from what you actually see and I think that is challenging for them but I think they are making it work,” Meadows said.

The guidelines for this project include: using one color when painting and ensuring that the painting matches the selfie taken. Students are learning how to draw portraiture through the project, examine facial structures, learn the basics of symmetry, color theory and monochromatic. 

“You look at yourself more than you really look at anybody else and so it is a good way to explore portraiture,” Meadow said. “I think it gives them self-confidence too cause they have to look at themselves more and appreciate themselves more.”

Meadow continued this project from her old job at Legacy High School and now plans to do it every year. With only a week left to finish the project, Meadow will pick a select few to display in the gallery outside the art room.

“I didn’t think that my painting would turn out good because I’m not the best at art but I am really liking my project so far,” junior Lance Ynigo said. “I would do this in the future because it doesn’t take that much skill and you can do so many different things with them that it will always be different.”