How to use these notes These notes should be used in conjunction with the images on the Gallery page of the MUSA Young Artist website. They provide step-by-step guidance on the study of portraits and a starting point for pupils to create their own artworks. They are intended primarily for: Schools that are unable to visit MUSA but wish to take part in the competition. Follow-up work by schools attending MUSA Young Artist workshops. (Please note that some of these discussion points and activities may be covered during the visit.) Introduction Portraits are all around us, at all stages of our lives. As nursery school children, we dash off those esoteric drawings of significant others with frequency and panache. As older children we lovingly invest those renderings of parents and friends with more recognisable attributes, and as adults we see portraits abounding in every museum or gallery we visit. Although we are surrounded by portraits we tend, largely, to ignore them and the portrait painter struggles for recognition. We think of a portrait as merely recording the likeness of an (often unknown) individual. If as teachers, however, we can persuade our pupils to look more closely at portraits then these pictures become much richer and more meaningful. They can tell us things which are relevant, both to ourselves and our shared humanity. If our pupils can be taught how to empathise with the subject of the portrait then it helps them to become kinder, more forgiving and wiser too. Here are some suggestions on how to begin looking at portraits: STEP 1 Look at the eyes first Much loved Scottish author and collector of portraits, Alexander McCall Smith, exhorts us, when contemplating a portrait to consider in the first instance the eyes of the sitter, for "it is there that one sees the essence of the subject". Teachers could do worse than offer this advice to their pupils! Indeed, most artists will begin a portrait by painting the face. Look at Colin Dunbar's preliminary sketches of Sir Kenneth Dover, for example (see below).
Once pupils have discussed what the sitter s eyes convey, their attention can then be directed to the hair, eyebrows, mouth, throat, forehead and angle of the face. What do they tell them about the mood or character of the subject? Things for your pupils to do Look at the eyes of each person in each portrait. Are the eyes looking straight at you, over your shoulder, upwards, downwards, to the side? Find words to describe the sitter s expression, e.g. aggressive, anxious, bored, confident, curious, demure, determined, grieving, mischievous, meditative, miserable, optimistic, puzzled, sad, smug, thoughtful. STEP 2 Look at the clothes The clothes the person chooses to wear in a portrait indicate what aspects of his life he wishes the observer to know about. Are the clothes formal or informal? Many of the portraits on this website are of important men at the University of St Andrews. They wear special robes. They want us to know more about their position in the University than their personal qualities. Things for your pupils to do Look at the portraits of Sir Kenneth Dover by Hans Schwarz and Robin Gillanders. What differences can you see in the way they are dressed? What words would you use to describe each portrait? If you were getting your portrait painted, what would you wear? Would it be formal or casual? Why?
What colour are the person's clothes? Black The person could be sad or in mourning, scholarly or serious. Green This colour can symbolise grief, or sometimes envy. Red This is the colour for anger and indignation. Pink This usually suggests femininity. Purple This colour generally indicates grandeur and authority. This colour might signify purity or a bride. Something for your pupils to consider Take a look at John Duncan s portrait of Mary Queen of Scots just before she is executed. Why is Janet Kennedy wearing green, why is Elizabeth Curle wearing red, and why is the Queen's dress purple? Can you think of any everyday expressions about colours, e.g. feeling blue? Armour Most soldiers will like to be painted wearing their fighting gear and their medals. It is interesting for children to know that after 1485 full suits of armour were not worn by soldiers when fighting. Something to consider Can you find the portrait of Viscount Strathallan, painted around 1686? Why do you think he is wearing such old fashioned armour? Do you think the white frilly cravat, the complicated sash trimmed with gold and the amazing wig are part of his soldier's uniform? Why do you think he is dressed like this? Jewellery Rings, necklaces or crowns are usually worn if the sitter wants us to know that he/she is well off. Something to do Look at the portraits and see if anyone is wearing jewellery. Why is he/she wearing it? If you were getting your portrait painted what jewellery would you wear, or what would you hold in your hand? Look at the photograph portrait of Principal Brian Lang. Why do you think he is holding up a CD? Look for the portrait of the Woman of the North Sea. Why do you think she has a fish on her head?
STEP 3 Look at how the person is sitting or standing We can learn a lot about the sitter s personality, upbringing and status by the way he or she poses for the portrait. For example: Standing tall and very erect, with a hand pressed into the table suggests a stern authoritarian person. Standing, with hands on hips, can denote confidence and determination. A seated pose which is very still and calm, suggests a contemplative person, possibly an academic. The sitter may or may not be conscious of the impression he or she is creating, and sometimes it is the artist who suggests the pose. A little bit of drama for your pupils In small groups ask your pupils to strike poses for: a very strict teacher and a very friendly, helpful teacher a University Principal and a University student a military general and a child at play a determined person and a shy person a famous footballer and a beautiful lady STEP 4 Look at the background The pupils can now focus their attention on the background of the portrait, which also contains clues about the identity of the sitter. For pupils to consider. Look again at the portrait of Mary Queen of Scots. What details can you see in the background? How do the pictures on the tapestry add to the mood of the portrait? Can you read the inscription at the top of the tapestry? It is written in French. Try and find out what it means. STEP 5 Look at the medium used Ask the children to consider how the artist made the portrait. If it is a sculpture, then bronze or marble could be the medium - or even matchsticks! Pencil, watercolour, oil, tempera, screenprinting, stringprinting, linoprinting, and etching can all be used to make portraits. Something for the children to do Look at the portraits on the gallery page of this website. Can you find a portrait made from marble, an oil painting and a watercolour? If you were making a portrait, what medium would you use? STEP 6 Extra ideas for older pupils Pupils could consider the complexities of caricatures and abstract portraits. In abstract portraits, the viewer is shown, quite openly, the artist's opinion of some aspects of the sitter. Just as the realistic portraits which the younger pupils have studied tend to flatter, the caricature will exaggerate less desirable qualities in the sitter.
Scientific researches! New Discoveries in PNEUMATICKS! or An Experimental Lecture on the Powers of Air, By James Gillray, 1802, University of St Andrews, HC524 For pupils to consider Look at the conventional portrait of George Douglas Campbell below. What kind of man is being portrayed here? Now look at the caricature. What characteristics of the man is the artist portraying here? It might be helpful to know, for example, that George was a staunch opposer of the views of Charles Darwin. If you are brave enough, could you draw a caricature of yourself?
Abstract portraiture has become more popular, probably because the progress of photography has made the need for realistic portraits less necessary. It can be difficult to interpret because the face and body of the sitter are not immediately recognisable to the viewer. For pupils to consider Look at the linocut of the Engineer, his Wife and his Family below. What characteristics of the engineer is the artist trying to emphasise, do you think? Your pupils are now ready to Make Faces for the 2011 MUSA Young Artist Award! Good luck and enjoy taking part For more information about school visits and the competition rules please visit: www.st-andrews.ac.uk/musa/art-competition/