8th grade photography students are working on a portraiture assignment. The outline of the assignment and preparation can be found below.
Photo Assignment 3
Portraiture
Prep sheet
Assignment: You will shoot a minimum of 25 portrait photos of your model. You will choose your top four images to create a contact sheet to submit for this assignment.
Pay attention to composition and meaning in your images. As you’ve seen from reading about Annie Leibovitz and other portrait photographers, the best portraits show much more than the person’s outward appearance. Be sure to look at pages 12-15 for some good student examples.
Step 1 Choose a partner. You will alternate roles with your partner. Half of the time you will be a model, and the other half a photographer.
Step 2 Interview your partner.
Use the questions below to interview your partner. The answers on your paper should be from your partner, not your own.
How would you describe your personality?
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What is your favorite subject in school?
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What sports or hobbies do you participate in outside of school?
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What is your favorite color? _________________________________________________________________________________
Describe your favorite place. What do you like about this place?
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Describe a very memorable event from your life. Why was it so memorable?
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Tell me at least one additional interesting fact about yourself.
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Step 3 Go over the information that you got from your interview. What stands out? Identify some of the key aspects of your partner’s identity. Then, brainstorm some ways to visualize these in your portraits.
What do you want to show people about this person?
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What sort of background(s) will you use for the setting of your portrait?
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Will you use any additional props to help tell the story of your portrait? If so, what?
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What sort of facial expressions should your model use?
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How will your model position his or her body? Will he or she sit, stand, lay down, jump, etc.?
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Will you use a frontal or profile view of your model?
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Will you include the entire body or just part?
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How will you light your portrait? Will you use sunlight or artificial light? Will the light come from the side, front, above, or below your model?
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*Remember that all of the answers above should reflect what you want your final photo to tell people about your model.
Also, don’t forget to use what you’ve learned about good composition and the rule of thirds.
ACMS Visual Arts
ACMS
Visual Arts
Jacob Edmison, Instructor
jedmison@atlantachartermiddle.com
Each ACMS student should be able to create, document, and discuss his or her own artwork. Students will have a portfolio of their artwork, a sketchbook to demonstrate artistic growth, and numerous experiences both critiquing artwork, and leading a critique of their own work. All ACMS students should be able to use the visual arts as an effective tool for both communication, and self-expression.
Assessment
Several tools are used to assess ACMS art students.
At the end of all major assignments, students complete a written reflection. This provides them with an opportunity for self-assessment. Students will receive written feedback about their artwork. Projects will also be graded using a rubric that reflects the students’ achievement of visual arts learning expectations. The feedback will address both strengths and weaknesses to open a dialogue for student growth.
Students engage in critiques of their own artwork and that of their classmates. These critiques may take on a variety of forms, but all will be structured to help students learn to properly utilize and benefit from the critique as part of the artistic process.
Sketchbooks
Sketchbooks provide an opportunity for students to continue their artistic growth outside of the art classroom. They also provide a bridge between home and school. While most of the students’ artwork remains in the classroom, the sketchbook travels between home and school. It allows parents a glimpse into what their child is doing in art class. In addition to weekly-required drawings, the sketchbook is often used in class as a place to try new things and plan for artwork. Sketchbooks will be collected at least three times during the term. An overall sketchbook grade will be averaged with major project grades to determine the end of term grade.
Sketchbook Guidelines
All Art students are required to complete at least two full-page sketches per week.
You should have at least twenty-four sketches by the end of each term. Drawings should show evidence of shading and/or color work.
At least ten of these sketches should be from life. Life drawings are drawn from what the artist sees. They can be portraits, landscapes, animals, or still-lives. They should always be drawn while looking at something from real life. You may also use photographs as models for your life drawings.
The rest of your drawings may include abstract designs, cartoons, and other subjects that do not involve the direct observation of subjects from life.
Required Life Drawings
-A page of drawings of your hand
-At least 3 full page portraits (These may be of yourself, another person, or an animal.)
-2 still-life drawings
The subjects for the remaining four life drawings are up to you, but remember that they must be from observation.
Display Opportunities
We will have at least two art shows this year. These shows will take place at the middle and end of the school year. Other display opportunities may be added, as they become available.
What can you do at home?
-Encourage your child to practice and use his or her sketchbook.
-Ask to see your child’s sketchbook. This is a great way to start a dialogue about what they are doing in art class.
-Ask to see teacher feedback on assignments and the sketchbook.
-Provide your child with drawing pencils. The sketchbook and a pencil are the only required supplies. However, a set of a few different drawing pencils can really help bring your child’s sketches to life. If you have questions about which to buy, I will be happy to give you advice.
-Come out to support your child at the ACMS Arts Nights.
-Donate items or services from the Visual Arts Wish List.