Me, Myself & I

Here we see the Year 7’s somewhat unusual approach to representing themselves in their self-portrait project! Students were asked to focus on colour and symbolism to express their personality, whilst adopting Pablo Picasso’s technique of showing multiple views within the one image. Students had no problems understanding the application Photoshop and the complex series of technical skills introduced to them. Students were required to be critical in their decision-making resulting in subtle variations in colour, shape, composition and resulting mood.

Each student began with a portrait and a profile photo and began merging features into the one image. The feather tool, magic wand and magic wand tool enabled students to create seamless composite images. Symbols and images were carefully composed to create an abstracted collaged background communicating students interests and the things they enjoy.

Students moved away from realism choosing a split complementary colour scheme giving us a further sense of their personality.

The cherry on the top for the students and the final step to the project was the application of effects and filters. The cut out and poster edges filter added a painterly and abstracted style to the work.

It was a joy to see the boys embrace the new media and subsequent challenges resulting in artworks that showed a level of sophistication technically and conceptually.

Mrs Jo McGivern

Year 7 Visual Arts Teacher