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Portraits Resources Units of Work

Mark-Making Portrait Project

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Description

This Mark-Making Portrait Project is a comprehensive project that helps students explore portrait proportions, expressive mark-making, and drawing techniques through a structured and engaging sequence of activities.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

  • Develop an understanding of facial proportions.
  • Practise drawing individual facial features accurately.
  • Experiment with a range of mark-making techniques and media.
  • Create a portrait using expressive and controlled mark-making.
  • Analyse how different media and marks can communicate texture, tone, and character.

Included in this download:

  • A detailed, stage-by-stage unit of work* that guides you through delivering stages on proportions of the face, features of the face, mark making artists, and making a mark making portrait inspired by a celebrity. (This could be adapted to themselves, friend or family member)
  • Worksheets to explore the proportions of the face
  • 4 Worksheets to practice drawing features of the face.
  • A good example of mark making.
  • A PowerPoint presentation of student examples from students aged 11–12 years. These show a range of abilities and are excellent for assessment for learning.
  • The same presentation available as a Google Slides view-only link for quick, browser-based use.
  • An assessment rubric tailored to the project.

*This does not include individual lesson plans.

The Detail
This engaging portrait project encourages students to move beyond simple line drawing and explore how marks, textures, and media choices can add expression and personality to portrait work. Students begin by learning the basic proportions of the face before practising individual features such as eyes, noses, and mouths. They then experiment with a variety of mark-making approaches using different materials and techniques.

The project culminates in a striking portrait drawing where students apply their understanding of facial structure alongside expressive mark-making techniques. Although the unit suggests drawing a celebrity portrait, the project could easily be adapted so students draw themselves, a family member, or a friend instead.

The download also includes strong visual examples of student work, practical homework ideas, and an assessment rubric to support teaching and assessment throughout the project.

Timing Guidance
This unit can be taught over several weeks as a sustained drawing project, or individual activities can be adapted into shorter standalone lessons depending on your timetable and students’ needs.

Materials Required
Drawing pencils, fine liners, charcoal, ink, coloured pencils, erasers, sketchbooks or cartridge paper, printed portrait photographs or reference images.

There are more portrait and mark making lessons and projects on The Arty Teacher website.

The written unit of work includes a link to this useful video:

Sarah

Sarah Crowther is The Arty Teacher. She is a high school art teacher in the North West of England. She strives to share her enthusiasm for art by providing art teachers around the globe with high-quality resources and by sharing her expertise through this blog.

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Reviews

  • Excellent time saver

    By Edwina Williams on (Verified Purchase)

    Thank you. These are some great drawing exercises that can easily be extended. This was a life saver for getting me organised at the start of term.

    588 of 1192 people found this review helpful.

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    • By The Arty Teacher on

      Thanks Edwina. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.

      573 of 1174 people found this review helpful.

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  • Mark-Making Portrait Unit

    By jonnydshaw on (Verified Purchase)

    Excellent resource!

    604 of 1185 people found this review helpful.

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    • By The Arty Teacher on

      That’s great to hear! Thanks for your feedback.

      613 of 1194 people found this review helpful.

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    Sarah Crowther – The Arty Teacher

    I set up The Arty Teacher because I have a passion for my subject that I want to share with other art teachers around the world.

    I have been a high school art teacher for over 20 years, so I understand what it’s like to be in front of a class of students, often with very different abilities and attitudes.

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