Lesson 7: Self-Portrait – Oil Pastel Adding Color & Value

Materials and Tools

• Self-portrait from previous session 
• Oil pastels 
• Mirror 
• A light source—either a flashlight or a window with natural light 

Objectives

Students will understand that:

• Artists can exaggerate colors, highlights, and shadows to make their self-portraits look more expressive.  

Students will be able to:

• Add realistic and/or expressive color to their self-portrait.  
• Add highlights and shadows to their self-portrait.  

Activities

Introduce the following vocabulary:

Value: how light or dark a color appears 

Highlight: an area that is lighter than surrounding areas 

Shadow: an area that is darker than surrounding areas 

Close Looking

Questions for Discussion:  

• How do you think this person is feeling?  
• What colors do you notice?   
• Where do you see highlights or shadows?   
• Do you notice colors, highlights, or shadows in this portrait that look exaggerated? Where do you notice these?

Exaggerated Colors, Highlights, and Shadows 

Exaggerating colors, highlights and shadows can make a self-portrait appear more dramatic and interesting.  

Turn off the classroom lights and demonstrate creating exaggerated highlights and shadows with either natural light or a flashlight. Point out how a shadow usually appears opposite a highlight. 

Skin Color 

Demonstrate building up a skin color by starting with a thin layer and building toward a thicker, more opaque color. 

Ask: 

Will you make a realistic or expressive skin color? 

What colors can you mix to make this color? 

Establish a Skin Tone 

Demonstrate adding layers of color using the side of your oil pastel to create an even layer. 

Re-draw features and fill in hair 

Demonstrate looking in the mirror as you re-draw some of your basic features with a light oil pastel.

Ask: What color do you plan to make the base color of your hair?

I like to choose something that contrasts or stands out against my skin tone.

Demonstrate looking in the mirror as to re-draw your features, as needed.  

Ask: What color will you use for your hair?  

You can consider choosing a color that contrasts, or stands out, against your skin tone. 

Add highlights and shadows.  

Point out highlights and shadows on your face, then begin demonstrating drawing them in your self-portrait.  

Ask: Where do you see the highlights?  Where do you see the shadows? 

Use a light oil pastel, like white or peach, to make highlights and a dark oil pastel, like blue or purple, to add shadows. 

Reflection Questions for Discussion

• Where did you add highlights or shadows to your self-portrait? 
• How did adding highlights or shadows change your self-portrait today?