Drawing: Portraits (Year 4) — Year 4 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: Art and Design KS2 — To improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, with a range of materials; to know about great artists and compare artists, architects and designers in history.
Overview
Building on the KS1 portrait unit, Year 4 pupils revisit portraiture with greater technical ambition and art historical depth. They compare classical portraits by Rembrandt with the contemporary pixelated portraits of Chuck Close, studying how different approaches create different kinds of likeness and expression. Pupils draw from life using a partner as a model, developing skills in light, shadow and expressive mark-making.
Drawing: Portraits learning objectives
- To draw a portrait from life with accurate proportions and growing attention to individual likeness
- To understand and apply chiaroscuro — the use of light and shadow to create form
- To know about and compare the portraiture of Rembrandt and Chuck Close
- To choose and use drawing media deliberately for expressive effect
Success criteria
- I can draw a portrait with accurate proportions.
- I can use chiaroscuro to show light and shadow.
- I can compare the portraits of Rembrandt and Chuck Close.
- I can choose drawing materials for effect.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Present two portrait images side by side: a Rembrandt self-portrait and a Chuck Close large-scale grid portrait. Ask: what is similar? What is different? How has each artist dealt with light? How has each created likeness? Introduce chiaroscuro with a simple diagram showing a sphere illuminated from one side. Pupils identify light, mid-tone, shadow and reflected light.
Demonstrate the portrait process: start with the head oval and centre line; locate eyes, nose, mouth and ears; develop individual features slowly. Then demonstrate applying chiaroscuro: identify the light source, shade the side of the nose away from the light, darken the eye sockets, add cast shadow under the chin. Use a tortillon or finger to blend charcoal for smooth tonal transition.
Pupils work in pairs: one sits as a model under a single light source (a lamp positioned to one side), the other draws. After 15 minutes they swap roles. Focus on looking more than drawing: encourage pupils to look at the model for at least 3 seconds before making each mark.
Pupils refine their portrait, developing chiaroscuro and adding individual features that make this portrait a likeness of their specific partner rather than a generic face. They may add detail with a sharpened pencil or add conté crayon for richer darks.
Portraits are placed on the display table and the class tries to match each portrait to the correct model. Discuss: which drawings are the strongest likenesses? What techniques helped create likeness? Compare with Rembrandt: what does light tell us about a face?
Support and extension for drawing: portraits
Support
- Provide a proportion guide with the key lines marked.
- Use a single light source and a viewfinder so pupils see clear light and dark areas.
- Offer a three-step tone scale to copy before shading.
Extension
- Use the grid method, as Chuck Close did, to enlarge a portrait accurately.
- Explore charcoal and rubber to work from dark to light.
- Write a short comparison of two portraits using the vocabulary list.
Check for understanding
Quick questions for the plenary or an exit ticket. Tap a question to see the answer.
1. What does chiaroscuro mean?
Answer: Strong contrast between light and dark to show form.
2. Where do the eyes sit on a face?
Answer: About halfway between the top of the head and the chin.
3. How did Chuck Close build up his large portraits?
Answer: He worked from a grid, completing one square at a time.
4. Why does a single light source help?
Answer: It creates clear shadows that show the shape of the face.
Resources you will need
- Desk lamp or torch as a light source
- Pencils from 2H to 6B, charcoal and erasers
- Prints of portraits by Rembrandt and Chuck Close
- Proportion guide and tone scale
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils often draw features as symbols (a tick for the nose, a simple line for the mouth) rather than observing their specific partner's features — insist on observation: look at your partner's nose specifically, not a generic nose
- Many pupils avoid adding strong darks, keeping everything in a narrow tonal range — demonstrate that strong darks make light areas appear more luminous and give the portrait life
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Proportion of the face and self-portraiture from the Year 2 Drawing: Portraits unit
- Tonal shading using hatching and cross-hatching from the Year 3 Drawing with Observation unit
Make it yours
Want a personalised version of this lesson?
Use Staffroom to generate a complete lesson plan tailored to your class — add context about ability, recent learning, or specific pupils and get a plan ready to teach. Free plan, no card required.