Grid & Identity
Project Overview
In this AP-level self-portrait assignment, students will create a highly resolved portrait inspired by the grid-based, process-driven work of Chuck Close. Working in painting, ink, pencil, or fingerprint technique, students will transform a photographic self-portrait into a large-scale, carefully constructed image built through small, repeated marks or units. Like Close, students will examine how breaking an image into parts (grids, cells, or units) can reconstruct identity in a new and unexpected way. This project goes beyond realism—it investigates perception, process, mark-making systems, and the relationship between abstraction and representation. Up close, the image should reveal intentional mark variation; from a distance, it should unify into a convincing portrait.
Students are expected to demonstrate AP-level risk-taking, conceptual thinking, and advanced technical control.
AP Studio Focus
This assignment supports:
* Sustained Investigation: Identity, perception, systems, repetition, fragmentation, or transformation.
* Material Practice: Advanced control of chosen media (paint, ink, graphite, or fingerprint technique).
* Process as Concept: Using repetition and structure as a meaningful artistic strategy.
Objective Students will:
* Create a self-portrait using a grid or systematic structure.
* Demonstrate strong understanding of proportion and facial anatomy.
* Develop a consistent but visually engaging mark-making system.
* Explore how color, value, or texture shifts across the grid.
* Produce a unified portrait that balances abstraction and realism.
Materials
* Acrylic or oil paint or
* Ink (pen and brush) or
* Graphite pencils (full range) or
* Ink or paint for fingerprint technique
* Large drawing or painting surface (recommended minimum 16” x 20”)
* Ruler (for grid creation)
* High-quality self-generated photographic reference
Process
1. Concept Development:
Consider how your identity can be explored through fragmentation or repetition. Will your grid remain traditional, or will the units shift in color, value, or style? Submit thumbnail sketches and a written concept plan.
2. Reference & Grid Setup:
Take a high-resolution, well-lit self-portrait photograph. Create a proportional grid on both your photo and your final surface.
3. Structural Drawing:
Carefully transfer major shapes and proportions square by square. Accuracy at this stage is essential.
4. Mark-Making System:
Develop a consistent visual language within each grid square. For fingerprint portraits, vary pressure and density. For ink or pencil, experiment with hatching, stippling, contour, or tonal shifts. For painting, explore color shifts within each unit.
5. Value & Cohesion:
Maintain a full range of value across the portrait. Frequently step back to ensure the image resolves from a distance.
6. Refinement & Resolution:
Strengthen focal areas, unify inconsistencies, and ensure craftsmanship meets AP portfolio standards.
Assessment Criteria
* Accurate and convincing proportions
* Sophisticated mark-making system
* Full range of value and/or intentional color relationships
* Strong balance between abstraction (up close) and realism (from a distance)
* Conceptual depth connected to identity
* Professional-level craftsmanship and presentation
Essential Question
How can a systematic, repetitive process transform a realistic self-portrait into a deeper investigation of identity and perception?
Learning Objectives / Student Targets
By the end of this project, students will be able to:
1. Observation & Representation
* Accurately observe and document real objects through drawing.
* Demonstrate proportional relationships and spatial awareness in a still life composition.
2. Material & Technical Skill
* Apply value and shading with graphite to create depth and form.
* Use ink to reinforce contour, emphasize contrast, and define edges.
* Incorporate oil pastel to build bold color, expressive texture, and layered richness.
* Use colored pencil to refine details, enhance form, and smooth transitions in color and tone.
3. Integration of Media
* Thoughtfully combine pencil, ink, oil pastel, and colored pencil into a unified visual whole.
* Make intentional decisions about where each medium contributes best to overall structure, mood, and emphasis.
4. Composition & Design
* Organize visual elements to demonstrate balance, proportion, and dynamic rhythm.
* Guide the viewer’s eye through strategic use of contrast, mark-making, and color placement.
5. Creative & Critical Thinking
* Experiment with media behaviors and problem-solve accordingly.
* Communicate personal artistic decisions through expressive mark-making and color choices.
6. Reflection & Artistic Growth
* Articulate strengths, challenges, and artistic intent in reflection or critique.
* Demonstrate increased confidence and competence with multi‑media processes.
Ohio Fine Arts Standards (Visual Arts)
VA:Cr2 – Create
* VA:Cr2.1.HSI Use multiple approaches to begin creative endeavors (e.g., observational drawing, thumbnail sketches, or exploratory studies).
* VA:Cr2.2.HSI Demonstrate quality craftsmanship through careful selection, handling, and care of art materials and tools.
VA:Cr3 – Refine & Complete
* VA:Cr3.1.HSI Evaluate and refine works of art or design through persistence, practice, and reflection.
* VA:Cr3.2.HSI Individually or collaboratively apply tools, media, and techniques with precision to enhance artistic intent.
VA:Re7 – Perceive & Analyze
* VA:Re7.1.HSI Hypothesize how art reflects observation, investigation, or cultural meaning (connecting observation of objects with artistic choices).
* VA:Re7.2.HSI Use art vocabulary to express preferences with evidence and supporting reasons.
VA:Re8 – Interpret Intent & Meaning
* VA:Re8.1.HSI Interpret art by distinguishing between relevant and non‑relevant contextual information.
* VA:Re8.2.HSI Analyze methods (e.g., value, texture, color layering) artists use to convey mood or tone.
VA:Re9 – Apply Criteria
* VA:Re9.1.HSI Establish criteria to evaluate artistic choices, craftsmanship, and design quality.
VA:Cn10 – Synthesize & Relate
* VA:Cn10.1.HSI Create works that reflect personal connections to experiences, knowledge, or observation.
* VA:Cn11.1.HSI Relate artistic ideas and works within content area/other disciplines (e.g., how material behavior affects compositional decisions).
Grading Rubric
Rubrics have become popular with teachers as a means of communicating expectations for an assignment, providing focused feedback on works in progress, and grading final products. A rubric is a document that articulates the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to poor.
Student Reflection
A student reflection is a brief, thoughtful explanation of how and why a student created their artwork, including the choices they made, challenges they faced, and what they learned during the process. In art, reflection is important because it helps students develop critical thinking, recognize growth, strengthen their creative decision-making, and take ownership of their artistic development.
Element of Art & Principle of Design
Self - Portrait Artists
Techniques
Project Demonstration
Examples
“Creativity takes courage.”
Cloverleaf High School
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