How to create your self-portrait with a step-by-step guide.


Here's a step-by-step tutorial for drawing your self-portrait with Rosie the Reviser's pose. She became a popular symbol of working women during World War II.

Who was Rosie the Riveter?

The Rosie de Reviator symbolized World War II, representing women who worked in factories and shipyards. According to the Encyclopedia of American Economic History, Rosie the Riveter was a social movement that increased working American women from 12 million to 20 million in 1944. The slogan "We can do it!" It was about winning the war. But now, its purpose is to suggest that women can do whatever they intend to do. This popular pose and message can send a powerful message as students prepare for their new school year and find a way to engage with the development mindset. This step-by-step tutorial shows students how to create a basic body with hair and face in the popular "Rosie" pose that they can customize.

Who is this self-portrait project for?

Young students who are still learning how to sketch the body and place facial features would be better off if they opted for simple self-portrait projects. If I were to judge at the group level, that would be better for fourth- and fifth-graders. Some kids in the youth class may be able to afford it, but on average, they may be more frustrated than those who are not. This portrait, though very simple, keeps the body at a slight angle. For this reason, I recommend it to students who have already stretched their face and body in a straight line without any effort. It's not about age or class level; it's more about their ability to pull off variations of what they've done before. This will greatly increase their chances of success, and it is wise to consider this when choosing a project for the class.

Work with drawing guides.

The best way for students to get off to a good start with any drawing project is to use drawing guides. You may have noticed that there is a grid of three dotted lines in both horizontal and vertical directions at each step of this tutorial. If students draw their main lines on their paper before drawing, they will easily follow. For example, as seen in step 1 below, this head shape sits above the middle horizontal line and to the left of the middle line of the paper. The body then falls to fill the bottom three rows of the rectangle. Drawing skills are about getting the size and space of lines on paper, so having a few visual references to get you started will help everyone be a little more accurate.

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Step-by-step instructions on how to create a self-portrait

Time required: 1 hour.
Make your own self-portrait drawing
Draw the basic shape of the head and body.
Connect the two to the neck.
Delete a line and drag the right arm.
Add an inch and pull the other arm. Make sure the line of the hand is above the elbow.
Insert fingers into the hand and pull the folded sleeve.
Pull the face with the chin slightly back.
Add hair and an ear around the head as needed.
Delete the internal header and add captions.
Trace with markers. Paint with colored pencils, oil pastels, or a medium of choice.