Portraiture is a very old art form going back at least to ancient Egypt, where it flourished from about 5,000 years ago. Before the invention of photography, a painted, sculpted, or drawn portrait was the only way to record the appearance of someone.

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But portraits have always been more than just a record. They have been used to show the power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste, learning or other qualities of the sitter. Portraits have almost always been flattering, and painters who refused to flatter, such as William Hogarth, tended to find their work rejected. A notable exception was Francisco Goya in his apparently bluntly truthful portraits of the Spanish royal family.

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Among leading modern artists portrait painting on commission, that is to order, became increasingly rare. Instead artists painted their friends and lovers in whatever way they pleased. Most of Picasso’s pictures of women, for example, however bizarre, can be identified as portraits of his lovers. At the same time, photography became the most important medium of traditional portraiture, bringing what was formerly an expensive luxury product affordable for almost everyone. Since the 1990s artists have also used video to create living portraits. But portrait painting continues to flourish.

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Self-Portrait

Artists’ self-portraits are an interesting sub-group of portraiture and can often be highly self-revelatory. Those of Rembrandt are particularly famous.

A self-portrait does not necessarily have to be representational – an abstract or symbolic depiction by an artist of themselves can also be classed as a self-portrait. A self-portrait can also be in any medium.

Artists sometimes include depictions of themselves in larger group portraits; or may include a self-portrait in another type of composition – such as a landscape, narrative or documentary work.

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Text is from the article: Portrait

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Assignment: Create a Portrait

• You can pick the person (it can even be yourself).

• The painting must show both eyes, the nose, and the mouth. Must use either front or three-quarter view. (You don't need to paint a woman, that was the first example I found that showed face angles).

• Use whatever style of painting you want. See the gallery below for inspiration.

• You can use either watercolor or acrylic paint.

• Paper: you pick the size... practice paper, half sheet, or a whole sheet. 

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