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Oak National Academy
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New
Year 2

Draw a profile portrait

I can draw a profile portrait.

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New
New
Year 2

Draw a profile portrait

I can draw a profile portrait.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. There are different proportions when drawing a face.
  2. A profile portrait can be drawn using different lines and shapes.
  3. Sketching using light lines helps mistakes to be corrected easily.
  4. Shading light and dark areas of the face makes a portrait look realistic.

Keywords

  • Proportion - how big or small parts of something is compared to each other

  • Sketching - making quick and simple drawings to show ideas or the things we see

  • Shading - drawn marks to show areas of light and dark

Common misconception

Pupils may think that the eyes are drawn towards the top of the face.

The eyes are halfway between the top of the head and the chin.


To help you plan your year 2 art and design lesson on: Draw a profile portrait, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

A device is needed to take a photograph. When sketching you could model the difference between a pencil grip for writing and a pencil grip for sketching. Remind pupils that holding their pencil halfway down makes it easier to draw light, quick lines.
Teacher tip

Equipment

tablet/camera

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which of these tools would you use to add colour to a drawing?
rubber
Correct answer: paintbrush
ruler
Q2.
When drawing a portrait, we start by drawing the shape of the before adding eyes, nose, and mouth.
body
Correct answer: face
hands
ears
Q3.
When drawing a portrait, we use a to make light lines that can be erased if we need to change them.
rubber
paintbrush
Correct answer: pencil
pen
Q4.
What is a 'profile portrait'?
a portrait from a front view
Correct answer: a portrait from a side view
a portrait from a back view

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
When drawing a face, it’s important to remember that the eyes are usually in the of the face.
Correct answer: middle
top
side
bottom
Q2.
Which of these can help us make a portrait look more realistic?
using very dark lines only
Correct answer: shading light and dark areas
drawing only one side of the face
Q3.
Match each portrait technique to why we use it.
Correct Answer:light sketching,helps to fix mistakes easily

helps to fix mistakes easily

Correct Answer:shading,makes the drawing look realistic

makes the drawing look realistic

Correct Answer:lines and shapes,to build up parts of a drawing

to build up parts of a drawing

Q4.
Put these steps for drawing a realistic profile portrait in the correct order.
1 - Lightly sketch the shape of the head and neck.
2 - Add features like the eye, nose, and mouth with different lines and shapes.
3 - Shade the face to add light and dark areas.