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Year 2

Profile portraits in art

I can identify the features of portraits and profile portraits.

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New
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Year 2

Profile portraits in art

I can identify the features of portraits and profile portraits.

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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A portrait is a picture of a person and it focuses on their face and expression.
  2. Common features of a portrait include eyes, nose, mouth, ears and hair, chin, eyebrows, neck, shoulders.
  3. A profile portrait is a recording of a person's face or head from a side view.

Keywords

  • Portraits - artistic recordings of people, usually their head and shoulders

  • Profile portraits - a side view representation or view of a human head or face

  • Side profile - the side view of a human head

Common misconception

Pupils might think that, in a profile portrait, both eyes and ears are visible.

In a true profile portrait, only one eye and one ear are typically visible, as the subject is viewed from the side.


To help you plan your year 2 art and design lesson on: Profile portraits in art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It would be useful for students to have access to a mirror for this lesson. Alternatively, a digital device could be used for photography.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

Pipe cleaners or wire

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Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

copyright

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.
What tools can we use to draw straight lines?
crayon
Correct answer: ruler
Correct answer: pencil
Q2.
We use a to erase mistakes when drawing with pencil.
paintbrush
Correct answer: rubber
sharpener
Q3.
Which shapes would be most useful when drawing a house?
circle
Correct answer: rectangle
Correct answer: square
oval
Q4.
Put these steps in the correct order for drawing and colouring a picture.
1 - Use a pencil to draw shapes.
2 - Rub out any mistakes with a rubber.
3 - Add colour using crayons or coloured pencils.

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
A portrait is a picture of a person that focuses on their ...
Correct answer: face and expression.
hands and feet.
hobbies and interests.
Q2.
Which of these is not a common feature of a portrait?
eyes
nose
mouth
Correct answer: feet
Q3.
A side profile is ...
Correct answer: someone’s face from the side.
someone’s face from the front.
someone’s full body.
Q4.
A side profile shows all of a person's features.
True
Correct answer: False