Wire Portraits More Than Meets the Eye

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

It all starts with eyes on the prize. The project? To draw your partner’s portrait in one continuous line…without looking at what you’re drawing. This allows the student’s pencil to follow the line of their eyes through observation instead of being caught up in one’s critical mind. It’s a playful practice to help artists hone their observational skills without overanalyzing outcome. The results draw surprise, excitement, and lots of laughter as students examine each other’s drawings. But the real fun comes when each chooses the best of what they’ve created, and is given one meter of wire to recreate that portrait of their partner.

The purpose is to explore the concept of line in art, led by Miss A., herself a 2006 Vic High grad and now a virtual full-time TOC (Teacher On Call) at Vic High.  Anna did her practicum at Vic High three years ago, after degrees in Art, Psychology and Education at UVic and UBC. She also lives in Fernwood, so her connections to Vic High run deep.

(This writer wishes she was back in class at Vic High…specially in this one!)