This document provides instructions for a project where students will create a face card for a deck of playing cards. It is divided into multiple days. On Day 1, students will take reference photos of their face, brainstorm a costume idea, and create thumbnail sketches combining their portrait with a card design. On Day 2, students will further develop their design with a full page sketch and prepare their paper surface. Subsequent days involve drawing the portrait, adding a collaged border and card symbols, and finishing touches like cropping and matting. The overall goal is to design an original face card combining students' portraits with elements of traditional playing cards.

1. NAME ______________________________________________ CLASSCOLOR: _____________________
PORTRAIT/COLLAGE – Playing Card
ART 8
Objectives:
Use your portrait to design a face card in a deck of cards.
In this project you will:
Learn how to draw your face with accurate proportions
Create a layout for a new face card
Collage in a unique patterned border and card/suit
identification
Create a costume to wear in your card like traditional playing
cards
Use multiple mediums:
o Cut paper
o Magazine clippings
o Colored Pencil
DAY 1: Brainstorm, Reference Gathering&
Thumbnails
Sign out a laptop and follow these directions to be
ready for next class.
Step 1: Photo booth reference
_____ Go to Local Applications in the doc and open
Photo booth
_____ Tilt the screen so you get a straight on shot of
your face.
_____ Take 6 shots: Head & Shoulders!!
____ Look up
____ Look down
____ Look straight ahead
____ Look to the right
____ Look to the left
____ Take a second of your favorite so you can try
to perfect it
____ Drag the picture you like most to the desktop
____ Exit Photo booth
____ Click once on the file you dragged to the
desktop
____ Click one more time on the file name
____ When it is highlighted in blue, change the name to
your last name first initial
Ex. Gordonc. jpg or
Dorofyj. jpeg

2. ____ Click on the shared folder in the doc and then
follow the path to the dropbox:
Shared  JHGordonc or DorofyjDropbox class
colorPlayingCardPhotos
Your teacher will print your reference and have it ready
for next class. Only drop 1 image in the shared folder. If
you drop more than one your teacher will choose which to
print.
All students will receive 1 color print; make
sure it is kept safe between workdays.
DAY 1: Brainstorm, Reference Gathering&
Thumbnails
Continued…
Step 2: What costume would you like to dress
yourself in?
_____ Using Safari or Firefox research different
fictional identities
Consider: Characters from books
Superhero & Super heroine characters
Childhood Lore & Games
Cartoon Characters
Create your own new identity
_____ Find photo reference of the identity you wish to
use for your costume.
Make sure: You can see from the shoulders up
The image is clear
The image is large enough
If you are creating your own have photo
reference of the components you wish to add.
_____ Print these photo references from the laptop
carts
Copy and resize multiple images into a
word/powerpoint document
They will print black so make notes of colors if
you will forget
Step 3: Thumbnails
Using the
choices you
made in the
boxes to the
left and the
photo references you printed, create
Choose card
type:
Jack
King
Queen
Joker
Choose card color &
Suit:
Black: Spades
or Clubs
Red: Hearts
orDiamonds

3. 4 very DIFFERENT
compositional layout
thumbnails of your ideas.
Must haves:
1) Your Portrait 2) Suit/Face Card 3) Card Color 4)
Costume 5) Props OR Background 6) Border Pattern
You must show at least 80%
of your face!
DAY 2: Start the Art!
Get out all brainstorming materials: Thumbnails & Photo
References
Step 1: Full Page Sketch
___ Which idea are you going with? Idea # _________
___ Using a ruler create a 8” x 7” box on the paper given
to you
___ Using this space, sketch out the
top ½ of your playing card
* Include: portrait, costume, and
props or background
1 2 3 4

4. ___ In your sketchbook enlarge the border design
from your thumbnail
* Include the suit and color of the face card
Step 2: Surface Prep
___ Pick up the Newsprint and Bristol
Paper set out for you
___ Using a ruler and a pencil create a
1/2” border from the edge of your
Bristol Paper
___ Using a ruler and a pencil create a
1 1/2” border within the 1/2” border of
your Bristol Paper
___ In the outer 1/2” border adhere all
four sides of Bristol Paper to Newsprint using small
pieces of tape
___ In the 8” x 14” box that remains in the center,
measure 7” in from the top
*This will find the center point where you will flip
your portrait
* Lightly create a line at the 7” mark as reference
for later – you may not keep this line
REMEMBER: Measure 3 times then connect the points
for a more parallel line
___ Write your name and class name on the back of the
newsprint
DAY 3 & BEYOND: Make it great!
Step 3: Start Drawing on the Prepared
Surface
PORTRAIT & BACKGROUND
___ Using a light table, lightly transfer your
portrait, & props or background above the middle mark
___ Flip your surface and sketch upside down and
transfer the sketch again on the other half
*Playing cards are reverse images – not mirror images
___ With a kneaded eraser lighten your pencil marks

5. ___ Using colored pencils & the value/texture drawing
skills you have learned, add color to your portrait
*All artwork within the 8” x 14” interior box should
be created with colored pencil only
BORDER & CARD SYMBOLS
___ Pick up a plastic baggie from your teacher
or
___ Make an envelope with a folded piece of paper
stapled on both sides
___ Go through the magazines that are available in the
room
___ Collect many colors, textures and values to assemble
your patterned background with
*Use the baggie or envelope to hold your pieces
___ Cut, tear, trim and shape your border collage pieces
___ Layout your border pieces before adhering them to
the background 1 1/2” border
*HINT: if you start the border towards the end of a class, consider
working on your back burner assignment
___ When the layout is successful glue them carefully
into place – Remember Craftsmanship
___ Using the color and suit of your choice, cut and shape
these elements
___ Glue them on top of your border pattern or on top of
you interior portrait box
*Look at your original design on your sketches
DAY 3 & BEYOND: Make it great!
CROP & MAT
___ Carefully tear off the tape holding the Bristol to
the Newsprint
___ At the paper cutter, trim your border so that you do
not see any white Bristol
* You want to have a clean collage line for the
border
___ Mount on Black Railroad Board with your name on the
back
___ Complete rubric/reflection, paperclip and submit
on time!