Painting and mixed media: Expressive portraits
Exploring how artists use self-portraits to communicate identity, experimenting with words, symbolism, expressive painting and monoprinting before combining techniques in a final mixed-media self-portrait.
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Painting and mixed-media: Expressive portraits
Important update
This Year 5 Painting and mixed media unit has been updated for 2026–2027 to provide a clearer progression of painting skills and knowledge.
The current Art, Year 5, Painting and mixed media: Portraits unit will move to the Content archive area in September 2026, where it will remain permanently available.
Explore the Art and design, Long-term plan for 2026–2027.
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Identify how artists use self-portraits to communicate aspects of their identity.
- Identify artistic choices, including symbolism, colour and composition, and suggest what they might communicate.
- Use evidence from an artwork to explain interpretations of an artist’s self-portrait.
- Select and use words and phrases to communicate meaningful aspects of identity in a self-portrait.
- Experiment with colour and expressive brushstrokes to communicate different effects.
- Experiment with monoprinting techniques and layering to develop a mixed-media self-portrait.
- Use ideas and experiments from sketchbook work to inform a final piece.
- Select and purposefully combine media and techniques to communicate aspects of identity in a final mixed-media self-portrait.
Prior learning
Painting & mixed media: Light and dark
Get startedLessons
Lesson 1: Exploring self-portraits
Lesson 2: Personality portraits
Lesson 3: Expressive painting
Lesson 4: Painterly printmaking
Lesson 5: Magnificent mixed media
Key skills
Related content
Unit resources
Knowledge organiser – Art and design Y6: Painting and mixed media: Expressive portraits
Aimed at pupils, a single page that gives key facts and definitions from the unit 'Expressive portraits'.
Vocabulary display – Art and design Y5: Painting and mixed media: Expressive portraits
A display version of the vocabulary from the unit 'Expressive portraits'.
Cross-curricular opportunities
English: Spoken language.
British values: Individuality; Mutual respect.