What is "Realistic" and what is "Abstract" in art?

We will concentrate on PORTRAITS and SELF-PORTRAITS, though real and abstract can be landscapes, still life, etc...

"Wow, that looks real!"

I've bet you've heard someone say that about art before. If it "looks real", then it's probably a style called Realism.

Realism tries to copy what we see without any filters or add-ons...Think about how important that was before people had cameras!

Here are some examples of portraits in a realistic style.

Self-Portrait by Chuck Close

The Girl With a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer

Self Portrait, Vincent van Gogh

Drawing/painting people in a realistic style is one of the hardest things to do as an artist. HOWEVER...it will make you grow A LOT as an artist and into a better drawer in the end!

"What's that?!"
Abstract means that it doesn't look like your typical picture or art that is trying to "mirror" life. Artists started doing things abstractly in the early 1900s a lot. They stopped trying to mirror life and instead tried to communicate feelings and ideas. Let's look at some famous abstract portraits!

(You can't talk abstract without Picasso!)

What kind of self-portrait are you going to make?

BONUS!
What if abstract models were real people? An interesting project where abstract portraits were reimagined to fit into our world.