In this STEAM classroom project, students create a laser-processed self-portrait by combining hand drawing, image scanning, contour tracing, engraving, line tracing, and cutting in LaserMaker. The lesson connects visual art, digital design, personal expression, and laser processing through a practical creative activity.

This course is especially useful for introducing students to contour extraction, digital cleanup, processing layers, and ethical design practices when working with portraits and personal images.

1. Lesson Overview

Item	Details
Project	Laser-processed self-portrait
Software	LaserMaker
Main Skills	Hand drawing, image scanning, Contour Tracing, processing parameter setup, shallow engraving, line tracing, and cutting
Suggested Materials	Basswood plywood or acrylic board
Classroom Fit	Digital design, art-integrated STEAM lessons, LaserMaker drawing courses, maker education, and beginner laser engraving projects

1.1 Project Goal

Students will create a self-portrait design by drawing a simple portrait by hand, scanning or importing it into LaserMaker, extracting the contour, setting processing layers, and producing a finished engraved or traced portrait piece.

1.2 Recommended Classroom Use

For teachers: Use this lesson to connect art, identity, image processing, digital tracing, and laser processing in one classroom-ready activity.

For students: Use the project to turn a simple hand-drawn portrait into a physical design object such as a tag, keychain, sign, or display piece.

For makerspaces: Use it as an introduction to converting hand-drawn artwork into laser-ready vector or contour-based designs.

2. Learning Objectives

2.1 What Students Will Learn

Use the Contour Tracing tool to extract the outline of a hand-drawn pattern.

Scan or import hand-drawn artwork so the outline can be processed more clearly.

Use parameter settings correctly based on the intended engraving, tracing, or cutting result.

Compare how different materials and parameter settings affect the finished visual result.

2.2 STEAM Skills Developed

Design thinking: Predict how a hand-drawn portrait style will look after it becomes an engraved, traced, or cut object.

Computational thinking: Understand how a scanned image is converted into outlines and processing paths.

Engineering thinking: Consider production time, material choice, process sequence, and how different materials affect engraving quality.

2.3 Responsible Making

Portrait-based projects should be handled respectfully. Students should not use someone else’s portrait as a joke or prank, and they should ask for permission before publishing, sharing, or displaying a portrait of another person.

3. Real-World Context: What Is a Self-Portrait?

A self-portrait is an artwork an artist creates to represent themselves. It can show appearance, style, personality, mood, or a particular moment in the artist’s life. In this lesson, students use a simplified self-portrait as the starting point for a laser design project.

Self-portraits are also a useful way to explore identity and visual expression. By translating a drawing into a laser-processed object, students can see how a personal artwork changes when it moves from paper to digital design and then to a physical material.

Self-portrait artwork example for classroom discussion — Self-portrait examples can help students discuss identity, expression, and artistic style.

4. Design and Engineering Considerations

Before working in LaserMaker, students should think about the portrait as both an artwork and a physical object. The final result may be used as a keychain, sign, tag, display piece, or branded design sample.

Part shape: The outer shape can be square, circular, or another shape drawn by the designer and completed through cutting.

Design content: The portrait can be hand-drawn, scanned as an image file, imported into the software, and converted into contours or processing paths.

Part size: Students should choose the size based on the intended use of the finished work.

Use method: The design may be developed as a keychain, product sign, classroom display, or personal art object. Students can also consider waterproofing, mildew protection, or color treatment when appropriate.

Material selection: The source project suggests basswood plywood or acrylic board.

Process effect: The project can use tracing, engraving, and cutting depending on the design details.

5. Lesson Procedure

LaserMaker self-portrait modeling process overview — The self-portrait project moves from hand drawing and scanning to contour tracing, process setup, testing, and final making.

5.1 Research, Measure, and Sketch

Start by deciding the purpose and size of the self-portrait piece. Students should calculate the length and width based on how the finished work will be used, then record the measurements in millimeters.

Measurement Data Recording / Unit: mm
Length:	Width:

Students should draw a simple self-portrait that reflects their own features or style. A bold marker drawing works well because clear lines make scanning and contour tracing easier.

5.2 Draw and Scan the Self-Portrait

Ask students to draw their self-portrait on paper with a marker. After the drawing is complete, scan the image and save it to the computer. The source lesson recommends black-and-white scanning because it can create a clearer outline for the next step.

Hand-drawn self-portrait prepared for scanning — Draw the self-portrait with a marker so the scanned outline is clear.

5.3 Import the Image and Extract the Contour

In LaserMaker, click Open on the toolbar and select the scanned self-portrait file. After the image is imported into the drawing area, use the Contour Tracing tool to extract the outline of the portrait.

Opening a scanned self-portrait image in LaserMaker — Import the scanned self-portrait image into LaserMaker.

Keep the extracted outline and delete the original bitmap image when it is no longer needed. This leaves a cleaner line-based portrait design that can be assigned to different processing layers.

Extracted self-portrait contour in LaserMaker — The extracted outline becomes the editable design for laser processing.

5.4 Set Processing Layers and Parameters

Select the facial expression objects and assign them to the yellow shallow engraving layer. In the source workflow, the material is set to acrylic plate, the process is set to shallow engraving, and the processing thickness is set to 0.1 mm.

Select the internal portrait outline and assign it to the red tracing layer. Then select the external contour and assign it to the black cutting layer. In the source workflow, the external contour uses acrylic plate, cutting, and a processing thickness of 3 mm.

Self-portrait processing layer settings in LaserMaker — Set separate processing layers for shallow engraving, tracing, and cutting.

Finally, arrange the process sequence as shallow engraving → tracing → cutting. This order helps process the surface details first, then completes the outline and final cut.

LaserMaker self-portrait process parameter setup — Review the process parameters before production.

Self-portrait processing sequence in LaserMaker — Arrange the sequence as shallow engraving, tracing, and cutting.

5.5 Test, Debug, and Improve

Before making the final self-portrait, students should test the processing effect on the selected material. The source lesson suggests testing shallow engraving with a speed value of 400 and a power value of 30, then observing the result and adjusting the parameters as needed.

Is the portrait outline clear after contour tracing?

Do the engraving and tracing effects match the intended visual style?

Does the material show the portrait clearly?

Could a different drawing style, line thickness, or parameter setting improve the result?

6. Finished Project

After the final settings are confirmed, students can complete the engraving, tracing, and cutting process. The finished work should preserve the character of the hand-drawn portrait while showing a clean laser-processed effect.

Finished laser-processed self-portrait project — Finished self-portrait sample made with LaserMaker.

7. Extension Challenge

After learning contour extraction with a self-portrait, students can draw another simple image by hand and repeat the same workflow. For example, they can create an elephant, another animal, or a symbolic classroom icon.

Encourage students to compare different drawing styles and think about which types of lines produce the clearest contour tracing and engraving effect.

Hand-drawn animal contour tracing extension example — Animal drawing extension example 1

Simple animal drawing for contour tracing extension practice — Animal drawing extension example 2

8. Inspiration Gallery

The following examples can be used for classroom discussion, design inspiration, and student reflection. Encourage students to compare the drawing style, contour clarity, material effect, and final laser-processed appearance.

Stick figure laser design inspiration example 1 — Contour design example 1

Stick figure laser design inspiration example 2 — Contour design example 2

Stick figure laser design inspiration example 3 — Contour design example 3

Stick figure laser design inspiration example 4 — Contour design example 4

Stick figure laser design inspiration example 5 — Contour design example 5

Stick figure laser design inspiration example 6 — Contour design example 6

9. Equipment Note for Teachers

This project is suitable for classroom laser cutters that support small-format engraving, tracing, and cutting. For schools, makerspaces, and beginner STEAM labs, projects like self-portraits, art tags, classroom signs, keychains, and student design pieces can be completed with a classroom laser cutter such as the Thunder Laser Bolt Series.

Teachers can choose the machine and material setup based on classroom space, project size, material choice, and learning goals. The same contour tracing workflow can also be adapted for other CO2 laser machines when students move on to larger artwork, display boards, or more advanced maker projects.

Contents

1. Lesson Overview

2. Learning Objectives

3. Real-World Context: What Is a Self-Portrait?

4. Design and Engineering Considerations

5. Lesson Procedure

6. Finished Project

7. Extension Challenge

8. Inspiration Gallery

9. Equipment Note for Teachers

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