Emotional Self Portrait Drawing
Lesson Plan Submitted by: Nancy Tompkins
St. Luke's School in New York City
This is an assignment I give to my fifth graders
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Click on the images for a larger view |
Procedure:
After discussing what examples of emotions there are and the emotional impact of certain colors, each student is given a mirror and a long sheet of paper. Using the mirror as a guide, they draw four faces across the paper, each face reflecting more and more of the emotion they have chosen (changes are especially noticeable around the eyes and mouth). When these drawings are completed, students paint a large version of the last, most expressive face using colors that reflect the emotion portrayed.
Note from IAD:
There are many famous artists who have done a series of self portraits. One of the more notable is Vincent Van Gogh. Although to my knowledge he had no portraits of him smiling, there are varying degrees of emotion seen in his face. Below you can see the progression of emotion from a blank stare on the left to the look of sorrow and hopelessness on the right. Along with this lesson you might show students famous portraits that show strong emotion.
Link
Google's Art Project - See Van Gogh's art close up.
Self-Portrait
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Drawing from Dali's Mustache |
Lesson Plan Submitted by: Judith Walsh
Elementary teacher at Mt. Zion Elementary School at Suffolk, VA.
Grades: K - 5th
Procedure:
After I have gone through all the necessary procedures that comes with the first days of school, I have the students draw a picture of themselves. They get to see first hand what they look like because they look at themselves in small mirrors.
I got the mirrors at a local Dollar Store. The students draw a picture of themselves and when they are through, I ask them to put their names on them and then I take them up.
I usually hang them up across my room and call it the "Student Art Gallery". At the end of school, I ask them to draw another picture of themselves, same way, but, these they get to take home along with the picture they drew at the first of the year.
They get to compare the two and hopefully see how their drawing has improved throughout the year It's great fun and they love to look at themselves in the mirror!
Materials:
9" x 12" (23 x 30.5 cm) white Drawing Paper
Small hand-held mirrors
Resources
Links
Artisun - Before and after portrait drawings
Dali's Mustache - These are elementary level before and after pictures.