So way back when I first started teaching in 2008, there was no Pinterest, no Instagram and very few blogs to gather lesson ideas. We all know the early years of teaching is rough, but when you have very limited access to other art teachers to share ideas with, and have to create everything from scratch it's really wild. So one of the first lessons I came up with on my own that was pretty proud of was a self portrait project that teaches students to not only draw their physical appearance but also an emphasis on who they are on the inside. Using collage, drawing, typography and various other techniques, this lesson was such a hit with my students!
Fast forward 11 years later, I had kind of forgotten about this lesson until I saw a specific illustration from one of my favorite illustrators and authors, Vanessa Brantley-Newton that completely made me remember it! Her illustration was of a little boy and all of the words of affirmation being poured into his head. It filled me with such joy and I instantly remembered my self portrait project from over 10 years prior. As we always tell kids, "don't judge a book by it's cover" and that it's what is on the inside that counts! I knew I had to dig in the depths of my lessons to try and bring this lesson back!
With many updates and edits, I feel as though this lesson is new and improved and so adorable and meaningful for students of all ages! In this lesson you will find a number of books that pair with self portraits and diversity, a list of positive affirmations for students to include, step by step photo instructions on how to instruct students to mix their own skin tone, simple self portrait guide, how to draw and paint different types of hair textures and styles, and tons of ideas on how to teach kiddos how to collage and creating a inner self portrait inside their head. It's full of all the heart eyes and feels and is a project that kids beam with pride over when they are finished!
I don't know how I went so many years without this project in my curriculum, but it's definitely a keeper and can even be done with multiple grade levels to assess their artistic growth but also their changes in their interests, hobbies and identity.
You can find the full lesson here on my website, or in my TpT store (linked here). Please enjoy just some of these adorable photos of my students' work in progress and completed work! I am obsessed with them! 😍😍😍😍
5 comments
This article explores various easy drawing ideas that cater to different interests and skill levels, including adorable animals, cute characters, and even landscapes.
I love this idea, I did it by myself and it really calmed me down and got me ready for the day!
Love this portrait lesson,
What an amazing idea! Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful art lesson with so much depth!! Question: When you hung up the finished pieces, how did you hang them up so that the top part could be lifted open?