I couldn’t resist posting these adorable and amazing drawings my first graders did before adding the balloon for their bubble gum! (I will be adding the balloons to them next week to display in the hallways!)
This was a really fun lesson where first-graders learned the difference between a self-portrait and a portrait! This lesson took (3) 40 minute art classes to finish.
Students not only learn how to draw the face and facial details, but we also talk about color matching and trying to best match our own unique skin colors, eye colors and hair colors using crayons. We focus on the Elements of Art (Line, Shape, Color, and Form), as well as use (Principle of Art) Pattern in the background!
DAY 1
First, students viewed a variety of self-portraits from first graders from previous years in my Powerpoint, as well as my own example drawings hanging on the board.
Students then watched while I demonstrated under the document camera how to draw the head by drawing an upside down egg shape. Then how to draw two curving lines for the neck and shoulders with the arms going off the page at the bottom.
I discussed how the drawing would be close up and not show the entire body, (like in their school photo that gets taken in the beginning of the year which I think helped them understand better).
They learned how to draw facial features in correct proportion and learned that eyes are drawn like the shape of almonds/footballs or lemons. I talked about how everyone’s eyes are different, but in general, that’s the basic shape of the eye. I also discussed how we have the iris (colored part, and the pupil, the black circle that allows us to see). And that the pupil is ALWAYS in the center of the iris, no matter what direction we are looking in! As I demonstrated how to draw eyelashes I talked about how we ALL have them, to help keep dust and dirt out of our eyes and to help protect them from direct sunlight, and showed them how they are more of a slight curving line rather than straight lines.
I demonstrated a few different ways to draw the nose, which students could choose what they felt they liked best for their drawing (as long as they tried drawing the more “realistic” looking nose (explaining as I demonstrated to to draw “a c shape, curving line up, a “u” shape, then a backwards c shape, as one continuous line), as well as how to draw a more realistic looking mouth, simple “c” shapes for the ears and curving lines for the eyebrows through a demonstration under the document camera.
Kids had a tricky time drawing the nose and lips the most, but they did a fantastic job!!
Once they finished their self-portrait in pencil, students added a pattern of circles in the background, by tracing a circular jar lid, then traced over all their lines with a thick black sharpie to make their lines stand out more.
DAYS 2-3
On the second day of the lesson students began coloring in with crayons.
I explained to look for a crayon or two that would best match their own unique skin color. We discussed how people’s skin have a variety of colors in the world, and that they are ALL beautiful!!
I talked to them about how it’s important to appreciate each others differences and how boring the world would be if we were all the same skin color! Students agreed it would definitely be a boring world if we all looked the same!
Students then found a crayon that best matched their own unique skin color, eye color and hair color and colored in their self-portraits. I demonstrated that they could combine and layer colors to create the colors they needed if need be. I encouraged students to press hard when coloring and to try to color in completely so no white paper showed through.
For a final step, I will poke holes in their papers using a pencil and a pre-tied balloon will be attached to their self-portrait using masking tape on the back! Like in these photos below from last year!
1st Grade Bubblegum Blowing Self-portrait
Students did a fantastic job creating their self-portraits! Balloons will be added soon and displayed in the school’s hallways!
Another blog post tomorrow! Check back sometime then to see! Thanks for stopping by!
