Love these self portraits

My project of focus to show growth for this year was self portraits.  My goal was to have students draw three self portraits over the course of the year. To keep it fun, students approached each portrait with a different theme.  In the fall, the focus was on teaching students to draw a self portrait emphasizing the placement and size of features as a teacher led activity..  A quick verbal review and demonstration proceeded the winter draw where students were to dress their portraits for the cold winter weather.  For the final portrait, 2nd grade students imagined themselves jumping on a trampoline or in a pike jump from gymnastics.  They began by tracing their hands and feet and then completed the work by adding the clothes and their own faces.  A verbal reminder was all that was given in terms of instructions for laying out the face.  I really do love how these turned out!

portrait one (fall)

portrait two (winter)

final portrait all same child

Mona Lisa Self Portraits

Self Portraits are my chosen project for showing student growth in the art room this year.  All grades began the year by drawing a self portrait with instruction the first weeks of school.  My intent is to have students draw three portraits this year.  Classes are working on the 2nd portrait now.  Fourth grade students were given the task of studying a print of the Mona Lisa and recreating it with their own self portrait.  Getting them past the intimidation factor was the biggest hurdle achieved by assuring them that I would only be assessing the portrait itself for growth.  Here are a few of their interpretations along with the self assessment rubric they were given.

RUBRIC FOR SELF EVALUATION OF PORTRAITS

U/ 0	S- / 1	S / 2	S+ / 3
Student shows no attempt to “look like a scientist” when drawing a portrait.  No signs of understanding the mathematics of the face.  Features are comic in nature and do not look natural.	Student did not demonstrate an understanding of the mathematics of the face.  Eyes are too high, mouth is too small or misplaced.  Nose is misplaced or appears to be only a shape.  Show no attempt to “look like a scientist”	Student demonstrates an understanding of the mathematics of the face.  Most parts of the face are placed well.  Shows skills in “looking like a scientist”	Students shows correct placement of all the parts of the face.  Shows an understanding and applying the mathematics of the face.  Very skill in “looking like a scientist”

Self Portraits in the style of Klimt

Student Work

Tree of Life

My growth project for this year is focused on self portraits.  For the 

fall, students drew a basic self portrait to learn the "mathematics" 

of the face.  I wanted to help students with the placement of 

features and break habits of placing eyes high on the forehead,

making ears too small and other placement issues of the face.

For the second portrait, I decided to approach the subject

by introducing the work of an artist and using their work as a 

guide for individual work.  Third grade students focused

on the work of Gustav Klimt and primarily the right panel from his

work "Tree of Life".  The goal was to place their portrait inside a

patterned blanket created with line and color.  The backgrounds were 

completed with gold sticker paper to mimic the gold leaf Klimt 

often used in his work.