Clifton Hill Primary School

Welcome to the Art Room of
Clifton Hill Primary School in Melbourne Australia
Art Teacher: Gina Grant
Lesson: Self- Portraits
Medium: Crayola Portfolio Crayons
Grade: 4th
Personal Mandala Lesson
Wayne Thiebaud Pop Art Lesson

From Gina: "I thought you would like to look at some of my fourth and fifth grade self portraits. I had them look into a small mirror and then with a permanent marker draw their faces starting with their eyebrows and eyes, nose then mouth and then hair and jaw line. I photocopied their work onto cartridge paper and then got them to put words into one, describing themselves in someway. Some chose to repeat one word, others repeated some words or phrases, some told stories. The words traveled around the paper, up and down (one Asian boy did it like that), in spirals and so on. These works went into their class portfolios. The other work was fully coloured in with portfolio crayons from Crayola. They had to include at least three colours in their faces (highlight, shadows and mid) and could rub the colours in or use water to make it look quite painterly. The grade 4 students spent one session just playing with the Portfolios to understand how to use them.

Contour portrait with words using complimentary colors for highlights and shadows

From Gina: I have worked with grade 4 and 5 students on creating self-portraits by looking into small mirrors and drawing what they see with permanent markers. They may take some time getting used to the idea that they cannot rub out but if they do it slowly (I repeat, slowly) and start with the eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, hairline, ears, jaw and chin, then neck and shoulders. You may have to talk some of them through it, encouraging them at each stage, and be firm. I find that the features are more in proportion, the children are more aware of them, and the finished work is much more lively using this method, rather than using the oval template which often results in very stiff mannered 'portraits'.

SEE GINA'S STUDENTS' PERSONAL MANDALAS

SEE GINA'S WAYNE THIEBAUD POP ART

HARMONY WOOD TOTEMS