OVERVIEW
After a warmup and then drawing eyes, students use symmetry and mirrors, to learn insights about the face. Then with instructions, they draw and paint their own portraits using tempera paints on watercolor paper.– – –
Grades 1 – 2
Week of April 14 – 18
1 Hour & 30 Minutes
Student Work
Lesson At A Glance
Here’s a brief overview of the complete lesson. It’s also on your prep page in the Ready, Set, Go! section (below the lesson).
Colored buttons jump to each section in the full lesson plan below.
10 Minutes – Artists’ Choice
5 min – Draw an eye from memory
15 min – Learn about the face
15 min – Draw an eye from reference
12 min – Draw portrait
30 min – Pre-mixed colors for skin tones
If time – Artists’ choice
3 min – Everyone helps
Use this button to jump down to the preparation section.
SCROLL & TEACH
LESSONPLAN
Each section is a different color. Read over once and then you can SCROLL & TEACH using any device you like. It’s designed to work well with your phone.
LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to use their imagination
M A T E R I A L S
- 8.5″ x 11″ copy paper
- 2B Pencil
- White Eraser
All materials are suggestions and may be modified as you see fit. We have tried many items, and these seem to allow the most versatility for the cost.
1.1 Greet
Greet students as they come in and help them choose a chair.
Kneel down so that you are on their level. Bending over emphasizes the differences in your height, while kneeling makes them feel more important. Have tape and marker ready so you can stick some tape on the table by each student and write their name on it as they sit down.
1.2 Choice
Encourage students to work with one piece of paper for a while. If someone uses the phrase, “free draw”, explain that artists’ choice is something only artists can do, while free-draw is something anyone can do. You want to use the phrase to elevate the students’ expectations of their work.
Everyone should take their time with the work and make a finished piece of art. Limiting the paper can also help kids focus on the work. If someone finishes in super-fast time, ask them what more they can do to the existing paper. Ask again several times – unless they appear overly frustrated; then you can allow them to move on to a new work.
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to draw a human eye
M A T E R I A L S
- 8.5″ x 11″ copy paper
- 4B pencil
- Eraser
2.1 action
Have students draw an eye from memory
Once finished, add names to art and set aside
“On your paper, see if you can draw an eye from memory. Make it as realistic as you can but don’t worry about it. Just do your best and have fun.”
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know symmetry
M A T E R I A L S
- Mirrors with lines pre-drawn on them – ideally, one for each student
- Dry erase markers – one for each student
- Paper towels
- Rulers
Here’s a LINK to some mirror tiles. These are thin, but cheap for large mirrors with safe edges. Glue them to foam core and put some card-stock easel-backs on them for a set of 12 mirrors at less than $3 each.
Prepare your mirrors
Use a ruler and a dry erase marker to draw a vertical line down the center of each mirror, from the center top to the center bottom. This divides the mirror into two identical side-by-side areas.
Then draw a green or blue line across the middle from the left to right, creating 4 quarters.
3.1 set up
“Ok, we’re going to look at how symmetrical our face is. Cover one eye or hold it shut, so that you are only viewing the mirror with one open eye. If both eyes are open this won’t work.
Move your head around so that your face is right in the center of the mirror and the line looks like it goes right down the very center of your face. The line should be on the center of your nose, the center of your mouth, and It should also go up between your eyes.
Look at that! Your face is symmetrical. Artists sometimes draw guidelines like this line I drew on the mirrors.”
3.3 break
Break
“Open your eyes and take a little break. Blink a few times.
Now pick up your marker and take the cap off. Don’t use it yet though. We’re going to line up our face again.”
3.4 teach
Horizontal Lines
“Ok, now we’re going to look at where the eyes are on the face. Cover one eye or hold it shut again.
Start with what we did a minute ago. Move your head around so that your face is right in the center of the mirror again.
Make sure that you are looking straight into the mirror and not tilting your chin way down or way up (very important).
Then line up the horizontal line, going side to side, which is [COLOR], with your eyes. Make sure the line is lined up with the corners of both eyes. Hold it there to make some marks on the mirror.
Don’t move your head while you draw.
While keeping your eyes on the line, make a mark where the bottom of your chin is, and then make another mark where the top of your hair is.
Make one mark on the center of your open eye. Then you can relax and open your eye.”
3.5 Draw
Let kids hold the mirror with one hand, and draw 2 their eyes on the it with their dry erase marker, but make sure they don’t wipe off the chin and hair top lines. The eyes should be right on the line across the middle. Closing one eye and then the other can help see better.
If you have time, have your students try tracing the outline of their face and hair using the marker and one eye closed.
3.6 teach
“Look at the two numbers. They are about the same! The distance is very similar. If you got much of a difference, it means that your head was tilted up or down, but that’s alright. This isn’t a contest to see who did a better job, it’s just to help you understand something you probably didn’t know: The eyes are in the middle of your head.
Most people think the eyes are a lot closer to the top of your head, but it’s not really true. If you start looking at faces and where the eyes are, you’ll see they are usually right in the center.”
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to draw a human eye
M A T E R I A L S
- 11″ x 17″ copy paper
- 4B pencil
- Eraser
- Eye Reference PDF on stand
4.1 print
iNFORMATION
Eye and Head
reference for eyes and head.
Hand out prints. Make sure each student gets one to keep. If your students keep notebooks or binders, you can 3-hole punch them ahead of time.
1 Page – Opens in new window
“How many colors do you see in the eye? (students may say 1, 2, 3, and maybe even 4)
Well that’s a hard question to answer. We don’t always call black and white a color, but if you count them, there are always 3 different colors, or areas, of the eye. That’s if you don’t count the skin or eyelashes around the eye itself.
You might also notice that the white of the eye is actually a little darker than a bright white.
Who sees the really bright white spot? That’s not actually a part of the eye, it’s a reflection from a light or window. It’s called the highlight. A dot of bright white on the eye for a highlight makes it look very real and also shiny.”
4.3 draw
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to draw big shapes
M A T E R I A L S
- Watercolor or cardstock paper around 11″ x 14″ or larger
- Reference on stand
- 4B pencil
- Eraser
- Mirrors
5.1 draw
Head Shape
“Look at your paper. Pretend that the paper is a mirror. You’re going to draw and paint your own face on the paper so that it looks a little bit like the mirror when you’re looking at it. This is called a self portrait.
Look at the head shape on the PDF printout. Then compare that tall shape with the similar shape of your own head in the mirror. Your head is tall too. It’s not a circle.
Imagine your head shape on the paper now. It will be much bigger than the little diagram on the printout. Try to imagine it the size it looks in the mirror.
Without drawing eyes, nose, mouth or ears, draw just the big shape of the head on your paper.”
5.2 draw
5.3 draw
Draw portrait and when finished, write name on the back.
“Continue drawing your face by looking in the mirror to see your nose, mouth, ears and hair. Draw them the way you see them as best you can. Have fun and don’t worry about looking like you so much. Artists always have a hard time making faces look like certain people, especially themselves!”
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to paint a portrait
M A T E R I A L S
- Watercolor or cardstock paper with drawing
- Water tubs (2 of them)
- Brushes
- Palette or plate
- Tempra paints
- Smocks
- Paper towels
6.1 setup
Place colors around the table in bowls for skin tones. Colors can be mixed ahead of time. Here are some formulas:
Light Skin: 1 part purple, 2 parts red, 3 parts yellow, 2 to 3 parts white
Darker Skin: Just add less white. You can also add more red and yellow. Dark skin is often very orange colored. Add more purple if it looks too orange.
Shadows: Add some dark brown and a bit of black to make the darkest shadows if needed.
6.2 setup
6.3 setup
6.4 paint
Begin painting!
Help and encourage students while they paint. When they finish, have them sign their names and set aside to dry.
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know how to draw independently
M A T E R I A L S
- 8.5″ x 11″ copy paper
- 2B Pencil
- White Eraser
7.1 draw
Students have Artist’s Choice with dry materials
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LEARNING TARGETS
Students know the importance of cleaning up.
M A T E R I A L S
- Paper Towels
- Cleaning wipes
- Sink
- Waste baskets
- Well-lit spot for photos
- Camera or phone-camera
8.1 clean
Students clean up their work area.
- Wash hands
- Super-wash brushes if used
- Put art supplies away
- Wipe tables & toss trash
- Remove any smocks (last)
- Check for items on floors and tables
8.2 photo
Try to get photos of your student’s artwork. Find a good spot for quick lighting without highlights or shadows from your hands and device. Ideally in-between two strong lights on each side.
OBJECTIVES
- Practice and improvement in mixing paint, painting faces, drawing accurately
- Understanding that eyes are in the center of the head and the head shape is tall
- Accomplishment by creating a full color self portrait
- Fulfillment from learning, and doing artwork of themselves
TROUBLESPOTS
ART WORDS
Self- Portrait– A painting or drawing of yourself as if you were painting a mirror you were looking in.
CLASSROOM
PREP
Have a bunch of amazing supplies ready, and cut a few things apart before-hand in a way that make you look amazing.
Print all of your PDFs from the lesson plan and cut any references apart as needed.
What your room needs
Here are your printable lists and room prep instructions.
Opens in new window
CLASSROOM
MATERIALS
- 8.5” x 11” copy paper
- 2B Pencil
- White eraser
- Mirrors
- Dry erase markers
- Paper towels
- Rulers
- Cheasel with clip
- Watercolor
- Water tubs
- Brushes
- Palette or plate
- Tempra paints
- Smocks
- Paper towels
- Camera or phone camer
PREVIEW
Week 33: Box Animal Safari (Part1)
Students learn insights about the face and then use mirrors to draw themselves. They paint right over the drawing in tempera paint for a fantastic self-portrait. Afterwards, a game of drawing in the round leads to some very crazy face drawings! Mirrors are needed for each student.
Week 34: Box Animal Safari (Part 2)
Students paint their box animals for an awesome project towards the end of the school year.
