Our Many Faces: Visual Arts Activity

Isn't this fantastic?!? I LOVE how it turned out. And I really love that some of my students who wouldn't consider themselves "natural artists" saw great success with this activity. The activity took a bit of time to complete, but the end result was so worth it. This is how we completed the activity:

• I started by taking pictures of my students (close-ups of their faces).
• At home that night I used a free program (www.paint.net) to convert the pictures to black and white drawings (I have photoshop elements, but this free program worked better). I printed the pictures on standard letter size paper.
• The students took the black and white drawings and drew a 2cm x 2cm grid over the picture.
• They then took a piece of construction paper (4 times the size) and made a 4cm x 4cm grid on the paper.
• They then had to enlarge their original picture onto the larger construction paper. It is important to stress that they work square by square, row by row - it is NOT a free sketch.
• Once the enlargements are complete (this took a few 1/2 hour classes), they must erase all the grid lines.
• They then divided their pictures into 4 equal quadrants. Each quadrant is completed using different materials and techniques. The upper left quadrant is painted. The upper right is shaded with pencil. The lower left used stippling with a black sharpie marker, and the bottom right used crayons or pencil crayons.
• Lastly, students were instructed to fill in the background for each quadrant using any design they wish.
•  After the pictures were mounted on colorful construction paper, I laminated them and hung them in the hallway outside my class. You wouldn't believe the reaction I got from other staff and students at the school!

Sticking with the face art theme, my three-year old proudly presented me with this picture when I picked her up from daycare today. "I made this for you, mommy. This is YOU!"

Hmmmmmm ....... I see horns - do you see the horns? I must admit though, I did FEEL like this by the end of the day today.
IS IT FRIDAY YET???