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Expressive Self-Portraits
Grade 1Grade 2Grade 3Painting2024–2025
Overview
Young artists explored who they are on a given day, using colour and gesture rather than likeness. The unit begins with a mirror-drawing warm-up and ends with a small class exhibition of framed portraits.
Inspiration
Alice Neel, Jenny Saville, Amy Sherald, and the students themselves.
Curriculum connections
- ·Visual Arts — elements of art
- ·English — descriptive writing prompts
- ·Wellbeing — recognising and naming feelings
Downloadable resources
Lesson plans and printable handouts will appear here in a future release.
Learning objectives
- 01Observe faces with kindness and curiosity.
- 02Mix a range of skin tones from a limited palette.
- 03Use colour to communicate mood rather than realism.
Materials
- Watercolour pans
- Fine-tip pens and pencils
- Cartridge paper (A3)
- Small hand mirrors
Process
- Step 1Warm-up: two-minute continuous-line self-portrait.
- Step 2Colour-mixing station: build a personal skin-tone palette.
- Step 3Draft portrait in pencil, then in ink.
- Step 4Wash colour across the portrait, letting some pencil marks stay visible.
- Step 5Frame and title. Titles start with 'A face for…'.
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