Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall

Last week, self-portraits were our focus in the art languages of paint and drawing.

To create a self-portrait, our first step is to look closely in a mirror. We look at the shape of our head and trace that shape using our pointer finger. We trace the shape again with our finger on paper before even uncapping our pen. Creating the face and eyes was all anyone had stamina for in that session. So, we do this much and stop and return to the work another day.

Stamina for a multi-step process is something that challenges most young children. Often they know and understand more than they can actually do. They get tired before they can finish. Muscles get tired from using them in new ways and the mind gets tired from remembering the steps and processes. We knew we were asking a lot of each child.

These self-portrait drawings will be the cover for your child’s binder, a collection of work that builds until it is taken home at the end of the year. One of our final activities in June will be to create another self-portrait and reflect on the growth in your child’s observation and drawing skills. 

At paint, the children look closely in the mirror to observe the different colors of their eyes and to find which color paint best matches their skin tone.

We have even read books about faces.

I wonder if your child has started drawing faces at home?