Kindergarten Self-Portraits

Kindergarten artists are learning about self-portraits. They are very excited to draw a picture of themselves! We are discussing how dots for eyes, triangle for a nose and a line for a mouth is not what a person looks like and that it is only a smiley face. I am having the children use their hands and feel the parts of their face and explain what it feels like; oval, bumpy, etc. The children will be using their hands to feel their face and will draw what they feel instead of looking in a mirror and then drawing. I feel children are able to create a more realistic and accurate self-portrait this way and they don't get as discouraged. When children used their hands to feel their eyes, they realized it to be an oval. Then, we said in the oval was a circle and a dot. When they felt their nose, they said it was kind of like a triangle but bumpy. I agreed that it more "bumpy" and not a triangle because triangles have 3 sharp pointy corners and their nose isn't sharp and pointy. I got lots of "ohhhh" and "duh". It was really cute. 

After kindergartners draw their self-portrait, they will look in a mirror for coloring. I have provided skin color crayons for children to match their skintone. They will find the appropriate crayon color for their eyes, mouth and hair. 
I also gave a brief introduction to famous artist Vincent van Gogh since he painted 101 self portraits. We talked about how real his eyes, nose and mouth were painted and the difference between realistic vs. non realistic. 

This project will take 2 art classes to complete. While most students were able to finish drawing themselves and start coloring, no one finished in the first class. The portraits are looking ADORABLE!!!!