1. Self Portrait Lesson 1 – All Grades Academic Year 2017-2018
This lesson is repeated every year to show growth in skills and self perception through K-5. There are many many ways to teach this lesson, but based on last year working through each step worked best with most grades.
TIPS:
Remind students they are sketching themselves based on what they in the mirror, not their neighbors.
Have them touch and feel their faces
Sketch on pencil LIGHTLY first
Use of the oval template is optional but really helps for younger grades
Color in skin and neck THEN hair, eyes etc.

2. Portrait Self Portrait What is a portrait?
A picture of a person painted, drawn, sculpted or photographed by someone else.
What is a self Portrait?
A picture of yourself that can be drawn, painted sculpted or photographed by yourself.
Ask the students – does anyone know what a portrait is? What is a self portrait?
Docents – please tell the students that when an artist makes a picture of a person it is called a portrait. When the artist makes a picture of himself or herself it is called a self-portrait. When the portrait shows only the upper half of the figure, rather than the full body, it is referred to as a head-and-shoulders portrait. Looking at the examples, tell the children they will be making head-and-shoulders self-portraits.
By the white board we have on display 3-4 self portraits, opposite wall of windows we have some portraits … These date from Early renaissance through Modern art.

3. Today’s Lesson Skill Development:
Today you are going to learn how to draw a picture of yourself.
You will be drawing the outline of your head and shoulders, and then coloring the base color of the skin, hair and clothes.
Then you will be adding facial features and details on the clothes.
Each year you will see your progression through the 5 stages of artistic development* these are:
Scribble stage
Pre-schematic stage
Schematic
Drawing-Realism
Pseudo Realism
* Named by Viktor Lowenfeld
Lesson objective and description: To teach students to draw beyond just what they think they see... but to draw what is really there.  The use of a mirror is very important to today’s lesson.
As students grow older they progress through the 5 stages of artistic development (named by Viktor Lowenfeld). 
Kindergarteners are usually somewhere between the "Scribble Stage" and the "Pre-schematic Stage".  As the students grow older they work their way through the artistic stages of "Schematic", "Dawning-Realism" and "Pseudo Realistic."  Though it can sometimes be tempting, it is very important not to rush young students through the early stages of artistic development.  Students in Grade K, 1 and 2 are full of creativity, and it is important to let students take their time so they can nurture their creative development. There is plenty of time in grades 3 and above to begin teaching them about the more technical aspects of drawing.

4. Look at the progression from Kindergarten to 5th Grade!
Why draw a Picture of Yourself?
Ask students why artists might draw or paint a picture of themselves?
1. This is the best excuse for looking at yourself in the mirror. A self portrait gives children the time to study their eyes, nose, mouth and the rest of their face and body, and to work out how it all fits together – perfect for teaching children how to draw basic body shapes.
2. Creating a self portrait allows the maximum amount of artistic freedom. It’s you, so you can create it anyway that you want. The simplicity of a self portrait means that student’s can experiment with whatever materials they like to create their portrait, and try any style they wish.
3. Self portraits are a great way to get into art history. Every artist, from Rembrandt to Tracey Emim, has had a go at their self portrait. It’s the perfect vehicle for tracing the changes in visual art from past to present.
4. Self portraiture is the most introspective of art forms. By creating a self portrait, children learn who they are, how they want to present themselves and what’s important to them.
5. Drawing a self portrait is also excellent for teaching children that these personal ideas aren’t the same as what everyone else thinks. Student’s can learn how diverse our society’s views, values and appearances are, and hopefully develop values of respect and tolerance.
6. Self portraiture helps your student to consider their aspirations for the future. When creating a self portrait it’s important to encourage your student not just to think about who they are but who they want to become. 
7. Self portraits allow children and parents to see how they change as they grow. Like everyone, children are changing all the time – both year to year and day to day. Regular self portraits allow children and parents to document that change, and help them to understand it.
8. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, creating a self portrait is fun! Self portraiture should be about creating something for yourself, and not worrying about what other people think or how they may respond. Children will learn that doing art is, at its best, quick, simple and enjoyable. 
ADAPTED FROM SOURCE: THE SCHOOLRUN.COM
Look at the progression from Kindergarten to 5th Grade!

5. Here are some examples of Self portraits:
Léopold Boilly
Andy Warhol
Artists would paint portraits of themselves portraits because it was cheap, you did not have to pay of a sitter and you could practice techniques over and over.
Around mid 15th century the panel portrait became more common place – likely because of the availability of cheaper and better quality mirrors.
Artists also could use this as a way of communicating a public image and encourage income. Artists are able to paint not only the outside, but what the artist was like on the inside. Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh and Albrecht Durer were very prolific here!
Ask students era these self portraits are from – use the art work displayed around the room to help them. We have 4 physically displayed –
Frida Kahlo, Have students talk about the animals in Kahlo’s self portrait
Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most prolific – he painted himself more than 43 times! Compare the colors on the electronic Self portrait and the physical one.
Henri Rousseau, using the painting you could ask students where he is from (France) how do you know – Bridge over the Seine river, Eiffel tower, beret etc.
Marc Chagall – this is to introduce students to the idea that you can communicate other messages in a self portrait – this is abstract but is how the artist sees himself.
However make sure to bring students back to focus on the goal of our lesson: to draw what we see in the mirror.
Henri Matisse
Frida Kahlo
Vincent van Gogh

6. What will your self-portrait look like?
These are from students who drew their self portraits last year. Clockwise Left to right TK, K, 1, 2, 3 and 5th graders

7. Let’s get started.. Write your name on one side, flip paper over
Place paper in front of you portrait style.
Now draw your outline of your head. Decide if you wish to use the template, if yes place oval template in the middle of your paper and trace.
Lesson How To slides start here … Explain Portrait (Vertical) versus Landscape (Horizontal). For older students the use of template is optional.
Docents you can use the slides to prompt you through the steps or keep slide 6 up on the screen and simply talk/ demo the steps with the students.
VERY IMPORTANT - Have the students look at themselves in the mirror to observe their head, neck, and shoulders.
Please tell the students that they should lightly sketch the outline of their head, neck, and shoulders, making them large enough to fill the paper.

8. REMEMBER to fill the paper.
Lightly sketch two vertical lines down for your neck – make sure it is thick enough to support your head!
Add two horizontal lines out from the bottom of the neck to create the shoulders.
REMEMBER to fill the paper.
Have the students look at themselves in the mirror to observe their head, neck, and shoulders.
Point out that the neck needs to be thick enough to support the head, and the shoulders extend past the width of the head on each side.
Please make sure the sketch is large enough to fill the paper – draw LIGHTLY.

9. 6. Now you need to start adding your facial features:
Half way from top of head and chin line, draw a very light line
Next, draw a line top to bottom in the center of your head.
Now, about half way from the eye line and the chin line draw a short line.
First step here emphasize drawing a LIGHT line, this is where your eyes will be drawn. When adding eyes, they don’t sit on your neck do they?! Where is your nose? Now have the students draw a line making sure its parallel to the eye line and centered with the vertical line. See above image.

10. Using your mirrors add in:
7. Just above halfway between nose and chin, draw a line for your mouth.
Using your mirrors add in:
Eyes (pupils, Iris)
Eye brows
Nose
Mouth (teeth if open)
Ears
Your characteristics!
Have the students look in a mirror to observe the colors in their eyes, as well as the shape and placement of their eyebrows, eyelashes, nose, lips, and ears. Suggest that they include in their paintings any distinguishing characteristics, such as freckles, hairstyles, or glasses.
After the students have colored the facial features and details on their portraits, they should fill the rest of their papers with backgrounds.
Encourage the students to look at their drawings and choose colors that will help their portraits stand out.
Last step draw your hair. Hair should go above and below the skull line. Erase all extra lines, then color your self portrait!

11. Lesson Plan ADAPTED From Mrs. Browns Art
By Tara Button
August 2015, updated August 2016, updates August 2017