Easy Oil Pastel Portraits

 I'm not one to waste. If I'm going to print out a picture for each student to use as a reference for their value drawing or to trace for their transfer drawing, they're going to use that copy for another project later whether it be to tear up and put in a collage, or to use as a base for a mixed media piece. 

This time I had them color their black and white images with oil pastel. Enough of the value showed through that a blending few basic colors could make it look like a colorized antique photo. Some students got creative by using arbitrary color and some needed me to hot glue the outlines of features so they could feel the boundaries of the shapes. It's not just a filler activity, it's a way to explore media under the umbrella of our portrait unit. This can be done by little kids with more interesting results than a coloring page.

Introduction to Portraits in Art History

Last week, in Art class, I finished teaching a unit on Still Life and began a Portrait unit, starting with some of the most famous portraits in Art History. We discussed everyone from Rembrant to Picasso, Valesquez to VanGogh.  

Rembrandt, Margritte, and Vermeer paintings came to life in my Art Class

My students picked a favorite painting to personify, and dressed up as the subject. It was a lot of fun tryinig to scavenge for beads, black t-shirts, gauze, crepe paper, wigs, hats, fabric, and flowers. I brought Halloween make up and scarves from home Monday morning and between that, the box of prom table runners, and another teacher's supplies, I was able to get the students what they needed to put a quick costume together. By Tuesday, almost everyone had been photographed. 

We had no shortage of Frida Kahlos and Mona Lisas. Lichtenstein style portraits were also popular. But I was impressed by students who took initiative like the girl who brought a short dress and long skirt to dress as Sargent's Madam X.

These students pose as Lichtenstein, Warhol, and Munch paintings