Second Grade Self Portraits

I like to do self portraits in second grade because they're so confident in second grade.  They're so sure they're the best at things, and I love seeing how they view themselves:

I photographed these after they were hung
up, so excuse the background.

She looks a little concerned about something!

These aren't all that big--we start out with a 6x9 piece of white paper, some stand-up mirrors and pencils.  We really look at the shape of our heads and features and spend a day or two drawing.  We trace our drawing with extra-fine Sharpie marker.  Then, I get out the Crayola Multicultural paint (which I love and hate: love because of so many shades, hate because it's washable and the coverage isn't the greatest).  I pull out two or three bottles, lay them next to the child's arm and let them choose their color. We spend a day painting skin and hair.  Another day painting the rest (eyes, lips, clothes and backgrounds).

Love this one!  I have her sister, too, and it's
amazing how similar their drawing styles are.

This is a very quiet girl, and I forgot to ask her
about the violet in her hair.

 





















When all of our painting is done, each student gets a tagboard frame (the cheap-o kind your can order like 400 of in a pack with smaller ones with oval cut-outs in the middle) and writes their name with marker.  Then, as I tape their paintings in, students use 2" squares and construction paper crayons to make a patterned border around their frames.  I like to have these done (or a similar project, because does it ever stay the same from year to year?) by Parent/Teacher conferences, but we were a week or so late with them this year.  No bother, they're brightening our hallways just the same!

The hair is just SO ACCURATE on this one!

He really spent time on his pattern squares,
and it shows!