Tinted Self-Portrait

Pablo Picasso's Blue Period, in which he painted only blue paintings of sad subject matter, is a good example of how an artist used color to reflect his feelings. Ask children to think of the different feelings associated with colors before they choose the main color for their self-portrait.

1. Show the students how to draw a simple self-portrait in pencil on a heavy piece of paper. It's a good time to review the basic proportions of the face (eyes in middle of oval, nose halfway down, etc.) Have them trace the pencil lines with a black Sharpie marker.

2. The students choose one main paint color – red, blue, green or yellow are good – and distribute on a paper plate with a little black and white added to the side. (Acrylic and tempera paints will work for this.) Show the students how they can mix many variations of the main color by adding a little of white or black on the plate. The students are to fill in each area of their drawing with a different color of paint and let dry
3. Any black lines that were painted over may be traced again in marker to make them stand out.