Life Size Kindergarten Portraits!

I do self portrait projects with all my students and I truly love this kindergarten one! I have done it every year with a few tweaks to improve it.
This year instead of assessing students ability to trace, I traced the students over 2 classes and had them do an alternate tracing project instead. I use 2 pieces of tagboard-24x18 and 24x36 taped together with 2 inch masking tape. Where they are taped I can fold them so they take up less space. In the past, I used to match up their tracing abilities and have them trace a partner. While this saved time, sometimes students traced bodies came out a little funny which made coloring difficult.

Due to the layout of my room laying out 20 life size portraits in my room can be a management nightmare. Instead, we head to the area outside of my room (a foyer perhaps?) and get on our bellies and draw and color with crayons. It's great PR for my program, classrooms are heading to lunch while we work and who doesn't love seeing a bunch of kindergartners making HUGE art!

I love his face, I can only imagine the conversation!

The first day we go over the carpet rules (where we work) and a quick demo on the shapes and lines we can use to make our faces. They get a photo of themselves (taken when I traced them) and mirrors to help them see these shapes and lines. I do give them a head shaped stencil to trace so they draw the head in proportion and I let them get to work.

Not yoga, just interesting drawing positions! 

I bought the door mirrors when they are on sale during back to school sales. I prop them up in book display stands and can have 2-3 students share one. They work on my tables as well!

This guy forget his nose, we went over the 5 senses until he figured out what was missing. 

Working hard on her face parts.

We will spend 2 days coloring their faces and clothes. They will use their photo I took on the first day as a reference. Then we spend one day painting a sky and grass. I always include a catch up day for students who were absent or fall behind.
I will hang these up to be admire by all for parent teacher conferences. Afterwards I fold these into portfolios and store every portrait they make with me for the next 6 years. I simply give the students color photographs of their work instead of these GIANT artworks. When the students are in 6th grade I have a retrospective of their work for their 6th grade graduation and they can see their progress from kindergarten to 6th grade.
Here are last year's final projects if you are interested!

Life Size Self Portraits 2014

 Life Size Portraits 2013 Gallery

Do you do portraits with your students? What are your favorites?