E-Day Art Lesson

1st Grade



8 ½ x 11 White sheet of paper



Colored pencils, crayons, or pastels



Below you will find four paintings that are very famous portraits.  Pictures A and B are called self-portraits while pictures C and D are just portraits.  Can you tell why?  Look closely at the artist names.  Pictures A and B were painted by their own self.  Pictures C and D were painted by different artists.


Self-Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh                        B.  Self-Portrait of Frida Kahlo

                Image via Wikipedia                                      Image via Wikipedia


C.  Da Vinci’s portrait of Mona Lisa                        D.  Portrait of Anna Matida Whistler by

                                                              Jame McNeil Whistler

        Image via Wikipedia                                        Image via Wikipedia


 Now, gather a pencil and paper and find a mirror.

Look into the mirror giving a happy face or a sad face.  Look carefully at the shape of your head.

Draw the shape of your head on the paper.

Next, look carefully at the shape of your eyes.  Draw your eyes in the middle of the oval that you drew for the head.

Now add your nose, mouth, hair, ears, neck, and shoulders all by looking in the mirror for the shape and the placement of each.

Once you are happy with your drawing in pencil, add color with colored pencils, markers, or pastels.

On the back, write a complete sentence to answer the following questions.


What shape did you draw for your eyes?

Did you draw a portrait or a self portrait?

Were you happy in your portrait or sad?