5 Easy Steps to Making an Expressionist Self-Portrait.

Grades 4th-9th

In this lesson students will create a self-portrait in an Expressionist style.   

Step 1:   Students should first learn about the Expressionist movement and study works of art by Edward Munch, especially "The Scream."

Step 2: Before this studio and before you show the video you need to take digital pictures of your students making some kind of expression.  Then print them off on a full 8.5x11 size paper.  This can be printed in black and white. 

Step 3: Make sure that you have all of the materials listed below.  Also you should practice making the prints a few times before hand.  That way you are much less likely to mess up a students drawing.

Step 4: On the day of the studio set up a printing station.  At your desk or in the back of the room at a spare table would be fine.  You don't need a lot of space. 

Step 5: Show this video to your students, and then let them do their project.  I have found that it takes about 45 minutes for the whole class to do the drawing and complete all of the monoprints and then another 45-50 minutes to color it in. 

Materials

•  An 8.5x11 photo of each student making some kind of expressive face
• One piece of transparency film per student
• One black vis-a-vis per student
• A fine mist bottle full of water, I use an old Fabreze bottle
• A box of tissues
• a rolling pin
• Crayons for the students, with plenty of color choice

Student Examples