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Our inquiry-based approach helps students of all ages learn to use the artistic process — focusing on exploration, discovery, and skill building across a variety of art media.

Self-Portrait Drawings

Media Types: Drawing
Grade Bands: 6-8, 9-12

In this 4-lesson unit, students will learn how to use composition, scale, and value to create still life drawings.

Lesson 5: Self-Portrait – Oil Pastel Facial Features

Overview: Students will use their knowledge of facial anatomy to make an expressive self-portrait using oil pastel.   Students will understand that:…

Lesson 6: Self-Portrait – Oil Pastel Adjusting Features

Overview: Students will begin to adjust the features in their self-portrait to make them more accurate or to convey a specific emotion.   Materials and Tools…

Lesson 7: Self-Portrait – Oil Pastel Adding Color & Value

Overview: Students will add color, highlights and shadows to their expressive self-portraits.   Students will understand that: …

Lesson 8: Self-Portrait – Oil Pastel Details & Background

Overview: Students will finish their expressive self-portraits by adding details and a background.   Students will understand that: Students will be able…

Lesson 4: Self-Portrait – Oil Pastel Exploration

Overview: Students will experiment with mixing oil pastels to mix secondary colors, tints, and shades using different techniques.     Students will understand…

Places that Shape Us: Leroy Johnson 

Media Types: Painting
Grade Bands: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

In this lesson, you will make a collage inspired by a place that is important to you, using paper and other materials to represent its shapes, textures, and details. You will look closely at the artwork of Leroy Johnson for inspiration.

Lesson 3: Self-Portrait – Finishing your Self-Portrait

Overview: Students will edit the shape and size of the face, eyebrows, ears, hair, and neck to make their self-portrait look more believable.   Materials and…

Lesson 2: Self-Portrait – Editing Eyes, Nose, and Mouth 

Overview: Artists adjust their self-portraits to make them look more like themselves.   Students will understand that: …

Lesson 1: Self-Portrait – Basic Features

Overview: Students will use their observation skills to begin drawing a self-portrait.  Students will understand that: …