To crop a picture is to remove outer parts to accentuate the subject matter. Chuck Close was famous for making portraits of people extremely cropped and close up. I've combined this lesson with an abstract portrait project, and love the image that my son made here in 3rd grade. 1. I started with giving the students a template that I made. It was a face with ears, but the very top was cut off to make a flat edge just above the temple. Ask the students to place the template on a tall piece of paper, draw a rectangle around it, and then trace the face with the top edges touching.
2. After tracing the outer edge with a black marker and adding a neck, the students are to divide the face into sections. Each section is to be colored in different colors and patterns with a marker. I've explained that abstract art can be just about anything EXCEPT making a picture look real, so their options are wide open (although making a rule about no blood or gore might be advised).
