Oversized Chalk Self-Portraits

The idea of coloring with chalk over dried glue lines is not new to me, but trying it out on really large paper is. I loved how it let students draw with more control, so much more than if they had been working on a 9"x 12" paper. We had no puddles or unrecognizable shapes anywhere.1. I demonstrated how to draw a face that would fill up an 18" x 24" paper. An oval that was just inches in from all sides came first, then the facial proportions were reviewed. Eyes are drawn in the middle, the bottom of the nose halfway down, and the mouth centered in the space remaining.2. Students traced all their pencil lines with white glue, and let their portraits dry flat overnight. (Tip: this was done in their homerooms at the end of the day.)3. Using chalk pastels, students colored in all the different areas and blended them with their fingers. One interesting result of watching students finish was that the scale of the project seemed to engage them more than usual. Perhaps more projects would benefit from just being plain BIG? It’s something I plan to look into.CA Visual Arts Standard: Grade Four2.2 Use the conventions of facial and figure proportions in a . . . study.
Thanks to Sierra, a talented fourth grader who made this beautiful artwork.