Teacher prep work: Find at least two different large faces from a magazine. Try to find ones with faces that also show the neck. Cut out each face. For each face, copy the image using a copy machine. (Be careful and don't make the copy too dark.) Using a sharpie, outline the basic parts of the face, hair, eyes, nose, lips, etc. Then using a regular piece of bond or copy paper and pencil, use a light box or a window, and trace this outlined face onto the copy paper. Finally, make several copies of each traced face on the copy machine.
Follow the instructions, and complete your own Teacher Example. I used both tempera and fluorescent paints. This project would work with colored pencils or crayons. Not a good idea to try oil pastels for this project.
For each team, you'll need:
One each of the copies of the faces
Tempera in six different colors. (I used turquoise, red, orange, green, blue, red-violet.)
OR use Fluorescent paints (I used Pink or Magenta, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Orange
(my students loved these)
Brushes in sizes to paint larger areas, and brushes for detail work
Water containers
Paper towels
Pencils
Show the painting by Matisse. Green Stripe (Madam Matisse).
Discuss the painting and how the face is divided into sections of color. Show your Teacher Example.
Divide students into teams of two. It works best if you have students who work well together for this project. So, if your seating chart works, then use it for this project. Students will be working closely, so they must be respectful of each other.
Hand out a copy of each face to each team and pencils. Have students turn the face paper over and each student will write their names on each of two face papers.
Teacher: Using a face copy of your own, demonstrate drawing a line straight down the middle of the face to create a split face.
Instruct students to draw a straight line down their faces on their papers. Have students choose a side they will paint on their face paper. Explain that when they have finished painting one side, their teammate will paint the other. Therefore, they will have two faces where each of the student has painted one side of the face. They will work as a team to paint the faces. Emphasize using ONLY 3-4 colors for their side of the face. Their teammate will use the opposite colors on their side. (For example, in the photo below, one side is painted in turquoise or blue-green, orange and red; the other side is green, blue and red-violet. Each student painted just one side of the face.
Pass out paint supplies and let them create. Emphasize painting the large areas first, and detail areas like eyes, last using a detail sized brush.
This project may take 3-4 sessions depending on how careful they paint. Students then cut out the faces and mounted them on black or cream colored paper. These were so captivating that I had four in the art exhibition.
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| Tempera Student Work used by permission |
