Visual arts activity
Tempera Self-Portrait
Paint a big face of yourself using a mirror. Eyes in the middle, not at the top!
Materials and setup
- tempera paints (red, yellow, blue, white, black)
- brushes
- mirror
- heavy paper
- water cup
- palette or plate
Parent note
The eye-at-midline rule shocks kids who always draw eyes near the top. Don't rush — let them measure on their own face with fingers. Frida Kahlo and Rembrandt are real, documented self-portrait masters.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Paint a big face of yourself using a mirror. Eyes in the middle, not at the top!
Steps
- Look in a mirror.
- Paint a big oval for your face.
- Put the eyes in the MIDDLE of the oval (not the top — surprise!).
- Add a nose between the eyes and mouth, and hair around the top.
- Paint your favorite shirt color behind you.
Learning objectives
- Observe face proportions
- Learn that eyes sit at the middle of the head
- Use a mirror as a reference
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Mirror self-portrait with correct eye placement (mid-face), mixed skin tone, and hair.
Steps
- Use a mirror and draw a pencil oval first.
- Lightly mark a line halfway down — eyes go there.
- Mark the bottom of the nose halfway between eyes and chin; the mouth halfway between nose and chin.
- Mix a skin color (start with white, add tiny red and yellow, then a whisper of blue).
- Paint skin, then hair, then features.
Learning objectives
- Use the mid-face eye rule
- Mix a custom skin tone
- Plan with pencil before painting
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Self-portrait using observed proportions, mixed skin tone, and background that says something about you.
Steps
- Sketch an oval; mark eyes at midline, bottom of nose ~halfway to chin, mouth ~one-third up from chin.
- Mix your skin color in several shades (light, medium, dark) for dimension.
- Paint the face using at least 2 skin tones for shadow on one side.
- Paint a background that shows one thing you love (a sport, a book, a place).
- Sign and date your portrait.
Learning objectives
- Apply facial proportion guidelines
- Mix multiple skin-tone values
- Use background to convey identity
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Self-portrait with observed proportions, light-source shading, and symbolic background. Reflect on how artists from Kahlo to Rembrandt used self-portraiture.
Steps
- Look at 2 famous self-portraits first — for example Frida Kahlo and Rembrandt van Rijn. Note what each tells you about the artist beyond their face.
- Set up a lamp on one side of your face so there are clear light/shadow sides.
- Sketch proportions: eyes at midline, brow to hairline ~ same distance as brow to bottom-of-nose.
- Mix a full skin-tone range (highlight, midtone, shadow).
- Paint the shadowed side cooler, the lit side warmer. Add a symbolic background element (object, word, color field).
- Write 3 sentences: what does your portrait tell a viewer about you?
Learning objectives
- Apply facial proportion system
- Use warm/cool temperature shifts for shading
- Connect self-portraiture to historical practice
- Articulate symbolic choices
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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