Visual arts activity
Collage Self-Portrait
Tear paper scraps and glue them into a face of yourself.
Materials and setup
- old magazines or scrap paper
- scissors
- glue stick
- paper or cardstock
- markers
Parent note
Romare Bearden (1911-1988) is a widely documented American collage artist whose work depicts African American life. His collage technique is a real reference, not invented.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Tear paper scraps and glue them into a face of yourself.
Steps
- Tear colored paper into lots of small pieces.
- Glue an oval of skin-colored pieces for the face.
- Add eyes, nose, and mouth with tiny paper pieces.
- Add hair on top.
- Write your name below it.
Learning objectives
- Tear and glue paper
- Compose a face from pieces
- Build fine motor control
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Collage self-portrait using torn magazine paper. Show one thing you love in the background.
Steps
- Flip through an old magazine and tear out colors (not whole pictures).
- Glue pieces to form a face outline.
- Add features with smaller pieces.
- Fill the background with pieces that show what you love (sports, nature, sparkles).
- Title your work.
Learning objectives
- Use found materials for color
- Compose a background that reflects identity
- Title a finished piece
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Mixed-media collage portrait using magazine, text, and drawn details. Layered over a painted background.
Steps
- Paint a simple background color field first. Let it dry.
- Find magazine pieces in your skin tones and assemble a face.
- Cut out words or letters that describe you and add them in the background.
- Use pen or marker for fine details (eyelashes, highlights).
- Sign and date.
Learning objectives
- Combine painting, collage, and drawing
- Use text as visual element
- Plan in layers
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Collage portrait inspired by Romare Bearden. Use found materials and deliberate composition to tell a story about identity.
Steps
- Look at 2 collage works by Romare Bearden (1911-1988), widely documented American collage artist known for depicting African American life.
- Note how he combined photos, paint, and paper.
- Plan your own collage portrait: what story do you want to tell about yourself?
- Gather materials — magazines, photocopies, patterned paper, painted paper.
- Compose the portrait with attention to a focal point and a supporting background.
- Write a 5-sentence artist statement explaining your choices and what Bearden influenced.
Learning objectives
- Reference Bearden's collage tradition
- Compose a mixed-media work with focal hierarchy
- Write an artist statement
- Connect materials to meaning
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.
Related visual arts activities
Artist Spotlight: Georgia O'Keeffe
Look at O'Keeffe's huge flower paintings. Draw one flower really, really big.
Artist Spotlight: Hokusai
Look at 'The Great Wave' by Hokusai. Talk about the big wave and the little boats.
Artist Spotlight: Jean-Michel Basquiat
Look at Basquiat's energetic crown paintings. Draw your own crown and scribble-words around it.
Blind Contour Drawing
Look only at your hand (not the paper!) and draw it with one line. The drawing will look silly — that's the point.