Middle School

Self-portrait by L. Evans, grade seven.

The Essential Question
How can color theory and facial planes be applied to a self-portrait?

Objective
Students will create a self-portrait using cellophane.

Materials
cellophane sheets in various colors, clear adhesive-backed acetate, black permanent markers, pre-drawn self-portrait

Procedures
1. Students divide a previously drawn self-portrait into facial planes, then trace their self-portrait onto adhesive-backed acetate using black permanent marker.
2. Students fill in the area around their portrait with various shapes.
3. Selecting appropriate cellophane colors, students trace them over the areas of the portrait they wish to cover and cut out the shapes.
4. Students remove the adhesive backing from the acetate and apply the traced cellophane colors to the appropriate spaces. They may fill in any overlapping colors with thicker permanent marker lines to create a stained-glass effect.

Assessment
Students will be assessed by the effort and skill they use in applying color to the facial plane.

Melody Weintraub is a retired middle-school art teacher and art education adjunct at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.