Watercolor Self-Portraits

Montessori students in grades 4-6 created these watercolor self-portraits as their first project for the new school year. We began by using mirrors to draw realistic and proportional self-portraits. Students were encouraged to be as observant as possible and add lots of detail. We then learned about the pop art movements in America and England. Students applied a bold and colorful outline to the portrait with colorful patterns and designs in the background. We finished by painting with watercolors- students could use the color wheel to identify analogous colors and blend them in certain areas. The colors and designs make these portraits very expressive with lots of personality!

Optical Illusions

International Academy students created these amazing optical illusions! We began by learning the basics of perspective. Students can then manipulate horizon lines and vanishing points to trick the eye. Students drew these out step-by-step and incorporated important math concepts like measurement and parallel lines. We then used colored pencils and kept two sides lighter to mimic a light source and add to the illusion. The cool thing about these boxes is that one way it looks like the cube is sticking out, but when flipped upside-down the cube is missing!

Britto Style Pumpkins

The 4th-6th grade claases created these brightly colored pumpkins just in time for fall! We began by learning about the origins of pop art. Students recognized the use of bright colors and black outlines in many pop artworks. We drew out our pumpkins with thick black lines and used brightly colored watercolor paint to give them a pop art feel. We then looked at current Miami based pop artist Romero Britto and his style of brightly colored patterns. Students added simple patterns using white and tints of orange. Students were also able to recognize EVERY element of art used in this project- line, shape, space, color, value, texture and form!

Pop Art Portraits

These self portraits take a lot of prep work and knowledge of photo editing, but the results are worth it!

Students began by having a photograph taken in class. We drew out grids over the photos, then a larger grid onto a large paper. The information on the photo was transferred to the paper square by square, creating a perfectly proportioned portrait. The students then applied their knowledge of value to paint in the face and hair. The final touch was adding some expressive drips and splattering. The results are amazing and show a modern twist on the pop art style portraits so popular many years ago.