I love to begin our KidsCraftClub with a topic that is close to our heart: identity, self expression and wellbeing. And what is closer to ourselves than our self portrait? Self portrait helps us to explore our identity together and boost the participants' confidence. Last year we did Affirmation Dandelion, where we chose to surround us with Affirmations to support our emotional wellbeing. Today we are doing Self Portraits.
Self portrait is a fun activity for all the ages. It is not about drawing what you see in the mirror and it’s not about beings a painter. It is about building your confidence, making choices and expressing yourself. When I work with kids, I tend to give them structured choices: choose 3 things that you like to do. Sometimes setting the boundaries helps us make the choice. If you feel you have too many choices to choose from, dial them down. Eventually you might end with only two choices and your heart will always tell you which way to go.
Working on their self portrait, allows the kids to discover the things that they DO like about themselves, get connected to their dreams and aspirations, and eventually, experiencing art in its most simple, naive and festive way
How do we start?
✏️ You’ll need a pencil with rubber
🎨 Colouring equipment of your choice
📝 Two papers: one for drawing and one for writing. For drawing I like to use A3 and for writing A5.
⭐️ Start with the writing paper. Draw a line in a middle of the page.
⭐️ On the left side write your own descriptions.
For this activity I asked kids to:
1. Choose three things you like to do.
2. Describe yourself using 3 words.
3. Choose three things you would like to do in the future, better something you haven’t done before.
and if you want, choose some profession you like.
⭐️ On the right side, use one word as a symbol describing you what you wrote on the left. It need to be something you can draw. For example, if I describe myself as “loving” person, then the symbol will be ❤️ . If I like reading, then the symbol can be a 📖 . For traveling in the future, I could use a 🗺 a 🎒 or maybe a 🧭.
When you finish making your list with symbols, it’s time to draw. Start with the face. It’s ok to look on Google pictures for inspiration. Incorporate your symbols into your portrait. Maybe my 🧭 can be as a pin on my shirt. Maybe my ❤️ will be a hairpin or an earring. Music lovers might use 🎧 or 🎵 as a symbol. Your symbols can be anything anywhere on the paper.
And remember that it’s not about how well you can draw but expressing what is your world made of.
So what makes you YOU?
Natalie K
Self portrait is a fun activity for all the ages. It is not about drawing what you see in the mirror and it’s not about beings a painter. It is about building your confidence, making choices and expressing yourself. When I work with kids, I tend to give them structured choices: choose 3 things that you like to do. Sometimes setting the boundaries helps us make the choice. If you feel you have too many choices to choose from, dial them down. Eventually you might end with only two choices and your heart will always tell you which way to go.
Working on their self portrait, allows the kids to discover the things that they DO like about themselves, get connected to their dreams and aspirations, and eventually, experiencing art in its most simple, naive and festive way
How do we start?
✏️ You’ll need a pencil with rubber
🎨 Colouring equipment of your choice
📝 Two papers: one for drawing and one for writing. For drawing I like to use A3 and for writing A5.
⭐️ Start with the writing paper. Draw a line in a middle of the page.
⭐️ On the left side write your own descriptions.
For this activity I asked kids to:
1. Choose three things you like to do.
2. Describe yourself using 3 words.
3. Choose three things you would like to do in the future, better something you haven’t done before.
and if you want, choose some profession you like.
⭐️ On the right side, use one word as a symbol describing you what you wrote on the left. It need to be something you can draw. For example, if I describe myself as “loving” person, then the symbol will be ❤️ . If I like reading, then the symbol can be a 📖 . For traveling in the future, I could use a 🗺 a 🎒 or maybe a 🧭.
When you finish making your list with symbols, it’s time to draw. Start with the face. It’s ok to look on Google pictures for inspiration. Incorporate your symbols into your portrait. Maybe my 🧭 can be as a pin on my shirt. Maybe my ❤️ will be a hairpin or an earring. Music lovers might use 🎧 or 🎵 as a symbol. Your symbols can be anything anywhere on the paper.
And remember that it’s not about how well you can draw but expressing what is your world made of.
So what makes you YOU?
Natalie K
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