happy birthday george

Last week the second grade class completed step two of the George portraits that were started earlier in the month. 

I'm a volunteer, so I'm there to support the teacher's class goals. She was hoping to bundle a portraiture lesson with Presidents' month. Originally we thought we might do a lesson in head drawing for the class, but that can be hard to get motivated for when you're 8 and your model's a famous likeness and been dead for 200 years. So choosing the Betty Edwards method of right-brain drawing seemed the best choice for this age group to help them keep focus on process. I made a simplified line drawing of George that could be completed in 30 minutes, and they drew it upside down in pencil on tan-colored paper.

The students went over the lines in marker, because there is a comfort level there for them with this. It's what they practice in class. Next time it would be great to see them go for it in marker from the beginning. Their original lines are so fresh and truly great, but they are still learning to trust that.

We made frames to give an opportunity for scissor practice and complete them for classroom display. I provided students with a sheet of dark brown construction paper with a large oval traced in the center (with small hole for starter opening), two light brown squares to cut in half for the corner triangles, and a printout of the yellow banner with the word Washington on it (that they traced in black marker in their own handwriting). They cut and assembled the frames first and set it aside. 

Then they traced over their own lines in black marker and added color with oil pastel. 

 With the finished piece, the students got to experience line, oil pastel, and badly needed scissor practice all the while satisfying class curriculum by honoring a famous American. Nice work, second graders! Happy Presidents' Day to all!