Art Lesson w/ Ms. Jennifer: Self-Portraits in the style of Frida Kahlo
Weekly Artist Inspiration: Frida Kahlo
Art Challenge: Create your own self-portrait (with or without your pets!) in the style of Frida Kahlo
About the Artist: Frida is one of many famous artists whose creative journey included long stretches of confinement (pretty appropriate for our current situation!)
Her confinement was due to both a childhood disease and a near-fatal accident in her teen years (not the Coronavirus). This left her with a multitude of health problems that plagued her through her life and often kept her confined to her home and garden with her many pets. Being an artist at home, alone, she painted many expressive self-portraits.
Additional Information about Frida:
Young artists might watch this short video about her life
Art Creation Guidance
Now it's time to create! Let's draw a self-portrait in the style of Frida Kahlo. What animals might you consider including in your self-portraits?
1) Gather your materials. You can use your home art materials to create your own self-portrait!
white drawing paper
Pencil
Variety of Crayons, Washable Markers or Colored Pencils
A mirror might be helpful too!
2) Draw your outline. Use a pencil to draw the shape of a face in the middle of the paper - make an oval at least as large as your stretched out hand. Add a neck and shoulders.
3) Draw in facial features. starting in the center of the face with the nose, then the eyes, eyelids, eyelashes, and the eyebrows.
4) Look in a mirror and smile, laugh, or a look of surprise. Then draw in a mouth with expression.
5) Draw in ears and hair. Use more than one color to color the skin on the face and ears.
6) Color in with crayons. What color are your eyes, lips, eyebrows, and hair? Use crayons for any clothes that are in the
7) Add an animal friend to sit on your shoulder. Color it with crayons or markers.
8) Finish the background. Draw and color leaves in the background.
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You did it! Please email a picture of your work to Ms. Jennifer or share on our Facebook page.
Extra Challenge: Frida was also known for her still life paintings such as this one: "Still life with Parrot." Gather a few colorful objects from your home and draw or paint a still life of your own.