FIRST GRADE . . . A Modern Mona Lisa!

Portrait by Brooks

Portrait by Juily

Portrait by Mia G.

Portrait by Jonathan

As an introduction into the rich world of art history, first graders learned about the "Mona Lisa," painted by Leonardo da Vinci. To create our self-portraits, we drew our faces, shoulders and folded hands just like in the famous portrait by da Vinci, and colored them in with a color palette that best represents each of us.

In the "Mona Lisa," the subject of the painting is the portrait. The background is the area behind the subject, represented as a soft landscape that seems to be very far away.

To make the distinction between the subject and the background in our pictures, we created two separate works of art. The subject of our pictures is a portrait drawn with bright colors and fine details. The background was created as a landscape with watercolors in softer, more muted tones. Some students created a pattern with colors, just like with Sydney's beautiful background below. Tyler blended his colors together and this gave him a  lovely painterly appearance, as you might see in an impressionist landscape.

Subject by Sydney

Background by Sydney

Subject by Tyler

Background by Tyler

Our portraits were personalized to look just like us with hair and eye colors that best represent us. As Sydney did, some students wrote or drew something special on their shirt. Other students, such as Tyler, drew a favorite pet or toy in their arms, and this also helps to identify who they are. The portraits were then cut out of the paper they were drawn on. On the back of these portraits Styrofoam strips were added so that the portraits would look 3-D when we attached them to the backgrounds. This distance between the subject and the background gives our portraits a sense of perspective.

To see all of our Mona Lisa style portraits, visit our home page on Artsonia.com and scroll through the list of exhibits to first grade portraits.   http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839

Note to families...
This art blog will be updated regularly with new posts sharing our daily activities in the art room and news about upcoming art exhibits. To respect the privacy of our students, names will always be limited to first name only and identifiable photos will never be accompanied with a name. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write in the comment box below or send me an email at blevine@ranneyschool.org. I would love to hear from you!
    In my class, students are given the chance to explore different materials and fun new techniques as they develop their signature style. Some young artists love to draw with a pencil, some like to paint on canvas or create images in a digital format, while others prefer working with clay and molding three-dimensional forms. In my classroom, we use a variety of materials allowing all artists to experiment and figure out which type of art they like the best. At Ranney School, we place a strong emphasis on originality and celebrate artistic differences, always nurturing and encouraging the imagination of every student.
     Remember to check out our display of finished artwork and student portfolios in the Ranney home page of Artsonia.com.  http://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=114839