Portrait of a Leader

For this all-school project, students in grades K-8 chose to create a portrait of someone who they consider a leader. We looked at many Presidential Portraits, including Washington, Obama, Lincoln, and Carter. We discussed how many portraits contain symbolism, where there are objects in the background to show the president's achievements and legacy. Kindergarteners created their portraits by creating line drawings inspired by Al Hirschfeld. First graders created monochrome portraits inspired by limited color palette paintings by Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Picasso Second and graders created linework portraits with a monoprinted background to create texture. Fourth graders created foil sculptures and symbols to show their leaders in action. Fifth graders took inspiration from Keith Haring to create symbolic portraits. Sixth graders used one-point perspective to create portraits with space and form. Seventh graders used the art element of value to add emphasis and dimensionality to their portraits. Eighth graders were inspired by their study of graffiti and street art.