This self portrait idea asks students to tell their summer story with just visual clues; i.e. a bracelet made in camp, mosquito bite from the lake, etc.

Self portrait projects are always a fun way to start off the school year as they can let students learn more about each other in a fun and creative way. No need to stand up and make a speech about what they did all summer, they just draw and add some clues about significant (or ordinary!) things that happened to them over the past couple of months.

The great thing about drawing this self portrait on a real OR printed piece of school paper (template on page 3 of download) is that some easy captions can get added to explain all these clues. No need for full sentences, it’s more like a labeling kind of job. The lines make it easy to write, and add a casual feel to the drawing too.

Encourage students to label at least three things, and then fill all the remaining space with lots and lots of colorful doodles. The more they have, the more fun their self portrait is to look at!

School Paper Template on page 3 of PDF download

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Preview of the Doodle Step by Step Tutorial

Open Doodle Self Portrait PDF Tutorial

Doodle Self Portrait Coloring Page

Open Doodle Self Portrait Coloring Page

Materials for Self Portrait

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Drawing Paper. Don’t substitute it with copy paper or construction paper. The surface will get fuzzy, erasing might cause holes, and the colors will generally not look as bright.

Pencil. The Ticonderoga brand are the most reliable, make nice dark lines when you need them, and are the easiest to erase.

Eraser. Large ones you can hold in your hand do a much better job than just the pencil tips. Stabilo Markers. They have the best colors, the best tips, and last the longest.

Black Sharpie Marker. These fine point permanent markers are great for making a crisp outline to your drawing. Use them when you want your outline show up, but not be so heavy that it detracts from other things.

Stabilo Markers. The large pack provides lots of fun color choices, several shades of each color, including a few choices for skin. The tips are perfect for coloring, and there’s even a promise that they will work after being uncapped for 8 weeks!