Below you’ll find an easy step-by-step tutorial for Watercolor Self Portrait and Coloring Page. It asks students to work with a much looser style of drawing and painting.

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Watercolor Self Portrait

This watercolor self portrait project is designed to do what watercolors do best – make a lovely, soft painting of oneself. And when you mix that style of painting with a simple, loose style of drawing – a very unique look is possible.

Art projects that ask students to work in a way is that is different than they usually do, will encourage new ideas, and not more auto pilot thinking. Even those that are just learning how to draw and paint, tend to do things the same way each time. It’s not bad, it just can be limiting, that’s all.

In this case, the opposite of neatly filling in lots of closed shapes is called for. You could call it “opposite day” or something, so student’s take note, just be sure to point out to them that the goal is to draw and paint differently than they usually do.

The face drawing is VERY simple, no details, and the hair is with just a few lines that do NOT touch. After the drawing is traced with a permanent marker, the paint is applied, but with space so the colors do not touch each other. (Those that struggle with puddles will be happy to note this, as it will keep colors from running together too!)

For those that would like some grade level advice, I would save this for older graders, as in maybe 4th and 5th. Younger ones mostly likely will still be working with making their pencils and paint do what they want them to do, which is exactly where they should be in kinder and first grade.