Low-Relief Self-Portrait Masks

This is one of my favorite projects to do. When I first did it, I ran into some technical difficulties but I tweaked it and I feel like the project was more successful the second year I did it. 

The theme for January is 3-D art. I like to give students a break from working on paper and letting them make 3-D shapes with clay or other materials. Students learn the difference between 2-D art and 3-D art. The second year students work on a 3-D self-portrait mask. First, they learn what a self-portrait is and how it is different from a portrait.

To start this project, students start making the essential parts of their face: eyebrows, eyes, mouth and nose from clay. We work on them together step by step since many of them struggle making accurate shapes with clay. As we work on each part, I give them a starting base (like a circle for the eyes) and then I show them ways they can add variations to their features. Once the clay has dried, students paint the styrofoam where they will glue the pieces and all their clay pieces. When the paint has dried, they glue their features to their face and add hair at the top of their portrait. Before students glue their features, I always check their placement to make sure they will have enough space for the hair.

Students enjoy working on this project and are very excited when they finish their self-portrait to show everyone else their project.