Back to School Self Portrait Art Lesson All About Me Drawing Activity Name Art

This Back to School Self Portrait Art Lesson helps students create a personal artwork while learning the basics of portrait drawing, facial proportions, shading, blending and name art. It makes a strong All About Me activity for the start of the year, and it also works as an introduction to portrait drawing any time.

It is written for classroom teachers, art teachers and homeschool educators. Students sketch a face shape with guidelines, then build their features, hair, name design, shading and background step by step, using pencil, black felt marker, pencil crayons and felt markers.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “We used this resource when talking about realism. My students loved it!” Chase S.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE)

• Artastic Art Lessons Intro Page with prep and teaching guidance
• Lesson Plan Page 1 with the lesson focus, materials, big ideas, competencies, learning outcomes, learning target and a preview of the finished portrait
• Lesson Plan Page 2, a Teacher Does Student Does page from introduction to handing in the artwork
• Art Rubric on execution of project, creativity and originality, evidence of process and responsibility
• Art Project Reflection Page for teacher and student scoring and feedback
• Example Artwork Page to hook students and set expectations
• 2 Step-by-Step Draw Handout Pages for students to keep beside them while drawing the face and name design
• Facial Features Reference Page with example face shapes, mouths, eyes and noses
• Art Reflection Page where students describe their artwork and identify the Elements of Art and Principles of Design
• Artist Statement Pages
• Back to School Self Portrait Poster Page to introduce the theme
• 35 Step-by-Step Tutorial Pages with visual and written instructions

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

Students sketch a face with guidelines, draw their eyes, nose, mouth, ears, eyebrows and hair, and create a bold name design above the portrait. After outlining in black felt marker, they use pencil crayons to color skin, hair, lips and eyes, add black shading for depth, layer blue and purple into the shading for more realistic color variation, and blend with tissue or paper towel. They finish with a soft value background in a favorite color and color their name with felt markers.

Along the way they practice self portrait drawing, portrait proportions, observational thinking, the elements of art (line, shape, space, texture, color, form and value), and reflection and artist statement writing. Project the PDF, print the handouts, demonstrate the steps yourself, and show the example artwork as your hook.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Classroom teachers, art teachers, homeschool educators and substitute teachers who want a Back to School self portrait lesson with lots of step-by-step support.

What materials are needed?

Pencil, eraser, black felt, felt markers, card stock or watercolor paper, pencil crayons, and paper towel or tissue.

How long does this lesson take?

Usually 2 to 3 classes, depending on student age, class length, drawing confidence and how much time you spend on shading, blending and written reflection.

Can I use it outside of Back to School?

Yes. It works as an introduction to portrait drawing any time of year.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS (2)

★★★★ “Thank you!” CT M

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist and educator whose work has been featured on NBC LX News and in OCO Magazine, as the featured educator on the cover of the October 2025 edition. She designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers, and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. For clip art, you may use the images as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic