A Fun Pop Art Self Portrait for Kids

Pop art projects are always fun for children to do. The concept is simple and easy to grasp. Pop art generally refers to art that references popular culture, for example television, magazines, the internet, toys, or even popular clothing lines. Because pop art uses references used in everyday life, pop art is easy for children to relate to.

Try this fun self-portrait pop art project with your children, whether you are at home, in the classroom, or planning party art activities.

Materials

You will need old magazines, scissors, markers, glue sticks or glue bottles, recycled 9"x12" cardboard or construction paper, mirrors, and any leftover scrap fabrics, yarn, glitter, or scrapbook materials. Buttons, stickers, dried beans, and google eyes also work great for this pop art project.

This pop art project sometimes works better if each of the art materials are separated into different art containers and placed on different tables. In a party or small classroom setting, different art tables can have specific art materials. You can opt to allow the children to roam around the room looking for what they need or designate a set amount of time at each table using a timer.

Self Portrait Instructions

Give each child a piece of construction paper or a cardboard square. Using the mirror as a guide, have the children draw a basic outline of their face for their self portrait. Remind them to include details like their ears, eyes, nose, chin, neck, shoulders, mouth, teeth, eyebrows, and nostrils in their self portrait. They do not have to draw their hair.

Instead of coloring in the drawing, have the children find pictures of popular products in the magazines, like toothpaste, canned soup, or a favorite cartoon character. Each child cuts out the images, then finds a place for the image in their self portrait drawing. For example, instead of pupils, the pupils can be made out of favorite fast food cheeseburgers, or the child's hair can be made out of popular sneakers, CD album covers, or the keys from a computer keyboard. Paste the images on the pop art drawing.

Once the main drawing has been covered with popular images, use the extra recyclable art materials to add details and dimension to the pop art self portrait. The children can use the extra art materials to create a fun frame around their pop art self portrait.

When the glue has dried, display the self portraits in the classroom or home. You can even mix up the pop art self portraits and see if the other children or parents can guess which self portrait belongs to each child.