Fun and Easy Pop Art Self Portraits With a Twist for Elementary Class

Pop art is a type of art based on modern popular culture and something fun to teach elementary students. Using a collage portrait created by Julie Fei-fan Balzer, I wanted to lead my students in an activity of fun and easy pop art self portraits but with a twist for an elementary class.

How to Introduce Pop Art Self Portraits to Elementary Students

Looking at Julie’s New Mixed Media Collage Portrait, we talked about what pieces of the work were drawn or painted and what pieces might have been paper. We talked about why she might have chosen to create in this specific way.

Fun and Easy Pop Art Self Portraits with a Twist for Elementary Class

Students were given small squares and rectangles of random color construction paper to draw facial features on. They used construction paper crayons from Crayola to draw and color. I appreciate the way these crayons show their pigment on construction paper. It's very vibrant and bold, which worked well for this lesson. However, oil pastels will also work.

Then, they got a sheet of copy paper that had a pattern printed on it to use as one-half of the face/head. You can see in the image that the pattern for this student's work is white with black polka dots.

Afterward, they were given a sheet of colorful duct tape and created half of the face. You can see the back of the sheet of duct tape where we drew a half circle and a space for the nose. They cut out the duct tape and placed it on the sheet with a pattern.

I had to carefully and very intentionally model how to keep the duct tape from flopping over and sticking together. I showed them exactly where to put each hand, and we all did it very slowly together once I'd modeled it the first time. After all that support I gave the students on managing that duct tape sheet, very few students actually had it stick together.

Since there were so few that had that problem, I was able to give them a second sheet to try again with. I was surprised this wasn't harder for them, but I think the modeling and doing it slowly together really did have a big impact on this. I also think using a material that is so unique and that they don't see often was engaging to them and they did NOT want to mess up if they could help it!

Once the sheet was applied to the patterned paper, they completed their pop art self portrait by cutting it out. Then, they assembled the parts on another sheet of construction paper to create the background. They added their facial features to a black sheet of construction paper and cut it out which looked like a border around the rectangles. Then, they created hair and a neck with other papers.

Recreate this Pop Art Self Portrait in Your Classroom

If you want to create pop art self portraits with your students, consider starting with my Picasso Face Art Lesson. I’ve made this self portrait into a game. Students will roll a dice and draw the shape or image that corresponds with the number they get. This is always helpful for students who struggle with how to get started, and it’s a great introduction to pop art.

As you’re doing this activity with your students, allow a bit of flexibility as they learn a few new concepts. You can also incorporate other subjects by reading pop art-related books to them and showing them a variety of pop art types. This is an activity your students are sure to enjoy!

I’m Amanda, and I align standards and integrate content to help teachers meet the needs of the Whole Child in art class! I have yet to find a standard that I couldn’t teach through art, and I want to share it all with you.

Not sure where to start with bringing art and content together? This freebie guide is packed with 25 ideas to align your art lessons with math and ELA standards. Your students will be crafting art and practicing algebraic thinking. Win-win!

I want all students to feel successful in the art room, so I created a standards-based Daffodil Collage lesson to do just that! The lesson includes an artist study, student reflection, and more, so push your artists to their full potential.

Follow along on my Instagram page for more tips on teaching the Whole Child in the art room!

Connecting art and content together doesn’t have to be mind-boggling. I’ve made it simple with 25 math and ELA art lesson starters - for free! Plus, I included 15 worksheets for students to reflect on their art-making journey.