Self-Portrait Party

Inspired by a post at Fresh Picked Whimsy, my sister and I organized a “secret” activity for the family on Christmas Eve. We had some hardwood blocks for another project* that we prepared by painting a plain color with acrylic paint.

We then gathered acrylic paints, paint brushes, paper plates (to use as individual palettes), and set up tables to give each person in the family a workspace. We also had a couple of big mirrors for people to use for reference.

We let people choose their blocks one by one, then everyone got down to work. Some people used the computer to take a picture of themselves to refer to. Everyone was pretty into it as soon as they found out what we were doing. The guys ended up taking the longest on their portraits.

I love seeing how people interpret their own appearance – the features they choose to emphasize, the details they have to include to make an authentic portrait.

(2nd from the left): For me, I had to include my white eyebrows (how do you paint that?) and the multiple colors I used on my hair draw attention to it to symbolize the way I see my real hair – I love my hair color and I feel like it’s my signature feature. Of course, I didn’t think of that when I was painting it, but once it was painted, I realized why it came out that way!

It was a really fantastic family activity, and we all had a great time! I highly recommend it!

*encaustic wax painting

Related posts:

1. Crafty Mama: Go Paint Rocks Here’s a fun idea for a summer activity: Bring...
2. Painting with unusual materials Have you painted with your kid lately? Maybe he...
3. Attend Summer Art School I was just bemoaning the lack of art in...
4. Crafty Mama: Edible Finger Paint! Toddler Edible Yogurt Finger Paint I am so excited that...
5. Panda Party E’s first birthday party was fun! The theme was...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.