Henri Matisse was an Impressionist artist and one of the most innovative painters in 20th-century art. He was a master of color and form, and he used color in new and imaginative ways. Kids especially love the way Matisse used color in his paintings of faces.
After looking at lots of Matisse portraits on the Internet, these young artists recreated themselves as Matisse portraits! Starting with a sheet of paper with an oval cut in the center, the kids painted a colorful background for their “portrait.” Then then painted themselves, using skin-safe face paint (easy to find in stores around Halloween, or order online). A big mirror in the classroom helped the process. The final step was a photograph of each student!
Learn about Matisse and 79 other great artists with Discovering Great Artists. There’s a hands-on art activity in the style of every artist in the book!
