Life etches itself onto our faces as we grow older, showing our violence, excesses, or kindnesses. -Rembrandt
Last week our family dove into sketching facial expressions with a simplified art study/project in the style of Rembrandt. If you fear art study – or if you don’t have special art supplies on hand – this is a fantastically simple art project. Less than 30 minutes, no special supplies, and just plain easy!
This art study focuses on facial expressions, although in the Rembrandt Art Study packet, I’ve included portraits that focus on the effects of light and shadows, which Rembrandt used to to add interest to the face in his portrait paintings.
First we have the supplies…
Rembrandt Art Study Project Supplies
- Let’s Face It Making Expressions Printable from Let’s Face It website of the University of Victoria Brain and Cognition Lab and the Yale Child Study Centre.
- Colored Pencils
- Paper or cardstock (or watercolor paper if you’d like to paint the faces!)
- Optional: Markers (or watercolors if you’d like to paint the faces!)
And now the procedure…
Print out the Rembrandt Art Study Pages and discuss with your student(s). Also print out the Making Faces Template and the Let’s Face It Making Expressions printable.
Cut out the eyes and mouths of the Let’s Face It Making Expressions Printable.
Piece together facial expressions using the eyes and mouths, and sketch the expression you made!
And that’s it! Where’s my That Was Easy button?!? Seriously, it took me way longer to write this blog post than it did to coordinate the project with 4 students (which included a 2-year-old learning to use scissors), although perhaps some of my facial expressions looked a bit like this as the project was underway…
Considering facial expressions and the Rembrandt quote above, I’m wondering what will be etched into my face as I grow older? Will I have laugh lines or angry eyebrows? In this convicting moment, I’m feeling compelled to smile joyfully (or laugh maniacally?) as I publish this post.
Another way to expand upon this study is by using our Great Artist Notebooking Pages.
For more art project ideas, visit Great Artists Study: Renaissance, Post-Renaissance & Impressionists.