I’ve given my Giuseppe Arcimboldo Lesson a MUCH-NEEDED facelift, and I couldn’t be more excited to share the updates! If you’ve grabbed this lesson from my Teachers Pay Teachers shop in the past, you can now download the updated version for free!
While the core content remains the same (why fix what isn’t broken?), I’ve completely refreshed the look of the worksheets to give them a modern, polished makeover. It’s like the worksheets have had a full beauty treatment—they’re more vibrant and cohesive with my newer projects.
I absolutely love, love, LOVE this Giuseppe Arcimboldo Lesson, and I’ve been using it every single semester in my Art 2 class since I started teaching in 2009. You can read more about it here. Watching students put their unique spin on these Arcimboldo-inspired self-portraits never gets old! Each year, they blow me away with their creativity, attention to detail, and whimsical interpretations. If you’ve never tried this project before, you’re in for a treat!
What’s New in the Giuseppe Arcimboldo Lesson?
This updated Giuseppe Arcimboldo Lesson is packed with everything you need to kick off an engaging and imaginative self-portrait project with your high school (or even middle school) students. The best part? The revamped worksheets! They’ve had a total glow-up and now fit seamlessly with the style of my other newer resources. Plus, they’re more engaging and visually appealing, which will surely make the students even more eager to dive into their portraits.
What’s Included?
The lesson still includes the essentials to help students understand Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s unique style, where fruits, vegetables, and other natural objects are used to create portraits. Your students will create their own Arcimboldo-inspired self-portraits using a variety of materials and techniques. The pack also includes:
- A worksheet for the Arcimboldo: Nature and Fantasy video available from the National Gallery of Art website. This 14-minute video is a great way to introduce students to Arcimboldo’s work, and the accompanying worksheet helps keep them engaged by asking questions as they watch.
- A brainstorming worksheet page, which is my absolute favorite! It gives students an attractive and fun space to come up with multiple quality ideas for their self-portraits’ themes.
- Half- and full-page portrait face outlines to guide students in practicing their sketching before they create their final pieces. It’s like giving their portraits a pre-facelift before the final reveal!
- A step-by-step lesson instruction guide to help you seamlessly teach the project, plus an answer key for the video worksheet and three pages of my high school student examples (4 artworks per page, for a total of 12 examples). These examples are a fantastic way to inspire your students to think creatively.
What You’ll Need:
- Colored Pencils
- White Drawing Paper (9×12″)
- Optional: Colored or black construction paper (9×12″) for the background
Why You’ll Love This Giuseppe Arcimboldo Lesson
If you’re looking to bring a fresh, creative twist to your portrait lessons, this Giuseppe Arcimboldo Lesson is the perfect fit! Students will learn about a fascinating art historical figure while expressing themselves in fun, unexpected ways.
So if you’ve been thinking about giving your portrait lessons a little “facelift,” now is the perfect time to download the updated Giuseppe Arcimboldo Lesson and let your students’ imaginations go wild. Whether they’re turning their noses into bananas or giving themselves leafy green eyebrows, they’re sure to have a blast with this project!
Check out the updated lesson, and get ready to see your students’ creativity blossom in ways you never expected!
