More Painting With Kids

In addition to the word art Munch and I created, we also reworked another painting from a couple of summers ago-
While her cousin A. was visiting, I had the kids work on a joint self portrait. First, they planned their drawings on paper. A. decided he'd draw a mohawk on his head. Next, they decided what colors they'd use for themselves and the background. Once colors were decided, they got to work painting. It was interesting watching the way they collaborated, shared, and compromised while painting the canvas simultaneously.
Once the background was dry, the kids did a rough sketch of their pictures on the canvas. From working with Munch in the past, I learned to do the painting in stages and let each new addition dry before continuing so it wouldn't get muddy. I had Munch and A. begin by painting all the skin- the face, arms, and legs. After letting that dry, we moved on to painting the clothing and hair.
In between painting, the kids chased "the bad guys" (A. with his imaginary sword and Munch with a magic fairy wand) and decorated a gingerbread house.
Last came the details- facial features, shoes, and additional last-minute embellishments. I liked seeing the subtle differences in the way a 4 and 5 year old conceptualized and represented themselves.
On Christmas day, the painting was unwrapped by the grandparents-
Posing with the final product-