MODERN ART LESSONS · STUDENT WORKSHEET
Party Cactus: Faces with Feelings
Make an expression sheet featuring a cactus with a party invitation. The character wants to greet a new neighbor, but is unsure how to offer a hug safely. One possible ending: it waves and offers a cheerful paper greeting. Invent a different kind ending if you prefer.
Character reference shared across ten skill lessons—not a picture of the completed assignment. Study the example for possibilities, then close or cover it. Your work should make different choices.
Story starter and example
The character wants to greet a new neighbor, but is unsure how to offer a hug safely. One possible ending: it waves and offers a cheerful paper greeting. Invent a different kind ending if you prefer. Face 1 shows hopeful anticipation; face 2 shows surprise or frustration; face 3 shows relief. The eyes and mouth change while the head stays recognizable.
What to do
- Your finished project is an expression sheet featuring a cactus with a party invitation. Read the story seed: The character wants to greet a new neighbor, but is unsure how to offer a hug safely. One possible ending: it waves and offers a cheerful paper greeting. Invent a different kind ending if you prefer.
- Start with upright stem, two curved arms, and a rectangular invitation. These are helpful shapes, not a tracing template.
- Draw the same head shape three times before adding facial features.
- Show the feeling before the problem, during it, and after the solution. Change eyebrows, eyes, and mouth deliberately.
- Keep the head shape and identifying features consistent. Add a short feeling label only after a partner guesses.
- Cover feeling labels and ask a partner to name each emotion. Revise one unclear face. Plan for an unfamiliar reader; compare alternatives and revise pacing, emphasis, or consistency using feedback.
My project: an expression sheet featuring a cactus with a party invitation. My chosen ending is…
Draw the same head three times.
Show BEFORE / PROBLEM / SOLUTION feelings.
Partner guesses… One feature I changed…
Story clue: How will I show that the character is unsure how to offer a hug safely?
Before feedback, I wanted the reader to notice… The reader actually noticed…
Revision: I changed… because…
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