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Monday, April 6, 2015

8-Bit Self Portraits by 4th Grade

 
 

 

 

 

If you don't like this project, there may be something wrong with you. (Go get it checked out!) This is just pure fun for me. I originally designed the project to be a throw-back to the 8-bit video games I played while I was growing up. I've noticed quite a bit of 8-bit retro style popping up all over the place lately. Many game apps are created to have an older look to hook all of the nostalgic 30 and 40 somethings out there. 

Of course half of my students are completely obsessed with Minecraft lately. The cubic style of that game plays right into the style of this lesson as well. A lot of my younger students even think that this is a Minecraft project.

I love the results of this lesson, but it does get a little tedious for some my students. There is a lot of very precise coloring. Ideally, I would love to do this project on the computer. Does anyone know of a program that would work for this type of a project? 

Download my lesson plan here!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Microsoft Excel would be great for this project!Kids can fill in the cells with the paint bucket to make pictures.

Zach Stoller said...

GREAT idea. I'll look into it!

Joshua Bucolo said...

www.make8bitart.com

I use this site with my students. I saw your project and loved it but colored pencil just never seems to work for me (sharpening nightmare) and crayons were too chunky. It is fully browser based and SUPER simple (think MS paint with graph paper) .

We print them and crop them, and the students actually design their own handheld game systems from cut paper. They enjoy designing their own gaming systems as much as making 8 bit art. I show them different images of neo-geos, old school gameboys, and other handheld systems and they go crazy with it.

Zach Stoller said...

Joshua,
Awesome idea. That site might work out perfectly for me. I love the idea of including the paper gaming system. Thanks!

Sheila Reyes said...

I don't know but maybe this teacher knows which software would work best or have some ideas .
http://www.k9studios.org

Sheila Reyes said...

http://www.k9studios.org this teacher might be able to provide a suggestion he leads a software animation group in Elk Grove