8th grade High Contrast Self-Portraits

I was nervous to introduce this self-portrait project to my students.  For one, middle school is a very akward time for most of us, perhaps one of the most self-conscious stages in our lives.  Working with these adolescents, I've come to realize how super-critical they are of themselves.  However, it's also a time when they're coming into young adulthood, getting ready for high school and all the exciting changes their lives can take. 
Portraits are one of my favorite subjects to draw and paint personally, and I wanted to share this love with the students.  It's a great introspection to do self-portraits, and the model is always available.  The students studied some of Chuck Close's work.  His giant, photo-realistic portraits, are easier to replicate because of his grid-enlargement system.  First, Mr. Tetting our wonderful librarian and IMC specialist (check out his website here), helped us take digital portraits of the students and edit them to be high contrast.  The students practiced proportions of facial features and practiced grid enlargement.  When they were comfortable, they began their own portraits.  I'm amazed at these fantastic results!!