Art Focus: Charcoal Self-Portraits
5/23/2012
Eighth grade students studied form and dimension to create the realistic images.
After discussing the challenges and unique attributes of portraiture, eighth grade art students explored their own facial features and proportions with the help of mirrors and various measuring devices. Using a combination of vine charcoal, charcoal pencil, and kneaded eraser, the artists created expressive and realistic self-portraits that emphasize form and dimensionality.
"While working on this project, students learned to look at themselves objectively with an ‘artist's eye,’” said Juliette Madison, Middle School art teacher. “They began to see and discover things they never noticed on a daily basis – the planes and angles that make up their faces – and they find that very intriguing."
The students’ finished work will be displayed in the Middle School gym during the eighth grade graduation on June 7.