Chuck Close Portraits (2013)

My 8th Grade students learned about the artwork of Chuck Close and how he used a grid to enlarge a photo. Students were given the choice to bring in a photo of themselves or I took a photo of them in class. Students put a one inch grid on the photo and then chose to work with colored pencil or watercolor pencil. Students put a one inch grid on their project paper and used the grid to draw the contour lines of their facial features. They chose one color scheme for the background, a second color scheme for their skin, and third and fourth color schemes for their hair and clothes. This project took about eight 55 minute class periods.

Hero Portraits (2007)

Students studied the artwork of Chuck Close and his stylized use of grids within his portrait paintings. Students chose someone they considered a "hero" to be the subject of their portrait. The created one inch grids and enlarged a photo to 16x 20. Each square needed to be filled with line designs while capturing the varying shades and contour lines of the face.

**As with any art project I post please email me if you have questions about materials used, processes, or if you would like lesson plans. splattersandsmudges@gmail.com You can also ask questions in the comment section below each post.**