Drawing: Self Portrait Cubes

8th grade just completed their Self Portrait Cubes.  I wanted to do something other than a regular straight-on Self Portrait.  a) they are hard  b) nobody wants to look at themselves that long!  c) that can be either freeing or detrimental to a middle schooler.  So, I figured placing their facial features on a cube would be less frightening, but still intro drawing, self portrait and value.
We started with a little value practice on a sphere, then moved to practicing an eye, nose and mouth.  I demo'ed the different level of drawing pencils (HB to 4B).  I gave students mirrors to use and a template.  We worked on this (and a weekly sketch) for a solid 4 days.  I graded and passed back cubes with feedback, there were a LOT of outlines and minimal shading.  3-4 were exceptional, only a couple unfinished.  After feedback, students worked on them a bit more, then we cut them out and glued or taped them together.

Next time, I would like to make an Alexander Calder out of them; either a mobile to hang in the classroom or in our display case.  ;)