6th Grade Roy Lichtenstein Self Portraits

6th Graders did a really nice job on this project. We started off by learning a lot about the artist Roy Lichtenstein. We watched

this video and read through this handout. As much as I hated to, I did allow students to trace with a transparency. Surprisingly enough, this proved to be very difficult for a lot of students. I had to stress to them to draw what they were seeing and not what they thought it should look like. After seeing Lichtenstein's work, students set to work using only primary color markers (and black). They were to fill in some areas solid, and use Lichtenstein's dots in other areas.
I had two very different types of students with this project; one group were the students who totally embraced the idea of using interesting colors on their face, and the other who were so self conscious about it they would work with their drawing on their lap so no one could see it. Even in this day in age, you know of the "selfie," many students were just so embarrassed to do this project. It was not because of the colors, but the idea of the self portrait.
Do any of you struggle with your older students at the idea of a self portrait? How do you go about problem solving it?