Picasso Portraits
Based on the Work of Pablo Picasso
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| Teacher Example tempera paint and sharpie on mixed-media paper |
This project is for students aged 4-6
About the Artist
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, born in 1881. Picasso was a child prodigy in art and went to a famous art school when he was only 14 years old! Maybe becase his talent was discovered at so young an age Picasso quickly grew bored with painting in the traditional realist manner of the time. Picasso began experimenting with different colors, and emotions, and even developed Cubism. Cubism is an art style that abstracts objects by breaking them into different pieces, angles, and perspectives. Picasso's Cubist style of portraiture is what this project is based on.
Materials
- Mixed-media paper (or some other thick paper)
- Tempera paint (I use Crayola Washable Paint)
- Paintbrushes
- Black Sharpies
- Pencils and erasers
- A white board if you have one
The Process
After passing out the paper, pencils, and erasers to the students I turn to my trusty white board. I have found that even my four year-old students can create beautiful and seemingly complicated works of art as long as the process is broken down into small and easily digestible pieces. I draw out a Picasso face on the board and students follow along. I make sure to explain what several key words are; such as
Portrait: a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, showing only the face or head and shoulders.
Profile: a painting or drawing or a person turned to the side.
Abstract: art that does not try to be realistic, but that finds importance in shape, form, colors, and texture.
I start out with a simple oval. Keep an eye out for students that may make their oval too small, or too far to one side of the paper.
I then have students cut their oval in half. At this point discuss portrait and profile and how Picasso would use both angles on one face. Students typically find this very silly.
Now we make the nose. I like to describe it as a triangle. Or better yet, draw a triangle and ask students to tell you what shape they see. I like to have students erase the line connected to the nose. I've found when it comes to tracing with sharpie and applying paint that if the line is still there students become a bit confused.
Now fill in the features. I find that students enjoy voting on what features to do first, eyes or mouth. Expressing their opinions gets them excited! Explain using shapes, such a "football" shaped eyes.
Now I have the students trace their pencil work with a black sharpie. You may have to demonstrate this. You might wonder why I add sharpie at all instead of jumping straight to paint? I've found that when students add the paint they obscure the pencil lines. This may be fine for you or me, but children this young become confused without their guidelines. Their once lovely drawings become brown puddles of dripping tempera. The black sharpie stands out through the paint far better than pencil.
Once the sharpie is compete students may paint. I recommend doing a short demonstration. Discuss how each section of your woman (or man) should be a different color. Also have students discuss what happens to the paint on their plate if they put a paintbrush with green paint on it into the orange paint. No one wants to turn their pretty colors an ugly brown!
Finished project. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the actual student work. However, they came out great! I was extremely proud of my class and their hard work!
Alternative Method
Chalk pastel on colored construction paper
Works great, but tends to get smudged.
Materials
- Construction paper (neutrals or black recommended)
- Student grade chalk pastels
- Workable fixative or hair spray
National Visual Arts Standards Addressed
4. Content Standard: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
Achievement Standard:
Students
a. know that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures
b. identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, and places
c. demonstrate how history, culture, and the visual arts can influence each other in making and
studying works of art
Georgia Visual Arts Performance Standards Addressed
VA1CU.1 Identifies artists as creative thinkers who make art and share ideas.
a. Recognizes ways that artists are involved in communities (e.g., architects, painters, photographers, interior designers, educators, museum docents).
b. Recognizes and associates selected artists with their individual works
VA1PR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art (drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed-media) using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.
a. Creates drawings with a variety of media (e.g., pencils, crayons, pastels).
b. Identifies lines and shapes in order to draw an object.
c. Creates paintings with a variety of media (e.g., acrylic, tempera, watercolor).
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