"Every child is an artist.
The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
~ Pablo Picasso
I will admit that I have never paid too much attention to Pablo Picasso. I have always associated him with the Cubist movement, of which I am not a big fan. But - que sorpresa! - last year I discovered some amazing information about him while doing some research on Latino artists. Such as the fact that he actually mastered the ability to paint realistically like the Renaissance painter, Raphael, when he was just a teenager. The picture above is one he made of his mother, Maria Picasso Lopez. Hard to imagine, I know, considering what he is best known for is this abstract style picture below, Dora Maar Au Chat - which, incidentally, sold recently for over $95 million! Eh?
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Anyway, I thought that today, would be a great day to share some of the awesome resources available on the web for teachers/parents, because Pablo Picasso was born this day, October 25th, in 1881.
Lesson Plans
• As always, Deep Space Sparkle is my go-to for art lessons. Here's one for Picasso.
• Picasso Artist Study on Squidoo. This is without a doubt THE BEST resource out there. Jimmie has gone to all the trouble of finding and then sharing some incredible books, sites, activities and more, on this lens. Stop what you are doing and go there now! (Okay, you can finish this post first.)
• Read Write Think has this page full of classroom activities.
• Incredible Art has a couple of lessons for elementary, middle, and high school students.
• Teach Kids Art has a great section devoted to the artist. This is actually the first site I stumbled upon last year when I was researching Picasso, and is where I learned about his ability to paint like a Renaissance artist. An excellent source for young children in grades K-5th.
• Making Art Fun has a great page with lots of links to resources, as well as a picture of the artist, and pictures of some of his paintings.
• This is an excellent biography on the artist.
• Older kids may prefer this page from Artsy. It provides visitors with Picasso's bio, over 500 of his works, exclusive articles, as well as up-to-date Picasso exhibition listings. The page even includes related artist & category tags, plus suggested contemporary artists, allowing viewers to continue exploring art beyond our Picasso page.
• Read Write Think has this page full of classroom activities.
• Incredible Art has a couple of lessons for elementary, middle, and high school students.
• Teach Kids Art has a great section devoted to the artist. This is actually the first site I stumbled upon last year when I was researching Picasso, and is where I learned about his ability to paint like a Renaissance artist. An excellent source for young children in grades K-5th.
• Making Art Fun has a great page with lots of links to resources, as well as a picture of the artist, and pictures of some of his paintings.
• This is an excellent biography on the artist.
• Older kids may prefer this page from Artsy. It provides visitors with Picasso's bio, over 500 of his works, exclusive articles, as well as up-to-date Picasso exhibition listings. The page even includes related artist & category tags, plus suggested contemporary artists, allowing viewers to continue exploring art beyond our Picasso page.
Coloring Pages
• Enchanted Learning has a section on Spanish Painters that includes this brief biography and a coloring page of Picasso's Child with Dove.
• Making Art Fun has a coloring page of Picasso's The Three Musicians.
Poetry
Did you know that Pablo was also a poet? I didn't until I discovered this little article. Apparently, at age 54, an emotional crisis caused Picasso to halt all painting and devote himself entirely to poetry. An interesting read!
Games & Crafts
• If your students enjoy drawing, check out these 10 video tutorials on How to Draw Like Picasso.
• Crayola has an activity based on Picasso's Cubist style.
• Here's a great little art lesson from Kids Art Week for drawing a dog - Picasso style!
• Spaceships & Laser Beams has a lot of ideas for throwing a Picasso-themed party.
• Making Art Fun (see above) has this awesome craft making Picasso sugar cookies!
• Love this Picasso-inspired soft sculpture by Blick. They also have instructions for making a Cubist Portrait Bust and a lesson plan for making "commemorative stamps" to celebrate famous artists.
Books
Videos
These links are to YouTube. As always, parents and teachers should watch the videos first to make sure they are appropriate for their students. If you'd like to share them with your students without giving them access to YouTube, check out the cool tool Video.Link
• Pablo Picasso for Elementary Students :: Designs by Carisa is fun.
• Art Lessons Online: How to Draw a Picasso Face (K-5) :: Meghan Bergman
• Watch Picasso Make a Masterpiece :: the Royal Academy of Arts - this is fascinating!
• 10 Amazing Facts about Spanish Artist Pablo Picasso :: Art History School
• Where Did Pablo Picasso's Genius Come From? :: National Geographic (Shown below)
Lesson Plans about Other Artists
- Frida Kahlo Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More
- Joan Miró Activities, Crafts, Lesson Plans and More
- Diego Rivera Lesson Plans, Books, and More
Art Supplies
Picasso-Themed Learning Toys
