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Colorful Cubism

Colorful Cubism

Students will create cubist drawings inspired by the art of Pablo Picasso.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

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  • White Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Discuss cubism and Pablo Picasso, its principal creator, with students. Talk about how cubist artists rejected the traditional techniques of perspective and the theory that art should imitate nature. Rather, they used fragmented objects to create their art. Display some images of Picasso's work, such as "Woman with a Blue Hat, "Portrait of Fernande Olivier," or "Pitcher and Bowl of Fruit." Have students identify some of the geometric shapes used and note their placement in the works.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to create a cubist portrait or still life in the style of Picasso. They can outline the work on paper and then, on a separate piece of paper, they can draw various shapes in different colors, cut them out, and arrange the fragments on the drawing.

  • Step 3

    Ask students to present their work and talk about how the art technique pertains to math. How can disassembling and rearranging parts of whole still be recognizable? How does it enhance characteristics or the mood of the piece?

Standards

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

MATH: Analyze, compare, create, and compose math ideas using written, oral, and drawn lines, shapes, forms, and patterns.

MATH: Create models that demonstrate match concepts and attend to precision.

Adaptations

Another revolutionary artist and contemporary of Picasso was Georges Braque. He is considered another developer of cubism. Have students learn about his life and work. Ask them to compare art that was created by Braque and Picasso.

Between 1901 and 1904, Picasso painted essentially monochromatic paintings in shades of blue and blue-green. This was known as his Blue Period. Have students view some of his works from this period, and challenge them to create their own monochromatic works, using varying shades of one color to create the illusion of depth, distance, and dimension.