In an Explore It! visual arts program, it’s the process, not the product, that’s most important. We encourage our students to stretch the limits of their creativity, explore different mediums, and test out new techniques. You might end up with something kind of odd and strange-looking by the end of it… or you might end up with the coolest thing you’ve ever created!
Pablo Picasso became one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century, in part because of how much he loved to experiment and try new things. Unlike some artists, who spend years perfecting one technique, Picasso developed multiple art styles throughout his career. One of the most famous art styles he developed is a painting style known as Cubism.
Cubists paint the world from many different perspectives. In the portraits above, for example, the women’s facial features don’t all point in the same direction. A nose is angled towards the left, while the eyes are angled towards the right; some features are distorted to be much too big or too small, or are placed in weird positions or at unexpected angles. Cubists use lots of straight edges, big, geometric shapes, and bold colours. The result is a painting of a face that isn’t very realistic, but is different expressive and fascinating to look at!
You can create your own Cubist portrait at home using the following steps! Use our printable materials (below) or draw your own.
