Pablo Picasso

WALT use colour in the style of Picasso to create a self-portrait.

Last week, you learnt about the life of Pablo Picasso. This week, you will be looking at different styles the he adopted in his career to reflect his emotions or mood during different periods of his life. Some of these include:

•The Blue Period

•The Rose Period

•Cubism

The Blue PeriodIn 1901, Pablo's close friend Carlos Casagemas died. Pablo became very sad. Around the same time he began painting in Paris. For the next four years his paintings were dominated by the colour blue or blue-green, only occasionally warmed by other colours. Many of the subjects were sad and sombre looking. He painted people with elongated* features and faces. Some of his paintings from this period include Poor People on the Seashore and The Old Guitarist.

*What does the word elongated mean? Look this word up in a dictionary before proceeding. Try and use it in a sentence this week!

1903- The Old Guitarist

This painting shows an old musician who has become blind. Look at this painting and consider the following:

• What has Picasso made the focal point of the piece? Why do you think he has done this?

• What does the use of colour and the man’s body language tell us about him?

• How do you think this man feels about his guitar and creating music?

1903- The Tragedy

• What do you think is the relationship between the people in the photo.

• Does anything that is happening in the background or with the clothes that the people are wearing suggest the ‘tragedy’ that Picasso may be trying to depict?

1901-1902 Femme aux Bras Croisés(Woman with Folded Arms)

1902-1903 La Soupe (the soup)

The Rose Period

Eventually Pablo got over his depression. He also fell in love with a French model. He began to use warmer colors in his paintings including pinks, reds, oranges, and beiges. Art historians call this time in Pablo's life the Rose Period. He also began to paint happier scenes such as circuses.

The Acrobat and the Young Harlequin

1904 L’acteur (The Actor)

Cubism(1907 - 1921) In 1907 Picasso began to experiment with a new style of painting. He worked with another artist named Georges Braque. By 1909 they had created a completely new style of painting called Cubism. In Cubism the subjects are analysed and broken up into different sections. Then the sections are put back together and painted from different perspectives and angles. In 1912 Picasso began to combine Cubism and collage. This was where he would use sand or plaster in his paint to give it texture. He would also apply materials such as coloured paper, newspapers, and wallpaper to his paintings to give them added dimension.

This is what, in popular culture, Picasso has become most famous for.

Have a look at these examples of cubism. Can you spot different facial features? From what angle/perspective would this have been drawn? Is it in a different place to where you would expect it to be?

Weeping Woman 1937

Portrait of Ambroise Vollard(1910)

We will be looking at Cubism more in the coming weeks.

Task: Using Colour in the style of Picasso

In a similar way to Picasso during his Blue and Rose Period’s we would like you to create a self-portrait that includes different shades of either red or blue. You may need to use a mirror to help you

1. Positioning your paper in the portrait position, sketch yourself from the top of your head to the top of your shoulders.

Hints and Tips:

Carefully consider proportion. You want to fill the page with your face. You do not want lots of space around.

Try to make your features are life-like, realistic and similar to what they look like on your face. Look carefully at the shape of each feature and do not be tempted to draw in a cartoon style.

Use the picture on the next slide to help you.

Also try watching this video:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/art-and-design-draw-self-portrait/z6ytscw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdSzAOgSuew

2. With a darker pencil or black pen, go around your sketch (this will help you later when you colour your portraits).

3. Now using either colouring pencils, paint, crayons, chalk or felt pens, you should fill your portrait with different shades of either RED or BLUE. Use either of the colour charts below to help you.