Picasso and His Paper
Pablo Picasso’s father was a drawing professor. Young Pablo started to show artistic talent around the age of 10. His dad became his teacher. But soon Pablo could have taught his dad!
Pablo had his first art exhibit at age 13. Mr. Picasso’s grandson, Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, was 13 when the great artist died. He remembers his grandfather always sketching. Mr. Picasso kept going until he had used “the last piece of paper available.”
You might notice that Pablo Picasso’s sketches don’t look like some of his bigger paintings. Mr. Picasso famously said that it took his whole life to learn to draw like a child.
Mr. Picasso helped create a type of art called Cubism. This painting style shows objects from many angles at once. But Mr. Picasso commenced his art career the old-fashioned way. He got really, really good at drawing what he saw.
Cubist artists came up with some bizarre creations! At first, Cubist painters broke down objects into basic shapes. Try it! Can you draw something made up of cubes, spheres, cylinders, and cones?
Do You Know How To Keep a Sketchbook?
Sketchbooks can capture moments. And sketching often strengthens your drawing skills. Start your own sketchbook!
Follow the WORLDkids Sketching Rules:
Rule 1: Pick tools you enjoy using. Choose tear-out or permanent pages. Will you use pencil or pen? Do you need a “sketching bag” to hold your book, pencil, sharpener, and some watercolor paint or crayons?
Rule 2: Draw wherever you are. Sketch in the car, the store, waiting in line . . . wherever there is something to see! Try drawing upside-down to stretch your artist brain. Upside-down drawing forces your hand to follow your eyes.
Rule 3: Practice. Routinely try strokes such as hatching, stippling, and scumbling. Draw basic shapes over and over. Experiment with different sizes and with soft and hard strokes.
Rule 4: There is no perfect. Don’t get stuck because your work isn’t perfect. Sketching isn’t about perfection. It’s about capturing the life in a moment.
Send a snapshot of your sketchbook or a sketch to worldkidseditor@gwpub.com.
