The Human Head and Picasso

Submitted by: Stephanie Ignazio, Underwood School, Newton, MA
Grade Level: 6th grade

Objectives:
Students will:

• Identify facial proportions of both a frontal and a profile view.

• Learn to create a portrait of a classmate by both observing and measuring.

• Investigate facial proportions and contour line drawing.

• Cubism will be introduced and the role of Picasso in its development.

• Understand the expression involved in Cubism and the creative procedures involved in creating a piece of Cubist art.

• Create a multi-media portrait using their newfound knowledge of Picasso.

Materials:

12x18" (30.5 x 46 cm) White Drawing Paper	18x18" (45.75 x 45.75 cm) White Sulphite Drawing Paper (Heavy - at least 80 lb weight.)
Watercolor Paint	Ultra-Fine Point Markers
Cray-Pas	Tempera Paint
Drawing Pencils	Colored Pencils
Colored Markers	Rulers

Vocabulary:

• Proportion

• Portrait

• Observation

• Frontal

• Profile

• Feature

• Symmetry 

• Measurement 

• Picasso

• Cubism

• Arrangement 

• Negative Space 

• Expression 

• Abstract

Procedures:

• Students will begin by looking at their partner's faces. They will better understand the proportions of features in the face by measuring their partners heads. For example, the eyes are halfway down, ears are parallel, where the nose ends, etc. This is a time for experimentation and discovery before the "actual facts" are elaborated.

• Discuss symmetry of features and how the shape of the head varies from individual to individual.

• Discussion of facial features and proportions can be illustrated by creating a handout of a frontal and profile positioned head with measurements so that students can follow along.

• After a discussion on proportion, students will create a portrait in pencil of their partner in both profile and frontal views.

• Introduce Picasso and his theories of Cubism and abstraction... be sure to show the progression in Picasso's life from realism to abstraction.

• By taking both of their pencil drawings the students will be instructed to combine all features into a new abstracted version of their partner. They will be taking something REAL and abstracting it into something creative and imaginative.

• Create two idea sketches before final is begun.

• To create variety and interest in their work, explain that the NEGATIVE space should be filled with either color/textures or pattern arrangements. A good guideline is at least TWO different patterns and TWO different colors/textures.

• Once a satisfactory arrangement is decided upon, students will use the large heavy paper to draw out their portrait. Using a black permanent Sharpie marker, the can outline all areas and add more patterns (if desired).

• Choices are up the the student in how to add color. Color relationships should be stressed (i.e. opposites attract, cool colors only, etc.). The use of at least three materials is desirable.

Assessment:

• Students have followed guidelines for creativity: All features utilized, both frontal and profile views incorporated, color arrangements have meaning, use of at least three materials.

• Group discussion/critique with display of sketch work, drawings and final piece... discussion of process and self evaluation.

Resources

DVD's: Picasso's Cubism, Picasso: The Man and His Work - Part 1 and Part 2, Picasso: War, Peace, Love [VHS], Picasso: A Film by Didier Baussy-Oulianoff

Books

Picasso - Dagen's original exploration of his techniques, materials, and images shows how the artist both allowed modernity to infiltrate his work and at the same time to react against it. Picasso moved between acceptance and rejection, a perpetual confrontation that is, perhaps, the most satisfying explanation of his will to create change that drove him to leave the most varied and diverse body of work in the entire history of art.

Picasso in The Metropolitan Museum of Art - This landmark publication presents for the first time a comprehensive catalogue of the works by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) in the Metropolitan Museum.

Final Note:

This project is always successful! The students really enjoy learning about their heads and how they are all put together. I usually pick students in the room and have children guess what shape head they have (for the entire year they remember who has the largest or roundest head shape!). Although at first they are resistant to abstraction, they soon come around and it becomes such a creative, inventive atmosphere that it is amazing and wonderful to watch. The projects always get the OOHS and AAHS!