Goal (Terminal Objective):

Students will learn about Pablo Picasso and create an abstract portrait of a person.

Objective:

Students will learn how to make an abstract portrait of a person by making half of the face in a front view and half in a profile.

National Standards:

Visual Arts Grades 3-­8 Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Visual Arts Grades 3-­8 Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions

Visual Arts Grades 3-­8 Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject
matter, symbols, and ideas

Visual Arts Grades 3­-8 Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures

Visual Arts Grades 3-­8 Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Purpose:

Students will learn about Pablo Picasso. They will create an abstract portrait of a person using the “split portrait” technique that is seen in many of Picasso’s portraits.

New Vocabulary:

portrait, profile, abstract, unrealistic colors, geometric shapes, organic shapes.

Materials:

#32-2007 Metallic Oil Pastel

#22-2015 Lg. Oil Pastel

Pictures of Pablo Picasso’s abstract portraits, white paper

Time:

Two art periods

Introduction and Motivation (Set):

Ask the students what a portrait is. Explain to them that the most important invention to the art world was the camera. People no longer had to be wealthy and sit for hours to get a portrait painted by an artist. There was also no need for art to be realistic creating a way for art to become abstract.

Show students prints of Picasso’s abstract style of portraits. Be sure to include the “Portrait of Dora Maar Seated” and “Portrait of Maya With Doll”. Cover half of the face with a sheet of paper and point out the front view and then move the paper to point out the other half in a profile.

Instruction:

Demonstrate to the class two different ways to draw the “split portrait”.

Both ways will begin with half of the face shown from the side or profile. Then complete the rest of the face from a front view

Do not worry about making this portrait look like any particular person at this point. Use pencil to draw one of the two ways demonstrated by the teacher.

Use Sargent Art jumbo oil pastels to add unrealistic colors to fill in the drawings. Color the background, also.

Activities:

(1) Guided Practice:

1. Students will use a pencil to draw one of the two styles of portraits on a “9 X 12” piece of white paper.
2. Have them refer to the prints of Picasso’s paintings as well as the teacher’s drawings.
3. Add geometric and organic shapes onto the face.
   
4. Color in the portrait with Sargent Art jumbo oil pastels and Gallery Metallic oil pastels making sure that realistic color are not used for the skin and hair color. Add oil pastel onto the paper thick so that colors can easily be blended together by using either white oil pastel or a harmonizing color around the edges where the two colors meet.

(2) Independent Practice and Check for Understanding:
Teacher will circulate around the students making sure that the objectives are being demonstrated, asking direct questions when understanding is not visible. Teacher will help with drawing when necessary and reinforce students as they work.

(3) Closure:
Students display their work and a critique will be utilized to look for strengths in successful projects. Younger students will be guided through the critique process to help students learn the procedure.

Evaluation:

Teacher will evaluate the works individually based on the following criteria:

Level One –­­ Completed project will have the entire white paper covered with a thick layer of oil pastels. The completed portrait is abstract showing half of the face in profile and half from a front view. The selection of colors is not realistic for skin tone. Colors have been blended together by using white oil pastel or another harmonizing color around the edges where the colors meet. Craftsmanship is excellent.

Level Two –­­ Completed project will have most of the white paper covered with a thick layer of oil pastels. The completed portrait is mostly abstract showing half of the face in profile and half from a front view. The selection of colors is not realistic for skin tone. Most colors have been blended together by using white oil pastel or another harmonizing color around the edges where the colors meet. Craftsmanship is good.

Level Three – ­­Completed project will have some of the white paper covered with a thin layer of oil pastels. The completed portrait is somewhat abstract showing half of the face in profile and half from a front view. Some of the selection of colors is not realistic for skin tone while some of them are realistic. Some colors have been blended together by using white oil pastel or another harmonizing color around the edges where the colors meet. Craftsmanship is variable.

Level Four –­­ Completed project will have some of the white paper covered with a thin layer of oil pastels and none of the background. The completed portrait is not abstract showing half of the face in profile and half from a front view. The selection of colors is realistic for skin tone. None of the colors have been blended together by using white oil pastel or another harmonizing color around the edges where the colors meet.
Craftsmanship is poor.

Extension:

Students could try a realistic portrait of one of their friends or could try a self portrait.

Resources:

http://www.all­art.org/art_20th_century/picasso12.html
http://www.terraingallery.org/Picasso­Dora­Maar­MS.html
http://en.easyart.com/art­prints/Pablo­Picasso/Dora­Maar­83723.html
http://www.allposters.com/­sp/Dora­Maar­1937­Posters_i143620_.html
http://www.newsgd.com/culture/culturenews/200703010020.html
http://www.sapergalleries.com/PicassoWomen.html