• Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Sarah Lipoff Production
  • Who is Sarah?
Something Silly

. . . and maybe delicious.

  • Sarah Lipoff Production
  • Who is Sarah?
Art Activities for Kids  /  10/24/2012

Fine art for kids: Black and white with Picasso

by Sarah Lipoff

It’s been raining the last couple of days, making the tot and I a bit ornery. We knew the rain was coming, but it’s so dark in the mornings, causing us all to cuddle deeper under the covers instead of popping out excited about the day ahead. There’s nothing to rush for, so I curl into the bed and wait for my daughter to mumble “good morning” from her room letting me know she’s ready to start the day.

After about an hour of rubbing our eyes and figuring things out, we go about our daily routines. The husband heads to work, I sip tea and write stuff, and the tot either goes to preschool or does projects with me. Because of the dark, and somewhat dreary day, I couldn’t help being reminded of when I was teaching high school art and what I would do with a class that was stuck in the doldrums. I’d pop in a movie, shove sketch paper and sticks of charcoal under my students’ noses, and encourage them to doodle while zoning out.

Sometimes you just need to do nothing to find creativity.

One of my favorite things to pop in the old video player was this documentary of Picasso. The music is a bit funky, Picasso is crazy, his paintings are so simple but amazing, and it’s black and white — which is actually soothing.

After showing this snippet to my tot, we got out black and white paper and black and white paints. I offered her a sheet of white paper and a selection of paintbrushes ranging in size from big to small, along with black paint, and encouraged her to make interesting lines. This is a great activity for introducing focusing on making long and expressive lines to tots. Your little one really wants to go with her gut and simply scribble, but encouraging her to make shapes, or even attempting to draw a form, makes for an exciting creation. Older kids can paint exaggerated forms with simplistic details, just like Picasso.

Once your child is finished, swap the white paper and black paint for a sheet of black paper and the white paint. Leave the black painted sheet of white paper within sight and encourage your child to create the same design, but with the white paint on the black paper.

Once the paintings are dry, display them side by side to see how they are similar and different.

Tags

  • art activities for kids
  • child development
  • fine-motor skills

Post navigation

Chocolate peanut butter oatmeal yogurt cookies
Easy homemade tomato sauce

3 comments

  • maggy, red ted art
    11/20/2012

    Oooh I love the video you shared for us and I love the idea o going back to the basics of black and white. How fun to explore things in opposites. Fantastic. I think my son will like this too!

    Thank you so much for joining in with Kids Get Arty!

    Maggy
    (PS and low how it was all so calming for you :-))

    Reply
  • Deb @ Sixtine and the Little Things
    05/23/2013

    Absolutely beautiful! I love, love this! Great idea!

    Reply
  • Toddler Art: My Little Picasso – Sixtine and The Little Things
    06/29/2013

    […] for a couple years and always found it extremely peaceful and relaxing. I stumbled upon this post and decided  it would be the perfect activity for Sixtine! I love the contrast of black and white […]

    Reply

Share your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • This DIY Herb Garden Is So Pretty
  • The Supreme Banana Bread
  • Tips for talking with your child about art
  • Spring vegetable quinoa pilaf
  • Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes

Recent Comments

  • Sarah Lipoff on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Nicole P. on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Stephanie on Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes
  • Bunny Roberge on Mango lemon marmalade
  • Ryan R. on Chocolate cream cheese cookies

Archives

  • May 2018
  • December 2017
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • July 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010

Categories

  • About Food
  • About Life
  • About Me
  • Art Activities for Kids
  • Cool Stuff
  • Dinner Every Night
  • Life with Child
  • The Bay Area
  • Uncategorized

Search by Tags

  • activities for children
  • Art
  • art activities for kids
  • art and children
  • art development
  • Baby Behavior
  • Baby Development
  • Being a Mom
  • blueberries
  • books about fall for kids
  • Celebrations
  • child behavior
  • child development
  • children
  • color theory
  • cooking
  • cooking with kids
  • Earth Day art activity
  • eating
  • fall art activity
  • fall leaves
  • family
  • fine-motor skills
  • food
  • Fox and Friends
  • Fox News Network
  • health
  • healthy cooking
  • Healthy eating
  • Holidays
  • learning about fall with kids
  • Life with Child
  • muffins
  • Parenting
  • Po Bronson
  • Praise Craze
  • projects
  • quinoa
  • recipes
  • recycled art
  • Red Dress Club
  • Sarah Lipoff
  • spring art activities
  • spring recipes
  • summer art activities

Recent Comments

  • Sarah Lipoff on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Nicole P. on Lightened-up summer chicken salad
  • Stephanie on Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes
  • Bunny Roberge on Mango lemon marmalade
  • Ryan R. on Chocolate cream cheese cookies

Pages

  • Sarah Lipoff Production
  • Who is Sarah?

Categories

  • About Food
  • About Life
  • About Me
  • Art Activities for Kids
  • Cool Stuff
  • Dinner Every Night
  • Life with Child
  • The Bay Area
  • Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • This DIY Herb Garden Is So Pretty
  • The Supreme Banana Bread
  • Tips for talking with your child about art
  • Spring vegetable quinoa pilaf
  • Cooking with kids: Super easy homemade tuna cakes

Archives

  • May 2018
  • December 2017
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • July 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • Elara by LyraThemes
  • Made by LyraThemes.com