Drawing: Pablo Picasso

In drawing this project, my intention was to imitate the cubism effect elicited in the paintings of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Indeed, with cubism standing as one of the most influential movements of the twentieth century, Picasso's work deserves serious study and attention to the nuances and responses created from the perception of his viewers, much like the pop art that is seen in modern culture. As a student of his work, there exists no better way to grasp this movement than by imitating his paintings in the process of my own artistic development. I find that Picasso's paintings have a wandering characteristic that often allows the viewer to observe facial expressions from more than one angle. They are at once accessible and curious, yet evasive and complex. Achieving this effect, especially in the depiction of the eyes, was my primary intention.

In the process of creating this drawing with watercolor crayons, I first drew the facial features out in pencil. Each corner of the face has its own distinctive quadrants and sections, jagged in nature while completely amalgamated together. Picasso's Woman in Hat and Fur Collar (1937) painting could serve as a corresponding parallel with its surprising angular juxtaposition and unsettled all-seeing eyes. For me, fine details such as colors came afterward; the proper dimensions were the most important. My reaction to the finished project was quite positive. I was impressed that I could arrive so close to an original Picasso work by focusing on such specific kinds of details. Understanding the techniques for getting this result to inspire me to further continue my studies of this great artist's oeuvre.

Work Cited

Picasso, Pablo. Woman in Hat and Fur Collar. 1937. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona. Pablo Picasso. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.