Explore famous artists with Picasso faces, and introduce kids to the bold, colorful, and unique world of Pablo Picasso with these fun Cubist portrait activities! Explore four Picasso printable art projects below.
Picasso Faces
Picasso’s portraits often had facial features arranged unexpectedly, making his artwork funny and expressive. These engaging Picasso-inspired activities for different age groups help kids explore Cubism, facial expressions, and portrait art creatively!
💡Make sure to include all of our famous artists in your art lesson plans.
Grade-Level Recommendations
- Toddlers & Preschool (Ages 3-5) – Picasso Playdough Face Mats
- Early Elementary (Ages 5-8) – Picasso Collage Pack
- Upper Elementary (Ages 8-12) – Picasso Cubist Portrait Painting
- Holiday or Year-Round (Ages 5-10) – Picasso Santa Cut-and-Paste Collage (Can be used without a holiday theme!)
Picasso Art Projects for Kids
🎨 Each activity uses simple materials like glue sticks, scissors, oil pastels, and paper to bring Picasso’s playful and abstract art to life!
Picasso Faces Cubist Portrait Painting (Ages 8-12)
Create a colorful Cubist face inspired by Picasso’s abstract style! Kids will use oil pastels, liquid watercolors, and black oil pastel outlines to make bold, geometric Picasso faces with layers and different Cubist self-portraits.
💡 Looking for more fun drawing ideas? Check out our self-portrait ideas for kids.
Materials Needed:
✔️ Canvas or thick paper
✔️ Oil pastels or liquid watercolors
✔️ Black oil pastel for outlines
✔️ Pencil to sketch the face
✔️ Reference images of Picasso’s work
💡 Note: Your “canvas” can be anything, including paper, a cereal box, or a foam core board. If you do not have the materials we listed below, this project can easily be done with art materials of your choice.
How to Make a Picasso Face:
Draw the Head – Use simple geometric shapes like circles, ovals, and rectangles.
Add Facial Features – Position the eyes, lips, chin, and forehead in different places for a unique look.
Outline in Black – Make bold lines to define the features.
Fill with Color – Use oil pastels or liquid watercolors to add vibrant colors.
Display & Discuss – Compare different Picasso portraits and talk about how different angles and emotions are shown.
Picasso Faces Collage Pack (Ages 5-8)
This cut-and-paste Picasso face activity is perfect for younger children learning about Cubism! Kids will mix and match facial features, create funny faces, and learn how Picasso used cutting-edge ideas to make art.
Materials Needed:
✔️ Picasso Face Templates (Get yours here!)
✔️ Colored paper
✔️ Glue sticks & scissors
✔️ Markers or crayons
How to Make a Picasso Face Collage:
- Print the Picasso Face Templates – Choose different versions of Cubist face designs.
- Cut Out Facial Features – Try placing eyes, lips, nose, and forehead in unexpected spots.
- Layer & Glue – Make layers of different features to create a Cubist face.
- Add Color & Details – Use buttons, paper scraps, and crayons to decorate!
- Discuss – Talk about Picasso’s Cubism and how this technique shows different sides of the person in one picture.
Picasso Faces Playdough Mats (Ages 3-5)
Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, these Picasso playdough mats encourage hands-on creativity while building fine motor skills! Kids will create Picasso faces using playdough, buttons, and giggles while exploring different emotions through shapes.
💡Make homemade playdough!
Materials Needed:
✔️ Printable Picasso Playdough Mats (Download here!)
✔️ Playdough in various colors
✔️ Small items like beads, buttons, and pipe cleaners
How to Use the Picasso Faces Mats:
- Print & Laminate the Mats – Protect them for repeated use.
- Make Picasso Faces – Use playdough and small objects to form eyes, nose, lips, and chin.
- Experiment with Expressions – Change eyelashes, forehead, and mouth shapes to create different emotions.
- Take a Group Response Picture – Capture a classroom of funny faces to compare and discuss!
Picasso-Inspired Santa Collage (Ages 5-10)
This Picasso-inspired Santa craft is a fun and unique holiday activity, but you can easily adapt it for any time of year by using the same face-building templates! Kids will love cutting and pasting facial features to make a Cubist Santa or an abstract portrait of any character.
Materials Needed:
✔️ Printable Picasso Santa Templates (Get them here!)
✔️ Colored paper or cardstock
✔️ Glue sticks & scissors
✔️ Markers or crayons
How to Make a Picasso Santa (Or Any Cubist Portrait!):
Print the Santa Face Templates – Includes eyes, nose, mouth, ears, beard, and hat.
Cut & Arrange the Features – Place facial features in a Cubist style (move the chin, lips, and forehead to different spots).
Glue & Decorate – Use bright colors and bold outlines to match Picasso’s style.
💡Optional: Non-Holiday Version – Instead of Santa, create a Picasso-style self-portrait or character using the same templates!
Who Was Pablo Picasso?
Pablo Picasso, born in Malaga, Spain, became one of the most famous artists in history. His work spanned many periods, including the Blue Period, the Spanish Civil War era, and late works, but he is best known for founding Cubism. He was also a printmaker, sculptor, and ceramicist and spent much of his life in Paris, the avant-garde capital.
One of Picasso’s most famous paintings, Guernica, expressed powerful emotions about war, showing how art can uniquely communicate feelings and ideas.
💡 Picasso once said:
“A head is a matter of eyes, nose, mouth, which can be distributed in any way you like.”
This philosophy makes Picasso art projects the perfect way for kids to experiment with portrait art and creatively explore different emotions.
Why Teach Picasso to Kids?
💡 These Picasso art projects make an excellent lesson for home, school, or art class and introduce kids to one of history’s most famous artists!
More Fun Picasso Art for Kids!
- Picasso Flowers
- Picasso Heart
- Cubist Picasso Snowman
- Picasso Thanksgiving Turkey
- Picasso Santa
- Picasso Jack -O- Lantern
Helpful Art Resources To Get You Started
Here are a few resources to help you introduce art more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
- Free Color Mixing Mini Pack
- Getting Started with Process Art
- Preschool Art Projects
- How to Make Paint
- Easy Painting Ideas For Kids
- Fun Pop Art Ideas
- Outdoor Art Projects
- Free Art Challenges
- What Are The 7 Elements Of Art?
- STEAM Activities (Science + Art)
- Make an art cart!
Printable Famous Artist Pack
You’ll find each of our famous artists featured in our Famous Artists Project Pack 👇 including a bonus Andy Warhol Coloring Book!
25+ artists and growing with unique projects not available on the website!
