Picasso Birds Art Project Art And Write Cubism Lesson Artist Study Art Activity
This Picasso Birds Art and Write resource is an artist study for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers. Students learn about Pablo Picasso and his bold, expressive style, create their own Picasso-inspired bird artwork, and then continue with writing, artist statements, reflection pages and an exit ticket.
It brings art and literacy together, so it fits artist study units, Cubism lessons, cross-curricular art, sub plans, upper elementary art, middle school art and homeschool art.
WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING
★★★★ “Very cool project. My students loved doing this. Thank you!” Gloria M.
WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE)
- 1 Cover Page
- 1 About the Art and Write Resource Page
- 1 How to Use the Art and Write Resource Page
- 2 Lesson Plan Pages
- 1 Standards Page
- 1 Warm-Up Art Challenge Page
- 1 Student Reading Page about the artist
- 2 Rubric Pages
- 1 The Message Writing Reflection Page
- 1 Artwork Reflection Page
- 1 Artist Mindsets Page
- Artist Statement Pages
- Exit Ticket Page
- 1 Quick-Pick Reference Images Page
- 1 Rough Draft Page
- 1 Artwork Planning/Example Page
- 1 Full-Page Example Artwork
- PDF Step-By-Step Tutorial
- PowerPoint Step-By-Step Tutorial
- Non-Fiction Writing planning and prompt pages
- Fiction Writing planning and prompt pages
- Opinion Writing Pages
- Blank Writing Pages
- Two Versions of Writing Paper to support different learner needs
HOW TO USE IT
Students start with a Warm-Up Art Challenge, creating an animal inspired by Picasso's Cubist style. Then they read about the artist and create a bold bird artwork with strong black outlines, stylized bird shapes and bright painted sections. The Quick-Pick Reference Images page lets them choose the bird's head, body and tail, so every piece looks a little different. The example uses black oil pastel and watercolor paint, but you can adapt it to your own supplies.
Use the PDF or PowerPoint tutorial to model the project, project the steps for the class, or leave it for a sub. Once the art is done, students write about what they want people to take away from their artwork, its mood or message, what they learned, and goals for future work. The fiction, non-fiction and opinion pages give more ways to connect the art to literacy, and the two versions of writing paper give students different amounts of structure and space.
FAQ
Who can use this resource?
Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers who want a Picasso art lesson with writing and reflection included.
Is it editable?
No. It is non-editable.
Does it include a step-by-step tutorial?
Yes. It includes both a PDF step-by-step tutorial and a PowerPoint step-by-step tutorial.
Does it include writing pages?
Yes. Students complete The Message, Artwork Reflection, Artist's Statement and an Exit Ticket, plus fiction, non-fiction and opinion writing pages.
Can I use my own art materials?
Yes. Use what works best for your classroom. The example artwork uses black oil pastel and watercolor paint.
ALL TEACHER REVIEWS
★★★★ “Students were excited and engaged during this lesson.” Mike D.
Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist and educator whose work has been featured on NBC LX News and in OCO Magazine, as the featured educator on the cover of the October 2025 edition. She designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers, and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.
TERMS OF USE
This resource is for single educator use only.
YOU MAY: use it with your own students. Please purchase additional licenses if more than one teacher will be using it.
YOU MAY NOT: share, copy, upload, post online, distribute or resell it in any form.
Sincerely,
Ms Artastic