Artist biography books are a fun way to teach kids a little art history. These books contain a short biography of an artist to read aloud, an example of their work, and the bookmaker's interpretation and impressions of the artist.
We make one book about each artist, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. We used photocopies of a book's (see Sources below) biographies and painting examples which were then cut out and glued to the book pages. Tweak this project to your heart's content, though. Two ideas are to make one book including both Picasso and Matisse, or include little biographies about other artists.
Materials
Several sheets of construction paper (depending on how many pages you want in your book)
Paper scraps or drawing materials
Stapler w/ staples
Glue sticks
Print outs of biographical information, Picasso painting example, etc. (See Sources or click image at bottom for PDFs)
Instructions
Fold a few pieces construction paper in half (short end to short end) to serve as the outer cover and pages of the book. Tuck them inside each other and staple along the inside crease.
Using the example painting as a model, decorate the cover in the style of Picasso. Using the paper scraps makes a more interesting visual than markers, but use anything.
Cut out and paste the biography and painting example inside the book.
On the last page, write your thoughts about Picasso - do you like his art work? How did you use his ideas/style in your own artwork on the cover?
Source
Book: " What’s the Big Idea?: Activities and Adventures in Abstract Art” by Joyce Raimondo
- For more artist biographies, check out these websites:
CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR PRINTOUTS