Picasso Peace Dove Art Project

The dove is considered a symbol of peace all over the world. Many cultures and religions around the world used the dove, such as the Christians during Baptism, in Ancient Greece to mean love or renewal, and in Ancient Japan where it was used it to mean an end to war. After World War II, Pablo Picasso’s famous lithograph “Dove” was chosen for the World Peace Congress. It swept throughout the world as an international symbol of peace.

One thing that we know for certain is that art is therapeutic. Art helps people (kids and adults alike) process and talk about emotions.

Regardless of how you are discussing these events with your kids and students, it seemed like the perfect time to bring this Picasso Peace Dove Art Project to you. Use it in any way that you would like – to discuss current events, or simply for art history, to study symbolism, or to talk about watercolor resist.

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Grab These Supplies:

The supplies for Picasso’s original lithograph are simple, so we kept the supplies for this project simple as well.

• 9×12 or 12×18 white sulphite or watercolor paper
• A white crayon or white oil pastel
• Paintbrush
• Watercolors
• Black Sharpie or permanent marker
• Paper towel

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How to Create It:

First, draw the dove. In this project, draw the dove with loose, flowing, and stylized lines. Older students can try a continuous line drawing of a dove. The dove can be anywhere on the paper.

Outline the inside and outside of the lines with white crayon or oil pastel. If you’d like more white area around the dove, make the white lines thicker.

Next, apply water to the background. Students can create their own colorful background, however, this is a perfect opportunity for students to do some wet-on-wet color mixing.

Paint a red rainbow line, and then rinse the brush. Paint a yellow rainbow line underneath it, letting the red and yellow blend into orange. Rinse the brush again and paint a blue rainbow line, letting the yellow and blue mix to green.

Use paper towel to remove any water or paint, and add water to encourage the paint to flow.

Want the step-by-step in an easy downloadable PDF? Click the banner below!

We would love to see what your students and kids are creating – please make sure to tag us at @soulsparklettesart!