What Materials Did Picasso Use?
Picasso used a combination of traditional materials, such as oil paint, chalk and charcoal, with unusual materials, such as newspapers, sand and sawdust. In addition, he also used found objects, such as the seat and handlebars of a bicycle in his sculpture “Bull’s Head.”
Picasso liked to experiment with new materials and techniques in his artwork in order to challenge the status quo. For example, Picasso was one of the first artists to make a collage. His 1914 painting “Pipe, Glass, Bottle of Vieux Marc” combined traditional materials such as graphite, India ink and gouache with a piece of newspaper, which was glued to the canvas. Picasso and his contemporary, Braque, were both responsible for creating the modern idea of the collage.
Picasso’s sculptures also used a large variety of materials. His early sculptures were modeled in clay and wax. He also used wood, ceramic, and bronze. In his 1914 sculptures “Glass of Absinthe,” Picasso cast six bottles of Absinthe in bronze and decorated them with real spoons. Another unconventional sculpture is Picasso’s “Guitar.” This sculpture featured planes of sheet metal and metal wires. Sheet metal is a common material for buildings, but it was not commonly found in fine art and sculptures.
