Giant Cubist Masks
The Set Up
Masks are one of the most playful ways to explore identity. They give permission to exaggerate, to hide, to invent a new version of yourself. I love linking this to Picasso and Cubism, where faces were broken into shapes and rearranged in unexpected ways. At Smudge we often share that story afterwards once the children have already experienced the fun of creating.
Cut out large face shapes from sturdy cardboard as bases. For younger groups, pre cut a selection of eyes, mouths, and noses so they can jump straight in. Older artists love cutting and inventing their own features. Set the table with scissors, glue, scraps of foil, fabric, painted paper, and whatever odd bits you can gather.
The Making
Start by arranging features on the face without gluing straight away. Slide an eye up to the forehead, tip a mouth sideways, try three noses at once. Some designs turn abstract, others lean toward self portrait, all of them full of energy.
When the features feel right, glue them down and bring out the paints. This is when colour mixing steals the show! The best moments are when artists keep going past their first safe choices and discover shades they did not even know they wanted. No two masks ever end up the same, which is exactly the point.
Variations
Offer prompts like “only warm colours” or “paint with the brush in your non dominant hand.”
Add extras like feathers, yarn, or sequins for texture.
Try making an entire wall of masks for a group display; the more faces together, the more powerful it feels.
Materials
Cardboard bases cut into large face shapes
Pre cut facial features (eyes, mouths, noses) or materials for cutting your own
Scissors and glue
Scraps of foil, fabric, painted paper, magazines
Poster or tempera paints
Brushes, water jars, palettes
Optional: feathers, yarn, sequins, collage extras
