Learn The Rules Like A Pro

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“Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.” -Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) was one of the greatest and most influential artists in the 20th century. He was born in Spain but spent most of his adult life in France where he became renowned as an avant garde painter and sculptor.

He was known for co-founding the Cubist movement, a trademark of his most memorable works such as “Guernica” and “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”. This influence marked on diverse areas of the world of art including literature, music, and fashion. He inspired each and every artist the idea of breaking rules creatively and going beyond predefined boundaries fearlessly.

The quote we have chosen described his evolution as a visual artist. Painting ran in his family. At an early age of 7, his father taught him painting and honed his skills. And at the age of 9, he finished his first piece: the Le Picador. He was first taught by his father who was an artist himself and a Fine Arts professor. Picasso exhibited an extraordinary talent in painting and sketching, convincing his father to enrol him in formal art schools. However, the formal instruction and the discipline required from him did not ignite his passion; he roamed in the city instead and used everyday sceneries as inspiration. He eventually quit school and chose to learn from artists and intellectuals at a café called “El Quatre Gats”. It was then that he started experimenting with his craft and collaborating with fellow artists. It paved the way to his revolutionary works and huge success as an innovator in the 20th century art.

Voltaire, a French writer and philosopher in the 18th century, described originality as “nothing but judicious imitation.” However, it is not to be confused with plagiarism. Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Instead of becoming one of those painters who could copy a Michelangelo, Picasso stole from the classics and left a mark that is distinguishably his.