7 Famous Artists Who Found Their Way Through Kids' Art

Every artist whose work hangs in a museum today was once a kid making something the world hadn't caught up to yet. They, too, were kids scribbling on scraps of paper, filling sketchbooks, painting things their parents couldn't always identify.

This Youth Art Month, we wanted to share a little of that history to inspire your kiddos. Here are 7 highly celebrated artists whose talent grew from the potential seen in kids' art. We've also included some ways your child can explore each artist's signature art form.

1. Pablo Picasso

Co-founder of Cubism | Spain, 1881–1973

Picasso's father was an art teacher who recognized his son's talent early. Many accounts state that he gave young Pablo his own brushes and space to work before he turned ten. Fortunately, historians have been able to preserve one of Picasso's earliest works - an oil painting titled "The Picador". Pablo created this when he was only eight years old!

As a teen, Picasso's technical skill surpassed that of many adults. He later became famous for "Cubism" - a unique art style that incorporates geometric forms. Eventually, he produced around 20,000 works across his lifetime.

Try it at home: A Cubist family portrait. Draw someone you love using only geometric shapes with this guide from Art Projects for Kids.

2. Georgia O'Keeffe

Pioneer of American modernism | USA, 1887–1986

O'Keeffe decided she wanted to be an artist at age twelve. From that point on, Georgia was practicing constantly. She would fill sketchbooks by studying form and paying close attention to the shapes and colors of the natural world around her. At the time, they couldn't preserve much of her childhood work, but one of her earliest paintings was a still-life vase of flowers that she painted as a teenager.

Georgia's rise wasn't overnight. But her refusal to give up on her vision is what makes her one of the most quietly inspiring figures in art history.

Try it at home: A Large-scale close-up drawing. Pick one flower, leaf, or object from nature and draw it so large it fills the entire page. Try to capture the little details.

3. Salvador Dalí

Surrealist painter | Spain, 1904–1989

Dalí was theatrical, imaginative, and relentlessly creative from early childhood. His parents were so committed to nurturing his talent that they converted a room in their home into a studio just for him. Around six years old, Salvador created the piece "Landscape Near Figures," but this was just the beginning of his journey.

He took to exploring Impressionism, Renaissance painting, and the emerging world of psychoanalysis — before eventually creating something that belonged entirely to himself - surrealism!

Try it at home: Dalí Dream drawing. Close your eyes, think about a dream or a made-up world, then draw it with no rules. The stranger, the better.

4. Frida Kahlo

Iconic self-portrait painter | Mexico, 1907–1954

As a kid, Frida initially saw art as just a hobby. It wasn't until a devastating bus accident left her bedridden at eighteen that Kahlo began painting seriously. Her mother had a special easel made so she could paint lying down. Art was her outlet before it became her calling.

Frida's first professional piece came at 19 years old - "Self-Portrait in a Velvet Dress". Frida is best-known for her creative and bold self-portraits because, as she says, "I am the subject I know best".

Try it at home: A "This Is Me" self-portrait. Draw yourself and surround the portrait with objects, animals, or symbols that represent who you are right now.

5. Jean-Michel Basquiat

Neo-expressionist painter | USA, 1960–1988

Basquiat grew up in Brooklyn drawing on scraps of paper, cardboard, and whatever surfaces he could find. From around age 4 his early drawings were cartoon-like sketches inspired by films, comics, and cars. At age 8, someone gave him a copy of Gray's Anatomy — a book that would have a huge impact on his work.

Noticing his early creative spark, his mother started regularly taking Jean-Michel to museums across NYC. He taught himself art history and absorbed it obsessively. Those same museums would eventually hang his outstanding work. Even as an adult, Basquiat would say, "I like kids work more than work by real artists any day."

Try it at home: A Mixed-media collage. Combine torn newspaper, paint, and markers on a single page. Words and images can also be part of the picture.

6. Yayoi Kusama

Avant-garde artist known for dots and infinity rooms | Japan, born 1929

A young Kusama began drawing her now-iconic dots and repeating patterns as a young child. She describes this style as the way she made sense of a world that often felt overwhelming to her. Unfortunately, Yayoi's parents didn't always understand her desire to be an artist. Nevertheless, she kept going.

Today, millions of people visit her exhibitions around the world. Fun fact, many of them are children who feel an instant, joyful connection to what she creates.

Try it at home: A Pattern drawing. Choose one simple shape (a dot, a star, a squiggle) and fill an entire page with it. Vary the size, the color, the spacing. For more "infinity net" art inspiration check out Art with Jenny K.

7. Kehinde Wiley

Contemporary portrait painter | USA, born 1969

Wiley grew up in South Central Los Angeles and where his mom enrolled him in art classes at The Huntington. Kehinde credits this experience with changing the direction of his life. Those classes gave him access to a creative world he might not have found otherwise. Inside this gallery Wiley became enamored by the grandeur and scale of portrait artists like Thomas Gainsborough.

The "sheer spectacle" of these 18th & 19th century portraits inspired him to create portraits that were equally captivating. Wiley's vibrant, large-scale works place contemporary subjects in the context of classical painting traditions. Kehinde went from being a kid admiring the famous "Blue Boy" to painting a presidential portrait for Barack Obama!

Try it at home: A Regal self-portrait. Draw yourself in a powerful, confident pose. Fill the background with bold patterns. Follow this guide on Art Projects for Kids. 

Every Master Started With Kids Art

Your child is in the middle of their own first chapter right now. The drawings on your refrigerator, the paintings drying on the counter, the sketchbook stuffed under the bed — this is what the beginning looks like.

At Artkive, we think the beginning is worth preserving just as much as what comes next. Someday a future kid may be looking at your master artists early beginnings! If you're ready to turn this month's creativity into something lasting, start with an Artkive Box. We'll handle everything from there.

Let Artkive preserve the works of your Master Artist!