Explore art history with your little artist at home by creating a painting inspired by Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” Kids of all ages can make one, and it’s a great way to sneak in some educational activities at home while they get in touch with their artsy side.
Materials Needed:
- White construction paper
- Watercolors or acrylic paint
- Crayons
- Black construction paper
- Paintbrushes
- Glue
Step One: Begin by showing your child a picture of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” Talk about shapes, colors and textures that you observe in the painting.
Step Two: With a white or yellow crayon, draw some swirls and circles on the white construction paper. Look at the original “Starry Night” painting and have your child try to create some of the same shapes in the sky on his paper. He also can make a moon and stars.
Step Three: Using watercolor or watered down acrylic paint, paint over the entire paper with dark blue or purple. The crayon should show through the paint.
Step Four: Cut a silhouette landscape out of black construction paper. It could be a simple wavy line to resemble hills, or an older child could cut out a more complex city scene. Glue the black silhouette onto the bottom of the sky painting.
Megan Kapple is a blogger from Kansas City, MO, where she lives with her husband and three young daughters. She loves anything DIY and crafty and blogs about her adventures at HomemadeGinger.com.