TeachKidsArt

a resource for teachers & families

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Artist Birthdays
  • SHOP TPT
  • About
  • Contact
  • TIP Vault

Oil Pastel Fish – Kindergarten Style!

By Cheryl Trowbridge 5 Comments

Share
Pin
Tweet
Print
 
Oil pastels, with their rich colors and expressive line quality, are one of my favorite mediums to use with kids. And the key to getting the best results with any oil pastel lesson is LAYERING!

Materials:

  • 12×18 black construction paper
  • Oil pastels (We use the Pentel 16 color set.)

Directions: 
1. Set aside your black oil pastel… you won’t use it until the end!

2. To begin this project, first break all your oil pastels in half (yes, I really did say that!). Then, peel the paper wrapper off of one of the halves of each color.  Use the peeled halves for filling in large areas (on their side) and the halves with the wrapper on them for drawing with.  The wrapper helps hold the fragile pastels together and keeps them from breaking as easily. 

3. Use a white oil pastel (with the wrapper on) to draw a large oval shape in the middle of your black paper.

4. Add triangle shapes for the tail, the upper fin and the lower fin.

5. Next, draw a large circle for an eye and a curved line for the mouth.

6. Now add some fun curvy shapes for kelp (seaweed) or coral to fill in the empty areas. (You are still drawing with your white oil pastel!)

7.  Finally, it’s time for some color!  Now you will use the pastels that you peeled the paper off of.  Choose a color for your main fish shape and pinch your pastel in the middle using your thumb and index finger, laying it on it’s side as you fill in the shape.  

8. Choose another color to draw with (wrapper on!) and press hard as you layer this second color over the first.

9. Continue this process of layering your colors, first using the side of a peeled pastel and then drawing over it with a second color, for your water, seaweed or coral, and fish’s fins. Make sure you cover your entire paper with at least two layers of color… we’re playing “Hide the Black Paper”! (Hint: Layering white on top will brighten any color!)  

10. As a final step, use your black oil pastel to outline all of your shapes and sign your name at the bottom!

Oil pastel masterpieces by kindergarteners Brooke, Lindsay, Trevor, Kai and Ava.
Share
Pin
Tweet
Print

You may also like...

Default ThumbnailDrawing Fish with Lines and Shapes Default ThumbnailAbstract Scatch Art Default ThumbnailVan Gogh Auction Project Default ThumbnailKindergarten Stars

Filed Under: Drawing, Fish / Marine Life, Lessons, Oil Pastel Tagged With: fish, Kindergarten, oil pastel, pattern

Comments

  1. Offgrid says

    at

    Wow – Awesome work… http://www.Offgrid-Living.com

    Reply
  2. Phyl says

    at

    So cute – and all my oil pastels seem to be broken anyhow….

    Reply
  3. Pamela Holderman says

    at

    I love these -thanks for the idea!

    Reply
  4. jgg says

    at

    liked the lesson, easy instructions with very nice results! Will use it but will not decide on size of eye or type of line for mouth. Being an teacher of rehabilititating arts and an artist myself I think there should be as much freedom of choice as possible within a brief. The fun curvy shapes for kelp are a good idea (:

    Reply
    • Cheryl Trowbridge says

      at

      I’m all for giving students lots of room for creativity and self-expression. Good idea… thanks for sharing your thoughts on that!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Never Miss a Post - Follow by Email

Find a ** FREE ** Lesson (Below):

  • Lessons Inspired by Famous Artists
    • Britto, Romero
    • Burch, Laurel
    • Calder, Alexander
    • Carle, Eric
    • Cezanne, Paul
    • Chagall, Marc
    • Chihuly, Dale
    • Dali, Salvadore
    • Da Vinci, Leonardo
    • Delaunay, Robert & Sonia
    • Escher, M.C.
    • Goldsworthy, Andy
    • Haring, Keith
    • Johns, Jasper
    • Kahlo, Frida
    • Kandinsky, Wassily
    • Klee, Paul
    • Klimt, Gustave
    • Matisse, Henri
    • Miro, Joan
    • Mondrian, Piet
    • Monet, Claude
    • O’Keeffe, Georgia
    • Old Masters
    • Picasso, Pablo
    • Pollock, Jackson
    • Pompon, Francois
    • Posada, Jose
    • Remington, Frederick
    • Renoir, Auguste
    • Seurat, Georges
    • Seuss, Dr.
    • Van Gogh, Vincent
    • Van Honthorst, Gerard
    • Wood, Grant
  • Lessons by Holiday
    • 100th Day of School
    • Chinese New Year
    • Christmas
    • Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos
    • Earth Day
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • International Dot Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • New Years
    • Other
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Lessons by Culture
    • Africa
    • America
    • Chile
    • China
    • Europe
    • Haiti
    • Japan
    • Mexico
    • Middle East
  • Lessons by Process
    • 3D / Sculpture
    • Bookmaking
    • Calligraphy
    • Collage
    • Drawing
    • Embossing
    • Folding
    • Lettering
    • Micrography
    • Mosaic
    • Origami
    • Painting
    • Paper Cutting
    • Paper Folding
    • Printmaking
    • Quilling
    • Recycling with Art
    • Sketching
    • Stitching / Embroidery
    • Weaving
  • Lessons by Medium
    • Acrylic
    • Clay
    • Colored Pencil
    • Crayon
    • Digital / Computer
    • Fabric / Fiber
    • Markers / Pen and Ink
    • Mixed Media
    • Oil Pastel
    • Paper
    • Pencil
    • Tempera
    • Watercolor
  • Lessons by Style
    • Abstract (Non-representational)
    • Abstract (Representational)
    • Cartoon
    • Cubism
    • Expressionism
    • Fantasy
    • Impressionism
    • Op Art
    • Orphism
    • Pointillism
    • Pop Art
    • Post Impressionism
    • Realism
    • Surrealism
  • Lessons by Subject
    • Abstract Design
    • Animals
    • Birds
    • Buildings
    • Butterflies
    • Cityscape
    • Color / Color Mixing
    • Creatures / Monsters
    • Cross
    • Faith
    • Elements of Art
    • Fish / Marine Life
    • Flowers
    • Greeting Cards
    • Hearts
    • Imagination
    • Landscape
    • Mandalas
    • Masks
    • Math with Art
    • Misc. Subjects
    • Names
    • Nature
    • Ocean / Seascapes
    • People
    • Portraits / Self-Portraits
    • Religion
    • Quilts
    • Scripture
    • Seasons
    • Sky
    • snow
    • Stars
    • Still Life
    • Trees
    • Words / Letters
  • … and More!
    • Bulletin Boards & Displays
    • Classroom Management
    • Elements of Art
    • Imagination
    • Inspiration
    • Middle School Art
    • News & Announcements
    • Philosophy
    • Portfolios
    • Product Reviews
    • Quotes & Stories
    • Supplies / Products
    • Teacher Workshops
    • Tips for Teaching Art

Follow me on
Teachers Pay Teachers

Support Teach Kids Art When you shop Amazon.com

TEACH KIDS ART IS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE. I earn a small commission when you visit Amazon.com by clicking through my site and make a purchase of any kind. This supports Teach Kids Art at no extra cost to you.

Click here to shop Amazon.com!

Related Posts

  • A Creative Color Game for All Ages
  • An Engaging Art Museum Activity for Kids
  • TIP #66: 10 Ways to Save Money on Art Supplies for Kids
  • Better Paint Brush Habits for Kids
  • Review the Elements of Art with a Beachball Scavenger Hunt

Copyright © 2023 Cheryl Trowbridge / Teach Kids Art · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Design by Laugh Eat Learn



We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT