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Paint Like Van Gogh

Paint Like Van Gogh
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Create a Van Gogh inspired painting using tempera or acrylic paints, practicing bold colors, short swirling brushstrokes, and textured strokes to express feeling.

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Step-by-step guide to paint like Van Gogh

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How to Paint Like Van Gogh for Kids | Children's Art Week 🎨

What you need
Adult supervision required, cup of water, heavy paper or canvas, paintbrushes small medium large, palette knife or old spoon optional, palette or paper plate, paper towels, pencil, tempera or acrylic paints

Step 1

Gather all Materials Needed and bring them to your workspace.

Step 2

Cover your table with a paper towel to protect it.

Step 3

Use tape to secure your paper or canvas so it won’t move.

Step 4

Lightly sketch your scene or the feeling you want to show with a pencil.

Step 5

Squeeze bold colors onto your palette or paper plate in small blobs.

Step 6

Dip a medium brush in water and practice short swirling and dabbing strokes on scrap paper.

Step 7

Paint the background using bold colors and short swirling brushstrokes to show motion.

Step 8

Add the main shapes like hills trees or a sun using short textured strokes to build form.

Step 9

Use thick paint and a loaded brush or palette knife to add bright highlights and raised texture with short strokes.

Step 10

Rinse and gently clean your brushes with water and dry them with a paper towel.

Step 11

Set your painting in a safe spot and let it dry completely.

Step 12

Share your finished creation on DIY.org.

Final steps

You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!

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Help!?

What can I use if I don't have a canvas or a palette knife?

If you don't have a canvas, tape a sheet of heavy watercolor or mixed-media paper to the table as in step 3, and if you lack a palette knife use a stiff old credit card or butter knife to apply thick highlights with short strokes in step 8.

My swirling brushstrokes look flat or muddy—how can I fix them?

Wipe excess water off the medium brush, load paint straight from the blob on your palette or paper plate, and practice the short swirling and dabbing strokes on scrap paper from step 6 so the motion shows in your background as in step 7.

How can I adapt this activity for younger or older children?

For preschoolers use washable tempera on heavy paper with larger brushes and help with taping and sketching, while older kids can use thicker acrylics, palette knives, and finer pencil sketches to build more textured form in steps 4–8.

How can we extend or personalize the finished painting?

Add extra raised texture by mixing modeling paste into thick paint before using a loaded brush or palette knife in step 8, sign and let it dry in a safe spot per step 9, then photograph and share the creation on DIY.org as step 10 suggests.

Watch videos on how to paint like Van Gogh

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How to paint Vincent Van Gogh´s SUNFLOWERS- Art lesson for kids

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Facts about painting techniques for kids

⏱️ Acrylic and tempera paints dry much faster than oil paint, which makes them great for kids to layer and experiment quickly.

🌈 He loved bold, expressive color and often paired complementary colors (like blue and orange) to make scenes pop.

🌌 The Starry Night was painted in 1889 while Van Gogh was in an asylum at Saint-Rémy and mixes real view and imagination.

🖌️ Van Gogh's signature look often uses short swirling brushstrokes and thick impasto to add texture and energy.

🎨 Vincent van Gogh created about 2,100 artworks in his short career, including roughly 860 oil paintings.

How do I guide my child to paint like Van Gogh?

Start by showing a few Van Gogh paintings and point out bold colors and short swirling brushstrokes. Set up a protected workspace and have your child choose a simple subject (sky, tree, sunflower). Demonstrate using short, confident strokes and layering paint for texture. Encourage bold color choices and emotional expression rather than exact copying. Let the painting dry flat, then talk about what feelings the colors and strokes express.

What materials do I need for a Paint Like Van Gogh activity?

You’ll need tempera or acrylic paints (non-toxic), a selection of brushes (round and flat), heavy paper or canvas, a palette or paper plate, water jar, paper towels, and smocks. Optional extras: palette knife or old toothbrush for texture, sponges, and a reference print of a Van Gogh painting. Make sure work surfaces are covered and paints are washable if young children are involved.

What ages is the Paint Like Van Gogh activity suitable for?

This activity suits preschoolers through teens with different levels of support. Ages 4–6 benefit from adult help with paint handling and guided strokes. Ages 7–9 can experiment more independently with color mixing and texture. Ages 10+ can explore composition, thicker impasto techniques, and art-history conversation. Always supervise younger children around paint and small tools; adapt expectations to each child’s motor skills and attention span.

What are the benefits of doing a Van Gogh–style painting with kids?

Painting in a Van Gogh style builds color confidence, expressive brushwork, and fine motor control. It teaches children about texture, layering, and emotional storytelling through art. The activity encourages experimentation with bold palettes and boosts observational skills when studying references. It’s also calming and sensory-rich, helping focus and emotional expression. For safety, use non-toxic paints, protective clothing, and supervise small children around water and tools.
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