Into the Reef
Project Objective
Students will create a layered underwater artwork by using oil pastels, watercolor resist, and detailed coral reef borders. Through drawing, painting, and optional research, students will explore ocean life and their chosen marine animal or scuba diver. This lesson combines art techniques, creative expression, and environmental awareness into a dynamic, border-framed ocean scene.
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Students will create a layered underwater artwork by using oil pastels, watercolor resist, and detailed coral reef borders.
| On Day 1, students will use oil pastels in blue, white, and pink to draw flowing lines across their paper to mimic water, inspired by Van Gogh’s swirling brushstrokes. Afterward, students will paint over their lines with watercolor using shades of blue, green, and purple, creating a resist effect for the ocean background. |
| On Day 2, students will plan and begin creating coral reef borders. They will take two strips of paper and draw from the bottom center up, diagonally, to create coral reef edges on each side of their main artwork. Students will use coral and seaweed examples as guides or invent their own designs, then paint their borders with watercolor or decorate them using paint markers. |
| On Day 3, students will finish their coral border artwork, outline and cut each strip carefully, and glue them to the left and right sides of their water background to form a coral reef frame. |
| On Day 4, students will draw and paint a marine animal (or scuba diver if chosen). Using either teacher-led drawing, guided videos, or personal research, students will design their sea life figure, decorate it with watercolor or paint markers, and cut it out. They will then glue their creature in the center of their framed underwater scene, completing the project. |
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