We cannot have fall without pumpkins, am I right? Welcome to my favorite pumpkin art project, mixed media pumpkins. Whether you’re art teacher that needs a win right now, or a mom who hasn’t done any “fall” art yet, you’re welcome. 😆 The key in this project is the how to draw pumpkins portion which makes these feel SO successful. I think this is the by far the easiest way to draw a pumpkin that feels really good when you’re done! 💪 It’s really important to emphasize that no two pumpkins are the same to help build some drawing confidence here. Encourage your artist to try to fill the page with their pumpkin so they have more room to paint! Another hot tip is to hand out supplies one by one. Do the drawing step together, then trace with oil pastels, then paint (or cut then paint depending on your end plan). I hope you love this project as much as I do!
Supplies
You need paper, oil pastels, a brush, and watercolors for this. Below are some supply recommendations. The links below are all Amazon affiliate links! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my blog and free content!
- Mixed Media Paper OR watercolor paper
- Oil Pastels
- Watercolors
- You can optionally do liquid watercolors, which is what I used to do with my elementary art students (and only laid out red, orange, and yellow)
- Brushes
How to Draw a Pumpkin
The steps to drawing a pumpkin are easier than you think! We are going to break this down into the ribs of the pumpkin. Start by drawing an oval in the middle of your paper. Then, draw repeated Cs and backwards Cs on either side of the pumpkin, attached to the oval. two ribs on either side is usually plenty! Then you can add the stem to the top. Emphasize that no two pumpkins are alike which is what makes this so fun! The image below is from one of my first grade classes when I taught elementary art. 🥹
How to Paint the Pumpkins
You have options for the painting portion of this! For younger students, I would limit the palette to warm colors and discuss what warm colors are. You can use a watercolor palette, liquid watercolors like above, or even just paint sticks if you would like less mess! Introduce value to older students by having them begin with the darker color on the outside edge of the pumpkin rib and move into lighter colors for the appearance of dimension. Click the instagram reel below to watch my 5-year old make her pumpkins. ☺️
Instagram Reel
Display
When I taught elementary art we also cut these out and then made a giant pumpkin patch collage for a hallway display which always turned out SO beautifully! 🙌💛 For my daughter, I took nice photos of them and hung them on our fridge to display!
More Fun Fall projects
If you enjoyed this simple project, check out these other fun fall posts!
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