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Glittery Starry Night

Glittery Starry Night

Inspired by Vincent van Gogh, students will create a starry nighttime scene.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Heavy Paper

Steps

  • Step 1

    Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night in 1889 at a very low point in his life. He preferred working from observation but he was confined to an asylum at the time, so he was limited by what he could see there. He was moved to paint this while looking out of of his window at night. Ask students to look at an image of the painting and talk about the mood it evokes. Ask them why they think this work, one of the most recognized in the world, resounds with so many people.

  • Step 2

    Have students create their own starry night painting in the style of van Gogh using glittery colors on top of their work. This method helps create striking visual contrasts and captivating effects. Ask students to sketch a starry night scene on dark paper. When the scene is complete have them go over the design pressing firmly with construction paper crayons.

  • Step 3

    Students can embellish the art using glitter crayons of small dabs or lines of glitter glue to create the stars. Does the glitter enhance the mood of the picture? Does it create a sense of movement in the sky?

Standards

ARTS: Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

ARTS: Speculate about processes an artist uses to create a work of art.

Adaptations

Have students look at other examples of van Gogh' work. Ask them to note how his use of colors and thick brush strokes conveyed moods and emotions and the illusion of motion.

Encourage students to observe the stars in the sky at night and try to identify some of the constellations. Can they find the big dipper and the little dipper? Orion's belt? Any others?