Van Gogh Sunflowers Art Lesson Van Gogh Sunflower Art Project Art Activity

This Van Gogh Sunflowers Art Project brings art history to life as students learn about Vincent van Gogh and create their own vibrant sunflower still life. Inspired by his famous sunflower paintings, the lesson introduces the Impressionist movement and explores expressive brush strokes, bold color and mixed media.

Students learn about van Gogh's life and style, follow a guided step-by-step drawing tutorial, paint their artwork, and finish it with oil pastels to add texture, highlights and movement. It suits elementary and middle school art classes, homeschool art and substitute plans.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★★ “I absolutely loved this project! My student work was so unique and beautiful. I would recommend this to even the "not very artistic" teacher. The steps guide you perfectly through the process. My 5th graders enjoyed it and are so proud of their work.” Tricia T.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• Step-by-step sunflower drawing tutorial for a still life composition
• Step-by-step painting instructions for the background, sunflowers, vase and table
• Oil pastel finishing techniques for highlights, texture and movement
• Vincent van Gogh reading page about the artist and his sunflower paintings
• Short introduction to Impressionism
• Teacher lesson plan with materials list, learning outcomes, discussion questions and teaching steps
• Large example artwork page
• Printable art rubric for evaluating work and participation

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

Students create a still life inspired by a famous artwork, learn about Vincent van Gogh and Impressionism, plan a composition step by step, paint with expressive brush strokes, and layer oil pastel over paint for texture and highlights. The finished piece is a bright sunflower still life inspired by van Gogh's paintings from the late 1880s.

Project the tutorial pages and demonstrate step by step, or print the guides so students can follow along on their own. It also fits art history lessons, Impressionism units and cross-curricular art and history lessons.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Classroom teachers, homeschool educators and art teachers who want to introduce students to Vincent van Gogh and Impressionism through a hands-on project.

How do I teach it?

Project the tutorial pages while you demonstrate, or print the guides so students can follow along.

How long does it take?

Most classes finish in 2 to 3 class periods, depending on student age, skill level, class length and time spent painting and adding oil pastel details.

Is it editable?

No. It is a non-editable PDF.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS (12)

★★★★★ “This is an absolutely amazing resource - I would recommend it to anyone! Currently working through (slowly) with my 1's and 2's!” Amarya H.

★★★★★ “Made a beautiful display in our auditorium for our Volunteer Appreciation Tea. Filled the room with sunshine!” Lynda A.

★★★★★ “The brief bio and step-by-step visual instructions were exacly what I was looking for. Thanks! They turned out beautifully” Todd F.

★★★★★ “My students LOVED these.... :) They're going to impress their moms for Mother's Day.” Learning w.

★★★★★ “Very complete and turned out great!” Jo B.

★★★★★ “My class created some beautiful paintings.” ANDREA N.

★★★★ “We were learning about impressionism and my students loved creating this art!” Renee L.

★★★★ “A great addition to our Netherlands Unit Study.” Shauna W.

★★★★ “This was a great resource. I printed and laminated some of the pages in color for next year:) Thank you” Loving H.

★★★★ “My kids loved this lesson. Van Gogh inspired artwork is always a winner.” Taryn S.

★★★★★ “Thank you for making this resource - so much time has gone into this. Just what I needed!” Megan M.

★★★★ “This was a fun and easy art project that I did with my students. I enjoyed seeing their end results.” Lexi F.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine for October 2025. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Copyright © Ms Artastic. All rights reserved.

YOU MAY: use this resource in a single classroom as the purchasing teacher. Please purchase additional licenses if other teachers would like to use it.

YOU MAY NOT: share, redistribute, or upload this resource to shared drives or online platforms accessible to others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic