Basquiat Dinosaur Art Project Stegosaurus Art Lesson Black History Month Art

In this Basquiat Stegosaurus Art Project, students create a stegosaurus inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, with bold black outlines, a crown, expressive eyes, bright plates along its back, and energetic marks and symbols around the page. It is a lively artist study for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers.

Students follow a clear structure to build the dinosaur shape, then add bold outlines, repeated marks, letters and expressive details, so each artwork feels personal. The finished pieces, with their curved bodies, red plates, yellow accents and crowns, make a striking bulletin board or hallway display.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “I love Basquiat, and was so pleased with this lesson. My kids do this as early finished work now - they are obsessed!” Tiffany C.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• 1 About the Resource page
• 1 Critical Thinking Questions page
• 3 lesson plan pages
• 1 Jean-Michel Basquiat poem hook page
• 1 student reading page about Jean-Michel Basquiat
• 1 rubric page
• 1 How-to Draw: Stegosaurus page
• 1 KWL chart page
• The Message reflection pages
• 1 Analyze: Elements and Principles reflection page
• 1 Compare and Contrast page
• 1 Questions and Wonders page
• 1 Goal Setting page
• 2 Artwork Reflection pages
• 1 Peer Feedback page
• Artist's Statement pages
• 1 full-page example artwork
• PDF step-by-step art tutorial guiding students through the head, body, tail, plates, crown, expressive lines, symbols and background details

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

The poem hook and reading page introduce Basquiat's beginnings in New York City, his graffiti roots, his use of crowns, faces, symbols, words and bright color, and how he used art to express feelings and ideas about the world around him.

Students then apply those ideas with bold line, contrast, symbolism and loose expressive marks, and reflect on their work through the rubric, reflection, compare and contrast, goal setting, peer feedback and artist statement pages.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers who want a Basquiat dinosaur art project or artist study.

How long will it take?

Most classes finish in about 2 to 3 art classes, depending on student age and skill level, class behavior, teaching style and class length.

What materials are used?

Oil pastels, card stock or thicker paper, watercolor paint, paint brushes and water, with tempera paint listed as an option.

Is it editable?

No. It is non-editable.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “This was such a fun activity. It was easy for my grade ones and they turned out great! Thank you!” kira H.

★★★★ “My intermediate school aged child really enjoyed making this art project.” Jovan F.

★★★★ “This is a great resource! My students had so much fun creating this and the end product was adorable!” Will T.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) creates visual art resources for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers. She was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine for October 2025 and was featured on NBC LX. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this resource as a single educator. Please purchase additional licenses if more than one teacher will be using it.

YOU MAY NOT: share, copy, upload, post online, distribute or resell this resource in any form.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic