Narwhal Art Lesson Watercolor Art Directed Drawing Back To School Art Activity

This Narwhal Art Lesson is a guided watercolor and mixed media project for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers. Students create a smiling narwhal holding a pencil with a bold Ready to Learn banner, starting with a wet-on-wet watercolor background, then outlining in black felt marker and finishing with wax crayon for color and texture.

The banner and pencil give it a gentle back to school theme for August, September and first-week art, but it also works any time of year as an ocean animal art project, under the sea art or a directed drawing lesson. The finished pieces look great on bulletin boards, in hallway displays and in student portfolios.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “This was a great first class of the year project! My students loved it and many said it was their favorit project of the year!” Will T.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (43-PAGE NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• 1 Cover Page
• 1 Teacher Prep and How-to-Use Page for projecting, demonstrating, gathering materials and photocopying handouts
• 2 Lesson Plan Pages with overview, learning outcomes, competencies, big ideas, learning target, inquiry question, materials and teacher/student action guidance
• 1 Art Rubric for craftsmanship, creativity, process and responsibility
• 1 Student Reflection Sheet for self-assessment, teacher assessment and written feedback
• 1 Finished Example Page
• 1 Step-by-Step Draw Handout for sketching the narwhal, banner and pencil
• 1 Poster/Sample Title Page to use as a hook or display page
• 30 Step-by-Step Tutorial Pages with visual and written guidance

HOW TO USE IT

The 30-page tutorial walks students through the whole project: a wet-on-wet watercolor background with blue and purple areas, sketching the narwhal body, banner, flag ends and pencil, drawing the fins, tail, face, belly, horn details and spots, lettering Ready to Learn, tracing in black felt marker, and coloring and adding texture with wax crayon.

Students practice watercolor painting, directed drawing, lettering, fine motor control and craftsmanship, along with line, shape, space, texture, color, form and value. The clear visual steps help students feel successful and make it a good choice for sub plans.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers, as well as classroom teachers who teach art and substitute teachers who want a guided project with visual support.

Is it only for back to school?

No. It has a gentle back to school theme, but it also works as a narwhal, ocean animal or watercolor directed drawing lesson any time of year.

What materials are needed?

Pencil, eraser, black felt marker, blue and purple watercolor paint or paint cakes, cardstock or watercolor paper, wax crayons, a paint brush, water and purple construction paper.

How long will this lesson take?

Usually 2 to 3 classes, depending on student age, class length, skill level, behavior and your teaching style.

Is it editable?

No. It is a non-editable PDF.

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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

This resource is for single educator use only.

YOU MAY: use this resource as one 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