St Patricks Day Leprechaun Rainbow Art Lesson Leprechaun Drawing Project Artwork

In this St Patrick's Day Leprechaun Rainbow Art Lesson, students draw a cheerful leprechaun step by step and surround it with colorful rainbow swirls, using wax crayons, markers and watercolor paint.

The lesson suits elementary art classrooms, classroom teachers celebrating St Patrick's Day, homeschool art, substitute teacher plans and March art activities. The directed drawing helps every student feel successful, and because each rainbow background turns out differently, every artwork is still unique.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE)

• Full lesson plan for the leprechaun rainbow art lesson
• Step-by-step directed drawing visual guide
• Teacher instructions and lesson overview
• Art rubric for student assessment
• Student drawing worksheet pages
• Example artwork to show students the finished project

Materials that work well: pencils and erasers, black felt markers or fine liners, washable markers, wax crayons, watercolor paint or watered-down tempera paint, paintbrush and water, and cardstock or watercolor paper. You can adapt the materials to what you have.

HOW THE PROJECT WORKS

Students draw the leprechaun step by step, starting with the tall hat and adding the shamrock decoration, facial features, ears, hair and beard. Next they draw large swirling shapes around the leprechaun for a lively background, then trace the drawing with felt markers and add shading and details.

The background swirls are colored with wax crayons in rainbow colors. Finally, students paint over the background with watercolor, and the wax crayon resists the paint for a bright mixed media rainbow effect. Along the way, students practice guided drawing, explore line, shape and color, and try wax crayon resist and mixed media techniques.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Elementary art teachers, classroom teachers integrating art, homeschool educators and substitute teachers.

How can this lesson be used in the classroom?

Demonstrate the step-by-step leprechaun drawing, then guide students through the rainbow background and mixed media techniques. It works as a guided art project, a seasonal activity or a drawing lesson.

How long does this lesson take?

Most classes finish in 2 to 3 class periods, depending on student age, skill level, classroom behavior and how much time is spent coloring and painting.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “Thank you for a great resource!” Madame M.

★★★★★ “Fun!” Jackie B.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and was the featured educator on the cover of OCO Magazine (October 2025). She designs art lessons used by teachers and homeschool families around the world, and 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 in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. For clip art, you may use the images as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic