Unicorn Color Wheel Art Lesson Directed Drawing Crayon Color Theory Activity

This Unicorn Color Wheel Art Lesson is a directed drawing and color theory project for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers. Students draw a large unicorn face biting a pencil, then divide the background into sections and color them with crayons to build a bright color wheel around it.

The unicorn is a high-interest subject, and the step-by-step process keeps the drawing manageable. Along the way students practice line, shape, space, texture, color, form and value, and review primary and secondary colors. The finished pieces make a bold class display.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “Definitely one of those EYE-CATCHING art projects! So many other kids and staff would stop in the hallway to look at our artwork. Thank you for this resource!” First G.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• 1 Cover Page
• 1 Teacher Prep and How to Use Page on projecting the lesson, gathering materials, photocopying handouts and using the poster sample as a visual hook
• 2 Lesson Plan Pages with content and learning outcomes, lesson overview, materials, competencies, big ideas, Socratic questions and teacher/student actions
• 1 Art Rubric for execution, creativity, evidence of process and responsibility
• 1 Finished Example Page
• 1 Step-By-Step Draw: Unicorn Handout students can use while sketching
• 30 Step-by-Step Tutorial Pages

HOW IT WORKS

The tutorial walks students through the head, ears, horn, snout, eyes and glare, teeth, jaw and the pencil, then adds hatching for texture on the snout and pencil. Students outline in black felt marker, erase the pencil lines, color the unicorn with crayons, and draw background lines to divide the page into color wheel sections before filling them with bright color.

Materials: pencil, eraser, cardstock or blank paper, crayons, black felt marker or fine liner, and a ruler.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers, including classroom teachers who teach art and want a guided project with strong visual support.

Is it editable?

No. It is a non-editable PDF.

Does it include a step-by-step tutorial?

Yes. It includes a 30 page step-by-step tutorial with visual and written directions for the full unicorn color wheel process.

How long will it take?

Usually 2 to 3 classes, depending on student age, class time and how long students spend drawing and coloring.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “My students loved this back to school project. I appreciated the step by step instruction.” CoreFrenchS T.

★★★★ “Great resource. Made a lovely display. My Year 1's needed a bit of help creating the background lines but they really enjoyed it and it was a challenge.” Carly R.

★★★★ “Used this first online and now in person as a color wheel review. Students love the "ready for school' unicorn. Thanks!” Holly H.

★★★★ “This was a great early finisher project for my gifted art students.” Megan D.

★★★★★ “Thanks” Tanisha R.

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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 is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast. She was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine for October 2025.

TERMS OF USE

This resource is for single educator use only.

YOU MAY: use it in your own classroom or homeschool, and 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