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Presenting Young Writers and Artists

How-to: Activity

How to Create Colorful Seahorses

You will need:

  • White paper
  • Pencil
  • Oil pastels
  • Scissors
  • Seahorse template
  • Black Sharpie® marker
  • Blue watercolor paint

This project is a fun way to teach perspective with something most everyone loves – cake! And do it with some bright , varied colors of oil pastels.

child's color drawing of seahorses

1. Use the seahorse template provided here, or create your own template. Cut it out. Trace several seahorses on the white paper. Paper can be horizontal or vertical and make sure that some of the seahorses are “swimming” off the page to create a large group of them. Also flip your template so that some are swimming left and some are swimming right, that they are going in all directions.

Outline drawing of single seahorse, Step 1 of How to Create a Colorful Seahorse

2. Outline each of the seahorse drawings. Be consistent and only outline the ones in front completely. Make sure to only partially outline the ones that are behind the other seahorses.

Color each seahorse in its own varied and colorful way. Using strips and blending, overlay dots of color on other colors, to make each one unique in its own design. Make sure to have good pressure and coverage of the oil pastels in order for them to resist the blue paint better.

Illustration black and white outline drawing - Step 1 in How to Create Colorful Seahorses

3. Paint a wash of blue watercolor paint across the whole page, completely brushing over the seahorses as well as the background. The oil pastel will resist the blue paint. Uneven light and dark blue areas make an interesting background. Add some white highlights before you do the blue wash, if you like.

Step 2 drawing, How to Draw a Perspective Cake