Renoir Oil Pastel & Watercolor Lesson

{Click here to go directly to the Renoir biography, book recommendations, and online activities that accompany this lesson}

Renoir loved to combine the clean lines of the classics with the impressionists love of color and light.  We are going to recreate that combination using pastels (clean lines) and water colors (whimsical shapes of color and light) to paint our own landscape.

Supplies:

In order to complete this project, each student will need:

• Watercolors – 8 color set, we recommend Prang  

• Water brush medium point *1 per student (Note: this is not the same as a watercolor brush) click through to see exactly what is recommended for the class.  If you can not find a water brush students may use any brush, however the techniques you will use will be a bit different.  

• 9×12″ Watercolor paper 

• Oil Pastels, 12 piece set, we recommend Pentel 

• Masking tape 

• everyday pencil of any quality  
• Small package of baby wipes or paper towels to keep fingers clean

Impressionism is all about capturing colors and emotions rather than precise lines.  This is the perfect art lesson for kids who worry about getting it “right.”  The more they mix, dab, and layer, the more impressionistic their painting will appear.

Don’t forget to check out the recommended resources and online activities for this Renoir project, and subscribe to make sure that you don’t miss any upcoming projects.

Enjoy!