Glittery Starry Night

Get inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Create a glittery crayon-resist reproduction of this masterpiece.

• 1.

  Van Gogh painted Starry Night in 1889 while he was in an asylum in Saint-Remy. During one of his most troubled personal times he created a painting that is today one of the most recognized in the world. Why do you think this painting intrigues so many people?

• 2.

  Look at the images in the painting. How did he portray the stars? What techniques does he use to imply movement? Look at the landscape and the town. What are your impressions of these elements?

• 3.

  Using construction paper and crayons, sketch a scene that resembles Starry Night. Try to capture the movement and bold strokes used by Van Gogh in his painting. Once the sketch is complete go over the shapes and lines heavily with crayons.

• 4.

  Cover the picture with black paint. The waxy crayon will "pop" through the painted surface. Allow the paint to air-dry.

• 5.

  Decorate the previously painted area by overpainting the swirls on the dry surface with Crayola® Glitter It! Mixing Medium. Try creating dots by dipping the tip of a brush handle into paint and then onto the painted surface. This will add a glittery effec

Benefits

• Students will recognize some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings and discuss the techniques he used to create them.
• Students will create replica Starry Night paintings based on Van Gogh’s style while learning a crayon-resist technique.

Adaptations

• Research detailed information on Van Gogh’s life and work. Write a short essay on which painting is your favorite and why.
• Create a Starry Night by day. How would the town in this painting look different in the daytime? Create a sketch to show the possibilities.
• Explore other ways to use the crayon-resist technique in this lesson. What other images might work well with this technique?