This fall picture book activity is perfect for kids and for the season!
The colors of fall make it an irresistible time of year to add art to your days. Oranges, reds, yellows, browns and greens against the brilliant blue sky – fall scenes are so much fun to capture!
One way to have a successful art time is to combine art with another subject. Art with literature. Art and science. Art and history.
To encourage you, I am sharing an art activity you can do with a favorite fall book, Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert.
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf Fall Picture Book Art Activity
Supplies Needed:
- Red construction paper
- Red, yellow, black and orange chalk pastels
- Baby wipes or a few, slightly damp paper towels
Fall Picture Book Activity: Step by Step
Step 1: With your red construction paper turned horizontally, start with the red leaf. With your red chalk pastel, draw your leaf shape. No need for it to be an exact maple leaf shape because you will be layering several red, dark red and yellow leaves. (If you would like to look at a maple leaf, simply look at the cover of Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, look in a reference book or on the internet).
Step 2: You will use your red chalk pastel to make the vein through the center of the red leaf. Carefully color in your red leaf. The chalk stands out even on the red paper! Then use your finger to carefully blend the color. See how smoothly it spreads? Take your black and add the stem of your leaf.
Step 3: Next is your yellow leaf. It is prominent at the top of your paper and almost – but not quite – overlapping the red leaf. Follow the same steps for your yellow leaf – the vein and filling in the color then blending.
Step 4: After creating these two leaves – red and yellow, you can simply make impressions of the rest. The rest do not need to have exact outlines unless you want them to. You are the artist! While you have your yellow, add another yellow leaf on the other side of the red leaf. Then take your orange and add an impression of an orange leaf.
Step 5: Finally, use your black chalk pastel to add a shadow on the right hand side of your paper. You can do this by simply turning your black chalk pastel on its side and pulling the color across just a bit of space. It may look a bit ‘bumpy’ at first but you can blend and smudge the color with your finger. Take a clean finger and blend in the other orange and yellow leaves as well.
Step 6: Lastly, take your black chalk pastel and outline the red leaf then the yellow leaf. This draws attention to the focus of your painting.
Step 7: You may want to sign your name in the corner – because you ARE an artist! Try chalk pastels and we know you will love them too!
More Fall Homeschool Art Activities
Continue to celebrate fall in your homeschool with these fun fall ideas! Julie, in her Fall Art Activities for Teens shared, “I can never get enough of fall! chalkpastel.com has enough fall to satisfy every interest and homeschool education need! Because fall is synonymous with back-to-school time, think about how many themes and unit studies you can add art to!
I recommend you download the Fall Bucket List Printable and do some fall-themed art before or after having fun on a hayride or apple picking!”
Here are The Very Best Apple Art Activities – Enjoy a bushel of favorites from apple pie to favorite read alouds like How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World and Apples to Oregon.
Pumpkin Art Lessons Perfect for Fall Homeschooling – including It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
Fall Hygge Homeschool Art Lessons – Here are some super simple ideas on ways to create a fall hygge homeschool art lesson with items you may already have on hand or within easy reach.
Fantastic Fall Art Lessons for Kids – Grab a slice of apple pie, some warm socks, bury your homeschooler in a pile of leaves or enjoy these fantastic fall art lessons together! Have we got a fall bucket list for you!
Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared the fun of her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with four homeschool grads so far! She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Your Best Homeschool and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of sister sites Homeschool Nature Study and The Curriculum Choice.