Our collage art project is a fun and engaging tutorial designed to teach kids how to create a vibrant mixed-media Van Gogh-inspired Sunflower Painting.
Throughout the tutorial, children will learn basic collaging techniques and how to create layered, three-dimensional effects.
The art project introduces Arty Crafty Kids to simple yet effective methods of combining colors and textures to mimic Van Gogh’s dynamic artwork. With easy-to-follow steps, this unique sunflower art project offers a creative way to experiment with painting, layering, and collaging, making it an enriching experience for young artists.
For more fun and easy art projects, check out these creative ideas: try the Andy Warhol-inspired flower pop art, explore pop art hearts inspired by Jim Dine, or dive into a Romero Britto-inspired easy cat drawing lesson. Each project offers a unique way for kids to express their creativity!
And for more from Van Gogh, take a look at our Starry Night Fingerpainting Art Project!
Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers
Sunflowers held significant meaning for Vincent Van Gogh, leading him to create seven distinct versions of them within his series of sunflower paintings.
He was drawn to their vibrant yellow, which he associated with happiness and positivity. In Dutch culture, sunflowers also symbolized devotion and loyalty, adding another layer of meaning to his work.
Van Gogh also saw the sunflowers as a metaphor for the cycle of life. Their various stages, from bloom to decay, reflected the passage of time and the inevitable connection between life and death.
Key Features
- Yellow Color: Van Gogh used shades of yellow to express warmth and happiness. He layered the colors from light gold to deep yellow to bring the sunflowers to life. His bold use of yellow was unique for the time and became a hallmark of his style, adding light and warmth to the paintings and expressing his emotions through color.
- Symbolism: Sunflowers represent devotion, loyalty, and the cycle of life and death.
- Multiple Versions: He created seven different sunflower paintings, each unique; experimenting with different textures, color variations and painting techniques.
- Textured Brushstrokes: Thick, expressive brushstrokes give the flowers texture and life.
- Light and Shadow: The interplay of light and shadow highlights the vibrancy of the yellow hues.
- Life and Death: The flowers’ different stages represent the passage of time and the cycle of life.
How to Make the Van Gogh-Inspired Sunflower Art Project
Materials:
- Card Stock for printing ( remember to check printer settings!)
- Paint ( Our tutorial features acrylic)
- Green Paper
- Scrap Card Stock (or credit card/popsicle stick for scraping)
- Scrap Paper for collaging
- Artwork to repurpose for collaging
- Mixed Media – Oil Pastels, Crayons, Watercolors etc
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Pencil
- Sunflower Templates (members will need to login to access the templates).
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Join the Arty Crafty Kids club to access the Van Gogh Sunflower Collage Templates and 100s more Art and Craft templates, How to Draw Guides and Coloring Pages.
How to Make Sunflower Collage Art
Step 1: Paint the sunflower’s vase and background.
Van Gogh’s sunflowers begin with a simple contrasting background, featuring a turquoise or pale green shade to enable the sunflowers to stand out.
With this in mind, paint the vase template and background using various shades of blue, green, and yellow/beige, with each distinct section featuring a solid, separate color.
Step 2: Paint the sunflower templates.
To draw upon Van Gogh’s experimental approach, our painting tutorial uses the scrape painting technique to color in the base sunflowers.
The scrape painting technique is a fun and simple way to create interesting blends and new shades of color.
To start, apply a few drops of paint (yellow and orange) to one one of the sunflowers.
Next, use a scrape painting tool ( a credit card, popsicle stick, or scrap piece of card) to spread the paint across the sunflower outline.
By scraping the paint, kids can mix different shades of yellow directly on their paper, producing a vibrant range of tones from bright gold to soft, subtle yellows.
The technique not only mimics Van Gogh’s distinctive brushstroke style but also helps children understand color blending and the effects of texture in painting.
Step 3 (Optional): Introducing collaging to the sunflower painting.
To enhance the interest and texture of the sunflowers, tear small pieces from printed tissue paper, old book pages, or newspaper, and glue them onto different areas of the sunflower painting.
This adds a layered, tactile quality that brings additional depth and visual appeal to the artwork.
Next, apply a layer of yellow paint over the printed papers.
Step 4: Play with mixed media to color in the sunflower petals, leaves, and disc flowers.
These elements of the sunflower template can either be painted, or Arty Crafty Kids can experiment with different coloring materials.
In this example, our petals are colored using oil pastels. They are easy to use and, when blended, create lovely tones and shades.
Fill the petals with various shades of yellow and a few touches of orange, then use kitchen roll paper to blend the colors, creating smooth and subtle gradients.
This technique ensures that each petal has a unique appearance, capturing Van Gogh’s signature harmonious use of yellow and adding a rich, dynamic quality to the artwork.
Next, color in the disc flowers. For this, use a light brown marker to fill in the base color, then add darker brown lines in a circular pattern to simulate the appearance of sunflower seeds.
This technique will add detail and texture, making the disc flowers more lifelike.
Once all the elements are colored in, carefully cut them out.
Step 5: Repurposing artwork for collaging.
Cut old, redundant artwork into squares to create reusable swatches.
Next, trace the petals onto the back of the artwork swatch and cut them out.
We recommend creating an additional 10-15 petals.
Step 6: (Optional) Draw patterns within the sunflower bases.
By now, the sunflower bases should be fully dry and ready for some added details!
This step is optional but highly recommended. Van Gogh’s sunflowers are known for their rich layering, and we can mimic this by adding simple, dynamic touches – in this instance, through doodling! This extra layer of detail will enhance the overall texture and interest of your artwork.
Simply use a black marker pen or white chalk pen to draw dots, lines and patterns within some of the petals.
Once complete, cut out the flowers!
Step 7: Creating the sunflower stems.
Tear a piece of green paper or cardstock into several strips, and then cut or tear these strips into four shorter pieces.
Step 8: Affix the paper onto the vase background.
Apply a spread of glue to each paper stem and affix them just above the vase – they don’t need to join the vase, as this space will be filled with leaves.
Step 9: Arrange the sunflowers and leaves.
Before applying glue, arrange the leaves and sunflowers on the backing painting.
Experiment with layering and positioning them to fill the space above the vase.
Once your Arty Crafty Kids are happy with the arrangement, use glue to secure each piece.
Begin by gluing the leaves in place, and then apply glue behind the centers of the sunflowers, making sure to avoid the petals.
Step 10: Glue the additional sunflower petals.
Bend the petals of the sunflower bases slightly forward, then glue the individual petals behind the first layer, filling in the spaces between the base petals.
This technique will create a layered, 3D effect, adding depth and texture to the sunflower.
Step 11: Affix the disc flowers to complete the sunflowers.
Once the sunflowers are fully layered and complete, add a center to each flower.
The Van Gogh sunflower painting is complete!
The final result is a vibrant, mixed-media sunflower artwork that showcases a dynamic use of color and texture.
By incorporating simple collaging techniques, the piece features a lively interplay of layered elements, including torn paper strips for stems and detailed sunflower petals arranged in a 3D fashion. The use of various shades of yellow (a characteristic of Van Gogh’s sunflowers), along with the addition of subtle doodles, enhances the depth and visual interest of the sunflowers.
The careful layering and strategic gluing create a rich, 3D effect, bringing the entire composition to life with a touch of artistic flair.
Download the Van-Gogh-Inspired Collage Sunflower Templates
The printable templates for this project provide a simple and versatile foundation for creating Van Gogh-inspired sunflower collage art.
They include outlines for sunflower petals, disc flowers, and leaves, allowing kids to focus on adding color and texture.
The templates are designed to be easy to use, making it simple for young artists to transfer their ideas onto their artwork.
Whether used for coloring or as a base for collaging, these templates offer a helpful starting point for exploring mixed-media techniques and creating vibrant, layered pieces.
