Today, we’re going to create beautiful cat paintings inspired by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet. This is a fun and creative way for children to explore colour mixing, loose brush strokes, and the magic of light in art.
Kids will love this painting idea!
What You’ll Need:
Large sheets of wet-strength cartridge paper
FAS Student Acrylic paints (primary colours, black, and white)
Chalk for sketching
Paintbrushes
Small offcuts of cardboard
Rags and painting shirts
Step-by-Step Guide:
Introduce Monet & Impressionism
Show children some of Monet’s paintings, especially ‘La Débâcle’. Talk about how Impressionists used short, loose brush strokes and focused on how light affects colours rather than painting exact details.
Sketching the Cats:
Look at pictures of cats and discuss their key features – pointy ears, whiskers, curved tails. Using chalk, the children sketch their cats onto the large paper.
Painting the Cats:
Using acrylic paints, encourage loose and playful brushwork. They should use short, dabbing strokes, placing complementary colours close together to create a rich, layered effect.
Adding Whiskers & Highlights:
Dip small cardboard offcuts into paint and press them onto the artwork to create whiskers and bright highlights in the cat’s eyes.
Double Dipping for the Background:
Place a palette of primary colours plus black and white on the table. Kids dip their fingers into two colours and dab them onto spare paper to experiment with blending before adding these dabs to the background. This technique helps create a dreamy, Monet-style landscape.
Final Touches:
Using their fingers, children add small details like flowers, grass, or clouds in the background. Finish by painting a bold border around the artwork in a contrasting colour.
This is an exciting and hands-on way for kids to learn about Impressionist painting! They will love using their fingers to mix colours and create texture. Their finished Monet-inspired cat paintings will be full of energy, light, and movement – just like the work of the great artist himself.
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