You’d think drawing pumpkins is easy.
Not so!
After watching my students scribble oddly shaped circles onto paper, only to have them not like it, crumple it up and throw it away got me thinking that there must be a better way to draw a pumpkin.
Turns out that the easiest ways to draw a pumpkin is with a simple line and dot technique.
The October Freebie pack is chock full of Fall themed lessons, drawing guides, technique tips and video tutorials. Download this handy drawing guide before you get started:
The project requires just a few supplies and is very easy to make.
Here’s a video showing you the quick steps:
The quick strategy to get a bumpy, natural looking pumpkin in about 60 seconds:
Step 1. On a yellow, orange or white paper, draw a dot on the top and bottom of the paper near the center.
Step 2. Then, connect the two dots with a line.
Step 3. Place crayon or pastel on the top dot again but this time draw a line to the bottom dot with a curved line.
Step 4. Repeat on other side.
Step 5. Place pastel on dot again and draw a larger curved line extending out towards the side of the paper. Repeat on other side.
Step 6. Keep going until you have a big pumpkin.
Step 7. Add a stem.
To add color, there are many options:
– use chalk pastels to add layers of warm colors
– color with crayons or oil pastels
– use red, yellow and white tempera paint to mix into orange.
What’s your favorite color option?
If you create this lesson in your art room, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
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Great idea!
Great way to draw a pumpkin!
Love your packets. i am a retired teacher that occasionally teaches art in former colleague’s classrooms and when I run out of ideas this is my go to. Wonderful simply stated lessons. I just taught the “Folk Art Trees” to a fifth grade class. The children did a wonderful job. Thank you for making all this available for all teachers.
I love this site and have used projects over and over . Looking forward to seeing some fall ones. 🙂
My art docent taught the direct draw pumpkin two years ago with my kindergarteners. They came out so good. I’m going to do it again with my current class. I watched your video and love the tips. Thank you!
Thank you so much Rhonda!
Wow. This is going to minimize the stress level of some of my students and up the accomplishment factor.
Thanks!
Joséfa
Oh yes…it needs to be fun. Can’t wait to see what you do!
Love the idea.
Brilliant, Fun, Easy, Creative!
Love how easy it is, but how realistic it looks.
I love this package that you’re offering. I’m teaching online and it’s perfect for my kids at this time. I usually give my class a line art activity and the pumpkin is the perfect thing to draw near Thanksgiving or in the month of October.
I really appreciate this! The kids are going to be so excited to this.
Grate, good to use in lesson. Thanks!
Very helpful. Thanks! I am currently assisting 3 children in their home with incoming ZOOM classes, plus teaching materials arriving weekly from school. Organizing this can be a challenge! Art is a great stress reliever & gives the children a sense of accomplishment. I really appreciate these ideas & tips to keep these active boys engaged & interested during this strange “new normal.” Winter will be a whole new dimension, with many totally indoor days.
I am a sparkler and love this technique to get a pumpkin looking product. Kids will love their results too.
Love this!
Love this!
Wow! Thank you – sooo easy. This would be great for my Grade 1 and 2 Classes.
great way to draw a pumpkin, easy and kooks atristic. love it with pastels for more variation of color.
great idea
Great lessons for students of all ages!
Love it…you make it look very easy and super beautiful!
Thanks! Easy way to get parents and PreK or evening toddler kids to work together!
Thank you for a wonderful idea!
Love it!
Once again, sharing your site and these projects with friends and family.
Hope all is well.
Would like a demonstration on using chalk
Hi Rebecca. I will pass on the request. I think using chalk is such fun, and kids love it, but it can be messy. The best part about chalk is that they require little prep: just place the trays on each table.
fun
I love this! I have always done a pumpkin project with my Kinders and would love to have these printables. Can you send to me? Please.
I love the pumpkin project. You make everything seem simpler .
great fall activity!
Thank you so much for these resources that are so helpful!
Looks Great
This looks great!
I love this site usually drawing is super hard but this site is helpful I like drawing
Great ideas for fall with minimal supplies needed. Step by step directions are also great to leave for a sub.
I love this project! I am a new elementary school art teacher I’ll be on your site a lot for some great projects
Thank u for the simple directed lesson! How fun!
Just what I needed.
I am a speech-language pathologist and I used this technique to create a speech therapy activity with a group of first grade students who were working on using the L sound in words. We attached a sheet of light colored paper as a back page so that they could glue in their practice words as ‘seeds’, lift the beautifully drawn and colored pumpkin cover and find their words to practice at home. They LOVED it! So did I! I have next to zero art skills, but your video and pictured examples gave me a new confidence and sparked a lot of happiness and creativity with my students this morning!
Great !!…i’m 78 and a granddad from Belgium. Love to do this with my grandchildren. So pure…so simple, thanks !
Thank you!
Thank you so much. As a non traditional art teacher of high school kids, this helps me tremendously. I just lost my spouse of 12 years and I need quick go to guidance. Thank you again and God Bless you.
I recently retired after teaching for 40 years. Now I’m teaching art in my daughter’s 2nd grade classroom. I love everything you share (THANK YOU!).
We have completed fall folk art trees and Van Gogh sunflowers. Next we will create these pumpkins. I love the idea of starting with yellow paper!
I LOVE this one! I taught it to Kindergarten through Fourth Grade. Homeroom teachers (and I!) are impressed with the results and are thrilled they have an art teacher on campus who is teaching “actual drawing /art technique” They used pencil to create their pumpkins, then layered it with oil pastels. I’m following the Epic program, and so I was able to tie in this pumpkin drawing lesson with the Shapes bundle. I’m going to title the bulletin board “Organic Shapes of October” 🙂 SO appreciative of the Sparkler Program! Thank you!
I love this! I cranked out 8 mini pumpkins on 4×6 index cards so I can give them as gifts to bus drivers during National School Bus Safety Week!
wheres the pdf
Hi Valerie! Thanks so much for your interest in our lesson. Everything is working on our end. If you click the download button and add your email address we will send the lesson directly to your inbox. Be sure to check your Spam or Junk folders to make sure it didn’t end up there. We have found that the Firefox browser doesn’t work as well on our site but both Chrome & Safari browsers work so be sure to try using one of those. Enjoy.