Starfish Watercolor Art

Painting a starfish is a fun ocean-themed watercolor art project for kids and adults.

Learn how to paint a starfish with watercolors with this easy step-by-step art project for kids. Painting starfish art is a fun ocean-themed art idea for kids from toddlers and preschoolers to teens. Invite your children to draw their starfish or enjoy painting a starfish with our printable starfish art template. You might also enjoy painting a Watercolor Rose.

Starfish Art Project for Kids

Draw a starfish to create ocean-themed starfish art or enjoy the stress-relieving activity of working with watercolors using our printable starfish template.

We have printable starfish outline templates that make it easy to allow the artist to create their starfish masterpiece precisely as they wish it to look. Completing the starfish and putting a face on it are two easy options.

Painting a starfish with watercolors can turn out so beautifully that they can be hung on the wall or framed and given to family and friends as a unique handmade gift. Look at this list of 12 ocean art projects for even more under the sea art ideas you can try at home or in the classroom.

Starfish Art Supplies

White glue and black acrylic paint OR, black oil pastel or black crayon
Heavy cardstock or 140 lb watercolor paper
Starfish outline template printable
Stockmar watercolors, liquid watercolors, watercolor tubes, or a pallet of watercolor paints
Paintbrushes

Watercolor Starfish Art Step by Step Directions

Before starting your starfish painting, it is best to read through the directions and decide on the type of resist medium you would like to use to complete this art project; black glue, black oil pastel, or black crayon.

Step 1 – Make Black Glue (optional)

Skip this step if you would instead use black pastel or black crayon as the resist medium for this starfish art project.

How to Make Black Glue

Add a squirt of black acrylic paint to a small bottle of white glue and shake well.
My daughter and I have a small bottle of glue that we use to mix white glue and black acrylic paint to have a never-ending supply of black glue. We never measure the exact amount we put in when we make it, and it always turns out fine because white glue dries clear.
Black glue will usually be greyish before it dries and does not have to look black to dry black.
Please visit the watercolor rose we painted with black glue for more watercolor painting tips.

Step 2 – Draw or Print Starfish Art Template

Invite children to use a pencil to draw a starfish onto watercolor paper OR print out this starfish printable onto heavy cardstock.
The middle of the starfish art template is blank to allow the artist to decide how to finish the starfish.
I decided to complete the starfish before using watercolors to paint it, while my daughter made faces on the watercolor starfish art that she painted.

Step 3 – Trace the Outline of the Starfish Art

Trace the outline of the starfish with a black resist medium of choice; black glue, black oil pastel, or black crayon. (Black glue needs time to dry, while black oil pastel and black crayon can be painted right away.)
Older children will be able to do this independently, while toddlers and preschoolers might need some help with this part of their starfish art.

Step 4 – Paint Starfish with Watercolors

Using black glue with watercolors produces a raised texture and gives watercolor art a faux stained glass appearance.
Make sure you allow it to dry overnight before inviting children to use watercolors to paint their starfish.
Please look at the list of starfish watercolor resist art tips below before you get started!

starfish watercolor art with free starfish art template

Black Glue Starfish Watercolor Resist Art Project: Process and Tips

Before painting, place newspaper or paper towels underneath the black glue starfish to help soak up any excess water.
Print out and trace as many starfish as you’d like with black glue the night before you plan to paint. Be careful. Black glue tends to pool and spread when used in large amounts. Use it sparingly to keep nice lines.
If your child has never worked with watercolors, I recommend preparing at least one extra starfish so you can demonstrate how to paint with watercolors first. Show them more than you tell them; young children learn best by watching others.
Watercolor painting is a perfectly imperfect art form. The key to working with watercolors is to literally go with, as opposed to against, the way they naturally flow. Use water to help them flow, mix and blend even more.
The black glue will resist the watercolor paint but will begin to pull black into the painting if it gets too wet. Please have a look at our black glue rose for more tips!

Outlining a starfish with black glue and painting it with watercolors is a fun and easy art project for kids and adults. Try it today! For more information about watercolor painting, look at single color, two-color, and three-color wet-on-wet watercolor painting.

More Ocean-Themed Under the Sea Black Glue Art and Craft Projects

Paint a starfish with watercolors at home or in the classroom. You may also enjoy this fantastic collection of underwater ocean art projects that use black glue as the resist medium. Click on the link above to see all the beautiful ocean art watercolor projects.

More Black Glue Watercolor Resist Art Projects for Kids and Teens

If you like working with black glue, you may want some other art projects below. Click on the title to see the full tutorial for each art project.

Click on the link for more fun art and craft ideas for kids and teens. Learn more about Rhythms of Play HERE!

Starfish Watercolor Art

Painting a starfish is a fun ocean-themed watercolor art project for kids and adults.

Starfish Art Project for Kids

Starfish Art Supplies