Five Artist-Inspired Fall Art Projects for Kids (and Grown-Ups Too!)

As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas, and colours enough to paint the beautiful things I see.” – Vincent Van Gogh

I couldn’t agree more! While I might not have Van Gogh’s painting skills (or poetic phrasing), I do share his love of fall and all its beauty.
If you’re a fan of crisp leaves, cozy colors, and creative afternoons, you’ll love these Five Artist-Inspired Fall Art Projects for Kids!

Fall is the perfect time to slow down, grab some paints, and make a little mess with your kids. In fact, October 25 is International Artist Day, which makes it the perfect excuse to celebrate creativity! If you want even more fun ways to mark quirky holidays this month, check out my Homeschool Calendar post for October!

These projects are perfect for anyone who wants to add a little fine-art flair to the fall season. We’ve actually done these at home, so I can promise they’re totally doable — whether you’re crafting with little ones, older kids, or even joining in yourself!

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure page for more information.

1. Jackson Pollock Pumpkin

Jackson Pollock’s abstract “drip” style is perfect for just having fun. Did you know that his unusual way of working earned him the nickname “Jack the Dripper”? Pollock stopped naming his pictures and started giving them numbers, because he didn’t want people to look for a subject matter or a meaning in his art. So don’t worry about making it perfect — that’s part of the joy!

Supplies:

• Paper-mâché pumpkin (I got mine from Hobby Lobby), however I found *these in white on Amazon. *You could probably skip the gesso, since they are foam.
• Gesso
• Acrylic paints + brushes + old toothbrush (I like Liquitex Basics brand)
• Gold paint pen
• Paper leaves + glue (I found a bag of tiny paper leaves at Hobby Lobby)
• Twine or string for the stem
• Clear UV spray (optional) – I like the slight shine, and it also protects your project.

How to make it:

1. Coat the pumpkin with gesso and let it dry. You can omit this step if using the white foam pumpkins.
2. Paint a base color — bold and bright works best.
3. Flick, dab, or throw paint however you like. Wadded-up newspaper dipped in paint makes fun, random spots. Allow to dry.
4. Glue on a few tiny paper leaves and add details with a gold paint pen.
5. Add twine around the stem for a playful touch.
6. Evenly spray with acrylic coating for protection (especially if displaying outside).

Every Pollock pumpkin turns out differently, and that’s the best part!

2. Picasso Meets Frankenstein

This one’s a lot of fun — it uses Picasso’s cubist style to create a one-of-a-kind Frankenstein. It started as a step-by-step drawing project for kids, but I thought it was good enough to deserve a spot on canvas.

Fun Fact: Pablo Picasso could supposedly draw before he could talk and read. According to his mother, Picasso’s first word was “piz,” a shortened version of the Spanish word for pencil.

Tips:

• Grab the free printable guide from Art Projects for Kids, and lightly pencil the shapes and lines right onto the canvas.
• Paint the background blue to nod to Picasso’s Blue Period.
• Fill in shapes with acrylic paint and outline with a black Sharpie.

It’s a great way to mix a little art history with Halloween fun.

3. Munch’s The Scream

Munch’s iconic face is dramatic, expressive, and fun to recreate. Kids love this one!

Fun fact: Edvard Munch painted The Scream after a real-life moment when he felt overwhelmed by the sunset sky. He described the scene as “a scream passing through nature.” It’s a great reminder that art can express how we feel, not just what we see.

How to do it:

• Use a YouTube tutorial to guide you!
• Use oil pastels on cardstock.

Encourage big, bold swirls of color — orange, blue, and black, and don’t stress about perfection — the emotion is what counts here!

4. Monet-Inspired Leaves

For a softer, impressionistic project, try Monet. His dreamy colors and short brush strokes are perfect for fall leaves.

Fun fact: Claude Monet started as a caricature artist. His first caricatures were of his classmates and teachers. 

Supplies:

• Wooden leaves
• Gesso
• Acrylic paints -not too many. Monet kept things simple with his colors, and that’s part of what made his work so beautiful.

Steps:

1. Prime the leaves with gesso.
2. Use short, separate strokes to paint — don’t mix colors too much.
3. Let edges blur slightly for that Monet effect.
4. Hang them up, or string them into a garland.

5. John James Audubon’s Turkey

No fall art list is complete without a turkey! The wild turkey was the first bird in Audubon’s Birds of America, and it makes a perfect autumn art subject.

Fun Fact: John James Audubon set out to paint every known (to him) North American bird in the early-nineteenth century. He eventually stopped at 435 paintings.

Tutorials:

• The Art Sherpa’s Easy Turkey Acrylic painting tutorial — funky and fantastic for beginners (kids and adults alike)!
• The Art Sherpa’s Wild Turkey Acrylic Tutorial – this one is more challenging and realistic looking, but is another step-by-step, and easy to follow. The end product is terrific!

Just a note — I haven’t tried either of these turkey projects yet, but I did follow along on a Grinch painting with The Art Sherpa, and it turned out amazing!

---

I hope this list gives you a few new ideas to try this fall! Art projects like these are some of my favorite homeschool memories — learning new techniques, laughter, paint splatters, and the masterpieces that end up proudly displayed on the fridge, in windows, and on our walls.

If you try one of the Five Artist-Inspired Fall Art Projects for Kids, I’d love to see it! Tag me #HomeschoolFanatic so I can cheer you on. Here’s to a colorful, creative, and joy-filled fall!

P.S. Want even more fall fun? Subscribe below to get my free Fall Project Download sent straight to your inbox — it’s a PDF of 14 fun, real-world learning activities that I am offering for free for a limited time.