School-aged kids will combine oil pastels and watercolors in this fish themed project. We’ve included a free printable to make this lesson easy for home or classroom use.

Oil Pastels and Watercolors

This clownfish project is a great way to remind kids that oil and water do not mix. By using oil pastels and then watercolors, we see that the oil pastel repels water. This creates a fun resist technique that can used in many ways throughout future projects.

Related: Learn about Wax Resist with a different underwater scene!

Supplies Needed to Make This Clownfish Art Project 

• Clownfish Design – Printed on Cardstock (Free Download Below)
• Blank Cardstock
• Oil Pastels
• Watercolor Paint
• Scissors
• Double-Sided Foam Tape
• Water
• Paper Towels

Download the Clownfish Printable Here

Using our free printable gives kids the opportunity to focus more time on practicing the oil resist technique. Since we’ve removed the pressure of drawing their own designs, kids can freely explore working with oil pastels and watercolors.

Directions to Make Clownfish ART

Step 1

First, completely color the clown fish using oil pastels.

Step 2

Then, firmly draw wavy sea anemone surrounding your clownfish. Do not draw the sea anemone through your colored fish design, but only around it.

Step 3

Next, hold the blank piece of cardstock vertically and cut across the page approximately one-fourth to one-third from the top or bottom. We will use these sections to create more sea anemone tentacles for the front layers of our project.

Step 4

Next, draw more layers of wavy sea anemone tentacles coming up from the bottom of each piece of cardstock.

Step 5

Then, use watercolors to paint over the areas surrounding the clownfish and sea anemone. While you can use the watercolors directly over the sea anemone, it is not recommended for the clownfish design since it can dull the colors.

Set all 3 pieces of cardstock aside to fully dry.

Step 6

Taking the two smaller pieces of cardstock, loosely cut wavy lines around the sea anemone.

Step 7

Finally, use double-sided foam tape to adhere additional layers of sea anemone tentacles onto the project.

Finished cLOWNfISH Art Project

I love these cute little clown fish creations! Since these projects are made on paper, they can easily be framed, clipped, or displayed in your preferred style. 

Our Experience Making this Clownfish Art Project

This was quick and easy project that allowed us to explore two mediums. It is always fun to experiment with art and learn new resist techniques. Kids now have a better understanding of how oil resists water and how that can be used to their advantage in the world of art. I also love that this project leaves a rougher finish to help keep perfectionist tendencies away.

Clownfish Art Variations

• Use crayons for wax resist instead oil pastels. Just remember to press firmly when applying the crayon wax to the paper.
• Encourage kids to draw their own designs on watercolor paper to create a more unique product.
• Skip the double-sided foam tape and simply glue the layers of cardstock together.
• Adapt drawing to fit any holiday or seasonal theme.

Other Fun Underwater Art Projects from Kids Activities Blog

• Use your extra foam tape in this underwater scene to discover background, middle ground, and foregrounds.
• Search for underwater inspired shapes while making tessellations.
• Use dictionary pages to showcase your favorite underwater creatures.
• Make art using foil in this fun project.
• Explore our many free printable coloring pages, including these fish designs.

Did your kids enjoy creating this underwater scene? What other ideas do they have for using this technique?