Create stunning chalk pastel sunsets with kids

These chalk pastel sunsets turned out so lovely! Kids will practice layering, blending, and drawing with pastels. My kids had a great time exploring chalk pastels and all the messiness that comes with it.

Chalk pastels are a lot of fun, it’s a sensory activity and an art project rolled into one. Take a look at my collection of chalk pastel art for more creative ideas kids will love.

Check out this sunset silhouette watercolor painting idea for another gorgeous sunset art idea. 

If you are looking for more summer art projects, take a look at this amazing collection of summer art ideas for kids!

Create your own chalk pastel sunsets

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Supplies

• Chalk pastels
• Pastel paper in any color. Pastel paper comes in all different colors, and it’s fun to try out different colors. We chose a cream color for this project. I love pastel paper, it has a great texture to it for grabbing onto the pastels and building up layers.
• Paper towels to help with the mess
• Painter’s tape

Get started with chalk pastels

Related: 5 Essential Chalk Pastel Techniques for Beginners  

1. To get some inspiration, first, take a look at some sunset pictures. We did this on my laptop just to get an idea of the colors we wanted to use.

2. Tape down your paper so it doesn’t slide around

Practice with some scrap paper first

3. If you or your kids haven’t worked with chalk pastels before, get some scrap pieces of pastel paper and just practice making marks with the chalk pastels to get a feel for how they work.

Chalk pastels are great for layering and creating texture. Holding the pastel on its side creates texture with the paper.

Try layering colors on top of each other and then blending just a bit here and there for a softer look. You can use a blending tool to help you blend, but my favorite blending tool is my finger. I find I get the most control over the blending process this way.

Start with your sky

4. Start your picture by drawing a line with neutral colored chalk for the separation between the sky and water.

5. Pick out your sky colors and start to draw with the lightest color first. You can hold the pastel on its side to sweep across the page and create some texture.

6. Continue to add colors to the sky, layering them and blending here and there. Exploring different types of marks that your chalk pastels can make.

7. Use your fingers or your blending tool to blend, but watch out for blending too much or the colors will get muddy.

Then add the water

Related: Easy Kandinsky Art for Kids with Chalk Pastels   

8. Once you are done with your sky, you can move on to your water.

I added some light colors first, then moved on to darker ones layered over top with a bit of blending. Then I added some lighter color on top with no blending. Have fun layering and blending, but again, remind kids to be careful of the colors blending too much and getting muddy.

Time to add your palm trees

9. Once everyone is finished with the sky and water it’s time to add in your palm tree silhouettes. If you don’t want to add in a palm tree you can add in any kind of tree silhouette you like. Use a black piece of chalk and draw in your tree.

For another fun summer pastel project, take a look at this colorful jellyfish art project that kids will love to make!

Our messy table

Everyone’s pictures will turn out differently depending on the age of the kids, color preferences, and style. 

I love the way these chalk pastel sunsets turned out and we had so much fun creating them! Pastels can be a bit tricky to figure out. They are all about adding layers, blending, and textures.

Once you explore and practice with them for a bit you will get the hang of them. My kids love chalk pastels, they love getting their hands messy and playing and blending the colors, and so do I!

More chalk pastel art ideas

Dazzling Shooting Star Paintings with Chalk Pastels    

Chalk Pastel Jellyfish Art

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