Fall Still Life Art Project | Drawing & Painting Lesson Grades 3–5

Bring seasonal art into the classroom with a Fall Still Life Art Project designed for grades 3–5. Students explore how artists arrange and observe real objects before creating their own autumn-inspired still life featuring pumpkins, gourds, leaves, and other fall items. The project combines drawing and painting while introducing important art concepts such as observation, composition, overlapping, placement, color, texture, and craftsmanship. Students begin by studying still life examples and planning their composition, then draw the objects using careful observation before adding color and painted details. This project works well as a fall seasonal lesson while still focusing on meaningful art skills that can transfer to future drawing and painting projects. Why Teachers Will Love It - Combines drawing and painting - Designed for grades 3–5 - Uses an engaging fall theme - Teaches observational drawing - Introduces still life composition - Reinforces overlapping and placement - Includes color and texture practice - Encourages thoughtful arrangement of objects - Works well with real or photographed reference objects - Creates strong seasonal display artwork - Can be adapted for different ability levels Perfect For - Grades 3–5 art - Elementary art - Fall art projects - Autumn art lessons - Still life drawing - Painting lessons - Observational drawing - Seasonal art displays - October and November art - Harvest-themed lessons - Homeschool art - Elementary drawing and painting units Skills & Concepts Students practice: - Still life - Observational drawing - Composition - Overlapping - Placement - Shape - Form - Line - Color - Texture - Value - Painting - Craftsmanship - Creative decision-making - Reflection Materials Needed Suggested materials include: - Drawing paper - Pencil - Eraser - Black marker, optional - Tempera or watercolor paint - Paintbrushes - Water cups - Paper towels - Crayons or colored pencils, optional - Pumpkins, gourds, leaves, or other fall objects for observation Photos or printed reference images can also be used if real objects are not available. Estimated Time Approximately 3–5 class periods, depending on class length, grade level, and painting time. Teacher Tip Arrange several simple fall still life setups around the classroom so students can draw from different viewpoints. Even using just a pumpkin, a leaf, and one additional object gives students enough variety to practice overlap, placement, and composition.