Pointillism Art Ideas for Kids: A Fun Georges Seurat Art Lesson

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I don’t consider myself an artist, but I really enjoy doing art with my kids. It stretches me, pushes me, and honestly, I’m getting better! This week, we explored pointillism art by studying the famous painter Georges Seurat and trying out his unique painting technique for ourselves.

For this pointillism art project you will not need paintbrushes. Just some q-tips or even your fingers! 

Who is Georges Seurat?

Georges Seurat was a French Post-Impressionist artist from the late 1800s. Along with Paul Signac, he developed the painting technique known as pointillism, which became the foundation of a new art movement called Neo-Impressionism. 

Seurat’s most famous painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, is an iconic example of pointillism. His technique relied on applying tiny dots of color instead of traditional brushstrokes, creating a unique visual effect when viewed from a distance.

Other famous artists who painted in the pointillist style include:

• Vincent Van Gogh

• Maximilien Luce

• Henri-Edmond Cross

• Camille Pissarro

• Théo van Rysselberghe

What is Pointillism?

Pointillism art is a painting technique that uses tiny dots of pure color rather than blended brushstrokes. Instead of mixing paint on a palette, the colors are placed side by side in small dots. When viewed from a distance, the human eye blends the colors together, creating shading and depth.

This technique allows for vibrant, textured paintings and is a great way to teach kids about color theory, patience, and observation skills.

We tried this painting idea out on our art projects and loved the look of it!

Our Georges Seurat Art Study

To introduce my kids to Georges Seurat and pointillism, I printed and laminated about 10 different paintings of his work. We discussed his life, studied his paintings, and read books about him.

Some of us chose to imitate one of his paintings, while others created original designs using his technique.

• Step 1: We sketched our designs lightly with a pencil.

• Step 2: Instead of traditional painting, we filled in our sketches using only painted dots using q-tips instead of paint brushes.  We used tempera paints, but acrylic paints work as well (they just are not as easy to clean up with kids).

• Step 3: We experimented with color mixing by placing different colors next to each other to see how they blended from afar.

It was a time-consuming project, but the results were incredible! The kids loved how their artwork came to life in a new and unexpected way.

Pointillism Art Ideas for Kids

There are many different ways to do pointillism.  Here are some options to experiment with. 

1. Q-Tip Pointillism Painting

One of the easiest ways for kids to try pointillism is with Q-tips and paint like I detailed above.  Experiment with primary colors and let your eyes blend them together!

2. Fingerprint Pointillism

• Instead of using a brush or Q-tips, let kids dip their fingertips in paint and create a pointillist design.

• Try making trees, flowers, or abstract patterns.

3. Dot Marker Pointillism

• Use bingo daubers or dot markers to create a pointillist masterpiece.

• Perfect for younger kids who may not have the patience for tiny dots.

4. Digital Pointillism

• Let kids try digital pointillism using tablet drawing apps like Procreate or Adobe Fresco.

• Set the brush tool to a dotted effect and experiment with layering colors.

5. Collaborative Pointillism Mural

• Assign different sections of a large mural to different kids, each contributing a piece using dots.

• When the sections are placed together, they form a beautiful, cohesive masterpiece.

Pointillism art is a fun and engaging way to introduce kids to color blending, patience, and artistic experimentation. Studying Georges Seurat and trying his unique technique gave my kids a whole new appreciation for how art can be created in different ways.

If you try these pointillism art ideas, let me know how they turn out! I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments. Happy painting!

Kids Books on Georges Seurat

Georges Seurat: Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists, by Mike Venezia

Sunday with Seurat (board book), by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober

Make a Masterpiece- Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (Dover Activity Book)

Seurat Art Stickers

Check Out More Artist Study Lessons!

Looking for more famous artist studies and hands-on art ideas? Check out these fun lessons:

• Warhol
•  Kandinsky
• Klimt 
• Arcimboldo 
• Klee 
• Cézanne 
• Picasso 
• Monet 
• Pollock 
• Lichtenstein

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