Neon Lion Art Project for Kids: Bold Colors on Black Paper
This project is all about contrast, texture, and expressive line. We wanted to give students the freedom to experiment with color and stylization—while also sneaking in some foundational skills. (You know how we do.)
They started with a pencil sketch of a lion face. Then, we outlined the drawings with slick puff paint (we used the Slick Paint brand)—a total game changer for creating bold, raised lines.
Some of the images you’ll see in this post show the lions before the puff paint was added, and some show the finished versions—and the difference is huge. The paint makes the lines pop right off the paper, giving the whole piece an extra layer of drama and polish.
Once the paint dried, students layered on chalk pastels or oil pastels for those glowing, wild colors. The result? Bold, textured, and totally unique lion portraits.
And I mean, look at this one. 🦁 It’s giving off “king of the jungle but make it funky” vibes.
This bold pink lion portrait shows just how much personality puff paint and pastels can bring to a student’s work—fierce, funky, and full of flair.
Why This Lesson Works
Besides just being ridiculously fun, this project reinforces key art concepts:
● Line – The puff paint outlines teach kids to slow down and be intentional with their choices. Plus, they pop beautifully against the black paper, especially once color is added.
Raised puff paint lines guide students to focus on line quality and intention, setting the stage for bold color layering.
● Color – We talked about complementary colors, warm vs. cool tones, and how to create glow effects through layering.
● Texture – The contrast between smooth pastels and raised puff paint gives these lions real depth and drama.
This in-progress lion shows how students explored glow effects and color layering before adding any puff paint.
It also gives students space to explore stylization. Not every lion needs to be realistic—and that’s the point. Expression over perfection, always.
This playful pink lion shows how stylization can shine just as brightly as realism.
What We Used (with links!)
🖤 Black Construction Paper – That dark background makes the neon colors come alive.
🖍️ Oil or Chalk Pastels – Layering is the name of the game. We love Pentel oil pastels, but Cray-Pas are great too.
✨ Puff Paint – We used neon pink and purple. It dries raised and shiny—SO satisfying.
💦 WaterWipes – Blending pastels or cleaning fingers, these are the MVPs of the art room. Get them here.
A vibrant lion portrait in progress, showing pencil sketch and pastel layers before puff paint highlights.
Tips for Classroom Success
● Let the puff paint dry completely before adding color. (I know. Waiting is hard. But it’s worth it.)
● If you're using chalk pastels, keep a stash of wipes nearby to clean hands between colors.
An unfinished lion portrait with a bright pink pencil outline, ready for puff paint and pastel layers.
● Encourage students to go big and bold—this is not the time for tiny sketchbook lions!
● You can even tie this into a mini art history moment: stylized animal art pops up in everything from ancient Egyptian lions to African masks.
Want More Like This?
If you love teaching line, color, and texture through expressive animal art, check out our Cow Skull Dice Roll Game. It’s the perfect companion lesson.
Let your students go wild (in a structured, standards-aligned way, of course) and try these puff paint lions. You might just end up with a whole pride of fabulous feline faces for your hallway display.
🦁💛🎨
A finished neon green outlined lion portrait with playful, whimsical vibes perfect for sparking creativity.
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Get to know Amanda Koonlaba!
Hi! I’m Amanda. Teaching children to be creative thinkers is my greatest joy. I’m here to help you bring that same joy to your classroom.
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