Basquiat Polar Bear Art Project Winter Art Lesson Jean Michel Basquiat Art

This Basquiat Polar Bear Art Project is a Jean Michel Basquiat inspired winter art lesson where students create a bold polar bear, an expressive painted background and an iconic Basquiat style crown. It explores line, shape, texture, contrast and mixed media, and suits art teachers, classroom teachers and homeschool families, especially in upper elementary.

Students first build a layered blue, white and black painted background, then draw and cut out a polar bear and crown, and finish with thick black outlines, scribbled texture and expressive hatching lines. The white bear stands out against the dark background, and the finished pieces make a striking winter display.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• Cover Page
• About the Resource Page with prep and teaching guidance
• 2 Lesson Plan Pages with lesson overview, materials and teacher directions
• National Art Standards Page
• Critical Thinking Questions Page
• Art Project Rubric Page
• Journal: Creating My Artwork Page
• Instagram Reflection Page and Reflection Page
• Artist Statement Pages
• Example Artwork Page
• How to Make a Basquiat Polar Bear Page with step-by-step visuals
• Step-by-Step Pages for painting, drawing, cutting and finishing
• Printable Student Support Pages

HOW TO USE IT

Guide students through the artwork with the printable step-by-step visuals. Materials: pencil, eraser, black felt marker, acrylic or tempera paint, card stock or thick paper, oil pastels, a paint brush and water.

Use it for art class, homeschool art, winter units, animal art lessons, mixed media projects, contemporary or expressionist art lessons, sub plans or a winter bulletin board focused on contrast and texture.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Art teachers, classroom teachers, substitute teachers and homeschool families who want a polar bear art project or a Jean Michel Basquiat winter art lesson.

How long will this art lesson take?

Usually 1 to 3 classes, depending on student age and skill level, class behavior, teaching style and the time in each class.

What format is it in?

A non-editable, step-by-step PDF tutorial with printable visual directions, lesson planning pages and student support materials.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “Fabulous! My students were totally engaged and the instructions are very clear to follow.” P J.

★★ “I wish this was in Google Slide format. Other than that, it is a great resource.” rebecca N.

★★★★ “Thank you!” Kimberlee M.

★★★★ “Just what we needed for a BHM lesson. Thank you!” Gloria M.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist and educator who has been featured on NBC LX News and was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine (October 2025). She creates art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers, homeschool families and art educators. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. For clip art, you may use the images as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic