Paint a Flowing, Expressive Betta Fish in Pastels

For your class project, you’ll create a loose, expressive pastel painting of a betta fish using gesture-based techniques. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s about capturing movement, energy, and emotion in your strokes. We want to let go and have fun. Painting can be a dance.

Steps to Complete Your Project:

Gesture First – Start with a quick, fluid sketch to define the fish’s movement.
Big Shapes Before Details – Block in colors loosely to build structure and form.
Layer & Refine – Add depth with soft pastel layering while keeping strokes expressive.
Final Touches – Use selective details for areas such as the eye or scales to bring the fish to life.

Share Your Work!

Post your betta fish painting in the project gallery! Feel free to share:

Sofie

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