India's Painted Elephants


India is a country of many colorful festivals; one such festival is the Holi Festival of Colors, an ancient Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil and the beginning of Spring. Participants at the festival are showered with colored powder and colored water throughout the festival.

Animals, particularly elephants, are often part of the Holi Festival. The elephants' bodies are painted with color for the festivities.

For this project, we will learn how to draw an elephant then use color and pattern to complete the project.




For the project, you'll need:

  • white paper

  • pencil

  • crayons or oil pastels, including black

  • watercolor paint (if you have it)




Watch this video to see some of India's Painted Elephants and the colors of the Holi Festival.