101 Creative High School Art Project Ideas

January 4, 2025

Many high school art classes will require students to come up with their own ideas for art projects. Having so much freedom to choose is great, but can also make it more difficult to decide. Art is very broad and there are tons of options to choose from. We have put together a large list of 101 high school art project ideas to inspire you!

Painting and Drawing Projects

1. Self-Portrait Series:  Create multiple self-portraits with different styles such as realism, cubism, and surrealism.
2. Abstract Emotions:  Use lines, shapes, and colors to express your emotions on canvas or paper.
3. Perspective Cityscape:  Create futuristic or imaginary cityscapes using different techniques and styles.
4. Famous Artwork Recreation:  Is there a famous piece of artwork you like? Try recreating it with your own twist!
5. Surrealist Dreamscape:  Include dreamlike elements such as floating objects or impossible landscapes. You can take inspiration from nature or the areas around you!
6. Daily Sketch Journal:  Fill a journal with one sketch per day based on prompts. This is a great way to track your progress.
7. Character Expressions:  Draw a character showing different emotions. If you don’t like drawing human portraits, try using animals!
8. Nature Studies:  Create nature-inspired illustrations! Look at leaves, trees, rivers, and other natural elements.
9. Coloring:  Experiment with different coloring pencils to create vibrant images!
10. Minimalist Art:  Create a piece with the fewest possible elements that still tells a story.
11. Water Color Painting:  Water colors have very unique properties. Experimenting with water colors can make for great high school art projects!
12. Blot Art:  To create blot art, add droplets of paint or ink onto a sheet of paper, fold it in half, press gently, then unfold to reveal a unique, symmetrical design.
13. Mandala Painting:  Start by drawing a central circle and expanding outward with symmetrical patterns, using dots, lines, and shapes to form intricate, colorful designs
14. Raised Salt Painting:  Draw with glue on thick paper, sprinkle salt over the glue while it’s wet, shake off the excess, and then paint the salt with watercolors.

High School Sculpture Project Ideas

15. Wire Figures:  Create dynamic poses or combine wire with other materials like fabric.
16. Clay Character Busts:  Start with a block of clay and then use various tools to change it into your ideal shape!
17. Recycled Material Sculptures:  Build a robot, animal, or abstract design using cans, bottles, or cardboard. You can join the different materials using hot glue and stables.
18. Cardboard Masks:  Create an imaginative mask using cardboard! Cut holes for the eyes and mouth and decorate the rest of the mask using various materials.
19. Plaster Hand Casts:  Make a cast of your own hand using plaster. After the cast is complete, you can paint it.
20. Paper Mâché Projects:  Learn the art of paper mache and recycling old newspapers.
21. Soap Carving:  Grab a bar of soap and a knife to carefully carve a sculpture.
22. Stone Balancing Art:  Gather various sized rocks and stack them to create a beautiful and raw stone sculpture.
23. Clay Totem Poles:  Build a totem pole that tells a story using sculpted elements.
24. Sand Art in Jars:  Create intricate patterns using layered colored sand. You can also use a glass bottle.
25. Beaded wire sculpture:  Shape a sturdy wire into your desired form and thread beads to add an element of color to your high school art project.
26. Popsicle Stick Craft:  Get creative and see what you can make using popsicle sticks! You don’t have to eat the popsicles, you can just buy the sticks at the dollar store.

Mixed Media Art Project Ideas

27. Collage Portraits:  Experiment with textures like fabric, foil, or organic materials.
28. Memory Box:  Incorporate lights or reflective materials for added depth.
29. Print Word Art:  Cut out words from magazines and newspapers and rearrange them to make your own art project.
30. Fabric Art:  Create a tapestry that combines sewing and painting.
31. 3D Mixed Media Art:  Use broken ceramics, wood, and paint to create relief sculptures.
32. Old Book Transformation:  Add pop-up elements or fold pages into shapes.
33. Map Art:  Combine maps with paint or collage to create geographic-inspired art.
34. Time-Lapse Creation:  Document your process to create a mixed-media piece. Set up your phone in timelapse mode.
35. Photo Transfer Art:  Transfer photos onto wood, canvas, or other materials for a layered effect.
36. Found Object Assemblages:  Use objects like keys, watches, or buttons to tell a story.
37. Interactive Mixed Media:  Create a piece with movable parts or tactile elements.

High School Photography Ideas

38. Photo Essay:  Document a day in your life or a cultural event in your community.
39. Forced Perspective Photos:  Create imaginative scenes (e.g., a friend holding the moon).
40. Nature Close-Ups:  Capture details like dew drops, tree bark, or insect wings.
41. Light Painting:  Experiment with sparklers or colored lights.
42. Reflection Photography:  Use water puddles, mirrors, or shiny surfaces creatively.
43. Silhouette Shots:  Photograph silhouettes at sunrise or sunset.
44. Before-and-After Series:  Show change over time with contrasting photos.
45. Architecture Focus:  Explore interesting building designs in your area.
46. Portraits with Props:  Incorporate unusual props like umbrellas or musical instruments.
47. Double Exposure Photography:  Overlay two photos for an artistic effect.
48. Long Exposure Photography:  Use the long exposure setting to capture light over time. Many phones have long exposure settings as well.

Digital Art

49. Poster Design:  Create a vintage-style or minimalist poster for a movie or event.
50. Animated GIFs:  Make a looping animation of a simple action or expression.
51. Digital Collage:  Use photos, textures, and digital brushes to create layered art.
52. Character Concept Art:  Design multiple views of a character (front, side, and back).
53. Virtual Landscapes:  Create a series of landscapes showing different times of day.
54. Pixel Art:  Design a retro-style pixelated scene or character.
55. Typography Art:  Use words and letters as the main visual elements.
56. Digital Stamps:  Create patterns or stamps that can be reused in digital art.
57. Comic Panel:  Design a single-panel comic or a short strip.
58. Augmented Reality:  Design an image or code that comes to life through AR apps.

Printmaking

59. Linoleum Block Prints:  Print your design on T-shirts or tote bags.
60. Bleach Stencils:  Cut out stencils on cardboard of freezer paper and then spray bleach on a colored fabric.
61. Gel Plate Printing:  Layer prints to create unique abstract designs.
62. Stencil Art:  Make large-scale stencils for murals or street art.
63. Monoprints:  Monoprinting is the act of using materials that can only be used once as stencils. Use leaves, lace, or textured materials for unique designs.
64. Nature Impressions:  Experiment with different types of plants for intricate prints. You can spread paint or ink on them to use as printing
65. Collagraph Printing:  Build a textured plate using cardboard and glue for printing.
66. Screen Printing:  Create your own T-shirt or poster design.
67. Foam Prints:  Carve simple designs into foam for repeated prints.
68. Solar Printing:  Use sunlight and photo-sensitive paper for natural prints.
69. Multicolor Prints:  Experiment with layering different colors for vibrant effects.

High School Group Art Project Ideas

70. Collaborative Mural:  Focus on a school theme or a cultural celebration.
71. Exquisite Corpse:  Exquisite corpse is a collaborative art game where each person gets one section or quadrant of an image to draw. Each contributor is not allowed to see what the others drew.
72. Theme-Based Installation:  Use found objects or recycled materials for a giant installation.
73. Community Art Project:  Paint a mural or design benches for a public space. Large painting projects can take a lot of effort, so it is great for a group.
74. Art Puzzle:  Assign each student a piece of a famous painting to recreate.
75. Graffiti Wall:  Create a temporary graffiti wall for students to express themselves.
76. Sidewalk Chalk:  Get together with your group to create a large scale chalk project on a sidewalk or parking lot.
77. Collaborative Quilt:  Each student designs one square for a class quilt.
78. Interactive Exhibit:  Design an art exhibit where viewers can interact with the pieces.
79. Art Walk:  Organize an art show around the school with student work.
80. Storytelling Art:  Collaboratively illustrate a story, each creating a part.

Fiber Arts

81. Weaving Projects:  Try weaving with unusual materials like plastic or ribbon.
82. Tie-Dye Patterns:  Experiment with shibori or ice-dyeing techniques.
83. Yarn Bombing:  Cover a tree or bench with bright, knitted designs.
84. Embroidery:  Get fabric and an embroidery hoop to get started with embroidery! You can find templates online and follow youtube tutorials to learn.
85. Fabric Dye Painting:  Use stencils or freehand techniques to design tote bags or shirts.
86. Macramé Projects:  Make plant hangers, wall hangings, or jewelry.
87. Quilt Squares:  Contribute to a class quilt with personal designs.
88. Felt Sculptures:  Create 3D animals or objects using felt and stitching.
89. Knitted Accessories:  Design scarves, hats, or small pouches.
90. Patchwork Banners:  Collaboratively create a banner using fabric scraps.

Experimental Art Projects

91. Glow-in-the-Dark Art:  Use UV paint to make a piece that comes alive under blacklight.
92. Magnifying Glass Art:  Use a magnifying glass and the sun to burn a design onto paper or wood. Make sure to use eye protection and not stare directly into the light.
93. String Art:  Create an intricate design using string such as yarn, or embroidery string.
94. Kinetic Art:  Build mobiles or wind-powered sculptures. You can make your own wind chime that makes a unique sound when the wind blows.
95. Soundwave Art:  Use sound frequencies to create visual patterns with sand or water.
96. Melted Crayon Art:  Try blending melted colors into recognizable shapes.
97. Ice Sculptures:  Freeze water with food coloring to carve.
98. Sand Mandalas:  Create intricate designs with colored sand.
99. Spinning Art:  Use a rotating canvas for abstract designs.
100. Bubble Painting:  Mix paint with bubbles to create unique textures.
101. Art on Unusual Surfaces:  Paint on objects like shoes, skateboards, or guitars