top of page
Writer's pictureStefani Mergen

Pi Day: Why March 14th Makes Math (and Now Art) Enthusiasts Happy

March 14th is a day to celebrate the elusive number 3.14159265358979323… And one fun way to do so is to create a simple Pi Day Cityscape! This project can be simplified by using larger graph paper and a simple sky or done with a variety of materials, the possibilities are endless!


MATERIALS:

  • PENCIL & ERASER

  • GRAPH PAPER 1/2in squares or 1in squares to simplify (printable graph template included in download)

  • OIL PASTEL (Crayola brand is my fav)

  • BLACK MARKER or SHARPIE

DIRECTIONS

  1. Graph out the number for pi with black sharpie, 3.14159265358979323… You can do less or more depending on how large the paper is and how much time you have.

  2. Once it is graphed, color in the buildings with black marker or sharpie.

  3. Begin filling the sky in from bottom. Start with white then transition to light blue.

  4. Stop when you get about half way up the sky.  For the swirls for the starry night sky, you can start with light blue circles of oil pastel, then swirl them in with white oil pastel. Swirl in yellow in to the white circles.

  5. Fill in the rest of the sky with blue oil pastel. Blending a little to create a nice transitions between the colors.

  6. Finish it off with using white to ring around the stars a bit more.


VARIATIONS

Pi Day Cityscapes Art Lesson can be done with a variety of materials. The graphed buildings can be colored in with oil pastel, acrylic or tempera. They can even be cut out and glued on over the sky. The sky can be created in acrylic or tempera paint.

Use 1in. graph paper to simplify this project. It will be less buildings graphed, but they will be a bit larger and easier to color.

Create a simple sunset or blue sky instead of the starry night sky.



If your young artist loves this project this project is a great example of what to expect in our weekly art classes on Monday afternoons. Click below for more information.



18 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page