Who is Wayne Thiebaud?
Wayne Thiebaud (pronounced "TEE-bo") is famous for painting everyday objects—especially desserts like cakes, pies, and ice cream cones. He used thick, colorful paint and strong shadows to make his food look tasty and full of personality. We looked at his artwork and discussed how he turned simple treats into serious art with color, form, and fun.
Materials Needed:
Black construction paper Click to see my favorite construction paper
Pencil (for sketching. My favorite brand is in the link)
Reference images of ice cream cones (or real ones!)
Optional: Tissue or fingers for blending
🎨 Steps to Create the Artwork:
Sketch the Cone
Using a pencil, students lightly drew the outline of their ice cream cone—starting with the cone at the bottom and stacking one or two scoops on top.Add Color with Oil Pastels
Students chose their favorite flavors (real or imagined!) and filled in the drawing with oil pastels. They layered colors for depth and highlights—just like Thiebaud’s style.Blend & Shade
We used fingers or tissue paper to gently blend the pastels, adding smooth texture to the scoops. Students added darker outlines and shadows to make their cones "pop" off the paper, mimicking Thiebaud’s bold contrasts.Define the Cone Texture
The cone got a grid texture to make it look more realistic, and many students layered colors here too—browns, oranges, and creams.Final Touches
A quick review for missing highlights, outlines, or flair! Some even added drips and extra scoops.
🍨 Student Spotlight:
Check out the creativity below! From swirled chocolate cones to towering scoops of cherry and strawberry, our students took Thiebaud’s inspiration and made it their own. Each cone is full of personality and color—just like the artists themselves. These are from my 3rd graders, and they took one 45 min class to complete! Perfect for the end of the school year!
