Hanging bat seen side-on, ears pointing at the floorBrown, black, pale green. Paint the body as a narrow bean under the twig and point two small ears straight down.
Fuzzy bat built from short dry-brush strokes, no outlineBrown, black, cream. Flick short strokes outward from the middle of the body and add the wings last.
Moonlight showing amber through one stretched wingAmber, brown, cream, black. Paint the wing skin amber and keep only the bones and body black.
Bat skimming a pond, moon and bat both mirrored belowNavy, white, black. Repeat the moon and the bat upside down under the waterline, broken by ripples.
Bat with both wingtips touching the rim of a violet moonViolet, lilac, black. Stretch the wings until each tip just meets the edge of the disc.
Five bats crossing a huge orange moon, smallest in frontOrange, yellow, black. Paint the moon nearly as wide as the canvas and step the bats up in size.
Moon caught in bare twigs, a bat in each gap of the branchesNavy, pale yellow, black. Paint the moon first, the twigs across it, then one bat in every gap.
Moon half risen behind a hill, bats lifting off in a curlViolet, pale yellow, black. Paint the hill black and curl a line of bats up and across the moon.
Moon over a lake, bats along the horizon as tiny check marksNavy, white, black. Blend the sky, add the moon and flick the bats in one row with a liner brush.
Moonlight showing amber through one stretched wingAmber, brown, cream, black. Paint the wing skin amber and keep only the bones and body black.
One bat, wings wide, in the middle of a ringed yellow moonNavy, yellow, white, black. Paint the moon flat yellow, ring it in pale white and set the bat in its center when dry.
Open wing with its long finger bones dark against a moonCream, gray, black. Paint four bones fanning from the wrist and web a gray skin between them.
Pale blue moon filling the canvas behind one black batPale blue, white, black. Dab the moon with two blues on a sponge and paint the bat when it is dry.
Ribbon of tiny bats winding across a low white moonWhite, slate, black. Paint each bat as a small M and let the ribbon taper at both ends.
Rust-red moon low on the skyline, bats as specks above itRust red, orange, black. Dot the bats with the tip of a liner brush, thicker near the moon.
Slim crescent with three bats strung between its two pointsNavy, cream, black. Paint the crescent with one curved stroke and string the bats across the gap.
Two bats face to face inside a moon with a pink ringPink, cream, navy, black. Blend a pink halo around the moon and mirror the second bat from the first.
White circle on black with three bats in three sizesBlack, white. Paint the circle white, let it dry and add three bats, large, middle and small.
Hanging upside down 15
Bat hanging in rain under a broad leafGreen, gray, brown. Curve one large leaf over the bat and run a few drops off its tip.
Bat stretching one wing downward while it roostsGray, brown, black. Keep one wing folded and open the other toward the floor like a fan.
Bats under a wooden roof beam in barn lightBrown, ochre, black. Paint the beam across the top and line five small bats along its lower edge.
Big-eared bat at rest, tall ribbed ears folded backGray brown, pink, cream. Paint the ears as two tall ribbed leaves folded back along the body.
Cave ceiling crowded with bats, lit from the entranceCharcoal, brown, pale yellow. Paint the bats as rows of dark drops and lighten the ones nearest the light.
Colony stirring at dusk, a few wings starting to openSlate, violet, black. Line the bats up in a row and open the wings of every third one.
Fruit bat upside down among figs, one wing around a fruitBrown, orange, green, purple. Let both feet hold the branch and curl one wing around a fig.
Hanging bat as a black shape against a round sunsetOrange, yellow, black. Blend a circle of sunset color and set one flat black bat across it.
Hanging bat seen side-on, ears pointing at the floorBrown, black, pale green. Paint the body as a narrow bean under the twig and point two small ears straight down.
Mother bat with a pup tucked under her folded wingBrown, tan, pink. Paint the small head and one pink ear showing at the edge of the wing.
Painting to turn over: a bat that roosts or standsBlack, lilac, white. Paint the bat upright on lilac, then turn the canvas the other way up.
Roosting bat parting its wings to show two eyes and a noseBrown, tan, black. Part the folded wings in a V and paint two eyes and a nose in the gap.
Roosting bat seen from below, a furry face in a ring of wingTan, brown, black. Paint the face in the center and wrap dark wings around it like petals.
Row of seven roosting bats, the fourth with one eye openGray, brown, black, yellow. Paint seven hanging pods along a branch and give one a yellow eye.
Three bats on one branch: asleep, yawning, wide awakeBrown, pink, black, white. Paint three hanging shapes alike and change only the eyes and mouth.
In flight over rooftops and trees 15
Bat banking hard, one wing up and one wing downViolet, black, gray. Tilt the body and draw the wings as one slanted line with scalloped edges.
Bat chasing moths around a streetlamp's cone of lightNavy, pale yellow, white, black. Paint the cone of light pale and dot white moths inside it.
Bat hovering at a pale night flower, nose in the bloomWhite, green, navy, brown. Blur the wingtips with a nearly dry brush and keep the head sharp.
Bat swooping past a lit attic windowNavy, yellow, black. Paint one yellow square in a dark gable and put the bat just beside it.
Bat's-eye view: rooftops and garden squares far belowNavy, gray, green, yellow. Paint the roofs as small rectangles and a wingtip in one top corner.
Bats above a row of chimneys at dusk, the sky still pinkPink, violet, black. Blend the sky, paint the roofline flat black and scatter bats over it.
Bats following a river at twilight, low over the waterSlate, pink, black. Paint the river as a pale S and string the bats along its curve.
Bats over a village seen from a hill, windows as gold dotsNavy, gold, black. Dot the windows with a cotton swab and keep the bats larger than the houses.
Bats rising in a spiral from a hollow treeOrange, brown, black. Paint the trunk at one side and wind the bats up from its opening.
Bats spilling from a barn loft door into a lilac eveningLilac, plum, black. Start the stream wide at the door and let it narrow as it climbs.
Clock tower at dusk with bats circling its roofViolet, gray, cream, black. Paint the tower as a tall block and loop the bats around its top.
Flying bat built from one zigzag stroke and a dotBlack, turquoise. Paint the ground turquoise, then pull one M-shaped stroke and dot the body.
Flying fox in daylight, wings like a russet kiteRust, brown, pale blue. Spread the wings wide and give the head a pointed, dog-like muzzle.
Single bat high over a pine forest, a first star beside itTeal, navy, black, white. Paint the pines as a jagged black band and dot one white star.
Treetops in black along the bottom, five bats in a peach skyPeach, orange, black. Dab the treetops with a sponge and paint the bats as small flat shapes.
Friendly bats 15
Baby bat waving one wing helloLilac, brown, pink. Lift one wing above the head and keep the other folded at its side.
Bat face close up: two ears, two eyes, one heart-shaped noseBrown, pink, black, white. Fill the canvas with the face and add a white dot to each eye.
Bat holding a tiny lantern on its way homeNavy, brown, yellow. Paint a yellow glow around the lantern and light the underside of the bat.
Bat hugging a ripe peach twice its own sizeBrown, peach, pink, green. Paint the peach first and wrap the bat's wings halfway around it.
Bat in a paper party hat among swab-dot confettiPurple, brown, yellow, pink. Paint the hat as a small cone and dot confetti with a cotton swab.
Bat on a rooftop counting stars with one lifted wingtipNavy, brown, white. Dot the stars with a cotton swab and aim one wingtip at the nearest.
Bat peeking over the bottom edge of the canvas, ears firstTeal, brown, pink. Paint only the ears, the eyes and two wingtips above the lower edge.
Bat with heart-shaped wings on a pink groundPink, black, white. Paint two halves of a heart as wings and a small oval body between them.
Bat wrapped in a striped scarf on a cold nightNavy, brown, red, white. Loop the scarf twice and let one striped end fly out behind the bat.
Fruit bat with a dog-like face nibbling a mangoRust, orange, green, brown. Paint the long muzzle and large eyes, and the fruit held to its mouth.
Fuzzy bat built from short dry-brush strokes, no outlineBrown, black, cream. Flick short strokes outward from the middle of the body and add the wings last.
Roosting bat with an open storybook held below its chinBrown, tan, red, cream. Paint the open book below the bat's face, held in both wings.
Round bat with big ears and a small smile on mintMint, brown, pink, black. Paint a ball, two tall ears with pink inside and a curved line mouth.
Sleepy bat in a drooping nightcap under a shelfBrown, blue, white, tan. Let the nightcap droop toward the floor because the bat is upside down.
Three bat friends sharing one slice of melonBrown, green, pink, black. Paint the slice in the middle and a bat at each end and behind it.
How it works
A bat is the only mammal that truly flies, and its wing is skin stretched over long finger bones. In paint that is a small body between two scalloped fans.
Read the full guide
Simple painting ideas of bats: sky first
Blend or sponge the sky and the moon, then let them dry. Acrylic is water-resistant once dry, so a flat black bat goes over the top without lifting the color below. White circle on black with three bats in three sizes needs two paints.
Draw the wing as a hand
Four long bones fan out from the wrist, and the skin between them dips in a curve from tip to tip. Open wing with its long finger bones dark against a moon paints only that.
Questions and answers
What is an easy bat painting for a first canvas?
Easy first bats, under More filters, holds 22. Flying bat built from one zigzag stroke and a dot is one stroke on a flat color, and Hanging bat as a black shape against a round sunset is one blend and one shape.
How do you paint a bat hanging upside down?
As one wrapped shape: the folded wings cover the body, the feet hold on at the top and the head is at the bottom. Roosting bat parting its wings to show two eyes and a nose is one of the 15.
What colors do you need to paint a bat?
Black for a silhouette, with navy, violet or orange for the sky and a pale yellow or cream moon. A bat seen close takes brown, tan and gray, with pink inside the ears.
Are any of the bats fruit bats?
Yes. The largest bats are fruit bats called flying foxes, and fruit bats have dog-like faces. Flying fox in daylight, wings like a russet kite is one, and two more are in the other groups.