Bare-branch tree hung with red baublesBurnt umber, red, white, pale grey. Pull branches upward with a liner, then print baubles with a cotton bud.
Christmas tree from stacked zigzag strokesSap green, phthalo green, white, yellow. Zigzag a flat brush side to side, wider with each pass down the tree.
Cotton-bud dot tree on navyNavy, leaf green, red, gold, white. Dot rows that widen downward, with a fresh cotton bud for each colour.
Fan-brush firs on a snowy slopePhthalo green, black, white, pale blue. Tap a fan brush left and right of a centre line, wider lower down.
Lit tree seen through a frosty windowNavy, warm yellow, phthalo green, white. Drybrush frost into the corners of each pane once the tree is dry.
Palette-knife pines heavy with snowPayne's grey, phthalo green, white. Tap thick white along the top of each bough with the edge of the knife.
Pastel pink tree on a mint groundPale pink, mint, white, gold. Stack three soft triangles and dot the baubles with a brush handle.
Red pickup truck carrying a tree through snowCadmium red, white, sap green, black, pale blue. Block the truck as two boxes, then lay the tree over the bed.
Row of three trees in three greensSap green, olive, teal, white, burnt umber. Paint each tree flat, then drybrush snow down one side only.
Spiral tree in one gold lineDeep green, gold, white. Start the spiral at the tip and widen it without lifting the liner brush.
Tiny tree in a terracotta potSap green, terracotta, white, gold. Dab needles with the corner of a flat brush and leave gaps of ground.
Tree decorated with painted paper chainsDeep green, red, yellow, turquoise, white. Swag the chains first, then fit the baubles into the gaps.
Tree drawn in one white line on brownRaw sienna, white, gold. Coat the ground sienna, let it dry, then loop the whole tree with a liner.
Tree farm rows fading into fogSap green, white, Payne's grey. Add more white to every row as it recedes, palest at the top.
Watercolour fir with snow left as bare paperSap green, indigo, burnt sienna. Paint round the snow on each tier, so the white is the paper and not paint.
Watercolour row of tiny trees, one stroke eachSap green, phthalo green, indigo. Press and lift the brush once per tree, and change the green from one to the next.
Watercolour tree in three loose washesSap green, phthalo green, burnt sienna. Let each green touch the last while wet so the tiers bleed together.
White tree left behind by masking tapeNavy, ultramarine, white. Tape strips into a tall triangle, paint the blues over everything, then peel.
Snow scenes and night skies 21
Church with lit windows on a snowy hillNavy, white, warm yellow, burnt umber. Keep the yellow for the windows alone and add it last.
Footprints in snow leading to a lit doorwayNavy, pale blue, white, warm yellow. Shrink the prints as they go back, and drybrush door light onto the snow.
Frozen pond with skaters as tiny figuresPale blue, white, red, black, Payne's grey. Scratch the skate trails through wet paint with a brush handle.
Horse-drawn sleigh on a snowy trackBurnt umber, red, white, pale blue, black. Curve the two runner tracks away behind the sleigh to show the bend.
Lighthouse wrapped in a string of lightsNavy, white, red, warm yellow. Wind the wire round the tower as a loose spiral before dotting the bulbs.
Northern lights over a snowed-in cabinBlack, phthalo green, turquoise, white, warm yellow. Pull wet green upward with a dry flat brush.
Palm tree strung with lights on a beachTurquoise, peach, black, warm yellow, red. For a summer Christmas: blend a dusk sky, then a black palm.
Red barn in a snowfieldCadmium red, white, pale blue, burnt umber. Mix snow shadows from white and a touch of ultramarine.
Sleigh and reindeer crossing the moonNavy, white, black. Sponge the glow round the moon, then paint the team as a thin black arc across it.
Snow falling past a lamp postPayne's grey, white, warm yellow, black. Glaze a yellow halo round the lamp, then flick snow off a toothbrush.
Snow-covered footbridge over a dark streamPayne's grey, white, burnt umber, pale blue. Paint the stream darkest, so that the snow reads bright beside it.
Snowfield at blue hour with one lit windowUltramarine, white, violet, warm yellow. Keep every edge soft except the small yellow square.
Snowy rooftops with smoking chimneysNavy, white, brick red, pale grey. Drybrush the smoke upward and let it lean the same way from every pot.
Snowy village under a huge moonNavy, white, Payne's grey, warm yellow. Paint the moon first, then the roofs as white wedges against it.
Stable in silhouette under one bright starUltramarine, purple, white, black. Blend the sky dark to pale downward, then add the stable flat in black.
Three riders on camels along a ridge at duskOrange, magenta, purple, black. Blend the sky in bands, then paint the riders as small flat silhouettes.
Town square with a giant treeNavy, warm yellow, phthalo green, white, red. Dot the window lights last, brightest nearest the tree.
Watercolour falling snow saved with masking fluidIndigo, Payne's grey, violet. Dot masking fluid for flakes, let it dry, wash the sky over it and rub it off when dry.
Watercolour snowy hills in three pale bluesCerulean, ultramarine, Payne's grey. Leave each hilltop as bare paper and shade only the hollows, palest hill first.
Watercolour star over a sky that fades to paleIndigo, ultramarine, gold. Wash the sky dark at the top and pale at the hills, paint round the star, then fill it gold.
Winter sunrise behind bare black treesPeach, pink, pale blue, black. Blend the sky, then pull branches outward with a liner, thinning to nothing.
Lights, ornaments and greenery 26
Blurred fairy lights behind one sharp baubleBlack, warm yellow, orange, red, white. Sponge soft overlapping discs first, then paint the bauble crisp on top.
Candle in a window with a haloNavy, warm yellow, orange, white. Glaze thin yellow over the dry dark round the flame for the glow.
Christmas pudding with a holly sprig on topBurnt umber, white, red, sap green. Let the white icing drip in uneven scallops over the dark dome.
Fir branch with one red bauble, close upPhthalo green, sap green, red, white. Flick needles out from the twig with a liner, dark first, light on top.
Four candles in a ring of greenery, one litSap green, cream, warm yellow, red. Paint the ring of leaves first and stand the candles in front of it.
Garland of dried orange slicesOrange, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, cream. Paint each slice as a wheel of pale segments inside a dark rind.
Gingerbread house with piped icingBurnt sienna, raw sienna, white, red. Draw the icing scallops with thick white on a liner, after the walls dry.
Holly sprig in two greensSap green, phthalo green, cadmium red, white. Put one white dot on each berry, all on the same side.
Lantern glowing in the snowBlack, warm yellow, orange, white, pale blue. Drybrush yellow onto the snow round the foot of the lantern.
Mistletoe bunch tied with red ribbonSage green, white, pale grey, red. Paint the strap leaves in pairs, then white berries in the forks.
Mug of hot chocolate with marshmallowsRed, white, burnt umber, cream. Drybrush the steam upward in loose S-curves.
Pine cone and fir sprig still lifeBurnt umber, raw sienna, white, sap green. Build the cone from rows of short curved strokes tipped with white.
Poinsettia from above in two redsCadmium red, crimson, sap green, yellow. Pull each red bract from tip to centre, then dot the yellow middle.
Red mittens pegged on a washing lineRed, cream, pale grey. Paint one mitten, then mirror it, and add the pattern rows with the tip of a round brush.
Red ornament close-up with a window reflectionCadmium red, crimson, white, black. Add one curved white window shape, upper left, after the red is dry.
Snow globe with a single tree insidePale blue, white, sap green, burnt umber. One curved highlight on the glass, and dot the snow last of all.
Stack of wrapped presentsRed, teal, gold, white, raw sienna. Paint the boxes flat, then one ribbon cross per box with a flat brush.
Stocking hung from a mantelpieceRed, white, sap green, burnt umber. Stipple the fluffy cuff with a stiff, nearly dry brush.
String of lights on a dark groundBlack, red, yellow, turquoise, white. Let the bulbs dry, then drybrush a soft halo of each colour round them.
Three baubles hanging at different heightsTeal, gold, red, white. Draw round a coin or a lid, then give all three the highlight on the same side.
Two candy canes crossed under a bowWhite, cadmium red, sap green. Paint both canes white first and add the slanted red stripes once dry.
Watercolour bauble in two colours that bleedCrimson, ultramarine, gold. Wet the circle with clean water, drop in both colours and let them meet.
Watercolour candle with a glow dropped in wetLemon yellow, orange, indigo. Wet a circle round the flame, drop in yellow and bring the dark in from outside it.
Watercolour holly sprig with masked highlightsSap green, phthalo green, crimson. Mask a dot on each berry and the leaf ribs, paint over, and rub off when bone dry.
Watercolour wreath of single-stroke leavesSap green, indigo, crimson. Paint one stroke per leaf round a pencilled ring and add the berries when it is dry.
Wreath of loose green dabs with a red bowSap green, olive, phthalo green, red. Draw round a plate and dab three greens along the line, leaving gaps.
Snowmen, gnomes and animals 23
Angel in silhouette with gold wingsNavy, gold, white. Paint each wing as a fan of single strokes from the shoulder outward.
Gingerbread man with one bite missingBurnt sienna, white, red, raw sienna. Paint the whole biscuit, then cover one arm with the ground colour.
Gnome with a hat pulled over its eyesRed, white, pale grey, peach. Tall triangle hat, round nose, and a beard drybrushed downward in white.
Highland cow with baubles on its hornsRaw sienna, burnt umber, cream, red, gold. Drag the fringe down over the eyes with a worn, splayed brush.
Melting snowman with a smilePale blue, white, orange, black, burnt umber. Paint a white puddle first, then hat, carrot and twig arms on it.
Mouse asleep in a hanging stockingRed, white, pale grey, pink. Only the head, ears and two paws show over the cuff of the stocking.
Nutcracker soldier, head and shouldersRed, black, gold, white, peach. Build the face from rectangles and keep the two sides symmetrical.
Penguin carrying a wrapped presentBlack, white, orange, red, pale blue. One black oval, one white oval inside it, then beak, feet and parcel.
Polar bear in a red scarf under the starsNavy, white, pale blue, red, black. Shade the bear with pale blue, never grey, and flick the stars last.
Red cardinal on a snowy fir boughCadmium red, black, white, phthalo green. Black mask round the beak, crest swept back, beak coral orange.
Red fox asleep under a snowy firBurnt sienna, orange, white, phthalo green, pale blue. Wrap the white-tipped tail round to cover the nose.
Reindeer with lights tangled in its antlersBurnt umber, raw sienna, cream, red, yellow. Paint the antlers first, then loop the wire and dot the bulbs.
Robin on a snowy branchBurnt umber, orange, white, grey. Carry the orange over the face as well as the breast, belly left whitish.
Santa from the nose down: beard, belt and buckleRed, white, black, gold, peach. Stipple the beard with a stiff brush so that it looks thick and woolly.
Santa stuck in a chimney, boots upBrick red, black, white, red, navy. Paint the chimney bricks first, then two boots and a rim of white fur.
Snowman family seen from behindNavy, white, red, phthalo green. Three backs facing a night sky, scarves all blowing the same way.
Snowman looking up at the falling snowPale blue, white, orange, black. Fill the lower half with the head, carrot nose pointing up at the flakes.
Snowy owl on a fence post in falling snowPayne's grey, white, yellow, burnt umber. Paint the owl as one white egg shape, then add grey bars and eyes.
Three gnomes in a row: short, tall, shortRed, sage, mustard, white, peach. Give each hat its own pattern and overlap the beards at the bottom.
Watercolour robin with a soft-edged orange breastOrange, burnt umber, Payne's grey. Wet the face and breast, drop in orange so the edge softens; leave the belly pale.
Watercolour snowman shaded on one side onlyCerulean, orange, Payne's grey. The snowman is bare paper: shade one side pale blue and wash the sky round him.
White dove carrying an olive sprigPale blue, white, grey, olive. Shape the dove with two grey shadows only, under the wing and the belly.
Your own dog in a reindeer-antler headbandMatch the coat from burnt umber, raw sienna, white, black. Block the head from a photo as three flat tones.
How it works
A Christmas painting has a deadline, so these 88 stay small: easy Christmas canvas painting ideas and cards, each with its palette and its one key step. Thirty-two fit a folded card and 16 are a step up.
Read the full guide
Easy Christmas tree painting ideas, three ways
Eighteen ideas are trees, each built differently. Christmas tree from stacked zigzag strokes drags a flat brush side to side, wider on every pass. White tree left behind by masking tape is never painted at all: the blues go over the tape. Palette-knife pines heavy with snow taps thick white on with the knife edge.
Christmas card painting ideas and watercolour
Thirty-two ideas fit a folded A5 card. Robin on a snowy branch is one: carry the orange over the face as well as the breast. The 12 Christmas watercolor painting ideas sit under Watercolour cards, and their snow is bare paper, not white paint. In Watercolour bauble in two colours that bleed, wet paint on wet paper blooms as it likes.
Lights glow only against dark: String of lights on a dark ground starts black, then halos each dry bulb.
Cute Christmas painting ideas get easier without eyes: Gnome with a hat pulled over its eyes skips the hardest part.
Poinsettia from above in two reds: the red parts are leaves called bracts, and the flowers are the yellow centre.
Questions and answers
Which are the easy Christmas painting ideas for beginners?
The ones that need no drawing. Three baubles hanging at different heights are drawn round a coin. Bare-branch tree hung with red baubles prints its baubles with a cotton bud, and Wreath of loose green dabs with a red bow follows a plate.
Which colours do acrylic Christmas painting ideas use most?
White is in 66 of the 88 palettes: snow, frost and highlights. A red or crimson is in 44 and black in 24, then sap green and burnt umber. Mistletoe bunch tied with red ribbon needs red for the ribbon only: the berries are white.
Are there Christmas painting ideas for adults?
Yes: under More filters, A step up holds 16 longer projects. Red ornament close-up with a window reflection rests on one curved white highlight. Blurred fairy lights behind one sharp bauble copies a camera, which turns out-of-focus lights into soft discs.