• 174 ideas

Easy Painting Ideas With a Palette and One Technique Each

Three ideas: easy and fun things to paint, each with its colours and the one technique it depends on.

Easy Painting Ideas With a Palette and One Technique Each

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  1. Blended rainbow heartSix colours and white. Tape or stencil a heart and blend the rainbow across it.
  2. Tropical sunset with birdsYellow, orange, red, black. A sun half sunk on the horizon, and three small M-shaped birds.
  3. Lightning over a fieldPayne's grey, purple, white. Paint dark clouds, then one jagged white line that forks twice.

Next step Shrink it to a mini canvas

All 174 ideas

About 30 minutes 96

  • Anchor and rope Navy, white, red. Paint a striped ground first, and put the anchor on top once it is dry.
  • Avocado halves, one with the stone Dark green, lime, yellow, burnt umber. Blend lime into yellow towards the middle. One half keeps the stone.
  • Bamboo stalks in single brush presses Sap green, yellow, white, black. One press of a flat brush makes a segment. Leave a gap at each joint.
  • Beach seen from above Turquoise, white, yellow ochre. Dab the foam line with a sponge where the sea meets the sand.
  • Birdhouse on a post Cerulean, white, red, burnt umber. A box, a roof, a round hole and one small bird on the perch.
  • Birds on a wire at sunset Yellow, coral, purple, black. Two sagging lines and a row of small oval birds in flat black.
  • Black cat with big eyes Teal, black, yellow, white. A black head shape, two large yellow eyes and white whisker lines.
  • Blended rainbow heart Six colours and white. Tape or stencil a heart and blend the rainbow across it.
  • Brushstroke rainbow stacked like swatches Seven colours. One loaded stroke with a flat brush for each colour, stacked like paint swatches.
  • Bubble wrap honeycomb Yellow, orange, white. Brush paint on to bubble wrap and press it down in overlapping patches.
  • Bunch of balloons Five brights, white, grey. Overlapping ovals, a white shine on each and strings gathered at one point.
  • Cactus in a terracotta pot Sap green, yellow, burnt sienna, white. Add the spines last, as tiny white V marks.
  • Campfire sparks at night Black, red, orange, yellow. Build the flames from dark to light, and dot the sparks with a fine brush.
  • Candle in the dark Black, burnt umber, orange, yellow, white. Drybrush rings of glow outwards from the flame.
  • Canyon in bands Burnt sienna, yellow ochre, red, white. Stack wavy horizontal bands, lighter towards the top.
  • Cat on a fence under the moon Navy, white, black. A large pale moon, with the cat and the fence in flat black in front of it.
  • Cherry blossom branch dabbed in two pinks Pale blue, burnt umber, pink, white. Dab the blossom with a cotton bud in two pinks.
  • Coffee from above Burnt umber, cream, white, grey. A circle of brown, with a cream swirl dragged through it while wet.
  • Colour-block arches in terracotta and mustard Terracotta, mustard, blush, cream. Paint nested arches freehand with a flat brush, wide to narrow.
  • Concentric circles grown from one dot Five colours. Start with a dot and ring it again and again until the rings touch the edges.
  • Constellation map ruled on navy Navy, white. Dot the stars with a brush handle, and join them with thin ruled lines.
  • Cotton bud sunset Yellow, orange, pink, purple. Rows of dots instead of blending, changing colour a little in each row.
  • Crescent moon among clouds Navy, white, a little black. Scrub the cloud edges with a nearly dry brush so that they stay soft.
  • Cyclist silhouette at sunset Yellow, orange, magenta, black. Blend the sky, then paint the rider and one hill in flat black.
  • Daisies on a blue ground Cerulean, white, yellow. Press and lift a round brush once for each petal.
  • Dandelion clock with a fan brush Teal, white, dark green. Tap the fan brush outwards from the centre to make the seed heads.
  • Desert dusk with cactus shapes Orange, magenta, purple, black. Blend a smooth sky, then add flat black cacti along the bottom.
  • Dog on a hill at dusk Peach, lavender, black. Blend the sky, then paint the hill and the dog's outline in black.
  • Doughnut with sprinkles Pink, yellow ochre, white, brights. The sprinkles are single short strokes with a fine brush.
  • Drybrush crosshatch on a dark ground Three colours on a dark ground. Drag a nearly dry brush one way, then across it.
  • Eclipse ring glowing on black Black, white, orange. Paint a white disc, cover most of it with black, and drybrush the glow outwards.
  • Elephant on the horizon at sunset Yellow, orange, red, black. The animal, one flat-topped tree and the ground are a single black shape.
  • Eucalyptus stems in a dusty green Sap green, white, a little blue, burnt umber. Mix a dusty green and paint round leaves in pairs.
  • Falling autumn leaves Cream, orange, red, yellow ochre, burnt umber. Scatter simple leaf shapes and tilt every one differently.
  • Forget-me-nots in a loose dotted cluster Cerulean, white, yellow, sap green. Five blue dots round one yellow dot, repeated in a loose cluster.
  • Full moon over still water Ultramarine, black, white. Drag short white dashes under the moon for the reflection.
  • Glowing tent under the stars Navy, black, orange, yellow, white. Paint the tent in yellow, then glaze orange around its edges.
  • Gold line on navy Navy, metallic gold. Coat the canvas flat, let it dry, then paint one continuous wandering line.
  • Goldfish in a bowl Pale blue, orange, white, grey. Paint the water shape first, then the fish, then a white shine on the glass.
  • Green hills with one tree Sap green, yellow, cerulean, white. Overlap three hill curves, each a slightly different green.
  • Ivy climbing a wall Brick red, grey, two greens. Sponge the bricks through a gap cut in card, then paint ivy across them.
  • Jar of fireflies Navy, black, yellow, white. Dot in white, then glaze yellow round each dot for the glow.
  • Ladybird on a leaf Sap green, yellow, red, black, white. One big leaf fills the canvas, and the beetle sits off-centre.
  • Landscape in five bands Navy, teal, sand, coral, cream. Five wavy stripes that suggest sky, hills and shore.
  • Lavender sprigs in a jar Purple, white, sap green, grey. The stems are single strokes, and the buds are pairs of small dabs.
  • Layered sand dunes Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, white, pale blue. Each dune has a sunlit face and a shaded one.
  • Lemon slice pattern Yellow, white, pale blue. Yellow circles, a white ring and white spokes, repeated across the canvas.
  • Lightning over a field Payne's grey, purple, white. Paint dark clouds, then one jagged white line that forks twice.
  • Monstera leaf with cut-back slits Phthalo green, yellow, white. Paint a solid heart shape, then cut the slits back in with the background colour.
  • Moon phases in a row Navy, white, grey. Seven discs, each one part covered by a curve of the ground colour.
  • Mountain range in five layers Ultramarine and white. Mix five steps from pale to dark, and paint the palest ridge first.
  • Olive branch wreath Sap green, yellow ochre, white. Draw a circle lightly in pencil and hang paired leaves along it.
  • One large poppy Cadmium red, black, sap green, white. Four big overlapping petals and a dark centre dabbed with a stiff brush.
  • One-colour fade from top to bottom One colour and white. Work from pure colour at the top to white at the bottom, blending as you go.
  • One-line face over colour blobs Blush, mustard, sage, black. Paint three loose blobs. When they are dry, add a face in one line.
  • Owl on a branch Purple, navy, yellow, black. A blended dusk sky, a black owl and two yellow eyes.
  • Painted with a card edge Three colours and white. Dip the edge of a piece of card in paint and pull short lines with it.
  • Pair of cherries with a white shine Alizarin crimson, red, white, sap green. One curved white highlight on each fruit makes them shine.
  • Palette knife colour field Three neighbouring colours and white. Spread thick paint like butter and leave the knife marks showing.
  • Palm island at sunset Orange, pink, purple, black. A blended sky, a low black island and two leaning palms.
  • Palm leaf pattern Two greens, pink, white. Fill a pink ground with overlapping fronds painted in single strokes.
  • Paper boats on a puddle Grey, white, red, yellow. Three folded boat shapes with a wobbly reflection under each.
  • Penguin on the ice Pale blue, white, black, orange. Simple stacked ovals, and a shadow in blue rather than grey.
  • Pink evening clouds Pink, peach, lavender, white. Scrub in soft horizontal streaks with a flat brush.
  • Planet with two moons Black, turquoise, purple, white. Paint a flat disc, then drybrush curved bands across it.
  • Prints pressed from real leaves Two greens, yellow, white. Brush paint on the back of a real leaf and press it on to the canvas.
  • Rainbow over hills after rain Grey, white, green, plus six rainbow colours. Use a flat brush and one arc for each band.
  • Red umbrella in grey rain Payne's grey, white, cadmium red. Everything stays grey apart from the umbrella.
  • Reeds at sunset Orange, yellow, purple, black. Blend the sky, then paint black reeds and their oval heads.
  • Row of tulips Red, pink, yellow, sap green, white. One egg shape for each flower, and one long stroke for each leaf.
  • Sailboat at sunset Yellow, orange, red, black. A horizontal blend for the sky and sea, then one black sail and hull.
  • Shooting star over mountains Navy, purple, white, black. Splatter the stars first, then pull one streak with a fine brush.
  • Snake plant in a pot Dark green, yellow, white, terracotta. Tall pointed blades with a yellow edge on each.
  • Snowy hill with pines at dusk Pink, lavender, white, dark green. Blend the dusk sky while wet. The snow is the last, thickest layer.
  • Splatter on white Three colours, thinned a little. Load a brush, tap it over a second brush, and cover the table first.
  • Sponged galaxy with toothbrush stars Black, ultramarine, purple, magenta, white. Dab with a damp sponge, then flick white stars from a toothbrush.
  • Sponged leaf stencil White, two greens. Hold a real leaf flat and sponge around it to leave its shape behind.
  • Starfish on sand Yellow ochre, white, coral, burnt sienna. Sponge the sand in two tones, and dot the starfish with thick paint.
  • String lights across a dusk sky Purple, pink, black, yellow, white. Two sagging black lines, with yellow dots that have white centres.
  • Sunburst from one corner Six warm colours. Tape rays fanning out from a corner and paint one colour in each.
  • Sunset gradient with a black tree Yellow, orange, magenta, black. Blend the sky bands while wet. Paint the tree once the sky is dry.
  • Tape-resist triangles in four colours Any four colours and white. Tape a web of lines, fill each shape, then peel.
  • Taped monogram under a colour blend Any blend, plus tape. Tape your initial, paint a blend over the whole canvas, and peel to reveal it.
  • Taped sunset stripes Yellow, orange, pink, purple, navy. Tape even stripes, then paint one colour into each.
  • Teal feather flicked from a centre line Teal, turquoise, white, black. Flick outwards from a centre line with a fine brush, and leave two gaps.
  • Terrazzo chips on a cream ground Cream ground, terracotta, mustard, sage, black. Scatter small angular shapes and turn each one a different way.
  • Three cumulus clouds Cerulean, white, a touch of burnt sienna. Give each cloud a flat grey base and a bright top.
  • Three seashells on sponged sand Cream, pink, burnt sienna, white. Sponge a sandy ground, then paint a fan, a spiral and a cone.
  • Tilted drips running from the top edge Four colours thinned with water. Put drops along the top edge and tilt the canvas so that they run.
  • Tree with a heart-shaped crown Red, pink, white, burnt umber. Stamp the crown with a cotton bud inside a pencil heart.
  • Tropical sunset with birds Yellow, orange, red, black. A sun half sunk on the horizon, and three small M-shaped birds.
  • Watermelon slice fading red to pink Red, pink, white, green, black. Blend red into pink towards the rind, and add the seeds last.
  • Wellies full of flowers Yellow, white, green, pink, grey. Two simple boot shapes, with daisies spilling out of the tops.
  • Whale tail at sunset Yellow, orange, pink, black. A blended sky and sea, with the tail and its drips in flat black.
  • Wheat stems on a plain ground Cream, yellow ochre, burnt sienna. Pairs of short angled dabs climbing a thin stem.
  • White pumpkin on a dark ground Black, white, grey, sap green. Shade between the ribs with grey, and keep the tops of the ribs white.

About an hour 78

  • Autumn road lined with trees Burnt umber, orange, red, yellow, grey. Dab the foliage with a sponge in three warm colours.
  • Autumn trees mirrored in a pond Orange, red, yellow, burnt umber, blue. Paint the trees, then drag a softer copy downwards.
  • Beach chair and parasol Cerulean, yellow ochre, white, red. Tape the horizon, and stripe the parasol with a flat brush.
  • Bicycle with a flower basket Mint, black, white, pink, green. Use a cup rim to print the two wheel circles.
  • Birch trees with masking tape Pale blue, white, black. Tape the trunks, paint the sky over them, peel, then add bark with a card edge.
  • Books and a cup Three muted colours, white, burnt umber. Stack three flat boxes and stand the cup on top.
  • Bouquet in a jam jar Pink, yellow, white, sap green, grey. Paint the leaves first, then put the flowers over them.
  • Breaking wave with palette-knife foam Phthalo blue, turquoise, white. Load a palette knife with thick white for the foam along the crest.
  • Bridge in fog Grey, white, burnt umber. Paint the near tower dark and the far tower almost the colour of the sky.
  • Bright front door One bold colour, white, grey, green. A door, a step, a letterbox and two plant pots.
  • Bumblebee on honeycomb Yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, black, white. Print the comb with bubble wrap, then paint the bee on top.
  • Camper van at the beach Turquoise, white, yellow ochre, cerulean. A two-tone van, side on, with a surfboard on the roof.
  • City skyline with reflections Black, ultramarine, yellow, white. Drag the wet window lights down into the water with a dry brush.
  • Colour wheel mixed from three primaries Red, yellow, blue. Mix the three secondaries and the six steps between, then paint twelve wedges.
  • Contour map lines Two greens, cream. Nested wobbly rings, like the height lines on a walking map.
  • Cotton bud blossom tree Pale blue, burnt umber, pink, white. Bundle five cotton buds together with a band and stamp the blossom.
  • Faceted mountains with tape Greys, blues, white. Tape triangles inside a mountain outline and shade each facet differently.
  • Field of poppies Sap green, cadmium red, black, cerulean. Make each red dab bigger near the bottom of the canvas.
  • Five spheres in one colour One colour, black, white. Give each sphere a highlight, a mid tone, a shadow and a cast shadow.
  • Flamingo on a plain turquoise ground Pink, coral, white, black, turquoise. An S neck and an oval body on a plain turquoise ground.
  • Foggy sunrise over a lake Peach, pale yellow, grey, white. Glaze thin white over the dry far shore to push it into the fog.
  • Fox face from taped facets Orange, white, burnt umber, black. Tape the face into triangles and fill each with a flat tone.
  • Frozen lake and bare trees White, Payne's grey, pale blue. Use a fine brush for branches and thin the paint a little so it flows.
  • Gingham check in one glazed colour One colour and glazing medium. Cross thin stripes with a flat brush. The overlaps turn darker by themselves.
  • Glowing jellyfish on a navy sea Navy, turquoise, pink, white. Glaze thin colour over a white bell, and drybrush the tentacles.
  • Gradient grid of taped squares Two colours and white. A grid of taped squares that shifts one mixing step at a time.
  • Guitar, cropped close Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, black, white. Crop in to the sound hole and strings and let the body run off the edges.
  • Hanging wisteria in cotton bud dots Purple, white, sap green, burnt umber. Dot with a cotton bud, wide at the top and tapering to one dot.
  • Harbour with three boats Cerulean, white, red, yellow, grey. Simple hulls, with a wobbly mirror image under each one.
  • Hot air balloons at dawn Pale blue, peach, red, yellow, white. Paint a soft sky first, then one large balloon and two small.
  • Hydrangea head built from four-petal dabs Ultramarine, purple, white, sap green. Build the ball from four-petal dabs, darker on the shaded side.
  • Lavender field in rows Purple, white, sap green, yellow. Dab with the tip of a round brush, smaller towards the horizon.
  • Lemon branch on a pale blue ground Cadmium yellow, white, sap green, pale blue. Shade each lemon with a little orange on its lower edge.
  • Lighthouse on a cliff Cerulean, white, red, burnt umber. Block in sky, sea and cliff before the tower goes on top.
  • Loose peony with petals blended wet Pink, magenta, white, sap green. Work wet, and let the petal strokes blend into each other at the centre.
  • Mid-century boomerangs and starbursts Mustard, teal, orange, cream, black. Boomerangs, starbursts and ovals, spaced evenly.
  • Mirrored butterfly in black and three brights Black, plus three brights. Paint one wing, then copy it shape by shape on the other side.
  • Misty pine forest Payne's grey, white, sap green. Paint each row of trees paler than the row in front of it.
  • Moonlit path through trees Black, ultramarine, white. Light one side of each trunk with a single pale stroke.
  • Mosaic squares pressed with a flat brush Six colours. Press a flat brush once for each tile, and leave a hairline gap between the tiles.
  • Mushrooms in moss Red, white, burnt umber, sap green. Sponge the moss, and dot the caps last.
  • Northern lights over pines Black, phthalo green, turquoise, white. Pull the wet green upwards with a clean dry flat brush.
  • One tree in four seasons Pink, green, orange, white, brown. Split the canvas in four with tape, one season in each quarter.
  • Overlapping fan waves Navy, white, pale blue. Rows of half circles, with each row covering the gaps in the row above.
  • Overlapping see-through circles Three colours and glazing medium. Thin each colour to a glaze so that the overlaps mix a new one.
  • Palette knife flowers Any three brights, green and white. Press thick paint on and leave the ridges standing.
  • Paper lanterns at night Navy, red, orange, yellow. Glaze orange around each lantern to make it glow.
  • Pattern scratched through wet black Brights underneath, black on top. When the brights are dry, coat with black and scratch a design through it while wet.
  • Pear in three tones Yellow ochre, sap green, burnt umber, white. Light side, middle tone and shadow side, plus a cast shadow.
  • Pier stretching into a lake Cerulean, white, burnt umber, grey. Every plank line aims at one point on the horizon.
  • Pine branch with cones Dark green, sap green, burnt umber, white. Flick the needles outwards with a fine brush, from dark to light.
  • Poppies and daisies from below Cerulean, red, white, yellow, green. Low viewpoint: long stems reaching up into a plain sky.
  • Red barn in a yellow field Cadmium red, white, yellow ochre, cerulean. Tape the horizon to keep the line straight.
  • Ring-on-ring dot round on navy Navy ground, white, turquoise, gold. Use the end of a brush handle, working outwards from the centre in rings.
  • River bend at golden hour Yellow ochre, orange, sap green, burnt umber. Let the river repeat the colours of the sky.
  • Rose built from a spiral Alizarin crimson, white, sap green. Start with a dark spiral, and wrap it in lighter C-shaped strokes.
  • Row of colourful houses Five pastels, white, grey. Tape the vertical edges, and give each house its own colour and roof line.
  • Row of pressed-flower stems Off-white, green, pink, blue, yellow. Five different stems side by side, as in a botanical chart.
  • Sea turtle from above Turquoise, sap green, yellow ochre, white. Pattern the shell with a lighter outline round each plate.
  • Sea view through an open window White, cerulean, turquoise, grey. Tape the window frame for clean edges, and peel it at the end.
  • Sheep in a field Sap green, cerulean, white, black. Sponge the wool in white over a grey oval.
  • Snowy cabin with a lit window Navy, white, burnt umber, yellow. Keep the whole painting cool, and save the yellow for the window.
  • Stained glass shapes Black, plus five brights. Paint the flat colour shapes first, and outline every one in black at the end.
  • Storm clouds over the sea Payne's grey, white, ultramarine. Work dark to light, and leave a gap of pale sky at the horizon.
  • Sunflower close-up in thick knife petals Cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, burnt umber, green. Lay the petals on thick with a palette knife.
  • Teapot and cup Cerulean, white, grey, yellow. Paint both white, then shade one side with pale grey.
  • Thistle with a drybrushed spiky head Purple, magenta, sap green, white. Drybrush the spiky head upwards from a round green base.
  • Three ice cream cones Pink, mint, cream, yellow ochre. Thick paint for the scoops, and thin crossed lines for the cones.
  • Three succulents tipped in pink Sap green, turquoise, pink, white, grey. Work from the centre out, and tip each petal in pink.
  • Three-colour pour tilted across the canvas Three colours thinned with pouring medium, and white. Layer them in a cup, pour, and tilt the canvas.
  • Trailing plant on a shelf White, grey, sap green, yellow. Heart-shaped leaves along a vine that runs off the bottom edge.
  • Two koi circling Phthalo blue, white, orange, black. Drybrush pale ripple rings over the dry blue ground.
  • Water lilies on a pond Phthalo green, ultramarine, white, pink. Flat oval pads first, then petals in short pointed strokes.
  • Waterfall between rocks Payne's grey, white, sap green. Drag white down over dry grey with a nearly dry brush.
  • Wavy checkerboard in two colours Two colours. Draw wavy grid lines in pencil and fill every other cell.
  • Wheat field under a big sky Yellow ochre, white, cerulean, burnt sienna. Flick the wheat upwards with a dry brush.
  • Wildflower meadow flicked with a fan brush Green, white, yellow, red, purple. Flick the grass with a fan brush, then dot the flowers on top.
  • Windmill in a tulip field Cerulean, white, red, yellow, green. Paint the tulips as rows of dabs that shrink with distance.

How it works

Easy painting ideas for beginners work when each asks for one new skill. These 174 small acrylic canvases name their colours and one technique, such as a wet blend or tape: easy canvas painting ideas for beginners.

Read the full guide

Ideas for things to paint, each with a palette and one step

Every result is a picture you could start tonight, never a bare noun: the line underneath gives its palette, then the step it depends on. Time splits the list into 96 half-hour ideas and 78 of about an hour. They are easy painting ideas on canvases of about 8 by 10 inches; on a bigger one, use a wider brush and allow longer.

Why these are acrylic painting ideas on canvas

A thin coat of acrylic is usually dry in 10 to 20 minutes, and dry acrylic resists water. So blend a sky in one go, with every colour squeezed out first. A silhouette can wait until after a tea break without lifting the sky, which is why so many half-hour ideas are a blend under black shapes.

  • Unique painting ideas come from swapping palette, not subject: Mountain range in five layers takes any one colour plus white.
  • Keep the pencil light: the only things to draw on a canvas first are a horizon and the big shapes.
  • Paint bleeds under a loose tape edge, so press the tape down hard first.

Questions and answers

What should I paint if I have never painted before?

Great things to paint first are a blended sky and a silhouette, such as Sunset gradient with a black tree: the black goes on once the sky is dry. Tape-resist triangles in four colours is the other safe start, because the tape does the drawing.

What do these easy acrylic painting ideas need?

White is in 125 of the 174 palettes, so buy a big tube. Black and yellow come next, then sap green, orange, red and pink. Payne's grey stands in for black in six ideas. Add a wide flat brush, a round and a liner.

Are these painting ideas for adults or for children?

For adults and teenagers new to paint. Abstract and pattern doubles as canvas art ideas for a wall, since Gold line on navy needs no drawing. Younger painters have painting ideas for kids, sorted by how much adult help each project needs.

Is this a random painting generator?

Yes. As a random painting idea generator it repeats nothing until all 174 paint prompts have come up. Time sits under the button and Subject under More filters, and the two combine.

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