• 87 ideas

Fall Painting Ideas

Three ideas, each an autumn canvas, its earth-colour palette and the single move it needs, such as a torn sponge.

Fall Painting Ideas

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  1. Dried grasses in a stoneware jugYellow ochre, raw sienna, cream, grey, burnt umber. Flick the plumes upward with a fan brush, lightest strokes last.
  2. Acorns in a row with patterned capsRaw sienna, burnt umber, cream, orange. Pattern each cap differently with a liner: hatching, dots, scales, spirals.
  3. First frost on a stubble fieldYellow ochre, white, pale blue, burnt umber. Drybrush white over the dry stubble rows so the frost sits on top.

Next step Fit a quick one on a mini canvas

All 87 ideas

Easy, about 30 minutes 40

  • Acorns in a row with patterned caps Raw sienna, burnt umber, cream, orange. Pattern each cap differently with a liner: hatching, dots, scales, spirals.
  • Bare branch holding its last five leaves Pale grey, burnt umber, orange, red. Thin the brown a little so the liner brush runs out to a fine twig end.
  • Cob of coloured corn with the husk pulled back Burnt sienna, yellow ochre, purple, cream. Print the kernels with a cotton bud, row by row, mixing the colours.
  • Crow on a fence post, orange field behind Orange, yellow ochre, black, Payne's grey, white. Blur the field, then paint the crow sharp so it jumps forward.
  • Dried grasses in a stoneware jug Yellow ochre, raw sienna, cream, grey, burnt umber. Flick the plumes upward with a fan brush, lightest strokes last.
  • First frost on a stubble field Yellow ochre, white, pale blue, burnt umber. Drybrush white over the dry stubble rows so the frost sits on top.
  • Ginkgo fans in saffron yellow Cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, grey, white. Pull each fan from its rim to the stalk so the brush marks become veins.
  • Gold aspens against a blue sky Cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, white, cerulean, black. Press coin-shaped leaves on with the flat of a round brush.
  • Harvest moon behind bare branches Orange, cadmium yellow, navy, black. Sponge a low orange moon, let it dry, then pull branches across with a liner.
  • Hedgehog with fork-printed spines Burnt umber, raw sienna, cream, black, orange. Press the spines on with the back of a fork dipped in brown.
  • Hillside of sponge-dabbed trees Red, orange, yellow ochre, olive green, burnt umber. Dab each crown with a torn sponge, darkest colour first.
  • Lake shore with one yellow tree Cerulean, white, cadmium yellow, burnt umber, Payne's grey. Pull the tree's colour straight down into the wet water.
  • Lantern glowing on a porch step Black, cadmium yellow, orange, burnt umber. Glaze thin yellow round the dry flame in widening rings for the glow.
  • Latte art leaf in a rust-coloured cup Burnt umber, raw sienna, cream, burnt sienna. Drag a liner brush through the wet cream foam to pull the leaf shape.
  • Leaf in four values of one brown Burnt sienna and white. Mix four steps from pale to full sienna and fill the sections between the veins.
  • Leaf pile with a rake stuck in it Orange, red, yellow, burnt umber, grey. Build the pile from overlapping dabs, dark underneath and bright on top.
  • Leaf prints from real leaves Red, orange, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, cream. Brush paint on the veined underside, press it down, and peel slowly.
  • Leaf shapes left blank in a splatter Navy, orange, yellow, white. Lay real leaves down, splatter over them from a toothbrush, and lift them off.
  • Leaves blowing across a grey sky Payne's grey, white, orange, red, yellow. Scrub a stormy sky, then flick leaf dashes that all lean the same way.
  • Leaves spiralling down a teal canvas Teal, orange, yellow, red, white. Keep the ground flat and the leaves few, smaller and paler towards the top.
  • Lone red maple in a mown field Red, alizarin crimson, yellow ochre, cerulean, burnt umber. Stipple the crown with a worn brush held upright.
  • Low sun through bare trunks Cadmium yellow, orange, burnt umber, black. Paint the glow first, then the trunks and the shadows they throw at you.
  • Marshmallow toasting over embers Black, orange, red, cadmium yellow, cream. Blend the ember glow up into black and brown one side of the marshmallow.
  • Mouse climbing an ear of wheat Raw sienna, cream, yellow ochre, pale blue, black. Bend the stalk under the mouse's weight and blur the ground.
  • One leaf with veins scratched through wet paint Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, red. Let the ochre dry, coat it with sienna, and scratch the veins while that is wet.
  • Orange tree line under flat blue Orange, burnt sienna, cerulean, white. Keep the sky one flat blue, since blue and orange brighten each other.
  • Pumpkin cropped until the ribs fill the canvas Orange, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, olive green. Blend each rib from yellow at its crest to sienna in the groove.
  • Pumpkin pie with one slice out Burnt sienna, orange, cream, burnt umber. Drybrush a darker ring round the filling so that it looks baked.
  • Pumpkin vine with one curling tendril Orange, sap green, olive green, cream. Thin the green a little and spiral the tendril in one pull of a liner brush.
  • Round hay bales at golden hour Yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, lavender. Spiral each bale end with a dry brush and lay long shadows.
  • Rowan berries on a bare twig Red, orange, white, burnt umber, pale grey. Print each berry with a cotton bud and add one white dot of shine.
  • Scarecrow against an evening sky Orange, magenta, yellow ochre, burnt umber, black. Blend the sky wet, then paint the scarecrow as a flat dark shape.
  • Sheaf of wheat tied with red twine Yellow ochre, raw sienna, white, red, navy. Flick each ear outward with a liner brush over a dry navy ground.
  • Single maple leaf, red at the tips Cadmium yellow, orange, red, burnt umber. Blend yellow at the stalk to red at the points while all three are wet.
  • Stag in morning mist Payne's grey, white, yellow ochre, burnt umber. Paint the stag one flat grey, paler than the grass in front of it.
  • Tree crown printed with a scrunched paper ball Burnt umber, red, orange, cadmium yellow, pale blue. Dip crumpled paper in each colour and press, darkest first.
  • Umbrella from above on a leafy pavement Red, grey, orange, yellow ochre, burnt umber. Eight wedges from one centre, every other wedge a shade darker.
  • V of geese over a marsh at dusk Peach, lavender, yellow ochre, black. Blend the sky wet, flick the reeds up, and tick in the geese once it is dry.
  • White and orange pumpkins on a hay bale Cream, orange, yellow ochre, burnt umber. Drybrush the hay in short crossing strokes and keep the pumpkins smooth.
  • Yellow wellies in a leafy puddle Cadmium yellow, grey, orange, burnt umber, white. Add the reflection upside down and break it with two ripple lines.

About an hour 47

  • Apple tree with a ladder against it Sap green, red, burnt umber, yellow ochre, cerulean. Print the apples with a cotton bud over the dry sponged crown.
  • Basket of apples tipped over Red, alizarin crimson, yellow, burnt umber, white. One white dab on the same side of every apple sets the light.
  • Birch trunks with falling leaves Yellow ochre, white, black, orange, red. Paint white trunks on the dry ochre ground, then dot leaves with a cotton bud.
  • Bowl of pears and walnuts Yellow ochre, olive green, burnt sienna, cream, grey. Glaze thin sienna over the dry pears on their shadow side.
  • Branch of crab apples against pale blue Red, yellow ochre, burnt umber, pale blue, white. Blend each apple from ochre to red and hang them in threes.
  • Brown mushrooms pushing through leaf litter Raw sienna, burnt umber, cream, orange, olive green. Drybrush pale gills under each cap, fanning out from the stalk.
  • Cabin with chimney smoke in orange woods Burnt umber, orange, red, white, grey. Smudge the smoke sideways with a cotton bud while the grey is still wet.
  • Cable-knit sweater close-up Cream, yellow ochre, grey, white. Lay the paint on thick with a knife and press the cables in with a brush handle.
  • Conkers splitting out of green husks Burnt sienna, burnt umber, olive green, cream, white. Glaze sienna over dry umber and add one curved white shine.
  • Country road under an orange canopy Orange, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, burnt umber, grey. Narrow the road to a point and sponge the canopy over it.
  • Covered bridge over a creek Red, burnt umber, orange, yellow ochre, cerulean. Block in the bridge first, then sponge foliage across its corners.
  • Crate of gourds in odd shapes Olive green, orange, cream, yellow, burnt umber. Stripe each gourd with a liner brush, following its curve.
  • Dew beads on a spider web at dawn Payne's grey, peach, white. Blend a soft ground, then dot white beads along fine liner threads, biggest at the sags.
  • Dried hydrangea head in rust and mauve Burnt sienna, mauve, cream, olive green. Dab four-petal florets with a small flat brush, leaving dark gaps between.
  • Foggy lake with one red canoe Payne's grey, white, burnt sienna, red. Scumble thin white over the dry far shore until it nearly disappears.
  • Fox asleep in a drift of leaves Orange, burnt sienna, white, black, yellow ochre. Drybrush the white tail tip so that the fur looks soft.
  • Front door with a wreath and two pumpkins Navy, orange, red, cream, burnt umber. Tape the door panels for straight edges and sponge the wreath on last.
  • Ginger cat on a windowsill watching leaves Orange, burnt sienna, cream, grey, yellow. Paint the cat from behind as one rounded shape with two ears and a tail.
  • Grid of nine leaves, nine shapes Cream, red, orange, yellow ochre, olive green. Tape the grid and give each square one flat leaf in its own colour.
  • Late sunflowers with heavy heads Yellow ochre, burnt umber, olive green, cerulean. Stipple the seed heads dark, then drybrush a few tired petals.
  • Maple avenue from the middle of the road Red, orange, grey, burnt umber, cadmium yellow. Make each trunk shorter, thinner and paler than the one in front.
  • Mini pumpkins on a checked cloth Orange, cream, red, white, burnt umber. Tape and paint the checks first, then sit each pumpkin on its own shadow.
  • Oak sprig with three acorns Burnt sienna, yellow ochre, olive green, burnt umber. Crosshatch the acorn caps with a liner brush.
  • Old red truck with a load of pumpkins Red, orange, grey, burnt umber, cream. Paint the truck flat red, let it dry, then pile pumpkins over the tailgate.
  • Old tractor at the edge of a cut field Red, burnt umber, yellow ochre, grey, cerulean. Block the tractor as two boxes and two circles before any detail.
  • One pumpkin lit from the left Orange, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, white, ultramarine. Yellow on the lit ribs, sienna on the far side, blue shadow.
  • Orange lantern pods on a dark ground Orange, red, yellow ochre, Payne's grey. Shape each papery pod like a pointed heart and rib it with a liner.
  • Owl in a tree hollow Burnt umber, raw sienna, cream, yellow, black. Drag bark lines down with a card edge round an oval hollow.
  • Park bench buried in leaves Burnt umber, grey, orange, yellow, red. Paint the bench dark and plain, then flick leaf dabs over the seat and ground.
  • Porch steps with pumpkins and potted chrysanthemums Orange, cream, burnt sienna, yellow, grey. Stipple each flower dome with a worn brush, dark base to light top.
  • Pumpkin patch at sunset Orange, yellow, magenta, burnt umber, olive green. Blend the sky, then shrink the pumpkins row by row to the horizon.
  • Rainy window with orange blur behind Orange, yellow ochre, grey, white. Blur the colours wet, let them dry, then give each drop a highlight and a shadow.
  • Red creeper climbing a brick wall Red, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, grey, cream. Print the bricks with a sponge block, then fan five leaflets a leaf.
  • Red squirrel holding an acorn Burnt sienna, orange, cream, burnt umber. Flick the tail outward with a fan brush, dark strokes before light.
  • Row of jam jars catching the light Red, orange, yellow ochre, white. Glaze thin red over a dry yellow jar so the jam glows, then add one white glint.
  • Stack of three heirloom pumpkins Orange, sage green, cream, burnt umber. Curve every rib stroke from stem to base so each pumpkin looks round.
  • Steaming mug on a plaid blanket Cream, red, burnt umber, white, grey. Tape the plaid stripes, glaze the crossings darker, and smudge in the steam.
  • Stone wall along a leafy lane Grey, burnt umber, yellow ochre, orange, olive green. Print the stones with a cut sponge and leave dark gaps between.
  • Stream carrying fallen leaves Payne's grey, ultramarine, orange, yellow, white. Paint dark water first, then float leaf dabs and thin white ripples.
  • Three pine cones seen from above Burnt umber, raw sienna, cream, olive green. Build each cone from rings of short scale strokes tipped with cream.
  • Treetops seen from the forest floor Cerulean, white, orange, red, burnt umber. Lean trunks in from every edge and sponge leaves round the gap of sky.
  • Tyre swing under a turning oak Burnt sienna, orange, olive green, burnt umber, black. Sponge the crown in three colours and hang the swing last.
  • Valley mist with treetops poking through White, Payne's grey, orange, burnt sienna. Scumble white across the dry valley, then repaint the nearest treetops.
  • Vineyard rows turning gold Yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, olive green, purple. Run every row to one point on the horizon.
  • Wheelbarrow full of pumpkins Orange, grey, burnt umber, olive green, yellow ochre. Overlap the pumpkins so that only the front one shows whole.
  • Wool socks warming by the fire Red, cream, orange, cadmium yellow, black. Blend the fire glow wet, then paint the socks dark with one lit edge.
  • Wreath of leaves in a warm gradient Yellow, orange, red, burnt sienna, cream. Work round the ring from yellow to deep red, one leaf for each brush press.

How it works

Autumn comes with its own paint box: orange, burnt umber and yellow ochre lead these 87 fall painting ideas. Under every name sit the palette and one move: a torn sponge, a scumble of white, a leaf as a stamp.

Read the full guide

Fall canvas painting ideas by time and subject

Time, under the button, splits the list into 40 easy half-hour ideas and 47 of about an hour. Subject, under More filters, adds four themes, and the two combine: every pair holds at least eight ideas.

Why autumn runs on earth colours

Burnt sienna is raw sienna after heating: a yellowish brown clay turned reddish brown. A leaf colours in the order you should paint it. Its yellow and orange are there all summer, hidden under green, while the reds are made fresh as summer ends. So lay yellow first and tip it with red. Blue and orange are opposites, so one flat blue sky makes every orange tree look brighter.

  • Hillside of sponge-dabbed trees leads the easy fall painting ideas for beginners: a torn sponge hides every wobble.
  • Print with leaves that are still soft and flat, and paint the underside, where the veins stand proud.
  • Fog is a scumble: thin, nearly dry white dragged over dry paint. Fade the far shore most.

Questions and answers

Which simple fall painting ideas suit a first canvas?

Try Orange tree line under flat blue, Harvest moon behind bare branches or Leaf in four values of one brown. Each is a flat ground plus one move. Let the moon dry before the branches cross it, or the liner drags orange into the black.

Which colours do these autumn painting ideas need?

Orange is in 55 of the 87 palettes and burnt umber in 48. Yellow ochre and red follow with 35 each, then white, cream and burnt sienna. Payne's grey stands in for black in nine. Ten ideas want a sponge and ten a liner brush.

Are there pumpkin painting ideas on canvas?

Nine, plus one pie, under Pumpkins and harvest. Pumpkin cropped until the ribs fill the canvas blends each rib from yellow at its crest to sienna in the groove. For the vegetable itself, see pumpkin painting ideas.

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