Palomino: gold coat; mane and tail whiteGold, cream, white, brown. Paint the coat gold and pull the mane and tail in white and cream.
Horse on a hilltop under the first three starsIndigo, orange, black, white. Blend orange up into indigo and dot three stars with a cotton swab.
Muzzle and whiskers close up, breath steaming in cold airGray, pink, white, black. Dab two soft white puffs above the nostrils with a sponge and fade their top edges.
Black horse, neck curved in a C, looking behind itBlack, blue, white. Curve the neck in a C and stroke blue along the top of the black coat.
Braided mane along a curved neck, a knot for every braidBlack, tan, red. Dab a row of small knots along the crest and tie the last with red.
Dark eye filling the canvas, a fence mirrored in its shineBrown, black, white, blue. Paint the eye as a dark almond and add a small pale fence shape in its shine.
Flat brown head in profile: a long wedge, an eye, a nostrilBrown, cream, black. Paint the head as one long wedge on a cream ground and add the eye and nostril last.
Forelock flopping over one eye, nose toward the viewerTan, cream, black, pink. Paint the face as a long U and drop a tuft of hair between the ears.
Head study in dark, middle and light blue onlyNavy, blue, pale blue. Block the shadows dark, the lit planes pale and everything else in the middle blue.
Muzzle and whiskers close up, breath steaming in cold airGray, pink, white, black. Dab two soft white puffs above the nostrils with a sponge and fade their top edges.
Shaggy pony face almost hidden under its own maneCream, tan, brown. Pull the mane down over the eyes in heavy dry-brush strokes.
Two heads over a stable half door, one dark, one lightBrown, cream, green, black. Paint the half door as a green band and rest both chins on it.
Two pricked ears and a strip of mane, seen from the saddleBrown, black, green, sky blue. Paint the ears and mane at the bottom edge with the field beyond them.
White stripe down a chestnut face, seen from the frontChestnut red, white, black, pink. Paint the face chestnut and lay a white stripe from forehead to nose.
Wind lifting a black mane straight up off the neckBlack, brown, pale blue, white. Pull the mane upward in long strokes with a liner brush.
Running and jumping 12
Dust rolling up behind a horse crossing dry groundOcher, brown, cream. Scrub a dry-brush cloud low behind the back hooves.
Foal kicking up its heels in spring grassTan, cream, green, yellow. Tip the foal forward with both back legs in the air.
Galloping horse as a single brush-stroke bodyBlack, cream. Sweep one curved stroke for the back and belly and add four fine legs.
Gray horse stepping high, a front and a back leg liftedGray, white, black. Lift the front leg on one side and the back leg on the other.
Hedge jump side on, the rider folded low along the neckGreen, brown, red, cream. Keep the rider small and bent forward along the neck.
Horse in mid-jump over a red and white railBrown, white, red, green. Arc the body over the rail with the front legs folded under.
Horse splashing through a shallow riverBrown, white, blue, green. Pull white splashes upward from each hoof with a liner brush.
One stride shown as four small horses in a rowBrown, cream. Paint four small horses in a row: legs gathered, stretched, gathered, stretched.
Rocking-horse gallop: legs stretched out front and backRed, white, black. Paint the legs stretched out in two pairs, the way a rocking horse stands.
Small herd pouring over a hilltop in a line of backsRust, black, tan, pale blue. Paint the backs as a row of overlapping humps along the skyline.
Three horses running in step along a beachTan, black, white, turquoise. Overlap the three so the near one hides part of the next.
White horse rearing in front of a gray storm cloudWhite, gray, charcoal. Paint the cloud dark so the pale horse stands out against it.
Silhouettes at sunset 12
Head and neck in black against a yellow circleYellow, orange, black. Paint a yellow circle and the head and neck in black over its lower half.
Horse behind a rail fence, the sky in three bandsYellow, coral, purple, black. Blend three bands, then rule the fence in black and add the horse behind it.
Horse grazing head-down, a flat black shape at duskOrange, pink, black. Blend the sky, let it dry and paint the horse head-down in flat black.
Horse on a hilltop under the first three starsIndigo, orange, black, white. Blend orange up into indigo and dot three stars with a cotton swab.
Lone horse beside a windmill pump on open plainsOrange, magenta, black. Paint the windmill as a fine black tower and the horse small beside it.
Mane and tail streaming, rimmed in gold by the sunGold, brown, black. Edge the black mane and tail with a fine line of gold.
Mare and foal in silhouette, heads togetherPeach, rose, black. Paint the large shape first and tuck the small one against its shoulder.
Rider paused on a skyline under a low yellow sunYellow, red, black. Paint the ridge, horse and rider as one black shape under a yellow sun.
Running horse stretched across a huge red sunRed, orange, black. Trace a plate for the sun and stretch the horse across it.
Three horses drinking at a pond, black shapes doubled belowViolet, peach, black. Repeat the three shapes upside down in the water and soften them.
Two horses nose to nose in front of a low gold sunGold, orange, black. Paint the sun as a gold disc between the two heads.
Walker leading a horse home along a lake shorePink, violet, black. Paint both figures small and their reflections as dark dashes.
Mares, foals and paddocks 12
Foal curled up like a bean in a patch of cloverTan, cream, green, pink. Paint the body as a bean shape with the head resting on the grass.
Foal's first snow: small tracks circling its motherWhite, pale blue, brown, tan. Paint the tracks as a ring of small blue dots around the mare.
Horse dozing on its feet in the shade of one big treeBrown, dark green, yellow green, gray. Drop the head level with the back and rest one back hoof on its toe.
Horse rolling belly-up in a cloud of dry dustTan, ocher, brown, white. Paint the belly up, all four legs waving, and scrub dust around it.
Long barn aisle, a curious head leaning from each stallTan, brown, cream, black. Shrink each door and head as the aisle runs back.
Mare and foal walking away in step, seen from behindChestnut red, green, yellow. Paint two matching rear views, one large and one small, tails swinging the same way.
Newborn foal, all knees, wobbling beside the mareBrown, tan, green, cream. Give the foal legs nearly as long as its mother's and a much smaller body.
Paddock in rain, every horse turned tail to the windGray, olive, brown, white. Slant the rain one way and turn every horse's tail toward it.
Pony at a fence, a child reaching up to pat its noseCream, red, blue, green. Keep the child small and the pony's nose reaching over the rail.
Small face framed between four tall chestnut legsChestnut red, cream, green. Paint the mare's four legs as posts and the small face between them.
Three round rumps and swishing tails at a feed troughBrown, black, gray, tan. Paint three round hindquarters side by side with tails at different angles.
White paddock fence curving over a hill, two horses beyondWhite, green, brown, sky blue. Paint the fence in three rails that shrink toward the top of the hill.
Coats: dapple, pinto, palomino 12
Bay: brown coat, black mane, tail and lower legsRed brown, black, rust. Paint the body red brown and dip all four lower legs in black.
Buckskin: tan coat with black mane, tail and legsTan, gold, black. Paint the coat tan and the mane, tail and lower legs black.
Chestnut: red coat, mane and tail the same shadeChestnut red, rust, orange. Keep mane, tail and body in one red family, with no darker points.
Coat chart: six small horses, six coat colorsBrown, black, gold, gray, white, rust. Paint six small horses in two rows and give each a different coat.
Dapple gray: pale rings sponged over a darker grayGray, pale gray, white, black. Paint the body gray and dab pale rings on it with a round sponge.
Fuzzy foal beside its sleek mother, one color, two texturesBrown, tan, cream. Dry-brush the foal's coat and paint the mare's smooth.
Glossy black coat, its shine painted in blueBlack, blue, white, cream. Paint the horse black and stroke blue along the top of the neck and back.
One gray horse at three ages, dark to nearly whiteCharcoal, gray, white. Paint the same horse three times, each lighter than the last.
Palomino: gold coat; mane and tail whiteGold, cream, white, brown. Paint the coat gold and pull the mane and tail in white and cream.
Pinto in brown and white patches like a mapBrown, white, black, pink. Paint the whole horse white, then add large brown patches with wavy edges.
Roan: white hairs stippled evenly through a red coatRust red, white, pink. Stipple white over the dry body with a stiff brush.
Spotted coat: dark spots dabbed on a white rumpWhite, brown, black. Paint the hindquarters white and dab small dark spots with a cotton swab.
How it works
Horse coats have names, and each name is a palette. A bay is brown with black mane, tail and lower legs. A palomino is gold with a white mane. A pinto wears large patches of white.
Read the full guide
Horse canvas painting ideas that begin with the head
A head in profile is one long wedge with a round cheek, so it suits a first canvas better than four legs do. Flat brown head in profile: a long wedge, an eye, a nostril stops there. For a whole horse, paint a silhouette at sunset and no leg needs shading.
Painting a dapple gray
A gray horse is born a darker shade and pales as it ages, and some pass through a dappled stage on the way. Paint the body mid gray, then sponge pale rings over the barrel and hindquarters. Dapple gray: pale rings sponged over a darker gray is that picture.
The easy horse painting ideas sit under More filters, Level: 22 silhouettes, flat heads and simple coats.
Questions and answers
Which horse painting ideas for beginners need no drawing?
The sunset silhouettes. Horse grazing head-down, a flat black shape at dusk is a blended sky and one flat shape, and Head and neck in black against a yellow circle is smaller still.
What is the difference between a bay and a chestnut?
Black points. A bay has a brown or reddish-brown body with black on its mane and tail and down its lower legs. A chestnut is red all over with no black, and its mane and tail match the coat or run lighter.
Can I paint a horse in watercolor?
Yes, and the coats suit it best: wash the body in one color, let it dry, and drop the markings on top. In watercolor, Pinto in brown and white patches like a map can leave the paper bare for the white.
What is an easy horse for kids to paint on canvas?
Galloping horse as a single brush-stroke body: one curved stroke and four fine legs. Coat chart: six small horses, six coat colors turns that into a set, one small horse for each coat.