Barn owl against a pink dawn, wings held in a shallow VPink, peach, white, tan. Lift both wings a little above the back as it glides.
Feather-pattern face: rows of small U shapes around the eyesCream, brown, tan, black. Fill the forehead and cheeks with rows of overlapping U strokes.
Pop-art owl repeated on a two-by-two grid of bright pairsOrange, blue, lime, magenta, black. Rule a cross. In each quarter the ground takes one color and the eyes another.
Barn owl against a pink dawn, wings held in a shallow VPink, peach, white, tan. Lift both wings a little above the back as it glides.
Barn owl from behind, mottled ochre and gray backOchre, gray, white, brown. Dab the back in ochre and gray patches and sprinkle fine white spots.
Barn owl head tilted sideways, the heart face on a slantWhite, tan, black. Tip the whole face a quarter turn and keep the eyes level with each other.
Barn owl in a hayloft window, pale against the dark insideWhite, ochre, brown, black. Paint the opening black and the owl pale on its sill.
Barn owl mid-turn, wings up like a pale fanWhite, cream, tan, navy. Raise the wings overhead and spread the feather tips against a dark sky.
Barn owl on a rafter under a tiled roofBrown, white, ochre, rust. Paint the beam across the canvas and the owl at one end under the slope.
Barn owl perched on a fence post, speckled chestWhite, tan, gray, brown. Dot small dark flecks down the white chest with the tip of a liner brush.
Barn owl seen through a round knothole in a plank wallBrown, black, white, tan. Paint the planks, one dark round hole and half a pale face inside it.
Pale barn owl skimming a hayfield, face turned to the grassCream, ochre, violet, olive. Stretch both wings straight out and keep the round face turned downward.
Single barn owl feather in buff and grayBuff, gray, white, brown. Paint the feather buff, soften gray along the shaft and comb the edge with a dry brush.
Sleeping barn owl, eyes two curved lines in a white heartWhite, tan, gray. Close each eye with one downward arc and tuck the beak between them.
Two barn owl chicks, fluffy and pale, in a nest boxWhite, cream, brown, gray. Stipple the down with a stiff brush and frame the pair in a square opening.
On a branch against a moon 12
Owl and twig in flat black on a moon barred with cloudNavy, lemon yellow, gray, black. Paint the moon, drag two gray cloud bars across it and add the twig and owl once dry.
Owl on a broken stump, moonlight along one wing onlyBrown, gray, pale yellow, black. Paint the owl dark and lay one pale edge down the wing that faces the moon.
Owl on a pine bough, the moon behind its head like a haloIndigo, cream, brown, dark green. Place the moon so the head overlaps its lower edge.
Owl on a snowy branch against a huge pale moonPale blue, white, gray, brown. Paint the moon nearly as wide as the canvas and snow along the branch.
Owl on a telephone wire crossing a low orange moonOrange, yellow, black. Paint the moon low and large and rule one wire across its middle.
Owl taking off from a branch, the moon between its wingsNavy, pale yellow, brown, cream. Open the wings in a wide V so the moon shows between them.
Owl watching from a birch, black marks on the white barkWhite, black, gray, tan. Paint the trunk white with short black dashes and the owl beside it.
Owl with one wing stretched, moonlit clouds behindSlate, cream, brown. Sponge pale clouds around the moon and fan one wing out to the side.
Pair of round owls shoulder to shoulder, a slim moon aboveNavy, cream, brown, tan. Paint two rounded shapes touching at the shoulder and a slim moon above.
Perched owl under swab-dotted stars on a violet blendViolet, navy, white, brown. Blend the sky, dot stars with a cotton swab and add the owl last.
Round owl on a branch inside a moon painted as a pale ringNavy, cream, brown. Paint the moon as a pale ring, not a filled disc, and seat the owl and its branch inside it.
Three owls in a row on one branch, small, middle and largeTeal, brown, tan, cream. Paint three egg shapes in a line and give each two eyes and a beak.
Eyes and faces 12
Drowsy owl, heavy lids drawn across the top of each eyeGray, cream, yellow, black. Paint each eye as a half circle with a heavy lid across the top.
Feather-pattern face: rows of small U shapes around the eyesCream, brown, tan, black. Fill the forehead and cheeks with rows of overlapping U strokes.
Just the crown, tufts and two eyes rising from the lower rimMustard, brown, yellow, black. Paint the top of the head along the lower edge, the two eyes just clear of it.
Owl eyes reflecting a tiny moon in each pupilBlack, yellow, white, brown. Add a small white crescent to the same side of both pupils.
Owl face behind a spray of pine needles, one eye clearBrown, cream, yellow, dark green. Paint the face, let it dry and pull green needles across all but one eye.
Owl face in the round disc of feathers, like a dishTan, brown, cream, black. Paint a circle of radiating strokes around each eye to build the disc.
Owl face upside down, peering in from the top edgeBrown, tan, orange, black. Paint the face inverted so the tufts point down from the top of the canvas.
Owl giving a slow wink, one round eye and one curved lineBrown, cream, yellow, black. Paint one round eye and one curved line where the other would be.
Pop-art owl repeated on a two-by-two grid of bright pairsOrange, blue, lime, magenta, black. Rule a cross. In each quarter the ground takes one color and the eyes another.
Single orange iris with short strokes fanning out all aroundOrange, black, brown, cream. Pull short strokes outward from the eye all the way around it.
Warm glow under an owl's chin, brow left in the darkBrown, orange, yellow, navy. Lighten the chin and the lower rims of the eyes and darken the brow.
Yellow owl eyes edge to edge, the beak a small wedge belowYellow, black, brown, orange. Paint two yellow circles that touch both side edges, a pupil in each and a wedge beak.
Snowy and horned owls 12
Great horned owl, two feather tufts like raised eyebrowsBrown, tan, cream, black. Paint the tufts as two pointed feather clumps above the eyes.
Horned owl against bark, its striped chest matching the treeBrown, tan, cream, gray. Stripe the chest with level brown strokes and repeat the tones in the trunk.
Horned owl at dusk as a tufted shape on a postOrange, violet, black. Blend the sky and paint the owl flat black with two pointed tufts.
Horned owl face: tufts, round eyes and a white bibBrown, cream, yellow, white. Paint a white patch under the beak and angle the tufts outward.
Horned owl with both wings opened downward like a cloakBrown, tan, cream, yellow. Spread both wings downward at the sides like an open cloak.
Juvenile snowy owl speckled from crown to tail feathersWhite, brown, yellow, black. Dot dark flecks over the whole white body and leave the face clear.
Snowy owl face, a white circle with yellow eyes, on tealTeal, white, yellow, black. Paint a white disc on flat teal and add two yellow eyes and a dark beak.
Snowy owl in flight, wings flecked with rows of brownWhite, brown, pale gray, blue. Dot rows of small brown flecks across the spread wings.
Snowy owl landing, both feet reaching forward for a driftWhite, pale blue, brown, yellow. Stretch the legs forward and spread the tail like a fan.
Snowy owl on white tundra, bright yellow eyesWhite, pale blue, yellow, black. Shade the white owl with pale blue so it stands off the white ground.
Snowy owl preening, beak tucked into its shoulder feathersWhite, pale gray, yellow. Tuck the beak into the shoulder feathers and show just one yellow eye.
Snowy owl small on a drift below a curtain of auroraNavy, green, white, yellow. Pull the lights upward with a dry brush and seat the owl small below.
Simple shapes for a first canvas 12
Bespectacled owl perched on three flat storybooksBrown, red, blue, cream. Paint three flat books and an egg-shaped owl with two rings around its eyes.
Circle-bodied owl topped with a pair of pointed tuftsPurple, lilac, yellow, black. Paint a circle, add two triangles on top and two eyes inside.
Egg-shaped owl with two big circle eyes on a plain groundMint, brown, white, black. Paint one egg shape, two white circles and a dot in each.
Fork-feathered owl, the tines printing a fluffy chestGray, white, yellow, black. Drag a fork through wet paint on the chest to rake it into feathers.
Navy owl with a mustard chest, no blending anywhereNavy, mustard, white, pale pink. Paint the body navy, the chest mustard and the eyes white on pale pink.
Owl built from two hearts, a big body and a small faceRed, pink, brown, white. Paint a large heart for the body and a small one above it for the face.
Owl family lined up by height on one long branchBrown, tan, cream, yellow. Paint five egg shapes in step sizes and repeat the same face on each.
Owl made of leaf prints, a real leaf for every featherBrown, orange, yellow, cream. Press painted leaves in rows for the body and add eyes when dry.
Owl with coin-traced eyes on a plain oval bodyTeal, orange, white, black. Trace a coin twice for the eyes and paint the oval body around them.
Patchwork owl, chest feathers as colored scallopsPink, teal, yellow, purple, white. Paint rows of scallops down the chest, changing color every row.
Rainbow owl, one color band to each row of feathersRed, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. Paint six curved bands down the body from red to violet.
Sponge-stamped owl with thumb-sized wing shapes by brushBrown, tan, cream, black. Stamp the body with a round sponge and brush a small wing on each side.
How it works
An owl is an upright oval with a big flat face, and both eyes look straight ahead. That face fills a canvas: a ring of feathers around each eye and a small beak between.
Read the full guide
Owl acrylic painting ideas: three faces
A barn owl has a heart-shaped face, white in most kinds. A snowy owl is white with bright yellow eyes. The horns of a great horned owl are tufts of feathers. Sleeping barn owl, eyes two curved lines in a white heart is the first to try.
Night sky, then the owl
Paint the moon and blend the sky, then let both dry. Acrylic is water-resistant once dry, so the branch and the owl go over them cleanly. Owl and twig in flat black on a moon barred with cloud uses four paints.
Questions and answers
What are some cute owl painting ideas?
Egg-shaped owl with two big circle eyes on a plain ground, Owl built from two hearts, a big body and a small face, and Bespectacled owl perched on three flat storybooks. All sit under Simple shapes for a first canvas.
What is the easiest owl to paint on canvas?
Owl with coin-traced eyes on a plain oval body needs no drawing at all. Easy first owls, under More filters, holds 23, among them 7 of the simple shapes.
What colors do you need to paint an owl?
Brown, tan and cream for most owls, with yellow or orange for the eyes and black for the pupils. A barn owl and a snowy owl are mostly white, shaded with gray or pale blue.
How do you paint owl eyes?
Large, round and facing front. Paint a colored circle, a black pupil inside it and a small white dot on the same side of each. Yellow owl eyes edge to edge, the beak a small wedge below is eyes and little else.