• 72 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Sport Painting Ideas

Three ideas, each a sports picture with no team in it, its colors and the one step it needs.

Sport Painting Ideas

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  1. Child dribbling toward a small goal in a parkYellow green, peach, black. Paint long evening shadows leaning the same way.
  2. Runner sliding into a base in a cloud of dustOchre, tan, black. Sponge the dust in pale tan over the lower edge of the figure.
  3. Catcher's mask and mitt left on a benchGray, tan, brown, black. Paint the mask's bars as dark lines over a lighter pad.

Next step Sketch the same kit in pencilMore pictures in flat black

All 72 ideas

Balls and kit 18

  • Ball at rest against a goal post, net behind White, black, green, pale gray. Paint the net as crossed thin lines before the post goes over it.
  • Baseball close up, two rows of red stitches curving across white White, cream, red, gray. Shade one side gray and paint the stitches as small red V shapes.
  • Basketball filling the whole canvas, black ribs curving to the edges Orange, burnt orange, black. Paint the orange, let it dry and pull the ribs with a liner brush.
  • Basketball mid-bounce with its shadow on the driveway Orange, black, gray, pale gray. Paint an oval shadow under the ball, darker where it is closest.
  • Basketball resting in a net, seen from the side Orange, black, white, gray. Paint the ball first and lay the net's diamonds over it in white.
  • Cap on a fence post with a plain front panel Navy, white, gray, tan. Leave the front of the cap blank or letter your own initial on it.
  • Catcher's mask and mitt left on a bench Gray, tan, brown, black. Paint the mask's bars as dark lines over a lighter pad.
  • Goalkeeper gloves laid palms up on the grass Yellow green, black, white, gray. Paint each glove flat and shade between the fingers.
  • Hockey stick and puck on scraped ice White, pale blue, black, tan. Scratch skate lines into the wet white with the brush handle.
  • Muddy cleats tied together by the laces Black, white, brown, green. Dab the mud on last with a nearly dry brush.
  • Pair of high-top sneakers hanging by their laces White, red, gray, black. Block in both shoes flat and add laces and stitching last.
  • Soccer ball half in sun and half in shade on cut grass White, black, green, blue gray. Glaze thin blue gray over the shaded half once the panels are dry.
  • Soccer ball with black pentagons and white hexagons on green White, black, green, gray. Paint one black pentagon in the middle and build the panels out from it.
  • Tennis ball sitting on a clay court line Yellow green, white, terracotta. Paint the ball's seam as one curved white line.
  • Three basketballs stacked in a wire rack Orange, black, gray, cream. Paint the balls, then the rack's wires as thin gray lines across them.
  • Two wooden bats crossed behind a ball Tan, brown, white, red. Tape the bats' edges for straight sides and paint the ball over the cross.
  • Volleyball on sand with the net's shadow across it White, yellow, blue, sand. Paint the shadow as a grid of thin gray lines bending over the ball.
  • Worn leather glove closed around a ball Tan, brown, white, red. Paint the glove in two browns and the lacing in the lighter one.

A player in silhouette 18

  • Batter's silhouette at the end of a swing Orange, yellow, black. Paint the bat as a single stroke of a flat brush.
  • Black figure reaching for the rim against a floodlit sky Navy, white, yellow, black. Sponge a pale glow around the light before adding the black shapes.
  • Child dribbling toward a small goal in a park Yellow green, peach, black. Paint long evening shadows leaning the same way.
  • Dribbler in silhouette with a trail of fading balls behind Teal, orange, black. Paint the trail in thinner and paler orange discs.
  • Fielder's silhouette under a high fly ball, glove raised Sky blue, white, black. Leave a small white ball high in the sky and point the glove at it.
  • Goalkeeper diving across the mouth of the goal Dusk violet, orange, black, white. Paint the white frame of the goal before the black figure crosses it.
  • Pitcher's silhouette on the mound against a pink sky Dusk blue, pink, black. Rule the mound as a low curve and stand the figure on it.
  • Player at the top of a jump shot against a sunset Orange, pink, violet, black. Blend the sky first; the figure and hoop are one flat black layer.
  • Relay silhouettes passing a baton Red, orange, black. Rule lane lines that narrow toward the horizon.
  • Row of silhouettes leaning on a dugout rail Orange, navy, black. Paint the rail first and hang the arms over it.
  • Runner sliding into a base in a cloud of dust Ochre, tan, black. Sponge the dust in pale tan over the lower edge of the figure.
  • Silhouette keeping the ball up on one knee in front of a wall of color Coral, teal, black. Tape a hard line where the wall meets the ground.
  • Small silhouette shooting at a tall driveway hoop at dusk Peach, violet, black. Keep the hoop high in the frame so the shooter looks small.
  • Striker's silhouette mid-kick, ball just leaving the foot Green, yellow, black. Paint the ball slightly oval to show speed.
  • Swimmer's silhouette diving from the blocks Turquoise, white, black. Add the splash last in dabs of white.
  • Tennis serve in silhouette, racket at full reach Yellow, orange, black. Paint the tossed ball as a pale dot above the racket.
  • Two silhouettes going up for the same rebound Red, orange, black. Draw the figures as stick skeletons first, then thicken them into shapes.
  • Two silhouettes rising to head the same ball Sky blue, white, black. Keep both pairs of feet off the ground line.

The field or court 18

  • Backyard game with two shoes for goal posts Green, sky blue, red, white. Paint the shoes small and the lawn wide so the pitch looks huge.
  • Court from above as flat shapes: key, arc and center circle Orange, cream, navy. Tape the straight lines and trace a plate for the circles.
  • Curve of a running track with numbered lanes Brick red, white, green. Paint the lanes as nested arcs and number them yourself.
  • Diamond from behind home plate at golden hour Green, ochre, gold, white. Paint the base paths as a pale V opening away from you.
  • Empty bleachers and a scoreboard with no numbers on it Gray, green, cream, navy. Leave the board blank or paint a score of your own.
  • Empty outdoor court after rain, hoop reflected in a puddle Gray, orange, sky blue, white. Paint the reflection upside down and drag a dry brush across it.
  • Field from above: center circle, halfway line and two boxes Green, white, dark green. Tape the lines over dry green and trace a lid for the circle.
  • Frozen pond rink with two boots for goals White, pale blue, gray, brown. Drag blue-gray scratches across the ice for skate marks.
  • Goal on an empty field in morning fog Pale gray, white, green. Paint the far trees in the palest gray and the goal a little darker.
  • Gym floor in warm wood tones, painted lines running to a far hoop Honey, tan, white, black. Run the boards toward one point so the floor recedes.
  • Home plate and chalk lines close up, dusted with dirt White, ochre, tan. Dab tan over the edges of the white so the chalk looks scuffed.
  • Hoop on a barn wall with a worn dirt patch below Red, tan, ochre, gray. Dry-brush the worn boards, lighter over darker.
  • Mown stripes in the outfield under a big sky Light green, dark green, sky blue, white. Alternate bands of the two greens that narrow with distance.
  • Rooftop court at night with one light on Navy, yellow, gray, orange. Glaze a cone of thin yellow under the lamp.
  • Sandlot with a chain-link backstop and long shadows Tan, green, gray, violet. Scratch the chain link into wet gray with the brush handle.
  • Small field ringed by trees, one floodlight on at dusk Green, violet, yellow, black. Paint the light's glow as a pale sponged circle.
  • Street goal chalked on a brick wall Brick red, white, gray. Paint the bricks in rows, then the goal as rough white lines.
  • Tennis court in two flat colors seen from a corner Blue, green, white. Tape every line and paint the net as a gray band with a white top.

For a bedroom door or a gift 18

  • Baseball with a name where the label would be, stitches on both sides White, red, navy. Letter the name between the two seams.
  • Clipboard with a plain court on it and room to sign, for a coach Tan, white, orange, black. Leave the court pale so pen signatures show on top.
  • Door sign with a ball, a bat, a racket and a stick around a name Orange, tan, yellow green, black. Arrange the four around a taped name plate.
  • Door sign: hoop at the top, name on the backboard White, red, orange, black. Rule the backboard's square and letter the name inside it.
  • Glove holding a ball above a child's name and first season Tan, brown, white, red. Paint the picture in the top two thirds and letter below.
  • Goal net background with a name and number in bold letters Green, white, red. Paint the net's diamonds in thin white before the lettering.
  • Growth chart on a long canvas: a tall pole and hoop, heights marked up the side Gray, orange, white, black. Paint the pole full length and add a date at each mark.
  • Home plate shape as a door plaque with a name on it White, black, red. Trace the plate shape from a card template and letter inside it.
  • Jersey shape with an invented number and a name across the shoulders Any two colors, white. Cut a paper stencil of the number so its edges stay crisp.
  • Medal on a ribbon with a blank center to letter in Gold, ochre, red, white. Paint the disc flat and leave its middle for a name or a date.
  • Name lettered across a basketball, ribs showing behind the letters Orange, black, white. Paint the ball, let it dry and letter the name in white with a black edge.
  • Painted whistle in the center of a canvas, signed all around, for a coach White, silver gray, red, black. Keep the painting small and the border bare.
  • Pennant with an invented team name and the year of a season Any two colors, white. Tape a long triangle and letter along it, big to small.
  • Scarf in two striped colors with a name instead of a club Any two colors, white. Tape the stripes and add the fringe with a liner brush.
  • Shelf of invented trophies with a ball at one end Gold, gray, white, black. Paint the cups as simple gold shapes with one white shine each.
  • Soccer ball door sign with a name on a ribbon across it White, black, red. Paint the ribbon over the dry ball and letter on it.
  • Team photo as faceless figures in two rows, all in one shirt color Any shirt color, green, white. Paint heads as plain ovals and give no one a face.
  • Ticket stub of a game you went to, with your own seat and date Cream, red, navy. Rule the stub's border and invent the lettering; it needs no logo.

How it works

Each ball has a pattern of its own, which makes it the easiest sports picture to get right: black ribs on an orange basketball, red stitches on a white baseball, five- and six-sided panels on a soccer ball.

Read the full guide

Basketball art ideas: an orange ball and black ribs

The traditional basketball is orange, with black ribs set a little below the surface. Paint them last, as lines over a dry ball. Basketball filling the whole canvas, black ribs curving to the edges is that and nothing else. Choose Basketball for all 20 pictures.

Soccer painting ideas: twelve pentagons, twenty hexagons

Most soccer balls are made of twelve five-sided panels and twenty six-sided ones. Start with one pentagon in the middle, ring it with hexagons and let the pattern run off the edge of the ball. Soccer ball with black pentagons and white hexagons on green starts there.

  • On a court seen from above, tape the straight lines and trace a plate for the circles.
  • Jerseys, pennants and scoreboards carry a name or a number you invent.

Questions and answers

What are easy baseball painting ideas?

Baseball close up, two rows of red stitches curving across white: a white disc, gray on one side, the stitches as small red V shapes. A baseball's cover is two pieces of white leather sewn together, usually with red thread.

Are there soccer art ideas for a bedroom door?

Yes. Soccer ball door sign with a name on a ribbon across it and Scarf in two striped colors with a name instead of a club are two of the 18 under For a bedroom door or a gift.

Do these sport art ideas show a team or a logo?

No. None of the 72 names a team, a league or a player, and every figure is a silhouette or has no face.

How do you paint a player in silhouette?

Draw the pose as a stick skeleton, thicken it into one shape and fill it with flat black over a dry sky. Player at the top of a jump shot against a sunset is the plainest of the 18.

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