Tail built from layered leaf shapes in autumn colorsRed, orange, yellow, brown. Overlap pointed ovals from the tip of the tail down to its base.
Squirrel sitting on a porch pumpkinOrange, rust, cream, gray. Curve the pumpkin's ribs first and seat the squirrel on its shoulder by the stem.
Squirrel upright in a tree fork, paws folded on its chestGray, white, brown. Fit the body into the V of the fork and paint the chest as a pale teardrop.
Acorn larger than life, hugged like a barrel by a squirrelTan, brown, orange, cream. Fill half the canvas with the acorn and fit the squirrel around its side.
Acorn, hazelnut, walnut and pine cone in a four-square gridTan, brown, cream, dark green. Rule the canvas into four and paint one flat food in each square.
Chipmunk on a stump with a sunflower seedTan, brown, cream, gray. Paint the stump top as a pale oval with rings and sit the chipmunk off center.
Heap of acorns inside a hollow trunk, a face peering inDark brown, tan, olive, rust. Paint the hollow nearly black and pick the acorns out in tan ovals.
Pine cone gnawed to its core beside the squirrel that ate itBrown, rust, cream, dark green. Paint the loose cone scales as small arrowheads scattered on the ground.
Squirrel gripping one hazelnut in both front pawsRust, cream, hazel brown, pale green. Paint the nut first and wrap the two paws around its sides.
Squirrel hauling a whole corn cob along a porch railYellow, rust, white, gray. Dot the kernels in rows with a cotton swab once the cob shape is dry.
Squirrel nibbling a mushroom cap on a mossy logRust, cream, moss green, red brown. Sponge the moss along the log before the squirrel goes on.
Squirrel on a fence post turning a walnut overGray, white, tan, weathered green. Paint the post as a rough upright bar with a slanted top.
Squirrel scraping a hole in leaf litter to hide an acornRust, ochre, dark brown, tan. Scatter the leaves with a sponge and leave a dark gap under the front paws.
Squirrel stretching from a twig toward the oak's last acornGray brown, olive, tan, sky blue. Stretch the body into one long diagonal from back feet to nose.
Squirrel upside down on a feeder pole after sunflower seedsGray, white, black, green. Turn the canvas around to paint the squirrel, then turn it back for the pole.
Tail in the air, head down a hole in the lawnGrass green, gray, white. Paint the lawn flat and show only the back half of the squirrel above it.
Three acorns in a row, two ears behind the middle oneTan, brown, rust. Paint the acorns large and flat, then add only the ear tips and two eyes above.
Tiny cartoon squirrel wearing an acorn cap as a hatOrange, brown, cream, black. Paint a round head, set a crosshatched cap on it, and add two dot eyes.
Tails 15
Backlit tail glowing at its edges, the body in shadeOrange, pale yellow, dark brown. Paint the tail dark, then drag pale yellow outward along both edges.
Dry-brush tail, every hair a single dragged strokeDark brown, rust, cream. Wipe the brush almost clean and drag outward from a dark core, pale strokes last.
Only a tail hanging out of a hole in a trunkBark gray, black, rust. Paint the hole as a black oval and let the tail spill down below it.
Rain-soaked tail gone stringy beside a dry fluffed oneGray brown, cream, blue gray. Paint the wet tail in a few clumped strokes and the dry one in many fine ones.
Shadow of a tail on a sunlit trunk, the squirrel out of viewTan, gray violet, olive. Paint the shadow as a soft plume shape with no hard edge anywhere.
Sponge-dabbed tail on a flat brown bodyBrown, tan, cream. Fill the body with a brush, then dab the tail on with a torn piece of sponge.
Tail arched over the head, each side a different redRust, crimson, orange. Paint the left half of the tail warm orange and the right half deep crimson.
Tail bigger than the body, made in one fan-brush sweepRust, orange, white. Load a fan brush with two colors at once and arc it up and over.
Tail built from layered leaf shapes in autumn colorsRed, orange, yellow, brown. Overlap pointed ovals from the tip of the tail down to its base.
Tail curved like a question mark behind a sitting squirrelRust, orange, cream. Sweep the tail in one stroke with a wide brush and add the body in front of it.
Tail flicked into an S on top of a garden wallRust, brick red, gray, green. Lay the bricks in rows first and set the squirrel on the top course.
Tail folded flat up the back like a hoodGray, white, dark gray. Paint the back first, then lay the tail over it so its tip curls past the ears.
Tail in three bands: dark core, rust middle, frosted tipDark brown, rust, pale cream. Paint the three bands as nested shapes and feather each edge outward.
Tail streaming straight out behind a squirrel in mid-leapRust, cream, blue. Pull the tail hairs backward with a nearly dry brush so they trail off to nothing.
Tail wrapped around its owner, asleep in a tree forkGray, white, bark brown. Paint the sleeping body as a ball and wind the tail three-quarters around it.
On branches and trunks 15
Black squirrel shape on a forked twig, tangerine sky behindTangerine, yellow, black. Blend the sky from yellow to tangerine, let it dry, and add the black shapes.
Claws gripping bark close up, each toe spreadDark brown, tan, black. Paint the bark ridges first and hook one curved claw into each groove.
Flying squirrel clinging to a pine trunk at dusk, eyes largeGray brown, cream, violet. Paint the eyes as big dark discs with one pale dot of light in each.
Gray squirrel pressed flat on gray bark, hard to findGray, gray brown, cream. Mix squirrel and bark from one gray and separate them with a narrow shadow.
Leaf-and-twig nest high in a bare crown, a face at the doorBrown, tan, gray, rust. Dab the nest as a rough ball and scratch twig lines out of it while wet.
Leap between two boughs, all four legs spread wideGray, white, sky blue, brown. Leave a clear gap of sky under the squirrel so it reads as airborne.
Looking straight up a pine: a squirrel face far overheadBrown, green, pale blue. Narrow the trunk toward the top of the canvas and put the face near the far end.
Round squirrel on a straight bough in three flat colorsOrange, brown, mint. Paint the ground mint, the bough brown and the squirrel orange, with no shading.
Squirrel at the very tip of a twig that bends under itRust, green, pale yellow. Curve the twig down toward its end and hang two leaves from it.
Squirrel coming down a trunk headfirst, back feet turnedGray, white, bark brown. Point the back feet up the trunk and the nose down it, body in a slight curve.
Squirrel dangling by its back feet to reach a budRust, cream, green, brown. Hang the body straight down and curl the tail up against the branch.
Squirrel peering around a trunk, one eye and one earBark brown, rust, black. Paint the trunk edge straight and let only a sliver of face cross it.
Squirrel running a phone wire, tail out for balanceGray, black, pale blue. Rule one wire across the sky and tilt the squirrel a little forward on it.
Squirrel sprawled along a branch, all four legs danglingRust, cream, leaf green. Paint the branch across the canvas and drape the body over it like a towel.
Squirrel upright in a tree fork, paws folded on its chestGray, white, brown. Fit the body into the V of the fork and paint the chest as a pale teardrop.
In autumn leaves and snow 15
First frost: a squirrel on a lawn of white-edged leavesOlive, brown, white, rust. Outline every fallen leaf in broken white with a liner brush.
Gray squirrel among bare birches in blue winter shadowWhite, pale blue, gray, black. Paint the birch trunks white and stripe long blue shadows across the snow.
Leaf pile bursting apart as a squirrel shoots out of itRed, gold, orange, rust. Throw the leaves outward in every direction from one spot.
Paw tracks in fresh snow leading up to a trunkWhite, pale blue, gray brown. Paint each track as a small blue dent, in groups of four.
Pine bough loaded with snow bending under a squirrelDark green, white, rust. Lay the snow on thickly with a palette knife along the top of the bough.
Rust squirrel on a ground of yellow sponge-printed leavesYellow, gold, rust. Cover the canvas in leaf prints, let them dry, and paint the squirrel flat on top.
Squirrel and one falling oak leaf on a plain gold groundGold, rust, brown. Paint the ground flat gold and set the leaf halfway between the squirrel and the top edge.
Squirrel digging down through snow, powder spraying behindWhite, blue gray, rust. Dot the spray with a cotton swab in an arc behind the back feet.
Squirrel holding a maple leaf by its stem like a flagRust, red, cream. Paint the leaf larger than the head and tilt it over one shoulder.
Squirrel in falling snow, flakes dotted on at the endRust, gray, white. Finish the squirrel, let it dry, then press white dots all over with a cotton swab.
Squirrel in mid-jump over a drift of maple leavesRed, orange, yellow, rust. Print the leaves with a sponge cut to a pointed shape and jump the squirrel above.
Squirrel on a snowy fence rail, fur fluffed into a ballGray, white, pale blue. Round the whole body off and soften its outline with short outward strokes.
Squirrel perched on a scarecrow's hat in a stubble fieldStraw yellow, rust, blue, brown. Rule the stubble rows toward one point on the horizon.
Squirrel sitting on a porch pumpkinOrange, rust, cream, gray. Curve the pumpkin's ribs first and seat the squirrel on its shoulder by the stem.
Squirrel's ears and eyes above a rake-gathered leaf moundOrange, brown, yellow, rust. Mound the leaves in dabs and show only ears, eyes and paws above.
How it works
The word squirrel goes back to Greek for shade and tail, after the long bushy tail most of the family carries. These canvases give the tail its due, then add nuts, bark, leaves and snow.
Read the full guide
Paint the tail last, and dry
A tail is fur with light coming through it. Wipe most of the paint from the brush and drag outward from a dark core: Dry-brush tail, every hair a single dragged stroke is only that. Acrylic is fast-drying, so the core is ready for the pale tips soon after.
Headfirst down the trunk
Tree squirrels can come down a tree headfirst: the ankles turn so the back feet point backward and grip the bark. Squirrel coming down a trunk headfirst, back feet turned shows it. When a squirrel sits upright, the tail folds up its back.
Questions and answers
What is an easy squirrel painting for a beginner?
Easy first squirrels, under More filters, holds 21. Round squirrel on a straight bough in three flat colors has no shading, and Sponge-dabbed tail on a flat brown body needs a brush for the body only.
What colors do you need to paint a squirrel?
Rust, orange and cream for a red coat, or grays and white for a gray one, with dark brown for the eye and the core of the tail. The fall canvases add red, gold and yellow.
Do squirrels really hide nuts?
Yes. In temperate regions squirrels often hide nuts under fallen leaves, in tree hollows or underground. Squirrel scraping a hole in leaf litter to hide an acorn paints the first, and Heap of acorns inside a hollow trunk, a face peering in the second.
Is there a squirrel painting for fall or winter?
Fifteen, under In autumn leaves and snow. Squirrel in mid-jump over a drift of maple leaves is the fall one to start with; Paw tracks in fresh snow leading up to a trunk has no squirrel in it at all.