• 60 designs
  • Checked October 2026

Surfboard Painting Ideas

Press for three surfboard designs, each with its colors, where it sits on the board and the brush or tool.

Surfboard Painting Ideas

Show all 60
  1. Leaves crowded at the nose, single leaves by the tailWhite deck, three greens. Overlapping leaves at the tip; fewer and fewer down the board. Round brush.
  2. Palm fronds fanning out from the tailWhite deck, green, dark green. Five fronds from one point; the longest reaches mid-board. Liner brush.
  3. Lace of white foam crossing the deck a third of the way upAqua, white. Aqua deck; one uneven band of foam cells from rail to rail. Sponge.

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All 60 designs

Waves and sunsets 12

  • Dusk colors from a yellow nose to a purple tail Yellow, orange, pink, purple. Four bands across the deck, blended where they meet. Sponge.
  • Full moon near the nose, its light path down the stringer Navy, white, pale yellow. Broken white dashes run from the moon to the tail along the middle. Flat brush.
  • Horizon at mid-board, a half sun sitting on the stringer Pale blue, navy, yellow. A level line across the middle; a half sun sits on it, centered. Tape.
  • Inside the barrel: blue rings shrinking toward the nose Three blues, white. Curved bands narrow to a small bright opening near the nose. Flat brush.
  • Lace of white foam crossing the deck a third of the way up Aqua, white. Aqua deck; one uneven band of foam cells from rail to rail. Sponge.
  • Low island sitting on the stringer at mid-board, one cloud by the nose Sky blue, sea green, white. Sea below the island, sky above; the cloud is three white dabs. Round brush.
  • Night surf: stars at the nose, one white crest at the tail Navy, white. Star dots fade out toward the middle; a single breaking line near the tail. Dotting tool.
  • One wave curling from the tail up the left rail to the nose Teal, navy, white. The wave hugs one rail; white foam at its lip near the nose. Flat brush.
  • Storm swells stacked from the tail to the nose Dark teal, gray, white. Rows of heavy curves, each row paler; white along each crest. Flat brush.
  • Three crests repeated down the board like a block print Indigo, white, pale blue. The same curled crest three times, nose, middle and tail. Stencil.
  • Tide lines like wet sand, darkest at the tail Sand, tan, cream. Wavy bands across the deck, close together at the tail, wide at the nose. Flat brush.
  • Two palm silhouettes at the tail leaning over a pink sky Pink, orange, black. Trunks rise from the tail and lean toward the rails; fronds at mid-board. Liner brush.

Stripes and retro bands 12

  • Color wrapped around both rails, the deck untouched White deck, navy. Color wraps the edge of the board all the way around. Flat brush.
  • Deck in thirds: three flat color blocks from rail to rail Coral, cream, sage. Level joins a third and two thirds of the way down. Tape.
  • Five V shapes stacked on the stringer, points to the nose White deck, orange, brown. Each V is a little smaller than the one behind it. Tape.
  • Nose dip with a pinline a finger behind it White deck, yellow, black. Solid color over the front quarter; a fine black line follows its edge. Tape.
  • Pinline following the outline a finger in from the rails White deck, red. One continuous line traces the whole shape of the board. Tape.
  • Slanted two-color band across the middle of the deck White deck, teal, yellow. One wide band at a slant; a narrow second color along one edge. Tape.
  • Stringer picked out in red on a plain white board White deck, red. A single ruled line down the exact middle, nose to tail. Tape.
  • Tail dip: the back third in one solid color White deck, aqua. A level edge across the board; everything behind it solid. Tape.
  • Three bands across the nose in mustard, orange and brown White deck, mustard, orange, brown. Level bands, the widest nearest the tip. Tape.
  • Twin stripes either side of the stringer, nose to tail Cream deck, navy. Two equal stripes with the middle line left bare between them. Tape.
  • Two-color wedges widening from one point on the tail Yellow, orange. Wedges start at one point on the tail and widen toward the nose. Tape.
  • Wide band between two pinlines with your own numeral White deck, red, black. The band crosses the widest part; a numeral sits inside it. Stencil.

Tropical flowers and leaves 12

  • All-over hibiscus print in two tones of one color Navy, pale blue. Large flowers and leaves repeat over the deck and run off the rails. Stencil.
  • Banana leaves filling the deck, the stringer left white Greens, white. Leaves slant out from the middle line on both sides like a feather. Flat brush.
  • Bird-of-paradise stems rising along the stringer White deck, orange, blue, green. Three stems up the middle; flower heads near the nose. Liner brush.
  • Coconut palm growing up the stringer, fronds at the nose Sand deck, brown, green. The trunk is the middle line; ring marks up it; nuts under the fronds. Flat brush.
  • Fern border running along both rails White deck, green. Small fronds point inward from each rail, nose to tail. Liner brush.
  • Hibiscus at the nose, its petals cropped by the rails White deck, red, yellow, green. One flower wider than the nose, so both rails cut it. Flat brush.
  • Leaves crowded at the nose, single leaves by the tail White deck, three greens. Overlapping leaves at the tip; fewer and fewer down the board. Round brush.
  • Orchid spray trailing from the nose toward one rail Pale gray deck, white, magenta, green. One arching stem; seven flowers shrinking along it. Round brush.
  • Palm fronds fanning out from the tail White deck, green, dark green. Five fronds from one point; the longest reaches mid-board. Liner brush.
  • Pineapple at mid-board with its crown toward the nose Cream deck, yellow, brown, green. Diamond lattice on the fruit; leaves fan up the stringer. Liner brush.
  • Plumeria garland draped across the deck in one curve Aqua deck, white, yellow, pink. Five-petal flowers touch along a swag from rail to rail. Round brush.
  • Split monstera leaves along the left rail, stems inward Cream deck, two greens. Six leaves overlap from nose to tail; the right half stays bare. Round brush.

Sea life 12

  • Dolphins leaping in a line up one rail White deck, gray, pale blue. Five arcs along the right rail, the highest near the nose. Stencil.
  • Eel winding from rail to rail down the whole deck Deep blue deck, yellow, olive. One long body in five bends; the head near the nose. Round brush.
  • Fish-scale arcs from the tail to mid-board, fading out Teal, green, gold. Overlapping arcs row on row; gold on the last few edges. Round brush.
  • Manta ray with a wingtip at each rail Navy deck, black, white. The ray spans the widest part; its tail follows the stringer back. Flat brush.
  • Octopus at the tail, arms reaching up both rails Coral, pink, white. The head sits on the tail; four arms curl along each rail; sucker dots. Dotting tool.
  • Reef crowding the back third, bare blue deck above it Blue deck, coral, yellow, purple. Branching coral shapes at the tail, tallest by the rails. Round brush.
  • School of small fish parting around the stringer Blue deck, silver, white. Fish swim tail to nose and split to either side of the middle. Stencil.
  • Seahorse on each side of the stringer, facing in Aqua deck, yellow, orange. Mirror pair at mid-board, tails curled toward the rails. Stencil.
  • Shark shadow in gray along the underside of the board White bottom, gray. One long soft shape from nose to tail, off-center toward one rail. Sponge.
  • Starfish and shells scattered on a sand-colored tail Sand, coral, white, aqua. Sand over the back half, fading to aqua; five shapes on the sand. Round brush.
  • Turtle from above, its shell split evenly by the stringer Aqua deck, olive, brown, cream. Shell plates mirror left and right; flippers reach toward the rails. Round brush.
  • Whale tail rising at the nose over a splash line Pale blue deck, navy, white. The flukes fill the tip of the board; white drops fall below. Flat brush.

Mini and wall boards 12

  • Beach-hut stripes on a mini board with a painted door White, red, blue. Upright stripes; a small door and a numeral of your own near the tail. Tape.
  • Bite-mark board: a scalloped notch painted at one rail Yellow board, white, gray. A half circle of tooth points on the right rail, shaded inside. Liner brush.
  • Chalkboard wall board with a pinline, for the day's surf Chalkboard black, white. Black deck; a white line a finger in from the rails. Flat brush.
  • Driftwood look: gray wash with one faded stripe Gray, white, pale blue. Watery gray dragged along the board; the stripe down the stringer. Dry brush.
  • Family name stacked one letter over the next, nose to tail Coral board, white. One letter above the next down the middle line, nose to tail. Stencil.
  • Hook-rail board with a painted wave under each hook White board, three blues. One small curl of wave below each of the hooks. Round brush.
  • Ornament board: a flower at the nose, a year at the tail Any base, white, pink. A single five-petal flower; small numerals of your own. Paint pen.
  • Porch board: a greeting word of your own over one wave Aqua board, white, navy. The word crosses the widest part; one curl of wave under it. Stencil.
  • Six magnet boards in candy colors, a white stripe on each Six pastels, white. One color per tiny board; the same stripe down every stringer. Tape.
  • Three beach names of your own in capitals across the deck White board, navy, red. Three lines of capitals across the deck, a small star by each. Stencil.
  • Three mini boards that read as one sunset side by side Orange, pink, purple, yellow. Bands line up across the gaps; half the sun on the middle board. Tape.
  • Two-tone mini board split along the stringer, a dot border Yellow, white, navy. One color each side of the middle; navy dots just inside the rails. Dotting tool.

How it works

A surfboard is a narrow plank with a nose, a tail, two rails and a deck, and the stringer runs down the middle of the deck. These 60 designs are placed by those parts.

Read the full guide

Surfboard art ideas that use the long shape

A board is far longer than it is wide, so the designs run nose to tail or hug an edge. Octopus at the tail, arms reaching up both rails follows the outline, and Full moon near the nose, its light path down the stringer uses the middle line.

Tape does the stripes

Ten of the twelve stripe designs are masked with tape and filled flat: Pinline following the outline a finger in from the rails, or Tail dip: the back third in one solid color. The mini and wall board group is for a wooden cut-out that never sees water.

Questions and answers

What paint do you use on a surfboard?

We do not test paints. A board that goes in the water is a different job from a wooden wall board, and which paint or clear coat holds on yours is on its label and with the board's maker.

Which painted surfboard ideas work on a wall board?

All 60 fit the shape. The twelve in the mini and wall board group are written for one, such as Family name stacked one letter over the next, nose to tail and Bite-mark board: a scalloped notch painted at one rail.

Is there a design with a moon or a palm tree?

Yes. Full moon near the nose, its light path down the stringer and Night surf: stars at the nose, one white crest at the tail are night boards; Coconut palm growing up the stringer, fronds at the nose is one tall tree.

Can I paint a surf brand on my board?

None of the 60 uses a brand or a board maker's mark: those belong to their owners. Wide band between two pinlines with your own numeral gives a contest look with nothing borrowed.

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