When it comes to painting, everyone starts on an even playing field—those who paint well have built their skills over time. Doing so, however, requires patience, and for you to put brush to canvas (or paper) and increase your aptitude stroke by stroke. We’ve seen this happen in a drawing; just a few years of drawing practice can mean the difference between a sketch that’s just okay and one that shows extraordinary talent.
We've put together a list of painting ideas that anyone can try.
What type of paint should you choose?
Choosing a type of paint for your work can be quite overwhelming, given all the varieties out there. Some paint types can be more durable than others or completely change the look of your final work of art. The right paint choice can be very important in accomplishing your artistic goal, depending on what you are creating. The different paint types vary in style and properties making a big impact on your next painting quest. Some popular types of paint are watercolor, acrylic, oil, and gouache. Read our comprehensive list of types of paint to get a better idea of which one is right for you and your project.
What supplies will you need?
Once you choose the paint type you want to work with, you can focus on other supplies. Outside of your paint set, you will need brushes, possibly a canvas or painting paper, and maybe even an easel if you're feeling fancy. We have recommendations for three of the most popular types of paint. Check out our guides for the best watercolor paint sets, top acrylic paint, and best oil paints that beginners and pros will love. Although these paints are the most popular, you can go beyond a brush and pick up a paint marker. We even have a guide for the best paint markers, too.
But don't be afraid to get more creative with your supplies. Sticks, masking tape, and a sponge are all tools that artists use to create their paintings.
Once you’ve got your watercolor, acrylic, or even oil paint, you can get started right away on honing your craft. But even having all the right supplies can’t save you from the dreaded creative block; sometimes, you just can’t think of anything to paint! Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of prompts that are jumping-off points for your work. The easy painting ideas are divided into two lists—one is inspired by life while the other challenges you to use your imagination.
When looking through the list, consider the following: what sounds like fun to paint? What will challenge you to get better? Are there certain techniques you’d like to try? A leafy tree, for instance, allows you to experiment with texture, while imagining these subjects in monochrome is a great exercise in understanding tonality, light, and shadow. Opt for trying different colors to find your preferred palette. Before long, you'll know what and how you like to paint.
Easy painting ideas inspired by real life:
Your favorite coffee mug
A prickly pear cactus
Your furry friend
A tranquil lake scene
Your eye and eyebrow (try observing from real life)
A leafy tree
Your childhood home
Someone sitting on a chair
Fluffy clouds rendered in watercolors
A bouquet of flowers in a vase
A small bird on a branch
A wise owl
A curling ocean wave (check out Ray Collins’ wave photographs for inspiration!)
Copy a masterpiece painting of an artist you admire
A bowl of fruit
Fish under water
A portrait of yourself when you were a kid
Your hand or foot
Your favorite collection of things
A building façade you’ve always admired
Someone standing under an umbrella while it’s raining
A streetlamp illuminating a dark street
A peacock’s colorful plumage
The Eiffel Tower, or any other memorable landmark
An avocado cut in half
Your mode of transportation (car, bike, scooter, skateboard…)
A reflective object such as a vase or glass
Your favorite insect
A collection of seashells
A pair of shoes
Take your art supplies outdoors and paint a park en plein air
Different athletes
The night sky
Mountain landscape
The moon
The beach
Capture the mood of an outdoor landscape by painting en plein air
A butterfly
A cherry blossom tree (with q-tips instead of a brush)
A pumpkin
The sunset sky
Paint on rocks instead of on canvas
What did you have for lunch or dinner?
A shiny balloon
Someone who is doing an everyday activity such as sleeping, cooking, putting on makeup
Go big: show peonies blooming on a giant canvas or piece of paper
A snowy landscape
Birds in their natural habitat
Exercise your creativity with these good painting ideas inspired by the imagination:
A person with flower petals growing from their head
Swimming in an ocean that looks like the universe
A character's colorful face made of geometric shapes
An image inspired by your favorite song
A majestic unicorn with a rainbow-colored mane
A self-portrait in a Cubist style (try using a limited color palette)
Reimagine a scene from your favorite Disney film
Imagine a dog could walk and talk like a human. What would they say and do?
A repeat pattern
A mandala-inspired design
A cat in a fancy hat
An interior gone askew
Your dream home
Try painting with your fingers
The sky imagined in colorful swirls like in Van Gogh’s Starry Night
A person made out of balloons
Tiny people moving throughout a regular-sized world
A spooky scene in the woods (try painting it on a wood slice)
Salvador Dali-inspired interior
Living underwater
Paint a fantastical garden of imaginative plants
Try painting in an Art Deco style (like Tamara de Lempicka)
Imagine that you're a giant
A person whose skin cracks like porcelain
Experiment with abstract art by playing with paint textures
Abstract fields of warm shades mixed with bold lines (use masking tape to help with precision)
Fuse day and night into a single scene
An easy quote
Metallic abstract
Cubist-style vases created with white paint and gray tones
Geometric art
Splatter art
Animals outside of their natural habitat (look to Marina Kusraeva for inspiration)
A landscape inspired by an enchanted forest
Life in the future
Combine a realistic subject with abstract elements
Create a painting just of loops. What designs can you make with that?
Something that slithers (doesn't have to be a snake or a slug!)
Painting Tutorials
If you don't have a vast knowledge of painting, any of these ideas can be daunting to start putting pigment on canvas. Here are some painting tutorials to try. They'll teach you how to paint a particular subject while giving you confidence for future works of art.
Dream Your Own Abstract Floral Paintings — In this online course on My Modern Met Academy, artist Nitika Ale will walk you through painting techniques to create luscious acrylic blooms.
Dappled Light: Learn Abstract Paintings With Acrylics — Have you always admired the light as it shines through the trees? In another on-demand class on My Modern Met Academy, artist Megan Elizabeth shows you all you need to know about painting these beautiful scenes.
Abstract Realism: Introduction to Mixed Media Painting — Combine elements of abstraction and realistic painting in this beloved online course taught by artist Dimitra Milan.
This Step-by-Step Tutorial Shows You How to “Grow” Watercolor Flowers on Paper — Get a supplies list and a look at all the steps involved in bringing flowers to life on the page.
Learn How to Paint a Colorful Sunset in Easy to Follow Steps — Want to recreate the beauty of the setting sun? Here's another step-by-step painting tutorial that will give you the foundation for it.
Fluid Art: How to Start Acrylic Pouring & Create Psychedelic Abstract Paintings — Pour your way into a masterpiece when you get the proper tools and practice the techniques of fluid art.
23 YouTube Channels to Teach You How to Paint for Free — As expected, YouTube is chock-full of videos by artists who want to help you learn to paint. Here are 23 of our favorites.
This article has been edited and updated.
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